OPENING THE DOORS
by Mark Voger
from Page X Courier News, Bridgewater, New Jersey August 21, 2003
Some bands are conceived in boardrooms; The Doors were conceived on a beach. It seems fitting, considering the band's hippie mindset.
Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek -- now on tour with a new version of the '60s psychedelic rockers -- recalled that he and late Doors singer Jim Morrison first joined forces during a chance meeting in Venice, Calif.
"We had both graduated from UCLA," Manzarek recalled. "I hadn't seen Jim for, like, 40 days and 40 nights. Just like in the Bible. Sure enough, who comes walking down the beach but James Douglas Morrison, looking great, man. Looking lean and hard and mean.
"We sat down together and I said, 'What are you up to?' He said, 'Well, nothing much. What are you up to?' I said, 'I dunno, man. I'm just tryin' to sell some film scripts. Nothin' much is going on.' I said, 'You doin' anything creatively?' He said, 'Yeah. I been writing songs.'
"I thought, 'Ooh, that's cool.' Beause I knew he was a poet and he knew I was a musician, but we never talked about songwriting or anything.
"So right on the beach there in Venice, Calif., Jim sang 'Moonlight Drive' and 'My Eyes Have Seen You' and 'Summer's Almost Gone.' That was it, man. I was absolutely hooked.
"I said, 'Those are great. Those lyrics are the best lyrics I've ever heard for a rock song. You know what we gotta do? We gotta get a rock 'n' roll band together.' And he said, 'Ray, that's exactly what I had in mind.'"
The two then formed the Doors with guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. The Doors went on to become the trippiest band of the '60s, recording the FM classics "Light My Fire," "Hello, I Love You" and "L.A. Woman." In 1971, 27-year-old Morrison was found dead in a bathtub in Paris.
Manzarek and Krieger, along with Cult singer Ian Astbury and drummer Ty Dennis, are on tour with a newish name: Doors of the 21st Century. (Densmore declined to participate, according to Manzarek, but later sued his old bandmates.)
Manzarek recalled that the old Doors never set out to become money makers.
"We just wanted to play our music," the Chicago native, 63, told PAGE X.
"That's what it was all about -- playing music and becoming intoxicated by the music and intoxicating the audience.
"That's what music is all about. The rewards come. If you can intoxicate yourself and the audience, financial rewards just come right down the pike, man." X
Doors of the 21st Century are scheduled to perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at the PNC Bank Arts Center, Exit 166 off the Garden State Parkway, Holmdel. $25-$55. (732) 335-8698 www.artscenter.com
(thanks, Fran)
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