Legendary guitarist Robby Krieger will perform “A 60th Anniversary Doors Celebration” at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles on October 30.
The event will honor the pioneering band’s iconic 1970 album, “Morrison Hotel”, which features the classics “Roadhouse Blues,” Waiting For The Sun,” and “Peace Frog,” along with all The Doors’ hits.
The night will open with a performance from Tripform featuring Pablo Manzarek (son of original Doors member, the late Ray Manzarek) before Krieger and his band take the stage for an unforgettable night of Doors’ hits that will feature guest vocalists.
“Sixty years or so ago when The Doors were happening, I had no idea that in the next century, we would still be talking about and playing The Doors records,” says Krieger. “I feel so blessed that just about every day someone stops me and recognizes me and wants to talk about The Doors and to thank me for making the music that they love still today. The people that recognize me seem to be getting nicer all the time…I like to say that it’s a good problem to have.”
“I love seeing people at the Greek even though I’ve never played there myself,” Krieger adds. “I have seen many shows there and the sound is great, and it has a magical feel being out under the stars; like a more intimate Hollywood Bowl.”
The Greek Theater show will cap off A Doors’ 60th Anniversary celebration which Krieger kickstarted earlier this year by performing five sold-out shows at the Whisky A Go Go, the legendary venue where it truly started for The Doors.
Two members of The Doors – guitarist Robbie Krieger and the estate of keyboardist Ray Manzarek – have sold their music publishing rights and more to leading independent publisher Primary Wave Music.
The company made the announcement on Monday; it will see them take over the pair’s interests in The Doors’ music publishing catalog, recordings, trademarks, and merchandise rights and income, among other things; the Jim Morrison entities and drummer John Densmore retain their interests separately from Primary Wave.
“After 58 years, and the most magical of times, I’ve decided to sell my share of The Doors to Primary Wave,” says Robby. “This will enable me to help the many charities I’ve been involved with, and some new ones too. I know Primary Wave cares about music, art, and about helping legacies go to even bigger levels. Our longtime Doors manager Jeff Jampol will still be protecting our legacy in partnership with Primary Wave, so I’m comfortable and happy with the future of The Doors.”
“Ray and I spent a lot of time discussing the future of The Doors’ legacy, and how to handle things after he departed this plane,” explains Ray’s widow Dorothy Manzarek. “Our family has worked patiently to find the right partners to continue Ray’s lifelong efforts in protecting and promoting his art, and now we are happy to have finally come to an agreement with Primary Wave. Under the continued guidance of our manager, Jeff Jampol, Primary Wave will be the right partners in this endeavor to build future generations of new Doors fans.”
“The Doors are one of the most legendary rock bands of all time. We are looking forward to growing the legacies of Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek,” adds Larry Mestel, CEO & Founder of Primary Wave Music. “We are also very happy to be working alongside such an industry icon as Jeff Jampol to tastefully grow opportunities for The Doors.”
Formed in Los Angeles in 1965, The Doors were the first American band to have eight consecutive gold albums; the groundbreaking group would go on to sell over 35 million albums in the US alone and over 100 million worldwide. The iconic Los Angeles band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1993 and, in the years that followed, The Doors were honored by both the Grammys and the National Recording Registry for their work.
Surviving members Krieger and Densmore have continued to promote The Doors following the 1971 death of frontman Jim Morrison and Manzarek’s passing in 2013.
Pick up your copy of “The Very Best of The Doors” here.
The Doors are premiering a video for “Paris Blues”, the last known unreleased song from the band’s vault.
An original blues song written by the band, the track was recorded during one of the group’s recording sessions for either 1969’s “The Soft Parade” or 1971’s “L.A. Woman” (no one seems to remember).
The master tape of the song was lost, and the only surviving copy was given to Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek. Sadly, this copy was partially damaged by his son Pablo (a toddler at the time), who recorded over a few short parts. Now, through some creative editing, the song has been rescued from obscurity to take its place as the title track to a new blues-themed compilation of the same name coming out on vinyl for Record Store Day’s Black Friday event on November 25.
The “Paris Blues” compilation features two previously-unreleased live recordings of singer Jim Morrison and guitarist Robby Krieger performing as a duo at a benefit for Norman Mailer’s mayoral campaign on May 31, 1969, in West Hollywood. The first song is “I Will Never Be Untrue,” a band original written for, but left off of, 1970’s “Morrison Hotel”; the other is a cover of Robert Johnson’s “Me And The Devil Blues.” Both songs were recorded by Frank Lisciandro, a filmmaker who befriended Manzarek and Morrison when all three attended the film program at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
“Paris Blues” also contains a pair of outtakes recorded during the band’s sessions for "The Soft Parade" – “(You Need Meat) Don’t Go No Further” and “I’m Your Doctor.” Both feature Manzarek on vocals backed by Krieger and drummer John Densmore. In 2019, bass by Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots was added to the songs, which were included on Rhino’s 50th-anniversary edition of the album.
Also featured are three songs from “Live in Vancouver 1970”, a concert album released in 2010 by The Doors Bright Midnight Archive label. Recorded during the band’s 1970 tour, these live tracks spotlight legendary bluesman Albert King, who joined the band onstage during its June 6, 1970, show at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver. Morrison’s introduction of King is included along with live versions of “Little Red Rooster,” “Rock Me Baby,” and “Who Do You Love?”
“Paris Blues” will be available as a limited edition of 10,000 numbered copies on translucent blue vinyl at select independent music stores on November 25.
The LP’s cover art is an original painting by Krieger, and the set also includes liner notes by blues scholar Mary Katherine Aldin.
Get your digital copy of “Paris Blues” here and “The Very Best of The Doors” here.
The Doors are debuting the first-ever official video for their classic track, “Riders On The Storm”, in sync with a newly-released 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of their 1971 album, “L.A. Woman.”
Directed by Brendo Garcia and Adriano Gonfiantini, the clip for the single version of the iconic tune stars Brazilian actress Gabrielle Joie and was filmed in her home country on a soundstage using the same cutting-edge technology that’s being used to make the The Mandalorian television series, mixing live-action footage and computer graphics in real-time to achieve a look that’s evocative of the song’s haunting, dreamlike vibe.
Plenty of Doors easter eggs are hidden throughout the video, including a sign for Barney’s Beanery (one of Jim Morrison’s favorite West Hollywood bars); a woman tied to a streetlight recalling the image found inside the original L.A. Woman gatefold sleeve; plus, a glimpse of the Alta Cienega Motel where Morrison lived in Room 32 from 1968 to 1970.
The original 1970 demo version of “Riders On The Storm” is among the extras included on the 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of “L.A. Woman”, alongside a remastered version of the album by The Doors' longtime engineer and mixer Bruce Botnick, two bonus discs of unreleased studio outtakes, and the stereo mix of the original album on 180-gram virgin vinyl.
Recorded at the band’s rehearsal space, known as The Doors’ Workshop, “L.A. Woman” reached No. 9 on the US Billboard 200 and went on to sell more than 2 million copies in the region; three months after its release, Jim Morrison died in Paris, France at the age of 27.
The Doors will screen their concert film, “Live At The Bowl ’68 Special Edition”, in cinemas worldwide on November 4.
The project captures the band in performance at the Hollywood Bowl on July 5, 1968 – just two days after the release of their third album, “Waiting For The Sun”, and a month before the record’s second single, “Hello, I Love You”, would spend two weeks atop the US Billboard Hot 100.
This theatrical “Special Edition” release creates an in-cinema experience as the film has been remastered in Dolby ATMOS® (where available) and 5.1 surround sound by engineer Bruce Botnick and delivers the concert in its entirety, where The Doors mixed their new material with songs from their first two albums.
“The magic that has been done to enhance the picture and sound quality of this show will make everyone feel as though they have a front-row seat at the Hollywood Bowl,” says guitarist Robby Krieger.
In addition to viewing the full concert film, this special event includes extras filmed exclusively for the big screen: a brand-new musical performance of Krieger and drummer John Densmore with special guests, plus a conversation with Densmore, Krieger, and the band’s manager, Jeff Jampol.
Tickets for “The Doors: Live At The Bowl ’68 Special Edition” screenings will go on sale Tuesday, September 21 at TheDoorsFilm.com, where fans can find details regarding participating theaters and more.
The Doors are sharing the original demo for “Riders On The Storm” as the first preview to the 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of their 1971 classic, “L.A. Woman.”
The early version was recorded at Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles in November 1970 as The Doors worked on new material for their sixth album with longtime producer Paul Rothchild before he quit the project and the group relocated to the Workshop – the band’s rehearsal space on Santa Monica Boulevard – and partnered with engineer Bruce Botnick.
While overseeing the 2021 reissue, Rolling Stone reports Botnick recently discovered the long-forgotten demo on what he called a hub, the aluminum center of a reel that the tapes wound around; that one take was all that was on the unlabeled hub.
“We came upon that and went, ‘Oh, my God,'” explains Botnick. “And the funny thing is, when it got transferred, it got transferred backwards. So I had to flip it electronically, and when I heard it, I went, ‘Holy tamales, look what we’ve got.’ We had no idea there was even any aural record of the (original) sessions.”
Due December 3, “L.A. Woman: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition” is a 3CD/1LP set that includes the original album newly remastered by Botnick, two bonus discs of unreleased studio outtakes, and the stereo mix of the original album on 180-gram virgin vinyl; the music will also be available from digital and streaming services the same day, as will a new Dolby Atmos mix of the original album by Botnick.
For this new collection, the original album has been expanded with more than two hours of unreleased recordings taken from the sessions for "L.A. Woman", allowing the listener to experience the progression of each song as it developed in the studio. An early demo for “Hyacinth House”, recorded at Robby Krieger’s home studio in 1969, is also included.
The outtakes feature Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek working in the studio with two additional musicians: the first was rhythm guitarist Marc Benno, who worked with Leon Russell in The Asylum Choir; the other was bassist Jerry Scheff, who was a member of Elvis Presley’s TCB band.
In the studio, Botnick says the band took a more organic approach to recording instead of starting and stopping repeatedly to achieve technical perfection.
“The previously unreleased reels here – serial takes of ‘The Changeling,’ ‘Love Her Madly,’ ‘Riders On The Storm,’ and ‘L.A. Woman’ – depict a band obsessed with groove while executing turns and flourishes with the precision of a well-drilled soul combo…The idea was to go from song to song, to let it flow.”
Among the outtakes of album tracks, fans will also hear the band jamming on a series of blues classics, including Junior Parker’s “Mystery Train,”John Lee Hooker’s “Crawling King Snake,”Big Joe Williams’ “Baby Please Don’t Go,” and “Get Out Of My Life Woman,”Lee Dorsey’s 1966 classic, written by his producer Allen Toussaint.
Recorded over six days at the Workshop, “L.A. Woman” reached No. 9 on the US Billboard 200 and went on to sell more than 2 million copies in the region; three months after its release, Morrison died in Paris, France at the age of 27.
With sales of more than 100 million records worldwide, The Doors were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1993.
The Doors “L.A. Woman: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition”
Release date: December 3
Disc One: Original Stereo Mix Remastered
01. “The Changeling”
02. “Love Her Madly”
03. “Been Down So Long”
04. “Cars Hiss By My Window”
05. “L.A. Woman”
06. “L’America”
07. “Hyacinth House”
08. “Crawling King Snake”
09. “The WASP (Texas Radio And The Big Beat)”
10. “Riders On The Storm”
Bonus Tracks
11. “Hyacinth House” – Demo
12. “Riders On The Storm” – Sunset Sound Version – Original Demo *
Disc Two: L.A. Woman Sessions, Part 1
01. “The Changeling” *
02. “Love Her Madly” *
03. “Riders On The Storm” *
04. “L.A. Woman” (Part 1) *
Disc Three: L.A. Woman Sessions, Part 2
01. “L.A. Woman” (Part 2) *
02. “She Smells So Nice” *
03. “Rock Me Baby” *
04. “Mr. Mojo Risin'” *
05. “Baby Please Don’t Go” *
06. “L.A. Woman” (Part 3) *
07. “Been Down So Long” *
08. “Get Out Of My Life Woman” *
09. “Crawling King Snake” *
10. “The Bastard Son Of Jimmy & Mama Reed (Cars Hiss By My Window)” *
11. “Been Down So Long” *
12. “Mystery Train” *
13. “The WASP (Texas Radio And The Big Beat)” *
The remastered LP track listing reflects that of the original release
Guitarist Robby Krieger of The Doors will publish his memoir, “Set The Night On Fire: Living, Dying, and Playing Guitar With the Doors,” on October 12 via Little, Brown And Company, a division of the Hachette Book Group.
After fifty years, The Doors’ notoriously quiet guitarist is ready to set the record straight; co-written with Jeff Alulis, the rocker opens up about the band’s meteoric career, his own darkest moments, and the most famous black eye in rock ’n’ roll.
Through a series of vignettes, Krieger takes readers back to where it all happened: the pawnshop where he bought his first guitar; the jail cell he was tossed into after a teenage drug bust; his parents’ living room, where his first songwriting sessions with Jim Morrison took place; the empty bars and backyard parties where The Doors played their first awkward gigs; the studios where their iconic songs were recorded; and the many venues where concerts erupted into historic riots.
“Set The Night On Fire” is packed with never-before-told stories from The Doors’ vital years, and offers a fresh perspective on infamous moments in the band’s career.
Krieger also goes into detail about his life’s most difficult struggles, ranging from drug addiction, to his twin brother’s mental breakdown, to his own battle with cancer. Counterbalancing the sorrow are humorous anecdotes about run-ins with unstable fans, famous musicians, and one really angry monk.
Krieger’s story presents an insightful time capsule of ’60s counterculture, and a tale of a life lived nontraditionally.
The guitarist was the principal composer behind The Doors’ first US No.1 hit, “Light My Fire”, which appeared on the group’s self-titled 1967 debut; he also wrote or co-wrote other Doors classics like "Love Me Two Times", "Touch Me", and "Love Her Madly", among others.
With sales of more than 100 million records worldwide, The Doors were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1993.
The Doors are hosting an online virtual film festival to mark the 2021 edition of “The Day Of The Doors.”
The annual event – which launched in 2017 in sync with the 50th anniversary of the release of the band’s self-titled debut album – honors the group’s legacy by proclaiming January 4 as the “Day Of The Doors” in Los Angeles.
The Doors are streaming a pair of documentaries – 2012’s “Mr. Mojo Risin’: The Story Of L.A. Woman” and 2009’s “When You're Strange” – as a fundraiser for the National Independent Venue Association Emergency Relief Fund, which provides assistance to live music venues across America during the pandemic shutdown.
“Mr. Mojo Risin’” takes an in-depth look at the band’s 1971 album, “L.A. Woman”, while “When You're Strange” explores the group’s entire history with narration by Johnny Depp.
Surviving members Robbie Krieger and drummer John Densmore continue to promote The Doors following the 1971 death of frontman Jim Morrison and the 2013 passing of keyboardist Ray Manzarek.
The Doors are revisiting an unreleased version of their 1970 classic, “Roadhouse Blues”, as the latest preview to the October 9 release of an expanded, deluxe 50th anniversary edition of “Morrison Hotel.”
The streaming audio takes fans directly in the studio as Jim Morrison sets the scene for his bandmates before they run through the song.
“Now the subject of this song is something that all of you have seen at one time or another, it’s an old roadhouse,” explains Morrison. “We’re down in the South or in the Midwest or maybe on the way to Bakersfield, and we’re driving in a ’57 Chevy to an old roadhouse. Can you dig it? It’s about 1:30 and we’re not driving too fast, but we’re not driving too slow either. We’ve got a six-pack of beer in the car, and a few joints, and we’re just listening to the radio and driving to the roadhouse through nature. Dig it?”
The first two takes of the track are featured alongside several others on the newly-expanded second disc of “Morrison Hotel”, which presents unreleased outtakes alongside a newly-remastered version of the album in the 2CD/1LP package.
"Actually, the real roadhouse was this place that was right down the street from our studio,” says Robbie Krieger. “It was kind of across the street from the Troubadour and a little bit east. It was a bar — I forget what it was called — but it was where Jim spent quite a bit of time with his drinking buddies. Even though it was in the city, this place looked like it could have been out in the desert. To me, that was what he was singing about.”
The Doors “Morrison Hotel” 50th anniversary deluxe edition
Release date: October 9
The Original Album
01. “Roadhouse Blues”
02. “Waiting for the Sun”
03. “You Make Me Real”
04. “Peace Frog”
05. “Blue Sunday”
06. “Ship of Fools”
07. “Land Ho!”
08. “The Spy”
09. “Queen of the Highway”
10. “Indian Summer”
11. “Maggie M’Gill”
Disc Two: Mysterious Union
Black Dressed In Leather (Queen of the Highway Sessions)
First Session (11/15/68)
01. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 1, She Was a Princess) *
02. “Queen of the Highway” (Various Takes) *
03. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 44, He Was A Monster) *
Second Session (1/16/69)
04. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 12, No One Could Save Her) *
05. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 14, Save the Blind Tiger) *
Third Session (Date Unknown)
06. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 1, American Boy – American Girl) *
07. “Queen of the Highway” (Takes 5, 6 & 9, Dancing Through The Midnight Whirlpool) *
08. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 14, Start It All Over) *
09. “I Will Never Be Untrue” *
10. “Queen of the Highway” (Take Unknown) *
Money Beats Soul (Roadhouse Blues Sessions)
First Session
11. “Roadhouse Blues” (Take 14, Keep Your Eyes On The Road) *
12. “Money (That’s What I Want)” *
13. “Rock Me Baby” *
Second Session
14. “Roadhouse Blues” (Takes 6 & 7, Your Hands Upon The Wheel) *
15. “Roadhouse Blues” (Take 8, We’re Goin’ to the Roadhouse) *
Third Session
16. “Roadhouse Blues” (Takes 1 & 2, We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time) *
17. “Roadhouse Blues” (Takes 5, 6 & 14, Let It Roll Baby Roll) *
Dawn’s Highway (Peace Frog/Blue Sunday Session)
18. “Peace Frog/Blue Sunday” (Take 4) *
19. “Peace Frog” (Take 12) *
The Doors are streaming various takes of their 1970 track, “Queen Of The Highway”, as the latest preview to the upcoming release of an expanded, deluxe 50th anniversary edition of “Morrison Hotel.”
Due October 9, the reissue delivers more than an hour of unreleased recordings taken from the original sessions, giving fans an inside look at the making of the album.
“[Pamela] Courson was also Jim Morrison’s ‘Queen Of The Highway,’ tied to a ‘monster/Black dressed in leather’ as [Jim Morrison] described himself in the first verse,” writes David Fricke in the set’s liner notes
The 2CD/1LP package will include the band’s original fifth studio album – newly remastered by Bruce Botnick – alongside a bonus disc of unreleased studio outtakes, and the original album on 180-gram virgin vinyl.
Released in February 1970, the project – which took its name from the Skid Row hotel in downtown Los Angeles that’s featured in the iconic cover photo taken by Henry Diltz – featured classic tracks like “Roadhouse Blues” and “Waiting For The Sun.”
“Morrison Hotel” reached No. 4 on the US Billboard while going on to sell a million copies in the region.
The Doors “Morrison Hotel” 50th anniversary deluxe edition
Release date: October 9
The Original Album
01. “Roadhouse Blues”
02. “Waiting for the Sun”
03. “You Make Me Real”
04. “Peace Frog”
05. “Blue Sunday”
06. “Ship of Fools”
07. “Land Ho!”
08. “The Spy”
09. “Queen of the Highway”
10. “Indian Summer”
11. “Maggie M’Gill”
Disc Two: Mysterious Union
Black Dressed In Leather (Queen of the Highway Sessions)
First Session (11/15/68)
01. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 1, She Was a Princess) *
02. “Queen of the Highway” (Various Takes) *
03. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 44, He Was A Monster) *
Second Session (1/16/69)
04. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 12, No One Could Save Her) *
05. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 14, Save the Blind Tiger) *
Third Session (Date Unknown)
06. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 1, American Boy – American Girl) *
07. “Queen of the Highway” (Takes 5, 6 & 9, Dancing Through The Midnight Whirlpool) *
08. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 14, Start It All Over) *
09. “I Will Never Be Untrue” *
10. “Queen of the Highway” (Take Unknown) *
Money Beats Soul (Roadhouse Blues Sessions)
First Session
11. “Roadhouse Blues” (Take 14, Keep Your Eyes On The Road) *
12. “Money (That’s What I Want)” *
13. “Rock Me Baby” *
Second Session
14. “Roadhouse Blues” (Takes 6 & 7, Your Hands Upon The Wheel) *
15. “Roadhouse Blues” (Take 8, We’re Goin’ to the Roadhouse) *
Third Session
16. “Roadhouse Blues” (Takes 1 & 2, We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time) *
17. “Roadhouse Blues” (Takes 5, 6 & 14, Let It Roll Baby Roll) *
Dawn’s Highway (Peace Frog/Blue Sunday Session)
18. “Peace Frog/Blue Sunday” (Take 4) *
19. “Peace Frog” (Take 12) *
The Doors will release an expanded, deluxe 50th anniversary edition of “Morrison Hotel” on October 9.
The 2CD/1LP package will include the band’s original fifth studio album – newly remastered by Bruce Botnick – alongside a bonus disc of unreleased studio outtakes, and the original album on 180-gram virgin vinyl.
Released in February 1970, the project – which took its name from the Skid Row hotel in downtown Los Angeles that’s featured in the iconic cover photo taken by Henry Diltz – featured classic tracks like “Roadhouse Blues” and “Waiting For The Sun.”
“Morrison Hotel” reached No. 4 on the US Billboard while going on to sell a million copies in the region.
The 50th anniversary package delivers more than an hour of unreleased recordings taken from the original sessions, giving fans an inside look at the making of the album.
“There are many takes, different arrangements, false starts, and insightful studio conversations between the band – who were in the studio – and producer Paul Rothchild – who was in the control room,” says Botnick. “It’s like being a fly on the wall.”
Several of these unheard recordings spotlight how “Queen Of The Highway” and “Roadhouse Blues” evolved, with multiple takes of the latter featuring a variety of bass players – including Harvey Brooks and guitar legend Lonnie Mack, as well as outtakes of the band jamming on cover versions of the Motown classic “Money (That’s What I Want)” and B.B. King’s “Rock Me.”
The 50th anniversary edition of “Morrison Hotel” is being previewed with an unreleased take of “Peace Frog/Blue Sunday.”
The Doors “Morrison Hotel” 50th anniversary deluxe edition
Release date: October 9
The Original Album
01. “Roadhouse Blues”
02. “Waiting for the Sun”
03. “You Make Me Real”
04. “Peace Frog”
05. “Blue Sunday”
06. “Ship of Fools”
07. “Land Ho!”
08. “The Spy”
09. “Queen of the Highway”
10. “Indian Summer”
11. “Maggie M’Gill”
Disc Two: Mysterious Union
Black Dressed In Leather (Queen of the Highway Sessions)
First Session (11/15/68)
01. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 1, She Was a Princess) *
02. “Queen of the Highway” (Various Takes) *
03. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 44, He Was A Monster) *
Second Session (1/16/69)
04. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 12, No One Could Save Her) *
05. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 14, Save the Blind Tiger) *
Third Session (Date Unknown)
06. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 1, American Boy – American Girl) *
07. “Queen of the Highway” (Takes 5, 6 & 9, Dancing Through The Midnight Whirlpool) *
08. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 14, Start It All Over) *
09. “I Will Never Be Untrue” *
10. “Queen of the Highway” (Take Unknown) *
Money Beats Soul (Roadhouse Blues Sessions)
First Session
11. “Roadhouse Blues” (Take 14, Keep Your Eyes On The Road) *
12. “Money (That’s What I Want)” *
13. “Rock Me Baby” *
Second Session
14. “Roadhouse Blues” (Takes 6 & 7, Your Hands Upon The Wheel) *
15. “Roadhouse Blues” (Take 8, We’re Goin’ to the Roadhouse) *
Third Session
16. “Roadhouse Blues” (Takes 1 & 2, We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time) *
17. “Roadhouse Blues” (Takes 5, 6 & 14, Let It Roll Baby Roll) *
Dawn’s Highway (Peace Frog/Blue Sunday Session)
18. “Peace Frog/Blue Sunday” (Take 4) *
19. “Peace Frog” (Take 12) *
Guitarist Robby Krieger of The Doors is streaming “The Drift”, as the lead track from his first solo album in a decade.
Due April 24, “The Ritual Begins At Sundown” is an instrumental record which was recorded at Krieger’s own Horse Latitudes Studio in Los Angeles and features nine originals and one cover, the Frank Zappa song “Chunga’s Revenge.”
The set sees the rocker regroup with his longtime writing partner and co-producer Arthur Barrow, who worked with Zappa through the 1970s-80s.
“After The Doors I started becoming interested in Jazz and started hanging out with a guy called Sal Marquez,” says Krieger. “So, we put this band together and that was the first Robby Krieger band and we played at the Whiskey A-Go-Go with Don Preston, Zappa’s keyboard player.
“Arthur Barrow, who was a huge Zappa fan – this was before he worked with Frank – he decided that, after graduating from North Texas State music school that he was gonna come out to LA and try to get into Frank’s band, which was pretty brash of him,” he laughs. “He started hanging out with Don and with Zappa, Don was in my band so we decided to put Arthur in charge of the mixing at the Whiskey for our shows, that’s when I first met him in the 70s.”
The project also features other Zappa alumni Jock Ellis (Trombone), Sal Marquez (Trumpet), Tommy Mars (Keys) and Chad Wackerman (Drums), as well as AeB Bryne (Flute), Vince Denham (Sax), Chuck Manning (Sax) and Joel Taylor (Drums).
Krieger’s seventh solo record marks his first since 2010’s “Singularity.”
Krieger and John Densmore of The Doorsreunited for a charity concert in Los Angeles last month, where they were joined by Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic on bass and a number of other players at the first-ever “Homeward Bound” concert, a fundraising event for PATH (People Assisting the Homeless), a non-profit focused on affordable housing and services for the homeless population in California.
Robby Krieger “The Ritual Begins At Sundown”
Release date: April 24
01. What Was That?
02. Slide Home
03. The Drift
04. Chunga's Revenge (Frank Zappa cover)
05. Hot Head
06. Yes, The River Knows
07. The Hitch
08. Dr Noir
09. Bianca's Dream
10. Screen Junkie
The surviving members of The Doors reunited for a January 23 charity concert in Los Angeles to raise funds to assist the homeless in California.
Rolling Stone reports the rare performance by guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore – who were joined on stage by Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic on bass – took place at the first-ever “Homeward Bound” concert, a fundraising event for PATH (People Assisting the Homeless), a non-profit focused on affordable housing and services for the homeless population in California.
Rounded out by Willie Nelson’s youngest son, Micah, on guitar, the lineup opened their set with the Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart and his daughter Kaya taking on The Doors’ chart-topping 1968 hit, “Hello, I Love You”; American Idol alum Haley Reinhart sang a pair of 1967 classics: “Crystal Ship” and “People Are Strange”; and, Michael Fitzpatrick from event openers Fitz And The Tantrums joined in for “Riders On The Storm” before Nelson moved to center stage for the finale of “Roadhouse Blues.”
A live auction at the event saw two guitars signed by all the performers fetch a total of $17,000.
To learn more about the services offered by PATH and/or to donate to the organization, visit epath.org.
The Doors will screen “Break On Thru – A Celebration Of Ray Manzarek”, a tribute to their late keyboardist, in cinemas on February 12.
The Doors are streaming video of a 2016 performance of their 1967 classic, “Love Me Two Times”, featuring Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins on lead vocals, as a preview to the February 12 screening of a documentary tribute to late keyboardist Ray Manzarek.
“The Doors: Break On Thru – A Celebration Of Ray Manzarek” includes the first performance of Doors members Robby Krieger and John Densmore in 15 years.
As Rolling Stone notes, Hawkins was one of several rockers that fronted the surviving members of The Doors at a 2016 Manzarek tribute at the Fonda Theater in Los Angeles, as captured for the film project.
The film also includes rare archival footage of the band, conversations with Jim Morrison and Manzarek, music journalist Ben Fong-Torres, as well as new interviews with Densmore and Krieger.
Manzarek passed away from bile duct cancer in Rosenheim, Germany in 2013 at the age of 74; all proceeds from the 2016 tribute event went to benefit Stand Up To Cancer.
“I don’t want to get emotional,” Densmore says in footage from the documentary. “I’ve been listening to Ray’s playing ever since he passed, and [I’m] just amazed by his ability to split his mind into two musicians — bass player and keys — and all of these licks. So gifted, so unique. There’s no one like him.”
“The Doors: Break On Thru – A Celebration Of Ray Manzarek” will screen in theaters on February 12; for ticket information and more, visit thedoorsfilm.com.
The Doors will screen a tribute concert/documentary about the life of keyboardist Ray Manzarek in cinemas next February 12, on what would have been the late rocker’s 81st birthday.
Filmed at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, CA, “The Doors: Break On Thru – A Celebration Of Ray Manzarek” saw the first performance of Doors members Robby Krieger and John Densmore in 15 years.
The pair were joined by an all-star lineup that included Taylor Hawkins and Rami Jaffee of the Foo Fighters, Warren Haynes of Gov’t Mule, Exene Cervenka and John Doe of X, Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots, Krieger’s son Wayne, and Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins, among others.
The film also includes rare archival footage of the band, conversations with Jim Morrison and Manzarek, music journalist Ben Fong-Torres, as well as new interviews with Densmore and Krieger.
“The Doors: Break On Thru – A Celebration Of Ray Manzarek” will screen in theaters on February 12; for ticket information and more, visit thedoorsfilm.com.
With sales of more than 100 million records worldwide, The Doors were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1993.
The Doors are streaming a new mix of their 1969 single, “Wishful Sinful”, as a preview to the November 1 release of an expanded 50th anniversary edition of their fourth album, “The Soft Parade.”
It’s one of five songs that are billed as “Doors-Only” versions that see some instruments removed in order to bring the band’s instrumentation to the forefront.
The record’s second single, “Wishful Sinful” reached No. 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
The 50th anniversary reissue will present the original album, a newly-remastered version of the b-side “Who Scared You”, and more than a dozen unreleased songs, including the legendary hour-long jam “Rock Is Dead”, which appears here in its entirety for the first time ever.
Limited to just 15,000 individually-numbered copies, the 3CD/1LP collection also includes the original album on 180-gram vinyl along with liner notes by rock journalist David Fricke.
The Doors “The Soft Parade: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition”
Release date: November 1
01. “Tell All The People” (Doors only mix)*
02. “Touch Me” (Doors only mix w/new Robby Krieger guitar overdub)*
03. “Runnin’ Blue” (Doors only mix w/new Robby Krieger guitar overdub)*
04. “Wishful Sinful” (Doors only mix w/new Robby Krieger guitar overdub)*
05. “Who Scared You” (Doors only mix)*
06. “Roadhouse Blues” – Screamin’ Ray Daniels (a.k.a. Ray Manzarek) on vocal*
07. “(You Need Meat) Don’t Go No Further” – Screamin’ Ray Daniels (a.k.a. Ray Manzarek) on vocal*
08. “I’m Your Doctor” – Screamin’ Ray Daniels (a.k.a. Ray Manzarek) on vocal*
09. “Touch Me” (Doors only mix)*
10. “Runnin’ Blue” (Doors only mix) *
11. “Wishful Sinful” (Doors only mix)*
Disc Three
01. “I Am Troubled”
02. “Seminary School” (aka “Petition The Lord With Prayer”) *
03. “Rock Is Dead” – Complete Version *
04. “Chaos” *
The Doors are streaming a new mix of their 1969 hit, “Touch Me”, as a preview to the November 1 release of an expanded 50th anniversary edition of their fourth album, “The Soft Parade.”
It’s one of five songs that are billed as “Doors-Only” versions, with horns and strings removed to bring the band’s instrumentation to the forefront; guitarist Robby Krieger recorded a new guitar solo for the track that he based on Curtis Amy’s saxophone solo and added some of his own ideas to it.
“It was cool to strip that stuff down,” Krieger tells Rolling Stone. “You can’t say, ‘Oh, this is what it would have been like if we didn’t do the horns and strings, because I think we would have approached it differently, but you have an idea of what it sounded like. I think it’s kind of cool.”
The set’s lead single, “Touch Me” reached No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on its way to sales of a million copies in the country.
The 50th anniversary reissue will present the original album, a newly-remastered version of the b-side “Who Scared You”, and more than a dozen unreleased songs, including the legendary hour-long jam, “Rock Is Dead,” which appears here in its entirety for the first time ever.
Limited to just 15,000 individually-numbered copies, the 3CD/1LP collection also includes the original album on 180-gram vinyl along with liner notes by rock journalist David Fricke.
The Doors “The Soft Parade: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition”
Release date: November 1
01. “Tell All The People” (Doors only mix)*
02. “Touch Me” (Doors only mix w/new Robby Krieger guitar overdub)*
03. “Runnin’ Blue” (Doors only mix w/new Robby Krieger guitar overdub)*
04. “Wishful Sinful” (Doors only mix w/new Robby Krieger guitar overdub)*
05. “Who Scared You” (Doors only mix)*
06. “Roadhouse Blues” – Screamin’ Ray Daniels (a.k.a. Ray Manzarek) on vocal*
07. “(You Need Meat) Don’t Go No Further” – Screamin’ Ray Daniels (a.k.a. Ray Manzarek) on vocal*
08. “I’m Your Doctor” – Screamin’ Ray Daniels (a.k.a. Ray Manzarek) on vocal*
09. “Touch Me” (Doors only mix)*
10. “Runnin’ Blue” (Doors only mix) *
11. “Wishful Sinful” (Doors only mix)*
Disc Three
01. “I Am Troubled”
02. “Seminary School” (aka “Petition The Lord With Prayer”) *
03. “Rock Is Dead” – Complete Version *
04. “Chaos” *
The Doors will release an expanded, deluxe 50th anniversary edition of “The Soft Parade” on October 18.
The 3CD/1LP package will includes the band’s original fourth studio album and the b-side “Who Scared You” – newly remastered by Bruce Botnick – alongside more than a dozen unreleased songs.
Featured are stripped down “Doors Only” versions of five tracks where the horns and strings have been removed (“Tell All The People,” “Touch Me,” “Wishful Sinful,” “Runnin’ Blue,” and “Who Scared You”); the set also features three of those stripped-back versions with new guitar parts added by Robby Krieger (“Touch Me,” “Wishful Sinful,” and "Runnin’ Blue").
The collection delivers three songs from studio rehearsals – with Ray Manzarek (a.k.a. Screamin’ Ray Daniels) on vocals – that include newly-recorded bass parts by Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots, who joined Krieger and John Densmore at a tribute concert for Manzarek in 2016, three years after the organist died of cancer.
A third disc presents a trio of studio outtakes that feature the much-bootlegged, hour-long jam, “Rock Is Dead,” which appears here in its entirety for the first time ever.
Limited to just 15,000 individually-numbered copies, the collection also includes the original album on 180-gram vinyl along with liner notes by rock journalist David Fricke.
The 50th anniversary edition of “The Soft Parade” is being previewed with an early version of “Roadhouse Blues” – a song that would be released the following year on “Morrison Hotel” – with Manzarek on lead vocals.
The Doors “The Soft Parade: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition”
Release date: October 18
01. “Tell All The People” (Doors only mix)*
02. “Touch Me” (Doors only mix w/new Robby Krieger guitar overdub)*
03. “Runnin’ Blue” (Doors only mix w/new Robby Krieger guitar overdub)*
04. “Wishful Sinful” (Doors only mix w/new Robby Krieger guitar overdub)*
05. “Who Scared You” (Doors only mix)*
06. “Roadhouse Blues” – Screamin’ Ray Daniels (a.k.a. Ray Manzarek) on vocal*
07. “(You Need Meat) Don’t Go No Further” – Screamin’ Ray Daniels (a.k.a. Ray Manzarek) on vocal*
08. “I’m Your Doctor” – Screamin’ Ray Daniels (a.k.a. Ray Manzarek) on vocal*
09. “Touch Me” (Doors only mix)*
10. “Runnin’ Blue” (Doors only mix) *
11. “Wishful Sinful” (Doors only mix)*
Disc Three
01. “I Am Troubled”
02. “Seminary School” (aka “Petition The Lord With Prayer”) *
03. “Rock Is Dead” – Complete Version *
04. “Chaos” *
The Doors are streaming a rough mix of their 1967 track, “Love Street”, as a preview to the September 14 release of an expanded 50th anniversary edition of their third album, “Waiting For The Sun.”
Jim Morrison’s lyrics for the tune – which appeared as the b-side to the US No. 1 hit, “Hello, I Love You” – were taken from a poem he wrote about watching hippies from his house on the street he lived on in the Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles with girlfriend Pamela Courson.
The “Waiting For The Sun: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition” is a 2-CD/1-LP collection that features a new version of the album’s original stereo mix on both CD and 180-gram vinyl LP, which has been newly remastered from the original master tapes by Bruce Botnick, The Doors’ longtime engineer/mixer.
Also to be available on digital download and streaming services, the set includes a second disc of 14 completely unreleased tracks: nine recently discovered “rough mixes” from the album recording sessions and five live songs from a 1968 Copenhagen show.
“I prefer some of these rough mixes to the finals,” says Botnick, “as they represent all of the elements and additional background vocals, different sensibilities on balances, and some intangible roughness, all of which are quite attractive and refreshing.”
The deluxe edition of the album also features unreleased live recordings of five songs from The Doors’ September 17, 1968 concert in Copenhagen. The performance includes three songs from the band’s latest album – “Hello, I Love You,” “Five To One,” and “The Unknown Soldier” – plus the classics “Back Door Man” and “The WASP (Texas Radio And The Big Beat).”
Guitarist Robby Krieger of The Doors joined Alice In Chains for a performance of the Seattle band’s classic, “Rooster”, during their August 29 show at The Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, CA.
The fourth single from the group’s second album, 1992’s “Dirt”, peaked at No. 7 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart while the project hit No. 6 on the Billboard 200 on its way to US sales of more than 4 million copies.
“Robby Krieger was kind enough to join us to close the show on Rooster at the Palladium tonight,” wrote guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell on Instagram. “One of my musical heroes, friend and occasional golf partner.... what an honor especially in LA.”
“Yes, that’s Robby Krieger of THE DOORS jamming onstage w/ us at the Hollywood Palladium tonight,” posted singer William DuVall on Instagram. “And, yes, he is playing one of my @framuswarwickofficial Talisman guitars (which he told me he loved). And, no, I still can’t believe it actually happened.
“Robby Krieger is one of my absolute heroes - a rocker with the heart of a jazzman. He introduced Coltrane/Ravi Shankar-style improvisation to rock guitar while also being a great pop songwriter for the Doors. Robby wrote some of their biggest hits, including ‘Light My Fire,’ which was the first song he EVER wrote (talk about comin’ in hot), and ‘Love Me Two Times.’ He’s a truly great all-around musician and it was a tremendous honor to share the stage with him tonight.”
The Hollywood stop is part of Alice In Chains’ North American tour in support of their newly-released sixth album, “Rainier Fog.”
The band recorded their first album in five years at studios in Seattle, Nashville and Los Angeles with producer Nick Raskulinecz.
