Post by TheWallsScreamedPoetry on Oct 17, 2023 10:51:44 GMT
Doors/Elektra promo films 1966-1968
Break On Through November 1966
Filmed in New York City in November 1966 whilst the band were there for the mixing of their debut LP.
Directed by Legendary Elektra Producer Mark Abramson, the film utilises the freshly mixed version of Break On Through lip synced by Jim and the band.
Abramson was the first Elektra Producer and had working with Jac Holzman since 1958.
The video itself is ground-breaking and was far ahead of its time.
Abramson got Jim to wear black clothes and filmed it with a black background and lit only Jim's face to give the impression of a disembodied head.
He added a few random coloured lights for strangeness.
The video is very dynamic as Jim moves across the screen in jolts the band members jostle to share the screen with him.
The musicians were more colourful but were swathed in the blackness especially John who looked to be a head and two hands armed with sticks.
We get some nice footage of Robby with his 1957 Blonde National Town & Country guitar which was the forerunner to his Gibson SG.
It was was a brilliant use of light and shade and visually quite stunning and unique.
In 1966 nobody was presenting music like this.
Sadly though it had little impact on The Doors career. Sent to TV stations with the hope they would broadcast the film but rarely was it ever shown.
Leon Barnard went to Europe just before the bands European Tour to drum up interest but again did not get a lot of interest.
The film was then touted at Film Festivals with mixed results so finally it ended up as a warm up to Doors concerts played before the band took the stage.
"He had a natural musical and dramatic sense and absorbed the practical aspects of engineering rapidly. He was an artist himself, with an even temperament,
able to get along very well with the artists, and he became a hybrid recording engineer/producer—our first."
Follow The Music on Mark Abramson
Jac sent a letter to all Elektra promotion staff to push the video with their customers.
25-2-1967
Cashbox
Break On through was released on January 4th 1967 along with their debut LP.
Jac Holzman had delayed the release as he wanted a clear run for the album avoiding Xmas, even going as far as not releasing another LP in January.
To promote both album and single Jac got the idea for the first ever rock billboard and had one erected at 8161 Sunset Boulevard a hop, skip & jump from the Chateau Marmont.
Famously photographing The Doors helping the workers erect it in some head-spinningly and increasingly dangerous photo shoots.
If one of the band had slipped they would likely have plummeted to their death and that would have been some not so good publicity.
Their photographer pal Bobby Klein was on hand to help immortalise the proceedings.
THE FILM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdnzBNMfZfo
Break On Through November 1966
Filmed in New York City in November 1966 whilst the band were there for the mixing of their debut LP.
Directed by Legendary Elektra Producer Mark Abramson, the film utilises the freshly mixed version of Break On Through lip synced by Jim and the band.
Abramson was the first Elektra Producer and had working with Jac Holzman since 1958.
The video itself is ground-breaking and was far ahead of its time.
Abramson got Jim to wear black clothes and filmed it with a black background and lit only Jim's face to give the impression of a disembodied head.
He added a few random coloured lights for strangeness.
The video is very dynamic as Jim moves across the screen in jolts the band members jostle to share the screen with him.
The musicians were more colourful but were swathed in the blackness especially John who looked to be a head and two hands armed with sticks.
We get some nice footage of Robby with his 1957 Blonde National Town & Country guitar which was the forerunner to his Gibson SG.
It was was a brilliant use of light and shade and visually quite stunning and unique.
In 1966 nobody was presenting music like this.
Sadly though it had little impact on The Doors career. Sent to TV stations with the hope they would broadcast the film but rarely was it ever shown.
Leon Barnard went to Europe just before the bands European Tour to drum up interest but again did not get a lot of interest.
The film was then touted at Film Festivals with mixed results so finally it ended up as a warm up to Doors concerts played before the band took the stage.
"He had a natural musical and dramatic sense and absorbed the practical aspects of engineering rapidly. He was an artist himself, with an even temperament,
able to get along very well with the artists, and he became a hybrid recording engineer/producer—our first."
Follow The Music on Mark Abramson
Jac sent a letter to all Elektra promotion staff to push the video with their customers.
25-2-1967
Cashbox
Break On through was released on January 4th 1967 along with their debut LP.
Jac Holzman had delayed the release as he wanted a clear run for the album avoiding Xmas, even going as far as not releasing another LP in January.
To promote both album and single Jac got the idea for the first ever rock billboard and had one erected at 8161 Sunset Boulevard a hop, skip & jump from the Chateau Marmont.
Famously photographing The Doors helping the workers erect it in some head-spinningly and increasingly dangerous photo shoots.
If one of the band had slipped they would likely have plummeted to their death and that would have been some not so good publicity.
Their photographer pal Bobby Klein was on hand to help immortalise the proceedings.
THE FILM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdnzBNMfZfo