Waiting For The Sun
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''Waiting for the Sun'' is the third studio album by the American
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band
the Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, comprising vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most influential and controversial rock acts ...
, released by
Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...
on July 3, 1968. The album's 11 tracks were recorded between late 1967 and May 1968 mostly at
TTG Studios TTG Studios is a recording studio in Los Angeles, California, co-founded in 1965 by recording engineers Tom Hidley and Amnon "Ami" Hadani. History The studio is located at 1441 North McCadden Place in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles, near ...
in Los Angeles. It became the band's only number one album, topping the ''Billboard'' 200 for four weeks, while also including their second US number one single, "
Hello, I Love You "Hello, I Love You" is a song recorded by American rock band the Doors for their 1968 album '' Waiting for the Sun''. Elektra Records released it as a single that same year, which topped the charts in the U.S. and Canada. Although the Doors are ...
". The first single released off the record was " The Unknown Soldier", which peaked at number 39 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It also became the band's first hit album in the UK, where it reached number 16. Having released two records that drew from a large pool of previously composed songs, the Doors began to improvise for their third album in late 1967. Due to the shortage of original material, the group suffered what drummer
John Densmore John Paul Densmore (born December 1, 1944) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer of the Rock music, rock band the Doors and as such is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He appeared on every recording made by the band, ...
described as the "third album syndrome", struggling to compose sufficient good material to fill the album. The recording sessions also proved difficult for the group due to lead singer
Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, songwriter, and poet who was the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his charismatic persona, poetic lyrics, distinctive vo ...
's worsening
alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...
. The album provoked mixed reactions upon release, with many deriding its diversity and songwriting quality as detriments and inconsistent. However, it has attracted more sympathetic appraisal for its mellower sound and experimentation with other genres. To coincide with the 50th anniversary of the album's release in 2018, a 1-LP/2-CD deluxe version of the album was released by
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. This was overseen by long-time Doors sound engineer
Bruce Botnick Bruce Botnick (born 1945) is an American audio engineer and record producer. He is best known for co-producing '' L.A. Woman'', the sixth studio album by the Doors, after producer Paul A. Rothchild quit during production of the album. Botnick i ...
.


Background and recording

The Doors started recording ''Waiting for the Sun'' in late 1967 at
Sunset Sound Studios Sunset Sound Recorders is a recording studio in Hollywood, California, United States, located at 6650 Sunset Boulevard. Background The Sunset Sound Recorders complex was created by Walt Disney's Director of Recording, Tutti Camarata, from a co ...
, with early versions of "The Unknown Soldier" and "Spanish Caravan". The group soon moved at
TTG Studios TTG Studios is a recording studio in Los Angeles, California, co-founded in 1965 by recording engineers Tom Hidley and Amnon "Ami" Hadani. History The studio is located at 1441 North McCadden Place in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles, near ...
in Hollywood, California, where the majority of the album's recording took place; the same time
Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestra ...
was recording. The band had used up most of frontman
Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, songwriter, and poet who was the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his charismatic persona, poetic lyrics, distinctive vo ...
's original songbook, a collection of lyrics and ideas, for their first two records. Consequently, following months of touring, interviews and television appearances, they had little new material. The band attempted to record a longer piece called " Celebration of the Lizard" and intended the piece to occupy the second side of the album; this was later shelved. However, a recording of the " Not to Touch the Earth" segment was included and the full lyrics to "Celebration of the Lizard" were printed inside the album's
gatefold A gatefold cover or gatefold LP is a form of packaging for gramophone record, LP records that became popular in the mid-1960s. A gatefold cover, when folded, is the same size as a standard LP cover (i.e., a 12½-inch 2.7-centimetresquare). ...
sleeve. The removal of "Celebration of the Lizard" drove the band to resort to composing many of the album tracks in the studio and digging up older songs that they had previously decided against recording, such as "Hello, I Love You", to fill the gap of material. The production by Paul A. Rothchild led to multiple takes as a result of his growing perfectionism, which was becoming an issue for the group. Morrison's increasing alcohol consumption also caused tension and difficulties in the studio, and at one point drummer
John Densmore John Paul Densmore (born December 1, 1944) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer of the Rock music, rock band the Doors and as such is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He appeared on every recording made by the band, ...
walked out of a session frustrated at his behavior.
Alice Cooper Vincent Damon Furnier (born February 4, 1948), known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusion ...
was around during the recording sessions and he was reportedly worried about Morrison's health. During the recording of " Five to One", Morrison was in intense state of intoxication, to a degree that the studio's assistants needed to support him to complete his vocal parts. Each song on the album required overall at least 20 takes with "The Unknown Soldier", recorded in two parts, requiring 130. In her 1979 essay "The White Album,"
Joan Didion Joan Didion (; December 5, 1934 – December 23, 2021) was an American writer and journalist. She is considered one of the pioneers of New Journalism, along with Gay Talese, Truman Capote, Norman Mailer, Hunter S. Thompson, and Tom Wolfe. Didio ...
described a day at Sunset Sound during the recording of the album. The mood is highly desultory, as Manzarek, Krieger, and Densmore wait for an AWOL Morrison to arrive to lay down his vocals.


Composition

''Waiting for the Sun'' includes the band's second chart topper, "
Hello, I Love You "Hello, I Love You" is a song recorded by American rock band the Doors for their 1968 album '' Waiting for the Sun''. Elektra Records released it as a single that same year, which topped the charts in the U.S. and Canada. Although the Doors are ...
", one of the last remaining songs from Morrison's 1965 batch of tunes. It had been demoed by the group for Aura Records in 1965 before guitarist
Robby Krieger Robert Alan Krieger (born January 8, 1946) is an American guitarist and founding member of the rock band the Doors. Krieger wrote or co-wrote many of the Doors' songs, including the hits " Light My Fire", " Love Me Two Times", " Touch Me", and " ...
had joined the group, as had " Summer's Almost Gone". In the liner notes to '' The Doors: Box Set'', Krieger denied the allegations that the song's main riff and vocal melody were stolen from
Ray Davies Sir Raymond Douglas Davies ( ; born 21 June 1944) is an English musician. He was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter for the Rock music, rock band the Kinks, which he led, with his younger brother Dave Davies, Dave pro ...
, with a similar riff having been featured in
the Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray Davies, Ray and Dave Davies, and Pete Quaife. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British ...
' "
All Day and All of the Night "All Day and All of the Night" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks from 1964. Released as a single, it reached No. 2 in the UK on the ''Record Retailer'' chart and No. 7 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in 1965. The song was incl ...
". Instead, he said the song's vibe was taken from
Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this proces ...
's song "
Sunshine of Your Love "Sunshine of Your Love" is a 1967 song by the British rock band Cream. With elements of hard rock and psychedelia, it is one of Cream's best known and most popular songs. Cream bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce based it on a distinctive bass riff h ...
". Densmore said that when recording the song, Krieger had advised him to imitate
Ginger Baker Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker (19 August 1939 – 6 October 2019) was an English drummer. His work in the 1960s and 1970s earned him the reputation of "rock's first superstar drummer", for a style that melded jazz and Music of Africa, Africa ...
's drumming on "Sunshine of Your Love", and he followed that advice. The courts in the UK determined in favor of Davies and any UK-based royalties for the song were paid to him. ''Waiting for the Sun'' contains two songs with military themes: " Five to One" and " The Unknown Soldier". Journalists Nathan Brackett and
Christian Hoard Christian David Hoard is an American music journalist and music editor for ''Rolling Stone''. A 2000 graduate of the University of Michigan, he began his career as a music journalist writing for the ''Michigan Daily''. He later moved to New York Ci ...
speculate that "Five to One" seems to be a revolutionary anthem, spouted by the "hippie/ flower child" hordes Morrison saw in growing numbers. Regardless of this interpretation, Morrison confirmed that the lyrics were not political. The lines "Night is drawing near/ Shadows of the evening/ crawl across the years" may have been lifted by Morrison from the 19th-century hymnal and bedtime rhyme "Now the Day is Over" ("Now the day is over/ Night is drawing nigh/ Shadows of the evening/ Steal across the sky"). "The Unknown Soldier" exemplified the group's cinematic approach to their music. In the beginning, as well as after the middle of the song, the mysterious sounds of the organ are heard, depicting the mystery of the "Unknown Soldier". In the
bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...
, the Doors produced the sounds of a marching cadence. It begins with military drums, plus the sound of the sergeant counting off in 4 seconds ("HUP, HUP, HUP, 2, 3, 4"), until he shouts "COMPANY! HALT! PRESENT! ARMS!", followed by the sounds of loading rifles and a long military drum roll, a pause and then rifle shots. After this middle section, the verses return, with Morrison, singing in a sadder tone to "make a grave for the Unknown Soldier". The song ends with sounds of crowds cheering and bells tolling. The lyrics are generally viewed as Morrison's reaction to the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
and the way that conflict was portrayed in American media at the time, with lines such as "Breakfast where the news is read/ Television children fed/ Unborn living, living dead/ Bullets strike the helmet's head" reflecting how news of the war was being presented in the living rooms of ordinary people. The band also shot a promotional film for the single. The centerpiece of the album was supposed to be the lengthy theatrical piece " Celebration of the Lizard", but in the end only the " Not to Touch the Earth" section was used. In a 1969 interview with Jerry Hopkins for ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'', Morrison said of the epic, "It was pieced together on different occasions out of already existing elements rather than having any generative core from which it grew. I still think there's hope for it." At the conclusion of "Not to Touch the Earth", Morrison utters his iconic personal maxim, "I am the Lizard King/ I can do anything." The opening lines of the song, "Not to touch the earth/ not to see the sun" were taken from the table of contents of ''
The Golden Bough ''The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion'' (retitled ''The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion'' in its second edition) is a wide-ranging, comparative study of mythology and religion, written by the Scottish anthropologist Sir ...
''. Krieger's skills with the
flamenco guitar A flamenco guitar is a guitar similar to a classical guitar, but with lower action, thinner tops and less internal bracing. It usually has nylon strings, like the classical guitar, but it generally possesses a livelier, grittier sound compared ...
can be found on "Spanish Caravan", with Granainas intro and a reworking of the melody from the classical piece Asturias (Leyenda) composed by
Isaac Albéniz Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz y Pascual (; 29 May 1860 – 18 May 1909) was a Spanish virtuoso pianist, composer, and conductor. He is one of the foremost composers of the post-romantic era who also had a significant influence on his con ...
. The optimistic "We Could Be So Good Together" had been recorded during the sessions for '' Strange Days'', even appearing on an early track listing. A review in ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'' described the song as "categorically pre-fame Morrison," pointing out that the line "The time you wait subtracts from joy" is the kind of hippie idealism the singer had long abandoned. It was issued as the
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
of the single "The Unknown Soldier" which peaked at number 39 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. The single version quotes the opening theme from
Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk ( October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the Jazz standard, standard jazz repertoire, includ ...
's " Straight, No Chaser". The whimsical "Wintertime Love" and the mournful "Summer's Almost Gone" address seasonal themes, while the gentle "Yes, the River Knows" was written by Krieger. In the liner notes to the 1997 Doors retrospective ''Box Set'', Manzarek praises the latter: "The piano and guitar interplay is absolutely beautiful. I don't think Robby and I ever played so sensitively together. It was the closest we ever came to being
Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, block chords, innovative chord voicings, a ...
and Jim Hall." In the same essay, Manzarek refers to "Summer's Almost Gone" as "a cool Latino-Bolero kind of thing with a
Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety of instruments and forms, including the or ...
-like bridge. It's about the ephemeral nature of life. A season of joy and light and laughter is coming to an end." While recording "My Wild Love", the band eventually gave up on the music and turned it into a work song by getting everyone in the studio to clap their hands, stamp their feet and chant in unison. Robby Krieger has cited "My Wild Love" as his least favorite Doors song, recalling that when a
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said to him that his most-liked tune of the band is "My Wild Love", Krieger responded: "Oh shit, man, I hate that song". Morrison wrote "
Love Street "Love Street" is a song performed by the American rock band the Doors. Sequenced as the second album track on ''Waiting for the Sun'' (1968), its lyrics were written by lead singer Jim Morrison and as with other songs, it was dedicated to his gir ...
" for his girlfriend
Pamela Courson Pamela Susan Courson (December 22, 1946 – April 25, 1974) was the long-term companion of Jim Morrison, singer of the Doors. Courson stated she discovered Morrison's body in the bathtub of a Paris apartment in 1971. She died three years after h ...
and like all of his other songs about or dedicated to her, there was a hesitancy or biting refusal at the end ("I guess I like it fine, so far").


Releases

''Waiting for the Sun'' was officially released on July 3, 1968, although some sources incorrectly noted on the day of 12. As of 2015, the album has sold over 7 million copies since its 1968 original release. Although "Celebration of the Lizard" was not included on the original release of the album, a recording of the long piece was later included along with two early takes of "Not to Touch the Earth" as bonus tracks on the 40th anniversary expanded edition release of the album (subtitled "An Experiment/Work in Progress").


Reissues

In 1988, ''Waiting for the Sun'' was digitally remastered by sound engineer
Bruce Botnick Bruce Botnick (born 1945) is an American audio engineer and record producer. He is best known for co-producing '' L.A. Woman'', the sixth studio album by the Doors, after producer Paul A. Rothchild quit during production of the album. Botnick i ...
and Paul A. Rothchild at Digital Magnetics using the original master tapes. DCC Compact Classics reissued the album on 24kt gold CD in 1993 and on 180g vinyl in 1998, both versions were mastered by Steve Hoffman. It was remastered again in 1999 by
Bernie Grundman Bernie Grundman (born 16 December 1943, Minneapolis) is an American audio engineer. He is most known for his mastering work and his studio, Bernie Grundman Mastering, which he opened in 1984 in Hollywood. The studio, which includes engineers Chr ...
and Botnick at Bernie Grundman Mastering for '' The Complete Studio Recordings'' box set, using 96khz/24bit technology; it was also released as a standalone CD release. In 2006, the album was reissued on a CD/DVD set featuring both stereo and 5.1 remixes created by Botnick for the ''
Perception Perception () is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the presented information or environment. All perception involves signals that go through the nervous syste ...
'' box set. The 2006 stereo remix was also released on a standalone CD release in 2007 including five bonus tracks, mastered by Botnick at Uniteye. In 2009, it was reissued on 180g vinyl featuring the original mix; this edition was cut by Grundman. Analogue Productions also reissued the album on SACD and double 45 RPM vinyl, both editions were mastered by
Doug Sax Doug Sax (April 26, 1936 – April 2, 2015) was an American mastering engineer from Los Angeles, California. He mastered three The Doors' albums, including their 1967 debut; six Pink Floyd's albums, including '' The Wall''; Ray Charles' multiple ...
and Sangwook Nam at the Mastering Lab; the CD layer of the Super Audio CD contains the original stereo mix while the SACD layer contains Botnick's 2006 5.1 surround mix. In 2018,
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released a 1-LP/2-CD deluxe edition to commemorate the album's 50th anniversary release, which was remastered by Botnick utilizing the Plangent Process. The CDs are encoded with MQA technology. The LP and first CD feature remastered versions of the same 11 tracks from the original 1968 release. The second CD features 14 previously unreleased tracks. The 50th anniversary edition omits the bonus tracks featured on the 40th anniversary edition and also features rough mixes of all the album's tracks. Botnick recommended some of these versions, saying, "I prefer some of these mixes as they represent all of the elements and additional background vocals and some intangible roughness, all quite attractive and refreshing."


Critical reception

Despite its commercial success, ''Waiting for the Sun'' was derided by many critics as being pretentious and over-arranged. Journalist
Mikal Gilmore Mikal Gilmore (born February 9, 1951) is an American writer and music journalist. Early life and writing career Gilmore was born to Frank and Bessie Gilmore, and was also known for being the younger brother of convicted criminal Gary Gilmore. In ...
noted that one criticism was centered to the "transparent commercial appeal" of the album's opener "Hello, I Love You", with ''
The Rolling Stone Album Guide ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'', previously known as ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'', is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. Its first edition was published in 1 ...
'' dismissing it as a "jagged
Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies, and Pete Quaife. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhythm ...
ripoff on which Morrison comes out like a rapist". Jim Miller of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' wrote, "After a year and a half of Jim Morrison's posturing, one might logically hope for some sort of musical growth and if the new record isn't really terrible, it isn't particularly exciting either." On the other hand, Pete Johnson of ''
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'' felt that ''Waiting for the Sun'' contains "the smallest amount self-indulgent" songs compared to the Doors' previous albums. The ''
New Musical Express ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a " rock inkie", the ''NME'' would become a maga ...
'' declared "The Unknown Soldier" as the standout of side one and "all on side two are gems, notably 'My Wild Love' and the long finale 'Five to One'." In his retrospective review,
Richie Unterberger Richie Unterberger (born 1962) is an American author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing. Life and writing Unterberger attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he wrote for the university newspaper '' The Daily P ...
of
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wrote, "The Doors' 1967 albums had raised expectations so high that their third effort was greeted as a major disappointment. With a few exceptions, the material was much mellower and while this yielded some fine melodic ballad rock... there was no denying that the songwriting was not as impressive as it had been on the first two records." Nevertheless, he concluded that "time's been fairly kind to the record, which is quite enjoyable and diverse, just not as powerful a full-length statement as the group's best albums." In his review of the 2007 reissue, Sal Cinquemani of ''
Slant Slant can refer to: Bias *Bias or other non- objectivity in journalism, politics, academia or other fields Technical * Slant range, in telecommunications, the line-of-sight distance between two points which are not at the same level * Slant ...
'' praised the album, writing that "Despite the fact that Morrison was becoming a self-destructing mess, Krieger, Manzarek and Densmore were never more lucidperhaps to compensate. This was a band at its most dexterous, creative and musically diverse." ''
Classic Rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...
'' critic Max Bell overviewing the 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, gave ''Waiting for the Sun'' a rating of four stars out of five. ''
Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...
'' ranked it the third best Doors album behind '' L.A. Woman'' and ''
The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, comprising vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most influential and controversial rock acts ...
'', concluding: "This is the Doors at their strangest, their most exploratory, their most stylistically expansive. ''Waiting for the Sun'' has examples of everything the Doors did well, and it has them doing it at, occasionally, their highest level."


Track listing


Original album

All tracks are written by the Doors (
Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, songwriter, and poet who was the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his charismatic persona, poetic lyrics, distinctive vo ...
,
Ray Manzarek Raymond Daniel Manzarek Jr. ( Manczarek; February 12, 1939 – May 20, 2013) was an American keyboardist. He is best known as a member of the rock band the Doors, co-founding the group in 1965 with fellow UCLA School of Theater, Film and Te ...
,
Robby Krieger Robert Alan Krieger (born January 8, 1946) is an American guitarist and founding member of the rock band the Doors. Krieger wrote or co-wrote many of the Doors' songs, including the hits " Light My Fire", " Love Me Two Times", " Touch Me", and " ...
and
John Densmore John Paul Densmore (born December 1, 1944) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer of the Rock music, rock band the Doors and as such is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He appeared on every recording made by the band, ...
individually). Details are taken from the original 1968
Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...
release.


Reissues

40th Anniversary Edition 50th Anniversary Edition second CD bonus tracks


Personnel

Details are taken from the 2019
Rhino Records A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...
reissue liner notes with accompanying essay by
Bruce Botnick Bruce Botnick (born 1945) is an American audio engineer and record producer. He is best known for co-producing '' L.A. Woman'', the sixth studio album by the Doors, after producer Paul A. Rothchild quit during production of the album. Botnick i ...
and may differ from other sources. The Doors *
Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, songwriter, and poet who was the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his charismatic persona, poetic lyrics, distinctive vo ...
vocals *
Ray Manzarek Raymond Daniel Manzarek Jr. ( Manczarek; February 12, 1939 – May 20, 2013) was an American keyboardist. He is best known as a member of the rock band the Doors, co-founding the group in 1965 with fellow UCLA School of Theater, Film and Te ...
keyboards *
Robby Krieger Robert Alan Krieger (born January 8, 1946) is an American guitarist and founding member of the rock band the Doors. Krieger wrote or co-wrote many of the Doors' songs, including the hits " Light My Fire", " Love Me Two Times", " Touch Me", and " ...
guitar *
John Densmore John Paul Densmore (born December 1, 1944) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer of the Rock music, rock band the Doors and as such is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He appeared on every recording made by the band, ...
drums Additional musicians * Douglas Lubahnoccasional bass, electric bass on "Spanish Caravan" * Kerry Magnessbass guitar on "The Unknown Soldier" *
Leroy Vinnegar Leroy Vinnegar (July 13, 1928 – August 3, 1999) was an American jazz bassist. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, the self-taught Vinnegar established his reputation in Los Angeles, California, during the 1950s and 1960s. His trademar ...
acoustic bass The acoustic bass guitar (sometimes shortened to acoustic bass or initialized ABG) is a bass instrument with a hollow wooden body similar to, though usually larger than, a steel-string acoustic guitar. Like the traditional electric bass guitar an ...
on "Spanish Caravan" Technical * Paul A. Rothchild
production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stat ...
*
Bruce Botnick Bruce Botnick (born 1945) is an American audio engineer and record producer. He is best known for co-producing '' L.A. Woman'', the sixth studio album by the Doors, after producer Paul A. Rothchild quit during production of the album. Botnick i ...
engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
* William S. Harveyart direction and design * Paul Ferrarafront cover photograph * Guy Websterback cover photography


Charts

Album Singles


Certifications


See also

* Outline of the Doors


Notes


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links

* {{Authority control 1968 albums Elektra Records albums The Doors albums Albums produced by Paul A. Rothchild Asylum Records albums