Post by TheWallsScreamedPoetry on Jan 30, 2011 10:21:35 GMT
Looking Back at the Lizard King
Words Bob Chorush
Thursday, May 20th, 2010
Jim with Bob Chorush
I was a bit surprised when my editor at The Los Angeles Free Press told me that Jim Morrison, lead singer of The Doors, wanted me to interview him.
I was just out of college and one of many freelancers writing about the Los Angeles music scene. I’d written a couple of short articles for The Free Press about Jim after he was arrested in Florida, and later, about his trial.
Jim was known around town as a bad boy, a hard drinker, and a less-than-pleasant drunk. He had been banned by many of the more popular drinking spots, including The Troubadour. Still, his arrest in 1969 in Miami for indecent exposure during a concert enraged his fans. Nobody really doubted Morrison’s exposure, but everyone questioned whether it was indecent, let alone illegal. This was, after all, the same year as Woodstock and two flower-ful years after the notorious Summer of Love.
Jim Morrison didn’t give many interviews and The Free Press really wanted an exclusive with him. I was told that I could make the interview as long as I wanted and that there would be room for several pictures.
“Get him talking about his drinking,” my editor said. “See if he’s still doing drugs.”
Patti Ferala, a publicity person at Elektra Records, contacted me and after several delays set up the interview. On the day of the interview, late in 1970, I arranged to meet her and photographer Andy Kent at Elektra’s offices on La Cienega Blvd, a short drive from the Free Press offices near Fairfax St. Patti, Andy and I walked over to The Doors office several blocks away.
It wasn’t much of an office. More like a rehearsal building and rock-and-roll man-cave. There was a pool table, a pinball machine, and a bunch of couches. Patti introduced me to Ray Manzarek, John Densmore and Robby Krieger, who seemed to be just hanging out. After a few minutes, Jim joined us. It was clear to all of us that Jim was the main attraction. Once he entered the studio, the others faded into the background.
Jim was calm, steady, sober and intense. Both of us had long hair and beards. I’m not sure what I expected, but Jim’s apparent inner calm and controlled demeanor surprised me. We decided to walk to a nearby restaurant for lunch and talked while we walked.
Sadly, I had a $19.95 cassette recorder that jammed, skipped, and garbled much of our talk. After the interview, I lent the tapes to someone and never got them back. Years later, they appeared on YouTube as a six part series.
Jim answered all the questions I asked, but he steered the conversation towards his current interests; making movies, writing poetry, and getting some distance from his rock-and-roll persona. Jim was known for controlling his image by limiting his exposure to the media. After the interview, I realized that he had told me only what he was prepared to, downplaying drug use and focusing on his plans for the future.
When You’re Strange, Tom DiCillo’s new documentary about The Doors, is being screened at the Naro Cinema at 10:15 tomorrow night through Thursday May 27. The movie consists almost entirely of archival material, home movies, and photographs set to a soundtrack of Doors hits. There has been enough said about Jim Morrison, but Tom DiCillo’s film is the reality version, unlike Oliver Stone’s 1991 feature starring Val Kilmer as a drug-and-death obsessed Morrison.
My interview with Jim was the last major interview he gave prior to his death. You can listen to it here, or read a reprint in Jerry Hopkins’ book The Lizard King – The Essential Jim Morrison.
From Alt Daily.com
Words Bob Chorush
Thursday, May 20th, 2010
Jim with Bob Chorush
I was a bit surprised when my editor at The Los Angeles Free Press told me that Jim Morrison, lead singer of The Doors, wanted me to interview him.
I was just out of college and one of many freelancers writing about the Los Angeles music scene. I’d written a couple of short articles for The Free Press about Jim after he was arrested in Florida, and later, about his trial.
Jim was known around town as a bad boy, a hard drinker, and a less-than-pleasant drunk. He had been banned by many of the more popular drinking spots, including The Troubadour. Still, his arrest in 1969 in Miami for indecent exposure during a concert enraged his fans. Nobody really doubted Morrison’s exposure, but everyone questioned whether it was indecent, let alone illegal. This was, after all, the same year as Woodstock and two flower-ful years after the notorious Summer of Love.
Jim Morrison didn’t give many interviews and The Free Press really wanted an exclusive with him. I was told that I could make the interview as long as I wanted and that there would be room for several pictures.
“Get him talking about his drinking,” my editor said. “See if he’s still doing drugs.”
Patti Ferala, a publicity person at Elektra Records, contacted me and after several delays set up the interview. On the day of the interview, late in 1970, I arranged to meet her and photographer Andy Kent at Elektra’s offices on La Cienega Blvd, a short drive from the Free Press offices near Fairfax St. Patti, Andy and I walked over to The Doors office several blocks away.
It wasn’t much of an office. More like a rehearsal building and rock-and-roll man-cave. There was a pool table, a pinball machine, and a bunch of couches. Patti introduced me to Ray Manzarek, John Densmore and Robby Krieger, who seemed to be just hanging out. After a few minutes, Jim joined us. It was clear to all of us that Jim was the main attraction. Once he entered the studio, the others faded into the background.
Jim was calm, steady, sober and intense. Both of us had long hair and beards. I’m not sure what I expected, but Jim’s apparent inner calm and controlled demeanor surprised me. We decided to walk to a nearby restaurant for lunch and talked while we walked.
Sadly, I had a $19.95 cassette recorder that jammed, skipped, and garbled much of our talk. After the interview, I lent the tapes to someone and never got them back. Years later, they appeared on YouTube as a six part series.
Jim answered all the questions I asked, but he steered the conversation towards his current interests; making movies, writing poetry, and getting some distance from his rock-and-roll persona. Jim was known for controlling his image by limiting his exposure to the media. After the interview, I realized that he had told me only what he was prepared to, downplaying drug use and focusing on his plans for the future.
When You’re Strange, Tom DiCillo’s new documentary about The Doors, is being screened at the Naro Cinema at 10:15 tomorrow night through Thursday May 27. The movie consists almost entirely of archival material, home movies, and photographs set to a soundtrack of Doors hits. There has been enough said about Jim Morrison, but Tom DiCillo’s film is the reality version, unlike Oliver Stone’s 1991 feature starring Val Kilmer as a drug-and-death obsessed Morrison.
My interview with Jim was the last major interview he gave prior to his death. You can listen to it here, or read a reprint in Jerry Hopkins’ book The Lizard King – The Essential Jim Morrison.
From Alt Daily.com