The Doors-When the Music’s Over (isolated Vox Continental organ and piano bass)

When the Music’s Over was recorded around August of 1967. It is the grand finale to their second album. Like The End, which ended their first album, it was always intended to be that big finale. They had spent much time perfecting it and adding to it and like the first album, they saved this one to be recorded last. Robby Kreiger recounted a story of how Jim was not present at this recording session as he had spent the night high and did not make it to the studio the next day. Not wanting to wait for Jim, Ray stepped up and sang a lead guide vocal, this is something Ray would do for Jim in their earliest live performances when Jim was too nervous and did the same later when Jim would pass out on stage. Ray sang his vocal with the intent of it being replaced later so it was just their to give the rest of the band queues of when to do a certain part. They had Jim follow them instead of them follow Jim. The song had gotten to the length of 11 minutes. The next day, Jim wanted the band to redo the song so he could sing with the rest of them but they said no. Jim only took one to two takes to mail his vocal perfectly. After that Robby recorded his great guitar solo and the song and album was finished.
This is one of two songs in which Ray used his Fender Rhodes bass on in the Strange Days album. He was using his usual setup: his Vox organ and his Fender Rhodes bass. The whole song is a collection of multiple styles, Ray and Robby playing a bluesy style for the most part and John adding a jazzy flair to it. Robby solo and a few of Ray’s touches later in the song add a psychedelic tone to it too. Ray revolves around the same couple of chords for the first half of the song. At 5:50 Ray turns on his vibrato and plays octaves giving an eerie siren sound. At 8:14 Ray cranks up the distortion on his organ during the “Persian night” section. He did this same thing on You’re Lost Little Girl earlier on the same album. He kept the distortion up until the start of the last verse, then he reverted it back to how he had it before. At 10:41 Ray raises the distortion once again and leaves it that way for the remainder of the song. I tried my best to get close to that crunch that he had but I don’t think I got too close. At 10:53 Ray once again turns his vibrato on to close out the song.

[@E.Humperdinck]

RIP Ray Manzarek. God on the keyboard

[@wateormelon4400]

@@E.Humperdinck indeed

[@fidelreynachacon]

AS LENNON

[@DanChad-er9lh]

Don’t know how you did this but it’s great

[@fidelreynachacon]

IS COSMIC ORG....ASM.....