The Doors were a four person musical band of the 1960s and early
1970s, consisting of Jim Morrison
(vocals, b. 1943 d. 1971),
Ray Manzarek
(organ, keyboard, b. 1939), Robbie
Krieger (guitar, b. 1946) and
John Densmore
(drums, b. 1944)
The group started in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, after a meeting
between UCLA film school graduates Morrison and Manzarek. Morrison sang
Manzarek some of his poetry and song lyrics including "Moonlight Drive."
Manzarek was already in a band called Rick And The Ravens while Krieger and
Densmore were playing with The Psychedelic Rangers, but knew Manzarek from
shared meditation instruction. The latter two, along with a female bass
player, were rapidly recruited and the band took up a number of club
residences first at LA's "London Fog" and later the "Whiskey-A-Go-Go".
To fans of the Doors, the music included socially and politically charged
lyrics mostly written by Jim Morrison. The jazz drumming of John Densmore,
the swirling keyboards of Ray Manzarek, whose left hand played the parts
typically associated with bass guitar, and Robbie Krieger's guitar playing,
which showed the influence of flamenco, Indian, the blues and classical
music, combined to form a distinctive sound.
The band took their name from a line in a book by Aldous Huxley, The Doors
of Perception, which was in turn borrowed from a line of poetry by the 18th
century artist and poet William Blake: "If the doors of perception were
cleansed, everything would appear to man as it truly is, infinite."
The Doors quickly earned a reputation as an entertaining live act. In one
known incident, at a 1969 concert in Miami, Florida, Morrison allegedly
exposed himself. Misdemeanour and felony charges were brought against
Morrison. The misdemeanour charges stuck. The incident remains inconclusive.
Jim Morrison said, "I wasted a lot of time with the Miami trial. About a
year and a half. But I guess it was a valuable experience because before the
trial I had a very unrealistic schoolboy attitude about the American
judicial system. My eyes have been opened up a bit."
In 1971, Morrison died in mysterious circumstances while living in Paris,
leaving some fans believing that Morrison faked his death in order to escape
the spotlight. The remaining Doors continued, Manzarek replacing Morrison as
singer, and released two more albums, Other Voices and Full Circle. The band
was very successful with all four original members.
In late 2002, Manzarek and Krieger revived the Doors, recruiting singer Ian
Astbury of The Cult, as well as drummer Ty Dennis and bassist Angelo Barbera,
both of the Robbie Krieger Band. The Doors are remembered for shamanistic
live performances. Some people of the "establishment" thought that they were
just more American rock music rebels. Jim Morrison said "I like any reaction
I can get with my music. Just anything to get people to think. I mean if you
can get a whole room full of drunk, stoned people to actually wake up and
think, you're doing something."
Their ongoing popularity is tallied by continuing sales of their early
work.
Discography
Further reading
- Light My Fire: My Life With the Doors, by