Page 36 - Classic Rock (February 2020)

THE DOORS

predecessors. Creem magazine editor Dave Marsh described it as “the most conquering giants for half a set in Boston, to teetering on the brink of self-
horrifying rock and roll I have ever heard. When they’re good, they’re simply destruction again in Baltimore, where Morrison was so drunk that he could
unbeatable”, while Circus announced it as “possibly the best album yet from barely move his lips.
the Doors… good hard, evil rock”. It went gold within three weeks, reaching Even when The Doors were good there were problems. At Cobo Arena in
No.4 in the US, their best chart position for two years. This despite the lack of Detroit, on May 8, they played brilliantly for more than four hours – the
a recognisable hit single from the encore of The End lasted almost an
album. You Make Me Real was issued to hour alone, with Morrison
American radio, but in an era where ‘Creem magazine editor Dave Marsh improvising madly – yet found
singles were becoming increasingly themselves banned from ever
frowned on by ‘serious’ rock fans, the described Morrison Hotel as playing there again because they had
fact that radio hardly played it, overrun the teamsters’ union-set
favouring instead deep cuts from the “the most horrifying rock and roll curfew time. Another promoter
album, such as Peace Frog and I have ever heard”.’ cancelled a show in Salt Lake City less
Roadhouse Blues, only made the band than 24-hours before show time, after
prouder. The Doors were hip again, and resisted suggestions that the track he had attended the previous show in Boston where the promoter had pulled
Waiting For The Sun was a hit waiting to happen. the plug when the band overran and Morrison could be heard to describe
There were 13 more Doors shows around the United States throughout the them as “cocksuckers”.
spring and early summer of 1970, with Paul Rothchild turning up to record Somehow, Morrison Hotel, the actual and the personal, would not be a place HENRY DILTZ/GETTY
several of them. Quality varied so much that the band could go from world- where guests would stay for long. But they would rarely, if ever, forget it.

production. “I didn’t think about it for No Dice album, and will later be covered documentary is most notable for its DECEMBER 12
more than a half-hour,” Gillan told the by Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey, candid footage from Altamont. Fallout THE LAST DOORS CONCERT WITH
Jerusalem Post. “Here I was, in Deep earning millions. But Ham and Evans will from the disastrous 1969 concert has ‘The Rolling JIM MORRISON
Purple, the band I always dreamed of never be rewarded financially for its followed the band into the new decade; Controversial to the last, Morrison’s final
playing with. I wasn’t going to jeopardise success, and the wrangling in February they are Stones are act on a stage is to smash his mic stand
it for a run on the West End or twelve over royalties is thought to be sued for £375,000 sued for through the floor, bringing to an early
weeks on location filming the movie.” a key factor in their suicides. by local residents for close a New Orleans show already
causing damage to the £375,000 marred by forgotten lyrics and
NOVEMBER 9 DECEMBER 6 land, while on October by local meandering anecdotes. The band weigh
BADFINGER WRITE THE GIMME SHELTER 26 the mother of up their option, and elect to retire from
ULTIMATE POWER-BALLAD HITS CINEMAS murdered teenager residents.’ live work. “We couldn’t play anywhere,
Pete Ham and Tom Evans’s pain-racked Opening in New York, Meredith Hunter files we were fucked because of the Miami
Without You is a highlight of Badfinger’s the Rolling Stones tour a £28,000 law suit. la incident,” Robby Krieger said later. ALAMY

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