The Doors

3-30-09 The Doors

I checked my “Index” and couldn’t find a blog on “The Doors”…

LP 13 (Collection) ELEKTRA US EKS-74079
1970 13 TRK Collection
CD AMERICAN PRAYER, AN ELEKTRA US 61812.2
1978 23 TRKS
LP AMERICAN PRAYER, AN ELEKTRA JPN P-10504E
1978 13 TRKS booklet
LP BEST OF quad ELEKTRA US EQ-5035
1973 11 TRK Collection, Quad LP
CD DOORS, THE ELEKTRA US 74007.2
1967 11 TRKS
LP DOORS, THE ELEKTRA JPN P-10334E
1967 11 TRKS insert
7" HELLO, I LOVE YOU / LOVE STREET ELEKTRA US EK-45635
1968 2 TRKS no pic sleeve - stereo 45
CD L.A. WOMAN ELEKTRA US 75011.2
1971 10 TRKS
LP L.A. WOMAN ELEKTRA US EKS-75011
1971 10 TRKS transparency cover
7" LIGHT MY FIRE / CRYSTAL SHIP ELEKTRA US EK-45615
1967 2 TRKS no pic sleeve
7" LOVE HER MADLY / (YOU NEED MEAT) DON'T GO… ELEKTRA US EK-45726
1970? 2 TRKS no pic sleeve
CD MORRISON HOTEL ELEKTRA US 75007.2
1970 11 TRKS
LP MORRISON HOTEL ELEKTRA UK EKS-75007
1968? 11 TRKS
LP OTHER VOICES ELEKTRA US EKS-75017
1971 8 TRKS no Jim Morrison
7" RIDERS ON THE STORM / CHANGELING ELEKTRA US EK-45738
1971 2 TRKS no pic sleeve
7" ROADHOUSE BLUES / YOU MAKE ME REAL ELEKTRA US EK-45685
1969 2 TRKS no pic sleeve
CD SOFT PARADE, THE ELEKTRA US 75005.2
1969? 9 TRKS
LP SOFT PARADE, THE ELEKTRA US EKS-75005
1969? 9 TRKS U.S. original issue
CD STRANGE DAYS ELEKTRA US 74014.2
1967 10 TRKS
LP STRANGE DAYS ELEKTRA US EKS-74014
1967 10 TRKS U.S. original issue
7" TIGHTROPE RIDE / VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE ELEKTRA US EK-45757
1971 2 TRKS no pic sleeve
CD WAITING FOR THE SUN ELEKTRA US 74024.2
1968 11 TRKS
LP WAITING FOR THE SUN ELEKTRA US EKS-74024
1968 11 TRKS U.S. original issue
LPx2 WEIRD SCENES INSIDE THE GOLD MINE (Collection) ELEKTRA US 8E-6001
1972 22 TRK Collection

I have a bit of an odd Doors collection – I bought some of as new releases.

I think the first Doors record I got was a 45 of “Wishful Sinful”, their newest 45 at the time. That was so long ago, I believe my 45 got broken while ‘rough-housing’! I also remember getting my first copies of albums #1 and #2 in white paper sleeves without covers. How did that happen in 1969? There was a hippie record store in (I think) Seal Beach, CA – typical store of the day, had bootleg 4-track / 8-track tapes, incense, a ‘store dog’, and used LP’s. Nice condition (as opposed to ‘beat up’) copies of the first two Doors LP’s were there, probably for 50 cents each. You can’t argue with the music, it’s good stuff. And do the economics of 1969: Ron is 11 years old, with little or no money.

Excited about “Love Her Madly” as a new release, I got a ‘window pane’ “L.A. Woman” LP as a new release. Great album, adult rock music – a good early 70’s U.S. LP. Jim Morrison always gets lumped in with Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix – an artist over-shadowed by an early death. I was bummed. I liked that Doors LP a lot. And I seem to recall a printed interview with one of ‘em saying, “If you like L.A. Woman – wait ‘till you hear what we’re gonna do next!” (which, of course – never happened, as it were).

Never got to see ‘em live, too young. I believe they were popular in my home, my brother certainly had all of their LP’s (maybe not the live album?) and both of my sisters liked them, too.

Towards the end of the 70’s, their stuff started to get re-issued. I remember getting a double 45 from England. I was blown away by “An American Prayer”, just loved it. I had a promo poster for it up in my young adult bedroom. There was a party at my house once, long ago (‘round that time), and some young woman wandered into my room, saw the poster and said, “He’s cute!”. I likely replied with “He’s also dead.”

In 1979, I went to France for the first time. All of the record stores had all of The Doors LP’s, like they were a new act. In L.A., you would’ve been lucky to find more than 1 copy of any of their albums regularly stocked (possible exception, their ‘best of’). I met Gilles Yepremian, who managed my favorite band of the day, Lard Free. His English is / was pretty good; he had met The Doors, right before Mr. Morrison expired. When I read the Danny Sugerman book, I saw Gilles’ name in it – I couldn’t believe it was the same guy I knew in Paris! (It was.)

I bought the CD’s of The Doors, probably the 2nd batch. The ones I got all say, “Re-mastered by Paul A. Rothchild”, so that’s good enough for me, at this time. No plans to buy ‘em all again. I do not really need alternate takes of their songs. The LP’s all sounded really good, really produced, like good ‘finished’ product. I do not need the stuff from the cutting room floor.

I was invited by a member of The Doors fan club to see the taping of the VH-1 “Storytellers” Doors episode, in Hollywood. This was before Ian Astbury of The Cult fronted the re-formed 90’s Doors. As I recall, Mr. Astbury was the best singer there that night.

The Doors have now had numerous re-mastered / best of / re-packaged CD’s. Jim Morrison lives on, in the 21st century.

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H.B. = K.K.