Morrison Hotel
Encyclopedia
Morrison Hotel is The Doors
' fifth album. It was released in 1970. After their experimental work The Soft Parade
was not as well received as anticipated, the group went back to basics and back to their roots. On this album, there is a slight steer toward blues, which would be fully explored by the band on their next album, L.A. Woman
. The strategy worked; even though no major hit singles were drawn from the album, Morrison Hotel reestablished The Doors as favorites of the critics, peaking at #4 on the US album chart, and when they followed with L.A. Woman the next year, they were rewarded with two more US Top 20 hits. The album also became the band's highest charting studio album in the UK, where it peaked at #12.
Additional musicians include G. Puglese (aka John Sebastian
) on harmonica and Lonnie Mack
on bass.
The cover photo was taken at the actual Morrison Hotel located at 1246 South Hope Street in Los Angeles
. The band asked the owners if they could photograph the hotel and they declined, so the band went inside when nobody was looking and took the photograph. The rear cover features a photograph of the Hard Rock Cafe on 300 East 5th Street, Los Angeles. The founders of the later and otherwise unrelated Hard Rock Cafe
chain used the name, having seen it on the Doors' album. The original cafe is no longer open for business.
The 40th anniversary reissues were completely remixed along with being remastered. This practice extended to incorporating vocal and instrumental components which were not part of the original album. As Ray Manzarek said, "There are background vocals by Jim Morrison, piano parts of mine that weren't used, and guitar stingers and solos by Robby Krieger that never made the original recordings, that can now be heard for the first time."
, the editor of Creem magazine, said of the album that it was: "the most horrifying rock and roll I have ever heard. When they're good, they're simply unbeatable. I know this is the best record I've listened to ... so far", while Rock Magazine called it "without any doubt their ballsiest (and best) album to date". Circus Magazine praised it as "possibly the best album yet from the Doors" and "Good hard, evil rock, and one of the best albums released this decade".
Additional musicians
Technical staff and artwork
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
' fifth album. It was released in 1970. After their experimental work The Soft Parade
The Soft Parade
The Soft Parade is the fourth studio album by The Doors, released in 1969.The album met with some controversy among fans and critics due to its inclusion of brass and string instrument arrangements, as opposed to the more stripped-down sound of their earlier recordings...
was not as well received as anticipated, the group went back to basics and back to their roots. On this album, there is a slight steer toward blues, which would be fully explored by the band on their next album, L.A. Woman
L.A. Woman
The band embarked on a tour to promote the album, although it would only comprise two dates. The first was held in Dallas, Texas on December 11 and reportedly went well. The second performance took place at The Warehouse in New Orleans, Louisiana, on December 12, 1970, where Morrison apparently had...
. The strategy worked; even though no major hit singles were drawn from the album, Morrison Hotel reestablished The Doors as favorites of the critics, peaking at #4 on the US album chart, and when they followed with L.A. Woman the next year, they were rewarded with two more US Top 20 hits. The album also became the band's highest charting studio album in the UK, where it peaked at #12.
Additional musicians include G. Puglese (aka John Sebastian
John Sebastian
John Benson Sebastian Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and autoharpist. He is best known as a founder of The Lovin' Spoonful, a band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000...
) on harmonica and Lonnie Mack
Lonnie Mack
Lonnie Mack is an American rock, blues and country guitarist and vocalist....
on bass.
The cover photo was taken at the actual Morrison Hotel located at 1246 South Hope Street in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The band asked the owners if they could photograph the hotel and they declined, so the band went inside when nobody was looking and took the photograph. The rear cover features a photograph of the Hard Rock Cafe on 300 East 5th Street, Los Angeles. The founders of the later and otherwise unrelated Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe is a chain of theme restaurants founded in 1971 by Americans Peter Morton & Isaac Tigrett. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and roll memorabilia, a tradition which expanded to others in the chain. In 2006, Hard Rock was sold to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and...
chain used the name, having seen it on the Doors' album. The original cafe is no longer open for business.
Side one: "Hard Rock Cafe"
- "Roadhouse BluesRoadhouse Blues"Roadhouse Blues" is a blues-rock song written and recorded by the American rock band The Doors. The song, which appeared on the B-side of "You Make Me Real", was first released as a single from the album Morrison Hotel in March 1970 and peaked at #50 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100...
" (Jim MorrisonJim MorrisonJames Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors...
, The Doors) – 4:03 - "Waiting for the Sun" (Morrison) – 3:58
- Begun during The Doors' sessions for Waiting for the SunWaiting for the SunWaiting for the Sun is the third studio album by the American rock band The Doors. It was released in 1968 and became the band's first and only number one album and spawned their second US number one single, "Hello, I Love You". It also became the band's first hit album in the UK, where it peaked...
in 1968
- Begun during The Doors' sessions for Waiting for the Sun
- "You Make Me Real" (Morrison) – 2:53
- "Peace FrogPeace Frog"Peace Frog" is a song by The Doors which appears on the album Morrison Hotel. It was released on vinyl in February 1970 by Elektra/Asylum Records and produced by Paul Rothchild...
" (Morrison, Robby KriegerRobby KriegerRobert Alan "Robby" Krieger is an American rock guitarist and songwriter. He was the guitarist in The Doors, and wrote some of the band's best known songs, including "Light My Fire," "Love Me Two Times," "Touch Me," and "Love Her Madly."...
) – 2:51 - "Blue Sunday" (Morrison) – 2:13
- "Ship of Fools" (Morrison, Krieger) – 3:08
Side two: "Morrison Hotel"
- "Land Ho!" (Morrison, Krieger) – 4:10
- "The Spy" (Morrison) – 4:17
- "Queen of the HighwayQueen of the Highway'Queen of the Highway is a song by the rock group The Doors, from their 1970 album Morrison Hotel. It is the ninth, and third-to-last track on that album...
" (Morrison, Krieger) – 2:47 - "Indian Summer" (Morrison, Krieger) – 2:36
- Outtake from The Doors' debut albumThe Doors (album)The Doors is the debut album by the American rock band The Doors, recorded in August 1966 and released in January 1967. It was originally released in significantly different stereo and mono mixes...
sessions (Recorded late August 1966)
- Outtake from The Doors' debut album
- "Maggie M'Gill" (Morrison, The Doors) – 4:23
40th Anniversary CD bonus tracks
- "Talking Blues" - 0:59
- "Roadhouse Blues" (Takes 1–3, recorded November 4, 1969) - 8:47
- "Roadhouse Blues" (Take 6, recorded November 4, 1969) - 9:26
- "Carol" - 0:56
- "Roadhouse Blues" (Take 1, recorded November 5, 1969) - 4:32
- "Money Beats Soul" - 1:04
- "Roadhouse Blues" (Takes 13–15, recorded November 5, 1969) - 6:21
- "Peace Frog" (False Starts & Dialogue) - 2:00
- "The Spy" (Version 2) - 3:48
- "Queen of the Highway" (Jazz Version) - 3:36
The 40th anniversary reissues were completely remixed along with being remastered. This practice extended to incorporating vocal and instrumental components which were not part of the original album. As Ray Manzarek said, "There are background vocals by Jim Morrison, piano parts of mine that weren't used, and guitar stingers and solos by Robby Krieger that never made the original recordings, that can now be heard for the first time."
Reception
Morrison Hotel was, upon its release, seen by many as a comeback for the Doors following the critical failure of The Soft Parade and the Miami incident of 1969. Dave MarshDave Marsh
Dave Marsh is an American music critic, author, editor and radio talk show host. He was a formative editor of Creem magazine, has written for various publications such as Newsday, The Village Voice, and Rolling Stone, and has published numerous books about music and musicians, mostly focused on...
, the editor of Creem magazine, said of the album that it was: "the most horrifying rock and roll I have ever heard. When they're good, they're simply unbeatable. I know this is the best record I've listened to ... so far", while Rock Magazine called it "without any doubt their ballsiest (and best) album to date". Circus Magazine praised it as "possibly the best album yet from the Doors" and "Good hard, evil rock, and one of the best albums released this decade".
Personnel
The Doors- Jim MorrisonJim MorrisonJames Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors...
– lead vocals - Ray ManzarekRay ManzarekRaymond Daniel Manzarek, Jr., better known as Ray Manzarek , is an American musician, singer, producer, film director, writer, co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors from 1965 to 1973, Nite City from 1977–1978 and Manzarek-Krieger since 2001.Manzarek is listed #4 on Digital Dreamdoor's "100...
– tack pianoTack pianoIn music, the tack piano is a permanently altered version of an ordinary piano, in which tacks or nails are placed on the hammers of the instrument at the point where the hammers hit the strings, giving the instrument a tinny, more percussive sound...
on tracks 1, 3, 8, Gibson G-101Gibson G-101The Gibson G-101 is a model of combo organ, one of many makes and models of transistorized portable organs, most popularly used in rock & roll bands of the mid- and late 1960s, designed for use on stage or in the studio, for players that transported them frequently between performances.The...
organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
on tracks 2, 5, Vox ContinentalVox ContinentalThe Vox Continental is a transistor-based combo organ that was introduced in 1962. Known for its thin, bright, breathy sound, the "Connie," as it was affectionately known, was designed to be used by touring musicians...
organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
on tracks 4, 6, 7, 10, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
on track 8, Wurlitzer electric pianoWurlitzer electric pianoWurlitzer 200A|250px|thumbThe Wurlitzer electric piano was one of a series of electromechanical stringless pianos manufactured and marketed by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, Corinth, Mississippi, U.S. and Tonawanda, New York...
on track 9, Fender Rhodes Piano BassKeyboard bassThe keyboard bass is the use of a low-pitched keyboard or pedal keyboard to substitute for the bass guitar or double bass in popular music.-1960s:The earliest keyboard bass instrument was the 1960 Fender Rhodes piano bass, pictured above...
on track 10, Hammond C-3 organHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
on track 11 - Robby KriegerRobby KriegerRobert Alan "Robby" Krieger is an American rock guitarist and songwriter. He was the guitarist in The Doors, and wrote some of the band's best known songs, including "Light My Fire," "Love Me Two Times," "Touch Me," and "Love Her Madly."...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - John DensmoreJohn DensmoreJohn Paul Densmore is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the drummer of the rock group The Doors.-Early life and The Doors:Born in Los Angeles, Densmore attended Santa Monica City College and Cal...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Additional musicians
- Lonnie MackLonnie MackLonnie Mack is an American rock, blues and country guitarist and vocalist....
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
on tracks 1, 11 - Ray Neapolitan - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
on tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 - John SebastianJohn SebastianJohn Benson Sebastian Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and autoharpist. He is best known as a founder of The Lovin' Spoonful, a band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000...
(as "G. Puglese") – harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
on track 1
Technical staff and artwork
- Bruce BotnickBruce BotnickBruce Botnick is an American audio engineer and record producer, best known for his work with The Doors, and with Love. He engineered Love's first two albums, and co-produced their third album, Forever Changes, with the band's singer-songwriter, Arthur Lee.In November 1970, he took over production...
- engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including... - Gary BurdenGary BurdenGary Burden is an American artist specializing in the field of album covers. He is considered as one of the pioneers of the concept of album cover art. In the 1960s and '70s he designed covers for many rock stars, such as Mama Cass, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Joni Mitchell, The Doors, The Eagles...
- design - Henry DiltzHenry DiltzHenry Stanford Diltz is a folk musician and photographer, who has been active since the 1960s....
- photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film... - Paul A. RothchildPaul A. RothchildPaul A. Rothchild was a prominent American record producer of the late 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:Born in Brooklyn, New York, Rothchild grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey and graduated from Teaneck High School in 1953....
- producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | "You Make Me Real" B-side: "Roadhouse Blues Roadhouse Blues "Roadhouse Blues" is a blues-rock song written and recorded by the American rock band The Doors. The song, which appeared on the B-side of "You Make Me Real", was first released as a single from the album Morrison Hotel in March 1970 and peaked at #50 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100... " |
Pop Singles | 50 |
In popular culture
- The diatribe "Morrison Hostel" is the closing track to TISMTISMTISM was a seven piece anonymous alternative rock band from Melbourne, Australia. The group was formed in 1982 and enjoyed a large underground/independent following. Their third album Machiavelli and the Four Seasons reached the Australian national top 10 in 1995...
's album Great Truckin' Songs of the RenaissanceGreat Truckin' Songs of the RenaissanceGreat Truckin' Songs of the Renaissance is the debut album by the Australian band TISM. Originally released on vinyl as a double album, it was later re-issued as a single compact disc...
. - FloaterFloater (band)Floater is an American rock band currently based in Portland, Oregon. The band was started in 1993 by Robert Wynia, Peter Cornett and David Amador. They are known for their progressive concept albums, stylized storytelling, intense live performances, and devoted fanbase...
from Portland, OregonPortland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
performs the song "Waiting for the Sun" on their 2001 album Burning Sosobra. - SoundgardenSoundgardenSoundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
performed "Waiting For the Sun" on their 1996 West Coast tour and a recording will surface on preordered versions on a bonus disk of the band's 2011 live albumLive albumA live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
Live on I-5Live on I-5Live on I-5 is a live album by the American rock band Soundgarden. It was recorded during the West Coast leg of their 1996 tour, and released on March 22, 2011. They announced the album, the band's first live album, on their website on January 13, 2011....
. - Part of "Waiting for the Sun" was used in the soundtrack for Gran Turismo.
- "Peace Frog" was sampled by early 1990s rap group 3rd Bass3rd Bass3rd Bass was an American hip-hop group that rose to fame in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and was notable for being one of the first successful interracial hip-hop groups.-Career:...
on their song "The Cactus".
External links
- Morrison Hotel Goes on the Market - Information about the Morrison Hotel/Hard Rock Cafe photo shoot