This album was released in 1967, when I was a sophomore in high school. New groups were emerging, seemingly every week, who were pushing the boundaries of the 3-minute song with 3 verses, 2 choruses and a bridge. It was an exciting time to be young. Much of this music has stood the test of time and new generations are discovering it. Such a fantastic use of modern technology.
If I recall correctly, the album was recorded over a 2-week period in late ‘66 and the album was released in January ‘67. Light My Fire wasn’t the first single, Break on Through was, but LMF went to No. 1 on billboard, largely because FM stations that were allowed to play the long album version were swamped with listener requests to replay the song so they then knew it had to be released as a single. I’m pretty sure it was among their earliest songs so it probably was written in ‘65 or so, and the band had a chance to perfect & polish these songs a lot during their time as the house band at the Whisky-a-Go-Go.
"Light My Fire" blazed like a comet across the summer of 1967. It was bright, shiny and irresistible, and it sounded like sunny Southern California to the rest of the world. The Summer Of Love was a time of infinite possibilities, and "Light My Fire" was its soundtrack. I bought the single, and it was just as bad an abomination as you might imagine. "Light My Fire" was also a factor in the rise of "underground" FM rock stations. While AM radio was geared toward rapid turnover, FM was able to take its time, and could play long songs like "Light My Fire" uncut. As an added bonus, FM radio was in stereo, while AM was mono.
Morrison is one of the 27 club. So many outstanding musicians died at the age of 27. Janice Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, and more. So talented. Imagine what we missed, because of their untimely passing.
Blues singer Robert Johnson was the first member of the 27 Club. Very difficult to find any recordings of his work, but his story is fascinating, how he became so great on guitar, his untimely death, probably murder. RIP RJ and all of your subsequent Club members.
Mac Miller was 26 when he passed away but damn.... he even mentioned says in one of his songs "To everyone who sell me drugs Don't mix it with that bullshit, I'm hopin' not to join the 27 Club" & thats exactly what happened
It's kind of a dual meaning, not just about getting high. If you said about a woman " man she really lights my fire!" It can mean your heart, your passion , your love, she ignites all those feelings within you. It's a song about love and passion, and leaves open the door at the same time to maybe we'll blaze up a joint too . That's what I always got from it anyways.
Daniel, this is the Doors most famous song and is from their debut album in 1967. Buick offered the Doors $75,000 in 1968 to adapt it in a commercial (C'mon Buick Light My Fire), a lot of money for that time. They had a band agreement from 1965 to both equal splits and everyone having veto power in decisions. Morrison was in London and the 3 other members agreed to the deal in his absence. When he returned he threatened Buick that he would smash a Buick with a sledgehammer on tv if the commercial was aired. Morrison was always reminding them of this. No Doors songs have ever been used in commercials. If you listen to the album version of Touch Me from The Soft Parade, you'll hear STRONGER THAN DIRT ! at the end of the song. Morrison added this as the last 4 chords of this song were the same as the Ajax laundry detergent jingle from earlier in the 60's and it was left on the album. It was his way of getting back at them for trying to sell out the Doors. They were sued by Ajax and had to pay them but he made his point. Even though Touch Me is a shorter love song you should look into it as well as the longer title cut The Soft Parade(1969) it's 8:36 long and is psychedelic rock with a little jazz that's kinda progressive.
This song is like lightning. Every time they preformed it, Ray would play the keyboard solos with small variations. He never played it the same way twice. ✌
Thank you for playing The Doors!! I am a new subscriber and I binged some videos last night and I love your reactions so much. Great to see that your parents are bringing you up the right way. Another great song to check out from The Doors is called The End. It's a little more subdued, but so worth it✌❤🎶 Btw...I have a shirt that reads..."Jim Morrison Was Right...People Are Strange." I get so many compliments on it.
Imagine strobe lights, lava lamps, blacklight posters, incense wafting thru the air, mirrored globes reflecting light rays as they spun. Incredible times and so fortunate to have completely submerged myself in it all.
I was 16 and on a camping trip with my family in the summer of '67. Fell in 'love' with a girl in the campground - this song takes me back to the new stirrings and emotions I experienced that week. A magical time! Music is so powerful! Jose Feliciano covered it the following year and that's a great song, too.
If you have a chance, watch the movie "The Doors"(1991) directed by Oliver Stone. It's not a perfectly accurate biography, but it's still done very well artistically. Val Kilmer does a great job as Morrison.
A really cool bluesy one to check out from them is Roadhouse Blues, might check that one out one day. Or if you’re feeling adventurous you might listen to The End 😀
Robbie: "I said to Jim, why does everything have to be about death?" (funeral pyrre) Jim: "No, it's great. We'll have the love part then we'll have the death part." Robbie: "Turns out Jim was right."
This version (album) turned my head around after listening to regular radio songs of the time,,,,,,i was 16 at the time and was ready for non formula music,,,,,,,,i was also lucky a few years later to see the Doors live in Vancouver,,,,,,Morrison was sober because they were recording the concert for a live album,,,,,,they played perfectly and it remains my favourite concert that i've ever witnessed,,,,,thanks for jogging my memory ,,,,,glad to see you exploring music,,,,,,,i think 16 is the freshest age to truly do this,,,,,,,all best in your journey
Having been a high school teacher, I can tell you that there is always a segment of the students that are into the Doors- even fifty years later, There is something in their music that speaks to the teen age psyche.
Morrison kidnaps you from your parents at about age 14 and shows you the underworld. That’s hyperbole of course but that’s exactly how it was for me. The umbilical cord was cut once and for all.
Just comparing the 2 analyses you did tonight, isn't it incredible how music changed from late 60's to late 70's? So distinctively different, yet both so fantastic.
The Doors played at my high school in the spring of 1967. Of course, in L.A. A lot of parents were in the "industry" so we got Iron Butterfly, Boston....and a bunch more. I treasure those memories.
Ayyy the Doors! Yeah a lot of bands from then wrote about drugs but I don't let it stop me from enjoying the music for what it is, I think, those guys who did tons of drugs it brought out some artistic side that's hard for people to reach, and that's why the music is so great. Oh man they have SO MANY SONGS THAT ARE SO GOOD. Peace Frog, L.A. Woman, Five to One, Riders on the Storm, The End, When the Music's Over, Ghost Song, The soft parade, strange days... yknow what, I'm not even going to attempt to list them. Ray Manzarek was a beast on the keyboards. You will like them for the lyrics, very strange, poetic lyrics from Morrison.
This song changed my life when it came out in 1966... Remember only organ, guitar, and drums, and Jim of course on vocals...Organ player used bass pedals for the bass... Most original sound at the time, that in my opinion helped changed the direction of music for many years to come.. Keep up the good work..
In the 60’s most a.m. radio stations required songs to be under three minutes. Stupid rules like that, and better sound quality is the reason why FM radio took over.
Ray Manzarek was a man for all seasons -- from Classical to Blues to Jazz, he could play it all. Robby's guitar riffs ranged from languid Jazz-flavored to Spanish to Baroque to Blues with a flourish from his guitar pick. John's drumming -- Jazz-influenced with a machine-gun-like staccato. Morrison's vocals -- poetry with power. The Doors were as unique -- as innovative -- as the entire soundtrack from the 1960s.
Ray Manzarek slammin' the Hammond..... Famously, the Doors appeared on the Ed Sullivan show which was the premier prime time variety show in the 60's..... they told the band to modify the lyrics and NOT to say "girl we can't get much higher". Of course, Jim Morrison agreed..... and then went and sang the lyrics as written. The Ed Sullivan people were pissed.....Morrison is the same guy who told the record label that his parents were deceased...(they weren't). It came out as his official bio. That tells you more about Morrison.
Jim and their brilliant drummer, did not actually get on too well. Jim was too out there for him, so they say. Yes this song was huge, my dad was a builder and his apprentices, all fit young men, would sing this song on the job site at the top of their lungs. It is a very sexy song. The Doors were great and unique. Trivia: Tom Hanks sings this in Castaway when he starts the fire
Ray Manzarek played both the keyboard and a bass keyboard stacked on top...simultaneously. Check out the live version from Ed Sullivan where Ed told them they'd never play on his show again. Jim said, "We just played on your show".
Way before i knew anything about rock , heard this song 100s of times 1972-1978. Then i turned 18 ( 1978) started getting high and got into rock .. luckily in Seattle kisw 100 was badass rock station.. Became huge huge huge Doors fan like many 10 years after Jim Died.
When they performed the song on the Ed Sullivan show, The networks standard and practices told them they couldn't say higher on TV. They promised they wouldn't, but Morrison did anyways. They told them they'd never do Sullivan again. Morrison told him, "we just did".
They had studio musicians playing bass on the albums and copied what Ray was playing on the bass keyboard. Larry Knectal appears on this album. Jerry Scheff played bass on the "L.A. Woman" album. At the time, he was Elvis' bass player.
George Pitts -Actually they used a bass player in the studio when recording the majority of the time even using the bassist from Elvis’s band on the L.A. Woman album.
Hah! "I was supposed to pause it a long time ago but I couldn't." Who could! Ends up being the best part of the song! As an amateur keyboardist, I played it in a band a while back...not easy but lots a fun. "Love Me Two Times" is another fun one with Harpsichord accompaniment. Glad you're reacting to these gems from the past. There stood the test of time....and it flies by. 🙂👍🎶🎹🎸
The Doors were big in my era. I graduated hs in 1970. The organ and Guitar solos were cut dow for regular radio play. Since the solos were a jam on two chords Am and Bm, I thought it was easy to cut down, you had to be careful to sync up the end of the guitar solo with the keyboard countering. I was in a band and we did this song. I sang it and played keys. We had the most difficult time in the beginning, coming out of the solos ( which is like the intro ), then syncing the end. Interesting part was the backing chords in the intro are major chords ending in an A chord. Then when he starts singing the verse it goes to an Am - F#m. We had fun trying to cover this.
The Doors were just putting it together and agreed they needed a "signature" song. So Robby Krieger after leaving the studio, he went home and that same night wrote this song. I can only imagine him showing up in the studio the next day and saying "What about this for a signature song?"
Hey guy, I was just listening to a favorite go-to song of mine and thought of how you like mythology , like me. It’s called “Avalon of the Heart” by Van Morrison. Trust me, it’s good for a spiritual charge up! ( Studio version is the best if they let you. )
Here's a taste of what Ray Manzarek (Keyboardist) did after Jim's death. This is Ray with the Los Angeles-based punk band X singing The Doors'"Soul Kitchen". th-cam.com/video/i19TYrxTS2A/w-d-xo.html He went on to produce several of their albums.
Well, I watched your reaction to The End before this and I think you’ve stumbled into the “rabbit hole” of Jim & The Doors. Love what you are doing getting into the music I grew up on and still listen to. You do in fact remind me of myself quite a bit at that age. Rock On Young Man!
I was a bit young for the Doors; between this one, and Riders on the Storm, and People are Strange, I always thought the Doors sounded like a ghost story - darkness and midnight and death and general weirdness. It was fun to be scared by them.
This was a radio song, but usually a much shorter version. The groups that started playing longer songs pushed us all from AM radio to FM stations that were more inclined to play the longer stuff, and anything that deviated from the normal pop-rock mainstream.
I'm at my favorite sushi place and this was on the speakers, so I decided to get your reaction. One of my all time favorite songs from my youth. The Lizard King lives on forever!!!!
Cool reaction. Your new equipment gives these videos a crisp look, but you're right about the brightness. With time, you'll get a look you like. Peace.
I was in Junior High when this came out. I remember being at a school dance and most kids were just standing around goofing off when Light My Fire came on. Suddenly everyone rushed to get a partner and dance. This song was fire at the time.
From their 1st album- this song and Touch Me got a ton of air play- FOR YEARS. It's still in the rotation for a lot of classic rock radio stations. There's nothing mysterious or highly symbolic here. Morrison didn't write it so there was no fire, snakes or death in it. Robbie Krieger wrote it. It's an iconic sound. You'll hear it in some movies that try to use it as "aural setting" for the late sixties.
Robbie Krieger on guitar, James Densmore on drums, Ray Manzarek on keyboards, Morrison's powerful vocals and ethereal lyrics. Definitely one of the great bands of all time.
Daniel, Ive heard this song a million times but never once thought of drugs. What a different perspective, we have! To me, Light My Fire is about love and the physical connection between the couple. I am probably wrong - but drugs have never entered my mind - in the last 50 years! My body is another matter. (not a lot). I'm naive.tho. Excellent reaction, Daniel! You're the best!
The movie is good but if you are interested in getting to know Jim I suggest the book "No one hear gets out alive " . I read it back in the 80's and felt like I knew him personally after I was done. It's a very good read!
Just popped in real quick....you mention this tune in your recent upload and it reminded me to come over here....I never fully got into The Doors, radio killed them for me along with the fact they have a limited song list due to the death of Jim Morrison. But I had to scroll through ALL 100 comments first to see if anyone else mentioned the alternate lyrics..."Come on baby change my tire" LOL!!
This was one of the most popular songs of the late 60s. The pathetic "radio version" had a much shortened organ solo. This was the long version, and was very popular at "sock hops" and "stomps", the high school and college dances of the of the time. Very few local bands could duplicate Ray's original organ solo, so they were left to improvise their own versions, many were, of course, never anywhere near as memorable, but still fun to dance to.
Interestingly, Robbie Krieger, who wrote this, wrote many of their radio hits, like Touch Me and Hello I Love You since his lyrics and arrangents were much more accessible than Morrison's, whose songs were mostly album classics.
A lot of material to choose from The Doors, depends upon mood... Many think the Soft Parade album contains too many corporate sell out Radio tunes but I have always liked listening to it from start to finish. Classic Doors mixed with some pop hits just worked for me.
First version I remember of this isn't the Doors but rather, Jose Feliciano's cover of it. Robbie Krieger wrote it more as a bluesy folk song, which is how Feliciano recorded it. John Densmore, Ray Manzarek, Robbie Krieger --- underrated as musicians. This album is near perfect.
Their biggest hit. Ray Manzarek was brilliant on keyboards and Bobby Krieger on guitar. I've never thought of it as a drug song but a pure love/sex tune. The heat of passion. Daniel, this song is also famous for how Jim Morrison sang it on the Ed Sullivan Show. Check out the video from the 1960s. The controversy was about him singing the word 'higher' on the most popular show on national TV. Watch HOW Morrison sings it enunciating the word 'that shall not be said'. Contrast his attitude with how the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger wimped out on the same show changing the words to Let's Spend The Night Together, dropping 'night' and inserting 'time' in order to appease show host Ed Sullivan and perhaps TV censors.
Yes. Three phenomenal musicians + The Lizard King. The Doors were unique. End of story. They were so good and so much, that no one seemed to notice that they were not rock & roll in that rock & roll era. Blues + Jazz + 40s/50s era crooning pop. They didn't play any genre, because no genre was big enough to hold them within its lines.
The Doors had an original sound. Haven't seen or heard a band like this since. While Jim Morrison was the primary writer the other members Ray manzarek, Robbie Krieger, and John Densmore had roots in jazz, blues, and rock. What you got was a fusion of those sounds. All 4 members were credited for all Doors recordings.
Jim did not tell the producers that he forgot to change the lyrics. When the producers told them they would not be invited back, Jim shrugged and said, "We've done the Sullivan show." (Doing the Sullivan show, even once, was a big deal back then. Jim "nervous." lolol
The Doors didn't have a bass player so keyboardist Ray Manzarek played it on a bass keyboard, along with the organ, which I believed was a Farfisa or Vox organ, popular at the time with bands.
At around this time there was a lot of music that featured what was called "the San Francisco Sound" that was very distinctive and different from avereage radio fare. In general, any band that wants to make a name for itself has to develop its own distinctive sound. The Doors did so wonderously. I think it ia a bit derivative of the San Francisco Sound, but instantly identifiable as The Doors within a few notes. Morrison's voice is unique. The organ sound is also a change from the typical more bluesy usage, much more sparkly and playful. The guitar sound, also, is unique in its own right. The drums are a familiar anchor fot the rest of the sound. The Doors were born in L.A., and must have been influenced to some degree by what has happening up on the Bay. Was the San Francisco Sound part of the Haight-Ashbury hippie drug scene? Of course it was.
You're absolutely right that they had super weird songs that didn't make it on the radio. Try "The End." There is a movie about them called "The Doors," starring Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison, based on the biography "No One Here Gets Out Alive."
One my favorite Doors is "Ghost Song" - a posthumous track utilizing Jim Morrison's spoken word poetry and then a newly (at the time) created backing track by the rest of the Doors.
This album was released in 1967, when I was a sophomore in high school. New groups were emerging, seemingly every week, who were pushing the boundaries of the 3-minute song with 3 verses, 2 choruses and a bridge. It was an exciting time to be young. Much of this music has stood the test of time and new generations are discovering it. Such a fantastic use of modern technology.
It actually came out in December 1966
Howdy: The album came out in 1965....Light My Fire was released as a single in 1967 though.
Me two was also sophomore in 67 the music from 55 to 73 was amazing !!!
That sounds so fun
If I recall correctly, the album was recorded over a 2-week period in late ‘66 and the album was released in January ‘67. Light My Fire wasn’t the first single, Break on Through was, but LMF went to No. 1 on billboard, largely because FM stations that were allowed to play the long album version were swamped with listener requests to replay the song so they then knew it had to be released as a single. I’m pretty sure it was among their earliest songs so it probably was written in ‘65 or so, and the band had a chance to perfect & polish these songs a lot during their time as the house band at the Whisky-a-Go-Go.
"Light My Fire" blazed like a comet across the summer of 1967. It was bright, shiny and irresistible, and it sounded like sunny Southern California to the rest of the world. The Summer Of Love was a time of infinite possibilities, and "Light My Fire" was its soundtrack. I bought the single, and it was just as bad an abomination as you might imagine.
"Light My Fire" was also a factor in the rise of "underground" FM rock stations. While AM radio was geared toward rapid turnover, FM was able to take its time, and could play long songs like "Light My Fire" uncut. As an added bonus, FM radio was in stereo, while AM was mono.
pro trick : you can watch movies at flixzone. Been using them for watching a lot of movies recently.
@Benicio Sterling definitely, been watching on flixzone for years myself =)
Your drug interpratation is nonsense.
Morrison is one of the 27 club. So many outstanding musicians died at the age of 27. Janice Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, and more. So talented. Imagine what we missed, because of their untimely passing.
Ron McKernan, founding member of The Grateful Dead, and also Brian Jones, original member of the Rolling Stones.
Alan Wilson, guitarist, Canned Heat.
No dude. That is the contract. To make an impact and be forever young to the audience.
Blues singer Robert Johnson was the first member of the 27 Club. Very difficult to find any recordings of his work, but his story is fascinating, how he became so great on guitar, his untimely death, probably murder. RIP RJ and all of your subsequent Club members.
Mac Miller was 26 when he passed away but damn.... he even mentioned says in one of his songs "To everyone who sell me drugs
Don't mix it with that bullshit, I'm hopin' not to join the 27 Club" & thats exactly what happened
RIP Ray Manzarek. Check out "The End" for your next adventure into The Doors.
"The End" is a classic, but it's a trip into psychosis (in my opinion) so that should be understood, I think.
It's kind of a dual meaning, not just about getting high. If you said about a woman " man she really lights my fire!" It can mean your heart, your passion , your love, she ignites all those feelings within you. It's a song about love and passion, and leaves open the door at the same time to maybe we'll blaze up a joint too . That's what I always got from it anyways.
“Riders On The Storm”
Daniel, this is the Doors most famous song and is from their debut album in 1967. Buick offered the Doors $75,000 in 1968 to adapt it in a commercial (C'mon Buick Light My Fire), a lot of money for that time. They had a band agreement from 1965 to both equal splits and everyone having veto power in decisions. Morrison was in London and the 3 other members agreed to the deal in his absence. When he returned he threatened Buick that he would smash a Buick with a sledgehammer on tv if the commercial was aired. Morrison was always reminding them of this. No Doors songs have ever been used in commercials. If you listen to the album version of Touch Me from The Soft Parade, you'll hear STRONGER THAN DIRT ! at the end of the song. Morrison added this as the last 4 chords of this song were the same as the Ajax laundry detergent jingle from earlier in the 60's and it was left on the album. It was his way of getting back at them for trying to sell out the Doors. They were sued by Ajax and had to pay them but he made his point. Even though Touch Me is a shorter love song you should look into it as well as the longer title cut The Soft Parade(1969) it's 8:36 long and is psychedelic rock with a little jazz that's kinda progressive.
Touch Me is great, but I cringe at its bad grammar.
One of the greatest and most recognizable keyboard riffs of all time.
Cant go wrong with the doors, one of the BEST bands that made a huge impact to music.
mags jay , and woman. 😘
This song is like lightning. Every time they preformed it, Ray would play the keyboard solos with small variations. He never played it the same way twice. ✌
Thank you for playing The Doors!! I am a new subscriber and I binged some videos last night and I love your reactions so much. Great to see that your parents are bringing you up the right way. Another great song to check out from The Doors is called The End. It's a little more subdued, but so worth it✌❤🎶
Btw...I have a shirt that reads..."Jim Morrison Was Right...People Are Strange." I get so many compliments on it.
Just recommended that SONG!!! HEYYY Y'ALL FROM NORTH CAROLINA.😀😁😀👍
Imagine strobe lights, lava lamps, blacklight posters, incense wafting thru the air, mirrored globes reflecting light rays as they spun. Incredible times and so fortunate to have completely submerged myself in it all.
Riders on the Storm, Roadhouse Blues and Soul Kitchen are great ones also. Great job Daniel!
Agree. These 3 may be the best of the Doors.
"Peace Frog" is a peppy little number.
Yeah, it's a toe-tapper
The whole Morrison Hotel album is excellent!
I was 16 and on a camping trip with my family in the summer of '67. Fell in 'love' with a girl in the campground - this song takes me back to the new stirrings and emotions I experienced that week. A magical time! Music is so powerful! Jose Feliciano covered it the following year and that's a great song, too.
If you have a chance, watch the movie "The Doors"(1991) directed by Oliver Stone. It's not a perfectly accurate biography, but it's still done very well artistically. Val Kilmer does a great job as Morrison.
A really cool bluesy one to check out from them is Roadhouse Blues, might check that one out one day. Or if you’re feeling adventurous you might listen to The End 😀
I'd love to see him try to decipher the lyrics to The End, haha. Or When the Music's Over
Elder King 🤣
"The End" isn't adventurous as much as DARK!
Robbie: "I said to Jim, why does everything have to be about death?" (funeral pyrre)
Jim: "No, it's great. We'll have the love part then we'll have the death part."
Robbie: "Turns out Jim was right."
Because he not busy being born is busy dying...
This version (album) turned my head around after listening to regular radio songs of the time,,,,,,i was 16 at the time and was ready for non formula music,,,,,,,,i was also lucky a few years later to see the Doors live in Vancouver,,,,,,Morrison was sober because they were recording the concert for a live album,,,,,,they played perfectly and it remains my favourite concert that i've ever witnessed,,,,,thanks for jogging my memory ,,,,,glad to see you exploring music,,,,,,,i think 16 is the freshest age to truly do this,,,,,,,all best in your journey
PS ,,,yes the lyrics are sub par for the Doors but the song was so original i didn't care
What more could you want in a song, great musicianship, riffs, organ playing, singing and drumming.
Jose Feliciano did a beautiful cover of this song, worth checking out.
I have actually grown to enjoy his version equally as much.
That's the first version I recall listening to. It was pretty much as Robbie initially wrote it.
Having been a high school teacher, I can tell you that there is always a segment of the students that are into the Doors- even fifty years later, There is something in their music that speaks to the teen age psyche.
Morrison kidnaps you from your parents at about age 14 and shows you the underworld. That’s hyperbole of course but that’s exactly how it was for me. The umbilical cord was cut once and for all.
Just comparing the 2 analyses you did tonight, isn't it incredible how music changed from late 60's to late 70's? So distinctively different, yet both so fantastic.
The Doors played at my high school in the spring of 1967. Of course, in L.A. A lot of parents were in the "industry" so we got Iron Butterfly, Boston....and a bunch more. I treasure those memories.
Ayyy the Doors! Yeah a lot of bands from then wrote about drugs but I don't let it stop me from enjoying the music for what it is, I think, those guys who did tons of drugs it brought out some artistic side that's hard for people to reach, and that's why the music is so great.
Oh man they have SO MANY SONGS THAT ARE SO GOOD.
Peace Frog, L.A. Woman, Five to One, Riders on the Storm, The End, When the Music's Over, Ghost Song, The soft parade, strange days... yknow what, I'm not even going to attempt to list them. Ray Manzarek was a beast on the keyboards.
You will like them for the lyrics, very strange, poetic lyrics from Morrison.
This song changed my life when it came out in 1966... Remember only organ, guitar, and drums, and Jim of course on vocals...Organ player used bass pedals for the bass... Most original sound at the time, that in my opinion helped changed the direction of music for many years to come.. Keep up the good work..
In the 60’s most a.m. radio stations required songs to be under three minutes. Stupid rules like that, and better sound quality is the reason why FM radio took over.
The Beatles (who else?) broke that mold when "Ticket to Ride" came in at a whopping 3:03.
They still do it. And it's stupid
Ray Manzarek was a man for all seasons -- from Classical to Blues to Jazz, he could play it all. Robby's guitar riffs ranged from languid Jazz-flavored to Spanish to Baroque to Blues with a flourish from his guitar pick. John's drumming -- Jazz-influenced with a machine-gun-like staccato. Morrison's vocals -- poetry with power. The Doors were as unique -- as innovative -- as the entire soundtrack from the 1960s.
Daniel you are one impressive young man! Glad you are open to the journey back to the greatness of rock and and prog!
Ray Manzarek slammin' the Hammond..... Famously, the Doors appeared on the Ed Sullivan show which was the premier prime time variety show in the 60's..... they told the band to modify the lyrics and NOT to say "girl we can't get much higher". Of course, Jim Morrison agreed..... and then went and sang the lyrics as written. The Ed Sullivan people were pissed.....Morrison is the same guy who told the record label that his parents were deceased...(they weren't). It came out as his official bio. That tells you more about Morrison.
It got them banned from the Ed Sullivan Show. Back then there were only 3 networks so that show could give a group a lot of exposure.
And..he looked directly at the camera and over emphasized HIGHER. Ed was not amused.
@@sidecardog5244 No, he did not. Watch:
th-cam.com/video/uDalMpPCHHw/w-d-xo.html
It was a Vox Continental. HUGE difference!
Jim and their brilliant drummer, did not actually get on too well. Jim was too out there for him, so they say. Yes this song was huge, my dad was a builder and his apprentices, all fit young men, would sing this song on the job site at the top of their lungs. It is a very sexy song. The Doors were great and unique. Trivia: Tom Hanks sings this in Castaway when he starts the fire
The radio played a shortened version of this song.
You have to see the live video performances to see and hear him at his best...there is a timelessness to them...ty for this man
If I could take only 10 albums with me to a deserted island, The Doors debut album would be included.
This was a massive hit. Try Moonlight Drive
How can you not love a young person discovering these gems for the first time?
Ray Manzarek pulls off one of the best rock intro's ever ! 🎹😎
Daniel gets it. I saw these guys live for the first time the year they had their very first hit. 1967 and I was 14.
Ray Manzarek played both the keyboard and a bass keyboard stacked on top...simultaneously.
Check out the live version from Ed Sullivan where Ed told them they'd never play on his show again.
Jim said, "We just played on your show".
Way before i knew anything about rock , heard this song 100s of times 1972-1978. Then i turned 18 ( 1978) started getting high and got into rock .. luckily in Seattle kisw 100 was badass rock station.. Became huge huge huge Doors fan like many 10 years after Jim Died.
Guitarist Robbie Krieger's tone sounds like Carlos Santana, before we ever heard of Carlos Santana.
When they performed the song on the Ed Sullivan show, The networks standard and practices told them they couldn't say higher on TV. They promised they wouldn't, but Morrison did anyways. They told them they'd never do Sullivan again. Morrison told him, "we just did".
try to imagine this song dropping...53 years ago! this help explain why the 60's were so explosive.
The Doors had no bass player ..... Ray Manzarek played bass on various keyboards .... yes, at the same time as the foundational organ riffs.
They had studio musicians playing bass on the albums and copied what Ray was playing on the bass keyboard. Larry Knectal appears on this album. Jerry Scheff played bass on the "L.A. Woman" album. At the time, he was Elvis' bass player.
George Pitts -Actually they used a bass player in the studio when recording the majority of the time even using the bassist from Elvis’s band on the L.A. Woman album.
I never get tired of this song. Love Ray M keyboards.
Great reaction to a great song. I love the instrumental solo, it was nice and long. I like the new lighting you added. Thank you.
Hah! "I was supposed to pause it a long time ago but I couldn't." Who could! Ends up being the best part of the song! As an amateur keyboardist, I played it in a band a while back...not easy but lots a fun. "Love Me Two Times" is another fun one with Harpsichord accompaniment. Glad you're reacting to these gems from the past. There stood the test of time....and it flies by. 🙂👍🎶🎹🎸
Soft Parade and Peace Frog are two of my favorites.
Man, what a great song, one of my favs of all time. Good reaction, liked and subscribed!
Check out the Ed Sullivan appearance. This is the single version.
th-cam.com/video/uDalMpPCHHw/w-d-xo.html
The Doors were big in my era. I graduated hs in 1970. The organ and Guitar solos were cut dow for regular radio play. Since the solos were a jam on two chords Am and Bm, I thought it was easy to cut down, you had to be careful to sync up the end of the guitar solo with the keyboard countering. I was in a band and we did this song. I sang it and played keys. We had the most difficult time in the beginning, coming out of the solos ( which is like the intro ), then syncing the end. Interesting part was the backing chords in the intro are major chords ending in an A chord. Then when he starts singing the verse it goes to an Am - F#m. We had fun trying to cover this.
The Doors were just putting it together and agreed they needed a "signature" song. So Robby Krieger after leaving the studio, he went home and that same night wrote this song. I can only imagine him showing up in the studio the next day and saying "What about this for a signature song?"
The first concert I attended was The Doors in the Spring of '67.
Hey guy, I was just listening to a favorite go-to song of mine and thought of how you like mythology , like me. It’s called “Avalon of the Heart” by Van Morrison. Trust me, it’s good for a spiritual charge up! ( Studio version is the best if they let you. )
Here's a taste of what Ray Manzarek (Keyboardist) did after Jim's death. This is Ray with the Los Angeles-based punk band X singing The Doors'"Soul Kitchen". th-cam.com/video/i19TYrxTS2A/w-d-xo.html He went on to produce several of their albums.
Well, I watched your reaction to The End before this and I think you’ve stumbled into the “rabbit hole” of Jim & The Doors. Love what you are doing getting into the music I grew up on and still listen to. You do in fact remind me of myself quite a bit at that age. Rock On Young Man!
I was a bit young for the Doors; between this one, and Riders on the Storm, and People are Strange, I always thought the Doors sounded like a ghost story - darkness and midnight and death and general weirdness. It was fun to be scared by them.
This was a radio song, but usually a much shorter version. The groups that started playing longer songs pushed us all from AM radio to FM stations that were more inclined to play the longer stuff, and anything that deviated from the normal pop-rock mainstream.
Hypnotic bassline played on keyboards by (the late) Ray Manzarek.
I'm at my favorite sushi place and this was on the speakers, so I decided to get your reaction. One of my all time favorite songs from my youth. The Lizard King lives on forever!!!!
Cool reaction. Your new equipment gives these videos a crisp look, but you're right about the brightness. With time, you'll get a look you like. Peace.
I was in Junior High when this came out. I remember being at a school dance and most kids were just standing around goofing off when Light My Fire came on. Suddenly everyone rushed to get a partner and dance. This song was fire at the time.
There’s a really great cover out there by José Feliciano of “Feliz Navidad” fame.
Ray Manzarek, the keyboard player, is providing the bass. They did not have a bass player, except for occasional studio work.
THANX for THIS, haven't HEARD it in a very long time, TOO LONG 😎
From their 1st album- this song and Touch Me got a ton of air play- FOR YEARS. It's still in the rotation for a lot of classic rock radio stations.
There's nothing mysterious or highly symbolic here. Morrison didn't write it so there was no fire, snakes or death in it.
Robbie Krieger wrote it. It's an iconic sound. You'll hear it in some movies that try to use it as "aural setting" for the late sixties.
Robbie Krieger on guitar, James Densmore on drums, Ray Manzarek on keyboards, Morrison's powerful vocals and ethereal lyrics. Definitely one of the great bands of all time.
This tune was banned on certain stations because of that "get much higher" statement. Remember this is 1967.
Also ed sullivan
Another great song! Glad you decided to react to this one. It’s very unusual musically and rhythmically...I love it!!!
Daniel, Ive heard this song a million times but never once thought of drugs. What a different perspective, we have! To me, Light My Fire is about love and the physical connection between the couple. I am probably wrong - but drugs have never entered my mind - in the last 50 years! My body is another matter. (not a lot). I'm naive.tho.
Excellent reaction, Daniel! You're the best!
They did plenty of weird stuff. The Soft Parade is a good example.
The Amazement lies in the year this was made. 1967! Futuristic to say the least.
John Densmore on drums. Trivia tidbit… Once guest-starred on the 80s teen comedy "Square Pegs", playing himself.
The movie is good but if you are interested in getting to know Jim I suggest the book "No one hear gets out alive " . I read it back in the 80's and felt like I knew him personally after I was done. It's a very good read!
Just popped in real quick....you mention this tune in your recent upload and it reminded me to come over here....I never fully got into The Doors, radio killed them for me along with the fact they have a limited song list due to the death of Jim Morrison. But I had to scroll through ALL 100 comments first to see if anyone else mentioned the alternate lyrics..."Come on baby change my tire" LOL!!
This was one of the most popular songs of the late 60s. The pathetic "radio version" had a much shortened organ solo. This was the long version, and was very popular at "sock hops" and "stomps", the high school and college dances of the of the time. Very few local bands could duplicate Ray's original organ solo, so they were left to improvise their own versions, many were, of course, never anywhere near as memorable, but still fun to dance to.
His reactions rock! Digs the Doors...SUBSCRIBED
Interestingly, Robbie Krieger, who wrote this, wrote many of their radio hits, like Touch Me and Hello I Love You since his lyrics and arrangents were much more accessible than Morrison's, whose songs were mostly album classics.
A lot of material to choose from The Doors, depends upon mood...
Many think the Soft Parade album contains too many corporate sell out Radio tunes but I have always liked listening to it from start to finish. Classic Doors mixed with some pop hits just worked for me.
First version I remember of this isn't the Doors but rather, Jose Feliciano's cover of it. Robbie Krieger wrote it more as a bluesy folk song, which is how Feliciano recorded it.
John Densmore, Ray Manzarek, Robbie Krieger --- underrated as musicians.
This album is near perfect.
Yes it was released as a single in 1967. 1965 album was released
Ray has a set of recordings on Spotify where he tells the inspiration for each of the melodies. it is nice to hear a genius explain himself
A very prophetic song from Mr. Mojo Risin! The first song they created together in mind, was the last tune she spoke Mrs Universal Laughter.
Their biggest hit. Ray Manzarek was brilliant on keyboards and Bobby Krieger on guitar. I've never thought of it as a drug song but a pure love/sex tune. The heat of passion.
Daniel, this song is also famous for how Jim Morrison sang it on the Ed Sullivan Show. Check out the video from the 1960s. The controversy was about him singing the word 'higher' on the most popular show on national TV. Watch HOW Morrison sings it enunciating the word 'that shall not be said'. Contrast his attitude with how the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger wimped out on the same show changing the words to Let's Spend The Night Together, dropping 'night' and inserting 'time' in order to appease show host Ed Sullivan and perhaps TV censors.
Yes. Three phenomenal musicians + The Lizard King. The Doors were unique. End of story. They were so good and so much, that no one seemed to notice that they were not rock & roll in that rock & roll era. Blues + Jazz + 40s/50s era crooning pop. They didn't play any genre, because no genre was big enough to hold them within its lines.
This song is the proof that this band could perform without jim morrison and without any other singer and they would still have an amazing sound.
5:41, it appears that Daniel is diggin' this! Love it!
The Doors had an original sound. Haven't seen or heard a band like this since. While Jim Morrison was the primary writer the other members Ray manzarek, Robbie Krieger, and John Densmore had roots in jazz, blues, and rock. What you got was a fusion of those sounds. All 4 members were credited for all Doors recordings.
I like your light touch.
I used to blast this album on my 8 Track ( don’t know if you know what that is lol) from my 63 Riviera. Jim Morrison was a legend. Great music
It was chopped up into a Radio song .....good call.
Jim did not tell the producers that he forgot to change the lyrics. When the producers told them they would not be invited back, Jim shrugged and said, "We've done the Sullivan show." (Doing the Sullivan show, even once, was a big deal back then.
Jim "nervous." lolol
The Doors didn't have a bass player so keyboardist Ray Manzarek played it on a bass keyboard, along with the organ, which I believed was a Farfisa or Vox organ, popular at the time with bands.
Oh this song was big!! And Jim Morrison was so hot. I remember this so well. Mercy
Funny 😆 💡 Light my Fire one of best rock songs Ever,,,🤩✌🏿
At around this time there was a lot of music that featured what was called "the San Francisco Sound" that was very distinctive and different from avereage radio fare. In general, any band that wants to make a name for itself has to develop its own distinctive sound. The Doors did so wonderously. I think it ia a bit derivative of the San Francisco Sound, but instantly identifiable as The Doors within a few notes. Morrison's voice is unique. The organ sound is also a change from the typical more bluesy usage, much more sparkly and playful. The guitar sound, also, is unique in its own right. The drums are a familiar anchor fot the rest of the sound. The Doors were born in L.A., and must have been influenced to some degree by what has happening up on the Bay. Was the San Francisco Sound part of the Haight-Ashbury hippie drug scene? Of course it was.
Doors had their own distinctive sound LA woman Break in through Roadhouse blues great cover of this Jose Feliciano completely different but great
You're absolutely right that they had super weird songs that didn't make it on the radio. Try "The End."
There is a movie about them called "The Doors," starring Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison, based on the biography "No One Here Gets Out Alive."
Definitely in my top 10 songs of all time.
*Along with 15 others.
One my favorite Doors is "Ghost Song" - a posthumous track utilizing Jim Morrison's spoken word poetry and then a newly (at the time) created backing track by the rest of the Doors.