The Doors & LMF Radio station rise to fame

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

A look at how LMF rose in the states and finally topped the National charts

Below is data taken from radio stations throughout 1967.
It shows how LMF spread around the country first locally on the West Coast and then the NYC area.
Linked to appearances in concert and radio stations we can see how an appearance by The Doors could help LMF.
Eventually it spanned the country and hit the #1 spot Nationally.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

The Doors rise in New York is interesting.

June 11th 1967 The Doors turn up in New York for what is thier frist major engagement at The Village Theatre which would soon become The Fillmore East. This is in support of the FM station WOR_FM which is one year old and had helped break The Doors in New York.

It is interesting but if we look at New York from around that time we see the progression of the single Light My Fire from the perspective of the city's most influential AM radio station for new records at that time, WMCA New York, and their Fabulous 57 chart.

May 24th #54 LMF chart debut
31st #47
June 7th #25
14th #18
21st #10
28th #5
July 5th #4
12th #2
19th #1
26th #1
Aug 2nd #3
9th #3
16th #4
23rd #9
30th #12
September 6th #18
13th out of chart

The band began a series of dates at The Scene club straight after the Village gig which lasted till July 1st by which time the song was firmly established in the top 10 and would hit #1 on July 19th by which time the band had returned home.
It's interesting to note that as the single moved up the chart the band played two of their least worthy gigs at the Long Beach Action House on 16th/17th June.
As their peers played Monterey Pop The Doors have to contend with a dance club.
Perhaps as a reaction to events Jim gets completely pissed and tries to do a strip the first night and shoves the mike in his mouth and makes weird sounds the next.
June 17th goes down as the shortest ever Doors show as Morrison is led away and the audience who barely mind then continue to dance the night away unperturbed.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

I did a bit of LMF research and found this rather interesting regional radio station chart variation from 1967. Wonder what if any promotion the band and the record company did in the regions the single was doing well.

Doors regional Light My Fire chart positions 1967

This is a very interesting one. How was LMF received in Morrison's home state and soon to be scene of enormous controversy.

WQAM Miami Florida Top 50
Based on record sales, juke box plays and record requests.
June 3rd LMF was a DJ pick
10th #40
17th #29
24th #6
July 1st #6
8th #3
15th #3
22nd #1
29th #1
August 5th #2
12th #3
19th #3
26th #4
September 2nd #10
9th #16
16th #32
23rd out of chart


WARK 1490 AM Hagerstown Maryland
July 22nd #3

KFRC San Francisco.
MAY 17, #21 new entry
24th #3
31st #3

The Doors were playing both The Fillmore and Avalon Ballroom during LMF's rise in the charts.

Fresno 1300 KYNO-AM
June 29th #4
July 5th #1
12th #1
19th #2
26th #3
August 2nd #8
9th #15
23rd gone after 11 weeks in chart.

The band had played Fresno Fairground in April but did not appear there during the chart rise of LMF.

WLS Chicago Radio Top 40
JUNE 23rd #29 enters chart
30th #27
July 7th #24
14th #21
21st #12
28th #8
Aug 4th #6
11th #3
18th #2
25th #2
September 1st #3
8th #3
15th #7
22nd #16
29th out of chart

Radio WCFL Chicago top 30
July 6th #26 enters chart
13th #26
20th #16
27th #13
August 3rd #8
10th #2
17th #3
24th #2
31st #3
September 7th #3
14th #3
21st #9
28th gone from chart

The band did not play the Chicago area till 1968.

KDKA 1020 AM Pittsburgh PA Top 50
June 19th #47 new entry
July 3rd #14
10th #5
August 7th #6
14th #11
21st #25

KVQ 1410 AM Pittsburgh
#23 June 26th
#16 July 3rd
#13 10th
#13 17th
#4 24th
#4 31st
#4 August 7th
#6 14th
#14 21st
#25 28th
LMF kept off #1 spot by The Arrows ‘Blues Theme’

WSBA-AM HARRISBURG / LANCASTER / YORK, PA
September 9th #4

WJET 1400 AM Erie PA Top 50
June 14th #42 new entry
28th #20
July 4th #15
11th #9
18th #3
25th #1
August 1st #5
8th #13
15th #35

WIBG Philadelphia Top 99 Survey
August 21st #9
28th #13

WFIL (Philadelphia, PA)
#42 5th June
#42 12th
#22 19th
#16 3rd July
#13 10th
#9 17th
#2 24th
#4 31st
#6 7th Aug
#7 28th
#13 Sept 11th

The Doors play Pennsylvania during this chart rise appearing at an impromptu gig at Philadelphia Town Hall due to a cancellation of their planned weekend at the Scene club. The band play a version of The End that leaves the audience stunned in their seats.


Radio 8 CKLW Hit Parade
CKLW was based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and serving Windsor and Detroit. Additionally, its signal could be heard clearly in Toledo and Cleveland, Ohio.
Entered chart # 23 June 6th
#19 13th
#6 20th
#5 27th
#1 July 4th
#1 11th
#1 18th
#1 25th
#4 August 1st
#2 8th
#6 15th
out of chart by 22nd

The CHUM Chart was a ranking of top 50 songs on Toronto, Ontario radio station CHUM 1050 AM,
June 26th #23
July 24th #6
31st #3

FAB 40 CJCA Radio 93 Edmonton Top 40
July 23rd #34

As well as a date in early June in Victoria BC. The band play a long weekend in nearby Vancouver Canada around the time LMF is #1 on CKLW although would not visit Ontario until the Rock Scene TV show in September where they performed The End.

KDWB-FM (101.3 FM) in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region of Minnesota,
#32 June 17th debut
#25 24th
#17 July 1st
#13 8th
#6 15th
#2 22nd
#1 29th
#5 August 5th
#4 12th
#4 19th
#4 26th
#12 Sept 2nd
#17 9th
#23 16th
#36 23rd

WDGY radio station is also in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area of Minnesota,
June 24, 1967 #25 debut
July 1st #11
8th #6
15th #4
22nd #1
29th #4
Aug 5th #6
12th #7
19th #9
26th #10
Sept 2nd #16
9th gone from chart

The band do not play Minnesota during the LMF rise to fame.

KHJ Radio in Los Angeles,
KHJ's "Boss 30" Records In Southern California!
May 10th #28 entered chart
17th #21
24th #9
31st #4
June 7th #1
14th #1
21st #1
28th #4
July 5th #5
12th #7
19th #11
26th #13
August 2nd out of chart

KFWB Los Angeles Top 40
May 9th #38 entered chart
16th #32
23rd #8
30th #5
June 6th #2
13th #1
20th #1
27th #1
July 4th #2
11th #6
18th #7
25th #17

LA sees a lot of Doors activity around this time as the band have a residency at The Whisky throughout May and also perform many times throughout California during the rise of LMF.
With LMF now falling in the local LA radio charts the band appear on Dick Clarks American Bandstand TV show on July 22nd and perform the Crystal Ship and LMF.
A week later on July 29th LMF becomes #1 in the Billboard chart and a further week later on August 5th #1 in the Cashbox chart.

WIBG New Jersey Top 100
#45 June 26th
#29 July 3rd
#25 10th
#4 17th
#2 24th
#1 31st
#1 August 7th
#2 14th
#9 21st
#13 28th
#13 September 4th
#29 11th PAS entered chart @ 89

The band do not visit New Jersey until September.

WRKO Boston
Aug 17th #9
24th #11
31st #18
Sept 7th #23

The Doors are scheduled to play a weeks residency at the Unicorn Coffee House in Boston in July from the 4th to the 13th but this is cancelled. The charts for Boston are incomplete.

KGB, San Diego, CA Top 30
May 17th #28 debut
24th #19
31st #5
June 7th #1
14th #1
21st #1
28th #1
July 5th #3
12th #3
19th #7
26th #11
August 2nd #16
9th gone

LMF has just enjoyed a 4 week stint at #1when The Doors arrive at the Balboa Stadium in San Diego.

WABC Radio New York All American Survey
13th June # 32 New entry
20th #19
27th #15
5th July #5
11th #4
18th #4
25th #1
1st August #1
8th #1
15th #1
22nd #2
29th #4
5th September #9
12th #21
19th out of chart People Are Strange at #20

WMCA (AM) New York published a weekly music survey based on record sales in the New York City area.
WMCA Radio Fabulous 57 chart was printed in GO Magazine a North America-wide free newspaper/magazine that was distributed between 1967 and 1969.
May 24th #54 debut
31st #47
June 7th #25
14th #18
21st #10
28th #5
July 5th #4
12th #2
19th #1
26th #1
Aug 2nd #3
9th #3
16th #4
23rd #9
30th #12
September 6th #18
13th out of chart

New York is inundated with a Doors presence during the LMF chart period with a Village Theatre gig and a residency at The Scene club.
A couple of less than salubrious gigs at The Action House break up the run.

WKNR - Keener Hits Detroit, MI top 31
June 5, 1967 #31
12th #10
19th #7
26th #2
July 3rd #1
10th #1
17th #2
24th #5
31st #5
August 7th #8
14th #13

21st out of chart
The Doors LP comes straight in at #2 in the stations album chart behind Sergeant Pepper

The band do not appear in Detroit in support of LMF during the singles chart sojourn. They play in October during the infamous Ann Arbor Uni gig where a drunk Morrison behaves like an arce but inspires Iggy Pop.

Go Set Australian Charts top 40
13th September #23 entered chart
20th #18
27th #16
October 4th #16
11th #28
18th #31
25th #29
November 1st #35
8th gone

Radio London pirate radio station off the UK coast Top 402nd July #33 new entry
9th #24
16th out of chart …….Radio station closes down a month later


It’s interesting that The Doors made next to no impression with LMF outside the North American continent but did make a slight impact in Australia. One wonders what would have happened if the band had toured Australia in support of LMF in 1967 as the Japanese and Australia/NZ market was an important one.
Plans to tour the UK and possibly Europe had been in place too for 1967 and were never acted upon. It’s worth wondering whether the band could have made an impact in the UK which was the most important record market outside of the US. Considering the opposition it’s difficult to say whether a band like The Doors could have competed with the top British acts and in 1968 they proved that they could not when HILY failed to impact the Top 10 and the WFTS album similarly failed to gain a high chart position. By then of course the Doors were becoming a different band. How the nation would have received the acid rock Doors of 1967 is simply conjecture.
A one week stint at #49 was the best it could muster in the UK.
It broke into the Dutch Top 30 at 27 but went pretty much unnoticed in Europe.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

More Doors regional Light My Fire chart positions 1967

This is fascinating stuff especially when you compare regional variation with Doors activity.
How much promotion was done region by region by Elektra is not known but would be interesting to factor in.
Some regions seem to catch on to LMF before it hits #1 nationally whilst others seem to become aware of it as a consequence of national chart success.

The marketing and promotional side of The Doors rise is all but forgotten but snippets of information exist even if hard to find. Did the band utilise local radio to promote themselves. Several examples of exactly this do exist as bootleg recordings. I have a couple myself.

Were newspaper campaigns mounted in major cities in support of Break On Through and Light My Fire.
Did Elektra target certain areas of the US over others. The West Coast and East Coast seemed to get the most attention from the band but what was happening in the North and South and the middle of the country.

We know that New York took the band to heart after the Ondine and Scene gigs and LA and San Francisco got the band very early on. What devices did Elektra use to promote bands.
We know of the famous Billboard in LA but what else was there?
Mewsical might have an insight into that from here time there. What did the bands management do to increase the bands profile?

Such a lot we don't really know but information that is fascinating if we as fans are to understand why the band made it where many other just as talented ones did not.

Fans might argue that The Doors made it because they were brilliant. I have no argument with that but it does overlook the fact that lots of brilliant artist never got over the first hurdle and that maybe somewhere in 1967 there was a band in America that eclipsed The Doors in every department but they never got whatever it was The Doors got to propel them forwards. Was it geography, was it a perceptive record company, was it hard work on the bands part, was it just sheer bloody luck.
That was the point of my original post to try and discover what it was that gave the band that edge.
The music may well be a powerful weapon to have in ones arsenal but it only works if you combine it with other tools to get that music to as wide an audience as possible. So what did The Doors do to promote themselves during the first half of 1967. How did they capitalise on the popularity of the trimmed down LMF?
It's one of the most fascinating aspects of this great band for me.
The History and Evolution of The Doors as a band.
Summer 1965 to Summer 1967.

WMEX 1510 Boston MA
THE 15 AND 10 MOST MUSIC SURVEY
July 24th #3
31st #2
August
7th #1
14th #4
28th #17
SEPTEMBER 4th #23

WBZ Radio 103 Boston MA Hit Parade
June 24th #24 new entry
July 1st #17
21st #8
28th #2
August 5th #4
12th #5 In the album chart The Doors LP is #3

WHYN - 560 AM 93.1 FM
NUMBER 1 IN SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS Top 56
June 17th #33 new entry
24th #18
July 1st #15
8th #5
15th #2
22nd #1
29th #1
August 5th #2
12th #3
18th #5
25th #19
September 1st #24

On August 10th and 11th the band played the Crosstown Bus Club in Brighton MA with 2 shows a night.


FABULOUS KIMN 950 THE DENVER TIGER OFFICAL KIMN Top 50 HITPARADE
July 8th #4
15th #2
22nd #2
29th #1
August 5th #1
12th #1
19th #1
26th #2
September 2nd #5
Out of chart September 19th.


The band play Denver University on September 29th 1967 and the gig is filmed by ABC for Bruce Morrow's Music Power which goes out on November 8th.
They follow it up with a performance the next day at The Family Dog which is Denver's answer to the Avalon in San Francisco. Morrison performs a part of The End whilst hanging upside down from a stage railing.

KQEO - MUSIC 920 AM ALBUQUERQUE New Mexico
July 15th #16
22nd #14

As far as we know the band never played New Mexico

KBKW - ABERDEEN, Washington State
TOP 40 REVIEW
August 4th #37 new entry
11th #31

KISN 910 City of Vancouver, Washington State
SURVEY FOR THE NORTHWEST Top 50
August 6 #27 new entry as ‘Baby Light My Fire’ by The Doors
11th #15
18th #8

The band played Seattle in July of 1967 with 2 nights at the Eagles Auditorium on the 23rd and 24th.

WSAI 1360 AM CINCINNATI, OHIO Top 40
June 24th #23
July 1st #5
22nd #1
29th #1
August 1st #3
8th #2
26th #12
September 2nd #20

WINW 1520 AM Canton Ohio
July 10th #5 (in an added daily rating LMF remained #5 over a seven day period)
28th #4
August 4th #9
11th #23

WTOD 1560 AM Toledo Ohio Top 30
June 14th #24 new entry

On September 14th 1967 The Doors play the Warrensville Heights Music Carnival near Cleveland to a sparse crowd inside a marquee.
Talking to the Cleveland Plain dealer Jim says ‘ We’ve never been to the Midwest before. We don’t know what to expect.’ Considering that LMF had done well throughout Ohio it must have been a dissapointment to attract such a pitiful crowd for The Doors first foray into the Midwest.

WKYC 1100 AM Cleveland Ohio top 22
June 2nd #22 new entry
9th #10
16th #5
23rd #7
July 1st #7
7th #7 LMF stalls at #7
14th #10
21st #18

Obviously radio station surveys are not all based on record sales and are calculated from plays on jukeboxes in certain outlets, sales and also radio requests at the chart station and/or their affiliates.
These charts at local level as easy to manipulate as charts at national level and it is reported that The Doors themselves were caught out by LA radio stations trying to plug their own singles as local DJs would recognise them when they requested a song. Some stations had links to other larger stations and local and national magazines and this too would influence the chart also record companies would have their own local influence on DJ's playlists.
It's a labyrinthine development producing charts of this type and all sorts of factors play their part and corruption was also a major player. Backhanders, DJ bias, favours and out right bribes must be factored into this process as well as popularity. Reputations can be manufactured as well as gained by talent and hard work.

Nevertheless this is an excellent way to study the rise of The Doors during the summer of 1967 and one I am enjoying researching it even if it is as we say in the construction industry a bit 'balls aching'. .
If anyone else has any information from this era don’t hesitate to share it here as it all goes towards the database of understanding just how The Doors went from a local LA anomaly to all conquering American phenomenon within the space of a few months in the Summer of Love.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

More Doors regional Light My Fire chart positions 1967

Here in Britain many bands made a reputation from playing Universities and Polytechnics. One of my favourite bands, and Elektra stablemate of The Doors, Lindisfarne played hundreds of Uni gigs in thier time.
I wonder due to thier college background what part the student association had in the early promotion of The Doors in 1966 and 1967.
Anyone who has any information on that aspect feel free to share it in this thread.


WNHC 1340 AM New Haven, Connecticut
August
9th #3
16th #8
23rd #18th
30th #23

WAVZ 1300 AM New Haven, Connecticut "SWINGIN' 60" SURVEY
June 11th #58 New entry
18th #43
25th #28
July 2nd #18
9th #8
16th #6
23rd #4
30th #1
August 6th #1
13th #9
20th #17
27th #28
September 3rd out of chart

Doors play New Haven in December 1967 and we all know what happens there. Except perhaps Tom DiCillo as he seems confused.
The band play several gigs in Connecticut prior to New Haven including the Danbury High School gig in October.

WBBQ 1340 AM AUGUSTA, GEORGIA TIGER RADIO THE FABULOUS 50 SURVEY
June 30th #13
July 7th #6

No gigs in Georgia played by The Doors even after 1971.



KCBN 1230 AM Reno Nevada
July 14th #2
21st #5

The band play Las Vegas in August at the Convention centre.
The band get a good reception although the audience upset the organisers by leaving piles of shoes behind after the organisers insists that shoes were required to get in the gig. In a place like Las Vegas wandering barefoot was popular at the time.

KBOY 730 AM Medford Oregon
September 2nd #4
9th #5

The band play several University gigs in late 67.

WKY 930 AM Oklahoma City Oklahoma.
June 29th #21
July 6th #15
20th #12
27th #12

The Doors play Tulsa in October 67.


WNRI 1380 AM WOONSOCKETT Rhode Island
July 10th #24
17th #17

The band play Providence University on September 22nd and play two well received sets.

WTMA 1250 AM CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
July 15th #12

WKYB 1000 AM HEMINGWAY, SOUTH CAROLINA
August 25th #20

WMAK 1300 AM Nashville Tennessee
August 14th #20
21st #18

WKGN 1340 AM Knoxville Tennessee
August 25th #11
September 1st#13

The band never played either of these states as a 4 piece.

WRIT 1340 AM Milwaukee, Wisconsin top 40
July 3rd not in chart
August 21st #1
28th #1
September 4th #2
11th #4

WOKY 920 AM Milwaukee, Wisconsin top 30
June 22nd not in chart.
August 18th #1
25th #1

WSPT 1010 AM STEVENS POINT, WISCONSIN Top 40
July 15th #38 new entry
22nd #23
August 26th #2
September 2nd #2

WDLB 1450 AM Marshfield Wisconsin top 35
July 25th #3
August 1st #1

No Doors gigs in the state till 1968.


KTSA 550 AM san Antonia Texas Top 30
August 2nd #17

KILT 610 AM Houston Texas Top 40
July 12th #1

KNUZ 1230 AM Houston Texas Top 50
August 25th #3

KVIL 1150 AM Dallas Texas Top 30
July 6th #2

The band took part in the weeklong festival at the Will Rogers Building in Fort Worth on September 3rd.
This was apparently their first foray into the state.

KRUX 1360 AM Phoenix Arizona Top 40
May 25th
KRUX KLIMBERS
K12. Light My Fire - The Doors

June 8th #32
15th #20
22nd #7
29th #4
July 6th #3
13th #3
20th #4
27th #6
August 3rd #10
10th #12
17th #16
24th out of chart

The band play Tuscon Hi Corbett Stadium in May

WKAZ 950 AM CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA Top 40
July 8th #32 New entry
15th #26
21st #2
29th #18
August 12th #1
19th #4

No gigs in West Virginia but the band played Alexandria Roller Rink in August in Virginia which was promoted by local station WPGC.

WNOE 1060 AM New Orleans Louisiana Top 70
TOP TEN PLUS SIXTY BOSS HITS
July 8th #36
August 12th #2
September 2nd #8
16th #4

WTIX 690 AM New Orleans Louisiana
THE KREWE OF WTIX PRESENTS SING-A-LONG SURVEY Top 40
September 2nd #8

No Doors gigs in 67.

WLOF 950 AM Orlando Florida
WLOF FUNDERFUL FORTY ACTION SURVEY
June 10th UP & COMERS Light My Fire - The Doors
June 24th #26 New entry
July 1st #4
9th #2
15th #4
22nd #6
29th #11
August 5th #15
12th #17
19th out of chart

Amazingly Florida's first taste of The Doors was the Dinner Key in 1969.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

WKUL 1340 AM Cullman, Alabama
BIG K TOP40
August 19th #3

WTBC 1230 AM TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA HEARTLINE Top 40 SURVEY
July 21st #7

WVOK 690 AM Birmingham, Alabama TOUGH TWENTY SURVEY
June 17th #18
July 1st #8
August 19th #13
26th #14

WSGN 610 AM Birmingham, Alabama top 40
June 23rd #27
30th #7
July 7th #1
14th #1
21st #5
28th #7
August 18th #9

The band did not play Alabama.

KXOK 630 AM St. Louis, Missouri Top 40
July 15th #28
22nd #27
29th #11
August 1st #8
8th #2
19th #5
26th #1
September 2nd #2
9th #3
16th #4
23rd #4
30th #8
October 7th #10
14th out of chart PAS comes in at #29

WHB 710 AM Kansas City Top 40 has no LMF presence on September 29th whilst it is #8 in St Louis.
So based on such skimpy information it is fair to surmise that Doors presence may have been targeting cities rather than States.
What made some cities take to LMF and others not.
Most of the information posted here so far shows LMF drifting out of the charts by the end of August but here we see a very strong presence throughout September.
The Doors did not play Missouri till 1968 so what made them interesting to the States young people?
We know LMF was popular with FM stations and the AM DJs requested a shortened version which resulted in the increase in airplay which resulted in the band becoming a National phenomenon.
The interesting part of the promotion thread is how the band became that phenomenon.
The chart figures show that some areas were indeed hip to LMF before it became a #1 nationally.

Many charts reflect that June was a good month for the song in many areas. Obviously the sales in one area go towards the sales tally nationally but from what I have researched on the net many areas did not pick up on the song till mid to late July even August.
After it became a #1 success.

The song itself is hardly an important song Doors-wise as I would not put it in my top 30 Doors songs but it’s impact is crucial as it propels the band into the stratosphere and all the great History before and after pivots around the breaking of LMF into the national charts.

The promotion of the band in certain areas over other areas begins a ripple that becomes a groundswell that develops into a torrent that ends up as a tsunami as The Doors become the biggest band in America.
We know the start and end of the process but the interesting bit is how one transmutes into the other.

What did The Doors do to actually ingrain themselves into the psyche of America.
Obviously you will say that they played concerts but they mainly concentrated on West coast gigs during 1966 apart from a weekend in Phoenix and a brief month long spell in New York which gave them a foothold there.
In 1967 it’s May before they play a gig outside of California or New York when they visit Tucson and by that time LMF has been out a month and the band are recording their second album.
It’s June before the band begin to branch out and visit other States by which time LMF has began to make an impact in a lot of areas The Doors had not visited.

Yes the band was by this time the darling of several influential magazines such as Crawdaddy which would have been well read by young people and radio DJs would have been passing the news along from one state to another as shown by the many requests for a shorter LMF but what other methods did Elektra and The Doors utilise to boost the bands profile in a particular area.

The phenomenon of The Doors rise would of course be due to a collection of factors which would have included printed media and radio but the record company must have been targeting cities as well to result in some areas getting into LMF before others.
Word of mouth is a powerful tool and must be factored in to this.
I remember seeing Iron Maiden in 1979 when a mate phoned me up and asked if I fancied going to the gig.
I had no idea who they were but respected the opinion of my friend so went along and got blown away.
There were about a hundred people in a small club watching a London band nobody had heard of.
An example of word of mouth.

How did The Doors employ this in early 1967?
England is a small country whilst the US is vast so my example pales when you consider the US example.
We did not have the radio coverage you guys had and BBC radio was poor until December 1967 and radio 1.
We depended on pirate Radio for our pop/rock fix until it was made illegal by the idiots in government.
Radio Luxembourg was a major influence around that time and one of the few legal outlets for decent music.
The survey information from local radio shows that not only big cities were noticing The Doors before they hit #1 nationally so there must be other factors at play.
What were they and how were they manipulated.

It would be nice to hear from those around at the time, as the UK experience of rock pop was totally different to the US one due to the size of the countries involved.
It would be even more interesting to hear from those involved with the band at that time.
How did you first hear about The Doors in 66/67? Did you see an advert in a newspaper of magazine. Was your local radio station interested in the song and the band?
Were record stores promoting the album and single.

WLAN 1390 AM Lancaster PENNSYLVANIA Top 60
June 10th #46 new entry
July 15th # 15
22nd #7
29th #5
August 5th #15
12th out of chart

For a strange anomaly we see WARM 590 AM for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area of PA which does not feature LMF in it’s top 40, but does feature all the well known hits of the day, at all during May/June/July/August or afterwards but picks up on People Are Strange and feature it in their September/October chart where it is #13 on October 8th.
Which begs the question were there areas that refused to play it because of the word ‘higher’?
Even at the height of it’s fame.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

I was comparing a map of the US with the info I gathered and it makes for interesting viewing when you look at the progression of the songs popularity with the geography and factor in Doors gigs.

It's not like the band cut LMF in half released it and became superstars.
Something really interesting happened between April and the single release and July/August when it became #1.
The band went from relative obscurity to household name. The factors involved must have been diverse depending on the area you look at.

WOR 98.7 FM WOR New York STEREO'S GREAT 98+7 (Top 105)
May 9th #88
16th #66
23rd #36
June 17th #7
24th #7
July 1st #5
8th #5
15th #8
22nd #3
August 5th #4
12th #8


KELO 1320 AM Sioux Falls, SD Boss 13 + 20 SOUTH DAKOTA
June 10th #13 new entry
17th #9
July 15th #1
22nd #8


KEXO 1230 AM Grand Junction, Colorado Top 40
August 19th #1
26th #2


KACY OXNARD California RADIO 1520 15/20 HIT LIST
June 2nd #1

The band do a radio promotion interview on 6th June 1967 in San Francisco after their Avalon Ballroom shows . They talk about the forthcoming album and the difference between the LA and San Francisco audience.
Ray mentions the new technology of the studio. Jim mentions the atmosphere around the Doors songs as an awareness of the strange, something wrong something not quite right.

WKYC RADIO 1100 Cleveland, OH Sound Survey
June 2, #22 new entry

WKBW 1520 AM Buffalo, New York KB'S TOP 30
June 23rd #22
July 1st #22
July 7th #20
14th #9
28th #1
August 4th #1
11th #1

WYSL 1400 AM Buffalo, New York KB'S TOP 40
June 23rd #16
30th #5
July 7th #1
14th #2

The band play the University Of New York At Oswego on September 11th 1967 and are interviewed by the student radio station which appears on the BMR disc Lost Interviews part 1.
As usual the band are confused about their own History.

Q In the last few months you've really made it big with LMF. How long ago did you originally write that record?
A. Ray. Well we recorded it last year I think around about November/December. And the album was released the 1st of the year and we had a single off the album that didnt do much. Then there was a lot of requests for a shorter version to LMF so the DJs could play it on the radio and it just got started from there.
Q On the single did they actually physcially edit it or is that a whole other version?
A Ray. No we cut it we just cut the tape.
Q. How do sales compare between the album and the single.
A Jim. Compared to what?
Q. Which has sold more the album or the single?
A. John they both became gold. Both sold a million.
Robby. The album is a million dollar album so its sold 6 or 700,000 the single has sold about 12 hundred thousand or a million two hundred thousand.
Q. Do you find these spots at radio stations can really do a lot for do a lot for sales?
A Robby No they dont mean much really except that they get played a little more.

Kriegers comments interesting if a bit naive as surely if LMF benefits from increased airplay more people hear it and subsequently buy it. It shows that the band for all their intelligence did not yet understand the power of radio.


# WTRY 980 AM Troy NY THE BIG SOUND Top 30 SURVEY
I was unable to get any information regarding LMF in 1967 but on September 29th People Are Strange enters chart at #27, which shows The Doors are popular in the area.
I mention this of course as Jim plays Troy on his birthday in 1967 and is presented with an audience that was not suited to the dramatic Doors show. It results in his most famous put down of an audience ever. "If this is Troy. I'm with the Greeks."
The next day the band travel to New Haven.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

“The first gig we ever played was at Hughes Aircraft where Ray’s mom worked…a Christmas party or something. We had to play Jazz standards and stuff like that..Jim had..we had never done a gig before and somehow we got through the gig. It was fun!”
Robby Krieger on The Doors first gig


Fri November 19th 1965
Hughes Aircraft Union Dance
Los Angeles CA (DU)
From Doors On The Road

It is said that the band played private parties in October and November 1966 including on November 5th for the Pioneer Club private boat ride. So it is probably fair to say that this was the bands first real gig.
One wonders whether they did their own posters as many bands around that time did and how they went about promoting themselves.
A much overlooked period in Doors History sadly and it's a shame that they have never felt it important enough to document rather than dribble on about nonsense like Miami.