A WORK IN PROGRESS

The Doors;  Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, and Robby Krieger

Formed in 1965 in Los Angeles California by, Ray Manzarek, Jim Morrison. Without Krieger, they recorded a six-song demo in September 1965 (This was widely bootlegged and later appeared on the 1997 Doors box set in full). The Doors first contract was with Columbia Records,in 1965, but it didn't work out.  They were signed to Electra records on August 18, 1966. Their last public performance was at the Warehouse in New Orleans Louisiana, on December 12, 1970.  Morrison died July 3, 1971.

The Doors still sell approximately 1 million "albums annually.

 The Doors issued just six studio albums during their phenomenal four-years of work.

The six studio albums released by the band; 

 - The Doors (1967) - self-titled  LP, recorded in a few days in late August and early September 1966 and released in the first week of January 1967.  Morrison and Manzarek directed a promotional film for the lead single "Break on Through (To the Other Side) . The second single, "Light My Fire", became a smash hit in mid-1967 (The long middle guitar and organ solos were cut from the song, for AM radio play).  The Doors made their television debut In May 1967,  recording a version of "The End" for the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) in Toronto. 

 - Strange Days (1967) - The second LP, featured "People are Strange", "Love Me Two Times", and "When the Music's Over".

 - Waiting for the Sun (1968) - The third LP, recorded in April.  It was their first #1 LP and the single "Hello, I Love You" was their second and last #1 US single. The album ncluded "The Unknown Soldier", which was banned from radio play, "Spanish Caravan", and, "Five to One".

 -  The Soft Parade (1969) - Their fourth LP, released in July. The main single "Touch Me".  Robby Krieger wrote alot of the songs.

 -  Morrison Hotel (1970) - Morrison, wrote or co-wrote all of the album's tracks.  Included "Roadhouse Blues"

 * Absolutely Live (1970) - Recorded in July. 

 - L.A. Woman (1971) - with the singles "L.A. Woman", "Love Her Madly" and "Riders on the Storm"

*Two albums were made by the remaining members, after Morrison's death. - Other Voices (1971) and Full Circle (1972). The Doors stopped performing and recording at the end of 1972.

*An American Prayer (1978) - The band added  music tracks to "rediscovered" spoken-word recordings of Morrison reciting his poems.

Books by Jim, & the Doors;

By Jim;

- The Lords and The New Creatures (1969)

- An American Prayer (1970)  Privately printed by Western Lithographers.  (Unauthorized edition published in 1983, Zeppelin Publishing Company)

- Wilderness The Lost Writings Of Jim Morrison (1988).

- The American Night: The Writings of Jim Morrison (1990) 

By Ray;

Light My Fire (1998)

The Poet in Exile (2001)

Snake Moon (2006)

By Densmore;

Riders On The Storm: My Life With Jim Morrison and the Doors (1991)

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