History Music / TheDoors

* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: Combining this trope with ForWantOfANail, the spiraling estrangement Jim between the press a couple years after appearing on ''Series/TheEdSullivanShow'' was a big motivator for Jim to continue delving into the literary world and trying to become a pioneer in said world through some premier, brute aggression. Production behind "Peace Frog" largely reflected his love of writing poems; the original title had been "Abortion Stories", before Jim was advised to change it for [[ActivistFundamentalistAntics obvious reasons]], partitioning the audio of [[UsefulNotes/AmericanPoliticalSystem the 1968 Democratic Convention]] instead and a bunch of rhythm/bonus reading being used as the potential takes in between Jim overdubbing the instrumental with words from a few of Jim's poems, one of them being ''Dawn's Highway''. Suprisingly, no actual takes were needed, and, a couple months after the release of the song, Jim had finished his poem "The Lords, and The New Creatures", [[youtube.com/watch?v=[=JkJcGitgo2k=] which was shot in the extras from Ray Manzarek's 2002 short film "Love Her Madly"]], including one of the lines originally in ''Dawn's Highway'' ("Film is nothing when not an illumination of this chain of being which makes a needle poised in flesh call up explosions in a foreign capital") that specifically invoked this trope.

* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: Combining this trope with ForWantOfANail, the spiraling estrangement Jim between the press a couple years after appearing on ''Series/TheEdSullivanShow'' was a big motivator for Jim to continue delving into the literary world and trying to become a pioneer in said world through some premier, brute aggression. Production behind "Peace Frog" largely reflected his love of writing poems; the original title had been "Abortion Stories", before Jim was advised to change it for [[ActivistFundamentalistAntics obvious reasons]], partitioning the audio of [[UsefulNotes/AmericanPoliticalSystem the 1968 Democratic Convention]] instead and a bunch of rhythm/bonus reading being used as the potential takes in between Jim overdubbing the instrumental with words from a few of Jim's poems, one of them being ''Dawn's Highway''. Suprisingly, no actual takes were needed, and, a couple months after the release of the song, Jim had finished his poem "The Lords, and The New Creatures", [[youtube.com/watch?v=JkJcGitgo2k which was shot in the extras from Ray Manzarek's 2002 short film "Love Her Madly"]], including one of the lines originally in ''Dawn's Highway'' ("Film is nothing when not an illumination of this chain of being which makes a needle poised in flesh call up explosions in a foreign capital") that specifically invoked this trope.

* BadassBaritone: Jim in spades. He had the Badass attitude expected for a Sixties rock frontman, and a [[VocalDissonance surprisingly deep, silky voice for someone as young and pretty as he was.]]

* DeadlyBath: Jim’s fate.

* PublicExposure: Being accused of this in Miami was what led to Jim's downfall. Whether it actually happened is anyone's guess.

The band's musical eclecticism was a major influence on ProgressiveRock, and Morrison's brooding image was a major inspiration for PunkRock and AlternativeRock.

* BerserkButton: Jim ''hated'' being held up as the most important member of the bad or given more attention than the other members and was reportedly furious when the first album emphasized him more than everyone else. He once even refused to go on stage when they were introduced as "Jim Morrison and The Doors", insisting the announcer introduce them correctly.

* {{Yarling}}: Morrison is the arguable UrExample.

Although the band released two other albums with Manzarek and Krieger sharing the role of vocalist after Morrison's death, they parted ways a few years later. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Manzarek and Krieger reunited (with Ian Astbury of Music/TheCult on vocals) to form ''The Doors of the 21st Century'', to Densmore's anger. Densmore had disagreed to reform the Doors (unless Music/EddieVedder was the singer), and actually sued his former bandmates over their use of the name ''The Doors'' and of the band's logo (He thought that the use of the logo and the fact that the words "of the 21st century" was written in much smaller print compared to "The Doors" was intentionally misleading). Manzarek and Krieger would be forced to rename their act ''Riders on the Storm'' and later ''Manzarek-Krieger''. Densmore later reconciled with Krieger and Manzarek shortly before the latter's death in 2013 and since has occasionally reunited with Krieger on stage.

* ConceptAlbum: ''An American Prayer''; Jim recorded a bunch of his poetry before he died, then several years later, the other Doors set it to music.

Although the band released two other albums with Manzarek and Krieger sharing the role of vocalist after Morrison's death, they parted ways a few years later. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Manzarek and Krieger reunited (with Ian Astbury of Music/TheCult on vocals) to form ''The Doors of the 21st Century'', to Densmore's anger. Densmore had disagreed to reform the Doors (unless Music/EddieVedder was the singer), and actually sued his former bandmates over their use of the name ''The Doors'' and of the band's logo (He thought that the use of the logo and the fact that the words "of the 21st century" was written in much smaller print compared to "The Doors" was intentionally misleading). Manzarek and Krieger would be forced to their act ''Riders on the Storm'' and later ''Manzarek-Krieger''. Densmore later reconciled with Krieger and Manzarek shortly before the latter's death in 2013 and since has occasionally reunited with Krieger on stage.

One of the most important and influential bands of their era. Led by Jim Morrison (1943–1971), AKA [[SignificantAnagram Mr. Mojo Risin']], AKA The Lizard King, with Ray Manzarek (1939–2013) on keyboards, Robby Krieger on guitar, and John Densmore on drums, The Doors became famous in TheSixties for their dark, theatrical, blues-influenced PsychedelicRock and Morrieveryson's surreal WordSaladLyrics.

In 1971, after the recording of the album ''Music/LAWoman'', Jim Morrison flew to UsefulNotes/{{Paris}}, where he died on July 3, under somewhat mysterious circumstances. He was buried at the Père Lachaise cemetery, and his grave became by far the most famous there (which isn't a small feat, considering said cemetery has been chock full of famous people for centuries), with thousands of people visiting it each year.

* ShrinkingViolet: By all accounts, Jim was this offstage, to the point that he couldn't stay at a party if one of the other band members wasn't there.

* VocalDissonance: Morrison's crooning baritone voice was striking due to how at odds it was with his youth and androgynous good looks.

One of the most important and influential bands of their era. Led by Jim Morrison (1943–1971), AKA [[SignificantAnagram Mr. Mojo Risin']], AKA The Lizard King, with Ray Manzarek (1939–2013) on keyboards, Robby Krieger on guitar, and John Densmore on drums, The Doors became famous in TheSixties for their dark, theatrical, blues-influenced PsychedelicRock and Morrison's surreal WordSaladLyrics.

* EverybodyWentToSchoolTogether: Jim and Ray met while attending UCLA film school and their classmates also included Creator/FrancisFordCoppola.

* MilitaryBrat: Jim's father was a rear admiral in the U.S. Navy. They were estranged at the time of his death.

* VocalDissonance: Morrison's voice was noticeably much deeper than many expected from someone as young and boyishly handsome as he was.

* NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly: The musicians in the band. Ray Manzarek was a classically-trained pianist before he switched to organ; Robby Krieger started out as a ''flamenco'' guitarist; John Densmore was a jazz drummer who had only just discovered the blues.

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent:
** 1969's ''The Soft Parade,'' which sounded totally different from anything the band had done before -- or, for that matter, anything ''any'' band was doing at the time. "Tell All the People" is surprisingly optimistic and religious in outlook, while "Touch Me" features an intense saxophone solo by session musician Curtis Amy (John Densmore's latent jazz influences coming to the forefront at last). "Runnin' Blues" incorporates a Scotch/Irish country fiddle; the title track has a calypso percussionist.
** Also "You Make Me Real" from ''Morrison Hotel,'' which is a surprisingly poppy, upbeat song with a "rink-a-lee tink-a-bink" piano that Music/JerryLeeLewis could have loved.
** On the debut album, "Alabama Song" counts as this, not only as a CoverVersion but as the unlikely choice of a rock band doing a Creator/BertoltBrecht[=/=]Creator/KurtWeill song. Furthermore, they give it a march-influenced arrangement, featuring a vintage hammered-keyboard instrument called the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxophone Marxophone]].

One of the most important and influential bands of their era. Led by Jim Morrison (1943–1971), AKA [[SignificantAnagram Mr. Mojo Risin']], AKA The Lizard King, with Ray Manzarek (1939–2013) on keyboard, Robby Krieger on guitar, and John Densmore on drums, The Doors became famous in TheSixties for their dark, theatrical, blues-influenced PsychedelicRock and Morrison's surreal WordSaladLyrics.

According to Ray Manzarek, The Doors were founded on the beach of Venice, California, where he ran into Jim Morrison a month after graduating from UCLA film school where they had both studied. He asked Morrison what he had been up to and he answered that he had been writing songs and proceeded to sing "Moonlight Drive" to Manzarek, who was enthused. Manzarek later recruited John Densmore, a jazz drummer, then Robby Krieger, a flamenco guitarist, from a transcendental meditation class and thus the Doors were born.

They started playing in bars around Los Angeles, first the London Fog, and later with more success the Whisky A Go-Go, and soon signed up on Elektra Records. Morrison encouraged his fellow bandmates to write songs of their own, and thus Robby Krieger started writing "Light my Fire" which became one of their biggest hits.

Although the band quickly enjoyed a large success, not all was going well.

Inspired in part by the behavior of Music/VanMorrison, the singer of Them, whom the Doors had played with at the Whisky a Go-Go, Jim Morrison started behaving very provocatively toward the audience, insulting them or getting into political rants, which landed him in jail after a concert in Miami where he supposedly exposed himself on stage.

This rebellious attitude, which contributed to the band's appeal, was not just a pose. Jim Morrison had very uncompromising political ideas, among which was an opposition to commercialism. He famously got enraged that the three other members had agreed to sell "Light My Fire" to Buick for a commercial, and threatening to destroy a Buick onstage at every concert if they did not back down.

All four band members were used to taking LSD and smoking pot, but Morrison got more heavily into all kinds of drugs, and became a very heavy drinker, which did not improve his behavior, created tensions within the band, and took its toll on their live performances, sometimes even their recording sessions (it is said that Morrison recorded "Five to One" while heavily inebriated, hence his slurred performance).

In 1971, after the recording of the album ''Music/LAWoman'', Jim Morrison flew to UsefulNotes/{{Paris}}, where he died on July 3, under somewhat mysterious circumstances. He was buried at the Père Lachaise cemetery, and his grave became by far the most famous there (which isn't a small feat considering said cemetery is chock full of famous people for centuries), with thousands of people visiting it each year.

Although the band released two other albums with Manzarek and Krieger sharing the role of vocalist after Morrison's death, they parted ways a few years later. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Manzarek and Krieger reunited to form ''The Doors of the 21st Century'', to Densmore's anger. Densmore had disagreed to reform the Doors (unless Music/EddieVedder was the singer), and actually sued his former bandmates over their use of the name ''The Doors'' and of the band's logo (He thought that the use of the logo and the fact that the words "of the 21st century" was written in much smaller print compared to "The Doors" was intentionally misleading). Hence Manzarek and Krieger renamed their act ''Riders on the Storm'' and later ''Manzarek-Krieger''. Densmore later reconciled with Krieger and Manzarek shortly before the latter's death in 2013 and since has occasionally reunited with Krieger on stage.

* BerserkButton: Jim ''hated'' being held up as the most important member of the bad or given more attention than the other members and was reportedly furious when the first album emphasized him more than everyone else. He once even refused to go on stage when they were introduced as "Jim Morrison and The Doors", insisting the announcer pronounce it correctly.

** A notorious incident occurred when the band appeared on ''Series/TheEdSullivanShow'' in 1967. The Ed Sullivan people told the Doors to change the lyrics from "Girl, we couldn't get much higher" to "Girl, you really light my fire" days before the show. Neither Morrison nor Krieger wanted to change it, partially because they didn't want to be censored and partially because [[RuleOfFunny they thought it'd be funny to annoy the Ed Sullivan people]]. After the show, Jim claimed he'd forgotten to change the lyrics because he was nervous.

%%* GratuitousPanning

* {{Improv}}: ''A lot'' of their live show was improvised.

* NobodyLovesTheBassist: Probably why they didn't even have one. Well, apart from Ray. The studio albums often used session bassists, though: While Manzarek played keyboard bass during live performances, the band commonly enlisted session musicians to play actual bass on their albums; they didn't do this with most of the tracks on their debut album, and Ray wasn't satisfied with the sound that resulted. Well-known guitarist Lonnie Mack played bass on at least two tracks on ''Morrison Hotel'' ("Roadhouse Blues" and "Maggie M'Gill"), although some critics believe he played on other tracks as well.

* ProgressiveInstrumentation: "Wild Child" starts with guitar, then drums, then bass, then keyboard, then finally Jim keys in.

*** Also, during the performance of the end during the Hollywood Bowl Concert [+KILL!!!+]

** Manzarek also sings lead on "Close to You", an [=R&B=] number on the ''Absolutely Live'' album, and the B-Side to "Love Her Madly", "(You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further". Krieger also shared lead vocals with Morrison on the song "Runnin' Blue" from ''The Soft Parade''.

* LongHairedPrettyBoy: Morrison, especially in the early years. Even Ray Manzarek in one of his interviews says Jim’s gorgeous.

* LongHairedPrettyBoy: Morrison, especially in the early years. Even Ray Manzarek in one of his interviews says he’s gorgeous.

* MrFanservice: Jim on the cover of their greatest hits album. Also wore tight leather pants a lot and was tall dark and handsome. Probably the trope codifier