The Doors In Mexico City June 1969.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

The Forum Mexico City 27-30th June 1969.

This began as a article for the Scorpywag fanzine when Patricia, who was/is a professor at the Mexico Natural History Museum ##,
touted a look at Mexico's Doors visit for the fanzine.
This is her baby and she did a lot of legwork in Mexico City which bore fruit.
She did some investigating and found some interesting information which I knocked into an article on my fanzine.

She got access to the actual newspaper that reported the Doors trip to Mexico City. Many of the Mexico photos which are quite common now on the Net came from her scans of the original newspapers.
Also she scanned Pop magazine that came out shortly after with a colour spread and report.

Sadly I can't access them anymore but have gotten some new scans from the Internet to replace some of it.
Also I added some new photos as well and thanks to another member who translated some of the Mexican mags that mention this stay
this is a damn good read.

You may notice that there are contradictions in how the band was received in Mexico and how their rich kid audience behaved over the 4 nights.
Welcome to the World of The Doors.

## I may have got that wrong and it may have been another one.
Not heard from her in a great many years.

Riding on Opium Tires ::: Patricia Fournier & Alex Patton


Poster advertising The Doors Forum gig to be broadcast live on several Mexico City Radio stations




My friend Patricia lives and works in Mexico City and recently did some research into the Doors appearances in the city back in 1969. She talked to a few people who recalled what they remembered and searched archives to find out what was said about the visit…...using all the available reports plus Patricia's research here's what we discovered…..

The Doors created quite a stir when they visited Mexico for the one and only time in June of 1969. Originally booked to play the cities largest bull-ring with a capacity of 50,000 they were shunted into a small club for fear of inciting student unrest and bringing down the government following a riot at a Union Gap gig in March of that year as the Mexican support act Tijuana played a cover of 'Light My Fire'. Union Gap refused to play and as a consequence the powers that be cancelled the stadium gig for May and settled for four nights at a small 1000 seater diner called The Forum. How many rock bands have that effect when they go on tour? The cover charge for The Doors gig was then set at a gargantuan $16 to prevent any budding Pancho Villas from attending and being subverted by the crazy Morrison guy. TV and Radio rights were sold and several half page adverts are featured in the Mexico City newspapers to promote the gigs and broadcasts.



Sadly neither the radio broadcast for the June 27th show or the TV broadcast between Mexican and US TV networks seem to have ever materialised but
The Doors played some sensational shows for their upper crust Mexican audience. Coming at a turbulent time in Doors history, post Miami and with gig opportunities drying up rapidly, the band took this chance to astound the Latin audiences with their brand of dramatic art driven rock music and found themselves embraced by their hosts.
Quartered in the more lavish part of town they were feted by chauffeurs and limousines as well as the Presidents son they were shown around the city and its outlying sites of interest. They responded to this courtesy (even though they were angered at not being consulted that their stadium performance with its much cheaper ticket price had been shelved) with four stunning shows for Mexico City's rich teen jet setters who filled the diner night after night to witness the Anti-Christ himself deliver his demonic sermon backed by the band from Hell…...The Doors.



During their stay in Mexico the band were treated as visiting dignitaries and were given a twenty four hour on call chauffer with limousine, an interpreter and a guide to enable them to see the sights surrounding Mexico City.
The cities National Museum of Anthropology and History was opened especially for them to visit on Monday 30th June (Monday was a day when the museum was normally closed to the public) courtesy of the Presidents son who accompanied them with his bodyguards (which he needed as his father Gustavo Diaz-Ordaz was responsible for the massacre of students on October 2nd 1968 who were protesting for the political situation in Mexico) and his tribe of groupies one of whom Jim escorted (a Pamela Courson look-alike) for this special visit as their small party enjoyed a day with the treasures of Mexico's lost Empires. . The presidents son, who died a few years ago, had connections with the drug lords and was addicted to cocaine, a perfect provider for the Lizard King in case of need. Both John and Ray mention the amounts of cocaine on offer in their respective books. Morrison himself mentioned the student massacres to Howard Smith a year later in November 1970 so was acutely aware of his hosts records on human rights. Jim told Howard Smith when asked about the problems behind the Mexico visit …….."Well in Mexico it's a unique problem because the place is a hotbed of political unrest. Do you know I heard some stories that would curl your hair? When we went down there it was the first anniversary of student unrest there. It was when the Olympics were going on. The government heard that the students were going to do a little demonstration you know a march, protest. So when the students show up for the protest there was an ambush waiting. I think they slaughtered about 2000 young students….and so it's a very bad place for students or people against the government. They don't mess about. They just kill you. Of course that's just hearsay, you know, I can't back it up with any photographs or anything but that's what I heard."




During the week Bill Siddons tried to organise an Open Air event in a nearby park as well as a possible show for the students at the National University but met nothing but bureaucracy from a government fearful of such a concerts sparking a 'Revolution'. Not put off he tried to set up a television special and actually signed a contract for a two hour special which sadly never materialised. Work for The Doors was at this time hard to come by so every avenue was explored by the management to expand this series of concerts and to take advantage of any media opportunity that came their way.
Little or nothing came of it but at least Bill tried. Miami was looming like a spectre of death on the horizon as the bands career spiralled out of control and plunged headlong into oblivion as Doors haters fell over themselves to denounce Jim Morrison as the epitome of all that was evil within American society.
So this brief sojourn in another country must have seemed like 'manna from heaven' for four young men who had lived on the edge of chaos since 1965 and were now seemingly doomed to fall into Limbo on the back of one performance four months previously.
During the trip the band spent a day visiting the Indian Pyramids at the city of Teotihuacan which in its time was the sixth largest city on earth and from the photographs it was clear Jim Morrison was in his element as he wandered the ancient steps built by a long forgotten civilization and even met the Feathered Serpent. We could find no record of the date of this visit in any of the available literature and as the band were busy with gigs for four nights along with other activities such as the museum visit and the flea market tour one wonders how long the band actually spent in Mexico. The Teotihuacan site is located an hour and a half north of Mexico City, and in 1969 the roads where not very good so it probably took them close to two hours to get there and two more hours to get back so if they played a gig that night they would have been rather rushed that day. Considering the pressure they were under all of this must however have been a refreshing break for the band especially Morrison (who was well versed in this kind of ancient culture and had studied Spanish as a young man) who for a week could forget his woes and immerse himself in ancient art and culture and play for an audience that did not expect a freak show from the band in general and him in particular. No narcs would be waiting on the sidelines to bust the band and although the media did not embrace the band as well as the punters, calling them undesirables, there was not the media frenzy to put down The Doors there was when they announced a US date.
It was more like a few days holiday than a concert tour.



The Voice of the Serpent
dry hiss of age & steam
& leaves of gold
old books in ruined
Temples
The pages break like ash

I will not disturb
I will not go

Come, he says softly

an Old man appears &
moves in tired dance
amid the scattered dead
gently they stir

Morrison opens the Doors stint at The Forum by welcoming the audience in Spanish and introducing the band much to their delight as Juan, Ramon and Roberto. One witness to the 2nd or 3rd gig at the Forum Patricia spoke to remembered the show lasted about 1 hour, Morrison was completely drunk and untidy. He recalled how a small crowd of people forced their entry into
El Forum without paying and managed to stay there throughout the show until the police patrols showed up. They ran away, and that was the end of the gig [almost a riot, so Doors like! Anyway].

Also check out
Jim Morrison In Mexico

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

Say a soft American Prayer
A quiet animal sigh
for the strong plane
landing

We rode on opium tires
from the colossal
airport chess game
at dawn, new from glass
in the broken night

landed then in quiet
fog, beside the times
out of this strange river

Then gladly thru
a wasted morning
happy to be alive to
signs of life
a dog,
a school girl
are we in Harlem?

A friend of Patricia's who was 12 years old in 1969, was part of that crowd of teenagers who forced their entry into
El Forum, probably Sunday night. (He remembers that Morrison was wearing that Hawaiian style shirt.)
"The band was not at its best that day, there was no passion in the presentation"…….
but it got worse:
The "nice-pretty" people who attended the gig paying the expensive fee at the fancy night club started shouting "toquen La Bamba"….play La Bamba!
(a Mexican traditional song that became popular in the USA in 1958 thanks to Ritchie Valens).
The Doors, reluctantly, played La Bamba and Morrison, also reluctantly, sang it with his poor Spanish and, once the song ended, he gave the finger to the audience. Then the police patrols arrived and those who forced their entry ran away from El Forum; none of them was caught or arrested.
Something that is not well known outside of Mexico is that Morrison visited another night club all alone to listen to a gig by a Mexican rock singer (and Morrison
look-alike) called Javier Batiz, and his group Terrazas. Batiz was very famous in Mexico in the late 60's and early 70's due to his bands 'The Famous Finks' and 'TJs'
(who were heavily influenced by Muddy Waters & BB King) and so much so that the Mexican blues legend is considered the 'father' of Mexican rock so it's likely Jim was well aware of him and their shared love of the blues would have prompted him to make a concerted effort to see Javier at the nearby Terrace Casino.



As it was located only a few blocks away from El Forum it's probable that Jim simply walked there sat down quietly, watched the performance, drank a few beers and left. It's not known if Jim talked to Javier but even though Jim was not fluent in Spanish he had studied it at college for a period so it's entirely possible.
Jim did return to Mexico City several times.
Once invited by the president's son, whom he'd met during the Forum visit the following year, he stayed at the Mexican "White House" Los Pinos.
Groupies were invited, drugs circulated (marihuana at least), until "Daddy" Mr. Presidentè showed up and promptly kicked out his son & Morrison along with the rest of the crowd who were all drunk and high on drugs.
"Ensenada the dog crucifix
The dead seal
Ghosts of the dead car sun
Stop the car
I'm getting out
I can't take it
Hey lookout there's somebody coming
And there's nothing you can do about it"

Same visit or possibly another visit ...Morrison was in Mexico City with Frank Lisciandro after being invited by the promoter who organized the El Forum gigs. Morrison went to a night club and drunk as usual he climbed into the stage started singing and fell on the drums.
One more visit to Mexican lands: sometime in late 1970 somewhere in
north-western Mexico some six hours by land from the US border.
Jim Morrison a "crazy gringo" was seen by one of Patricia's contacts drinking heavily at a rural bar where apparently he was a frequent customer and the locals knew who he was. He was described as untidy with a magnetic look on his eyes, charismatic aura; he was all alone and nobody dared to get close to him and he didn't give a shit about the rest of the people at the bar.
Jim certainly had an affinity with Mexico as can be seen to his many poetic references to the country.
Then of course there is Ensenada. Located in the Baja California peninsula, in Mexican lands with nice surfing beaches and bars. A few hours south of the US California border. Morrison, living in LA, had many chances to drive to Mexico where he was hardly recognized and could do whatever he wanted.
He was a regular in Ensenada's San Miguel Bar which boasted cheap Mexican beer, good tacos and friendly company.
It might seem that Mexico had some impact in his poetry and his life, although he never learnt Spanish (he took Spanish as a university student in Florida before he transferred to UCLA, he failed the course).
With tiny pieces of the puzzle we may construct a historical narrative... eventually, but we will never understand the whys in Morrison's life.

The Doors landed in Mexico City apparently on Thursday evening June 26th
There is a report published in El Heraldo newspaper on Friday 27th.
Their first gig is on Friday 27th, so we must assume they also played on Saturday, perhaps also on Sunday but Monday didn't make any sense as there's was no "night life" in Mexico City on Monday.
El Heraldo reported four gigs being scheduled but Patricia's research questions whether they all happened?
Robby was with his soon to be wife (still married actually) Lynn and John took his girlfriend Julia Brose whom he would soon marry and Ray was with his soul mate Dorothy. Jim had brought journalist Jerry Hopkins along instead of Pamela and Bill Siddons and Vince Treanor completed the squad for a great Doors get-together free of the trials and tribulations they had left 'back there over their shoulder' in the US of A.
Of course it wasn't all sweetness and light as Julia had recently discovered she was pregnant and was shopping around for an abortion whilst in Mexico and the frictions between the band members still smouldered but for a few days they could forget their woes and enjoy the scenery and the company.



On Sunday afternoon The Doors went "shopping" to the flea market in Mexico City. Patricia discovered a witness who saw them there with a US film crew in attendance so its apparent that part of Siddons TV deal at least began.
Who the crew were is unknown and so to is the fate of the footage they shot although several photographs remain to immortalise this moment in time.

France is 1st, Nogales round­up
Cross over the border­
land of eternal adolescence
quality of despair unmatched
anywhere on the perimeter
Message from the outskirts
calling us home
This is the private space of a
new order.
We need saviors
To help us survive the journey.
Now who will come
Now hear this
We have started the crossing
Who knows? it may end badly



A "Square" Look At The Doors
The June 29th Sunday edition of El Heraldo, a right-wing Mexican newspaper, published a report by Raul Velasco. Being a more than "square" reporter, the news were biased and heavily criticized The Doors, a mythological band.
According to Velasco, hundreds of young fans witnessed the arrival of the band at the airport Friday night, but apparently Morrison was not recognized since none of the pictures published shows the Lizard King with his beard.
"The mental sanity of Mexican teenagers overcomes the sordid presentation full of anguish of Jim Morrison and The Doors", the music projected destruction lack of hope, Morrison was high and drank beer during the presentation, the report read.



The well-known and popular band had a wonderful image in Mexico, destroyed after the gig. Morrison looked like a pirate combined with Fidel Castro and the hunchback of Notre Dame; Krieger and Densmore are described as sinister musicians, although it is obvious that the reporter preferred blondes, since Manzarek was described as gracious.
Morrison moaned and behaved like an "acid" schizophrenic inviting the audience to a nightmare world, talking about anguish, fear, evasion. "Everything is terrible, there are ghosts, demons, come with me to hell, suffer, twist your bodies, and shout", the reporter wrote, deciding that the rich and "pretty" teenagers in the audience, enjoying their lemonades and sodas, were confused and had no clue about what to expect, say or do.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

The Doors In Mexico: A Perspective To Young Fans
In August 1969, Victor Blanco published a short report about the first gig at El Forum in a Mexican magazine ("Pop"), roughly equivalent to "Rolling Stone" in those days. According to Blanco, prior to the gig, a simplistic "light show" with slides was presented, with pictures of Canned Heat, Jimmi Hendrix, and other famous 60's groups, while music by Blood, Sweat & Tears was played. Suddenly, all the lights went off, and The Doors started playing in the dark, until Morrison appeared under a red light singing "Five to One", eyes closed, devouring the microphone, holding desperately its stand.

Occasionally he opened his eyes showing an amazed stare at the audience, almost in shock, facing a
full-beard Morrison that no one recognized at the start. Next, The Doors played
"When the Music is Over", in front of Densmore's drums Jim went down on his knees and then jumped like a feline, singing/shouting in a theatrical séance, motivating the public that finally responded clapping their hands. With this reaction, Morrison read a few words in Spanish and introduced the band, translating their names to Spanish, concluding with a self-introduction as a parody:…. "I am Fidel Castro".


From then on, the show went down hill, all communication with the audience lost: after playing "Break on Through", Jim raised his right hand with the "V" sign but no one cheered. Throughout the gig, Jim reached to the back of the stage behind the drums to grab one beer after the other, stumbling, and looking dead stoned like an act. Eventually the band played "Touch Me" getting some cheers in exchange.
Victor Blanco described Jim Morrison as a myth, a figure transmitted to the Mexican fans as a legend of "Dirty Morrison", a sex symbol greater than Jagger or Elvis Presley, someone who would go to the limits with outrageous behaviors in The Doors shows. However, Jim Morrison did not meet the standards of the myth in Mexico: he tried to excite the audience but was not able to light the fire. He sang great, tough, with a magnificent voice, he was vivacious and aggressive, but people expected more.


I'm going down to Mexico
To this border town I heard
about & I'm gonna buy
me a girl & bring her
back up here & marry her, it's
true. This guy told me.
A friend of his knew someone who

­You're too much

Finally, when he sang "Light my Fire", his voice was trembling, unsure, fake, and the band followed him in this demise.
The Doors left the stage in a hurry unable to meet the expectations of the rich teenagers attending the gig:
the fire was off.

"I couldn't stand the upper class Vegas-type club we had been suckered into.
But the deal we had made with the Mexican government was four nights in that sleazy hole in exchange for playing one night in the bullring for the masses at a price they could afford. I should have known from the Mexican press it wasn't going to happen. El Heraldo called us 'hippies' and 'undesirables'.
John Densmore 1990.


"The performances were among the best they ever gave They were far more popular in Mexico than they had thought and the response from the rich teenagers who packed the club each night fired them to unusual musical highs. Although they remarked how 'strange' some of that popularity seemed. It was the reaction to 'The End' that puzzled them most. The first night Jim and the others ignored repeated calls for the song. But the second night they acquiesced. As they approached the Oedipal section so many in the audience began to shush each other it sounded like a room full of snakes. 'Father..Yes son'.…Jim recoiled at the response that line elicited...as instantly every young man in the room called out….
'I want to keeell you'….
Jim looked into the darkness visibly stunned 'Mother' he offered tentatively, 'I want to'….and again the audience erupted.
Jim was impressed."Jerry Hopkins 1980.



Ensenada
the dead seal
the dog crucifix
ghosts of the dead car sun.
Stop the car.
Rain. Night.
Feel.

The people in Stockholm were nice..Mexico City, well, you know.
Rather boistrous. They drink a lot and really, you know, yell and everything.
Jim Morrison 1970.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

"The End" is not quite dinner-club Muzak, and watching people eat roast beef in a red velvet lizard lounge while we were onstage seemed surreal. In his black leather pants Jim looked like he was from another planet. I could even hear the clanking of silverware right in the middle of the Oedipal section where it was usually pin-drop time.
'Father..Yes son……….
I want to kill you….
Mother, I want to…Those homicidal lines stopped the diners in mid-chew. Jaws dropped. Mouths full of food gaped open. It must have driven Jim crazy because he hated people who chewed gum let alone crunched on dinner.
John Densmore 1990.


The bullring concert never happened. The government pulled the plug. So we wound up playing a sit down supper club for the 'Mustang' set. Rich kids. They liked Ford Mustangs….. And the Oedipal Doors. 'Father..Yes son……….
I want to kill you….Mother, I want to….fuck you'… …..They loved it. They shouted it out in unison from their tables. From behind their fancy place settings. At the top of their lungs. Speaking in English with Jim. 'I want to keeel you'. What a trip!
Ray Manzarek 1998


Two nights into the club gig we got the message. No concert in the bullring.Too much danger of a riot…..Bullshit…..
too much danger of our music riling up the peasants.
John Densmore 1990.

The Doors set off to Mexico on June 27th 1969 to play the Plaza Monumental which is a 50,000 seater bullring reputed at that time to be the largest in the world.
Originally scheduled for May 31st it is put back to June 27th.
However when the band arrive they find it rescheduled to a small supper club called the Forum as the promoter cannot get the permissions he needs from city officials who fear that the band may well incite a revolution against the less than democratic government and instigate a regime change in Mexico!
Apparently pop band The Union Gap had nearly brought down the Mexican government in March as a mini riot ensued as a Mexican support act Tijuana played 'Light My Fire'.......
Then anarchy reigned as Union Gap promptly refused to play to such an unruly crowd.
So to then having a band like The Doors in town seemed to put the fear of God into the powers that be and they decided that the less people who were infected by these 4 American gentlemen...the better.
Attempts to stage a Doors Red Cross benefit and reschedule the gig to the 18,000 seater National Stadium came to nothing and the band found themselves sidelined in a club full of rich kids.....a cover charge way out of the range of ordinary Mexicans ensured that any would be 'Che's' were kept out. The band was not happy but played an outstanding series of shows in Mexico that may well have been covered by Mexican radio....though nothing has turned up yet.
Also several film crews were on hand though what they filmed has never been seen as yet......the concerts were due to be filmed for both US and Mexican TV but no one knows for sure if they ever were......

[strangenightvstone]

When I brought this topic up on the LL I was amazed that Salli denied Jim and the other Doors were given a large amount cocaine when they played the series of Mexico concerts. Of course they all took the coke that they were in fact given, maybe not John refused it though. It was a garbage full of coke.

[tzinana]

admin said:

Some fantastic new photos from Mexico Patricia.....I love the one of Jim picking up a beer and the one with the poster of him behind is a pretty poignant one...........cheers m'dear......
enjoyed seeing you in Paris and hope you enjoyed the trip over....look forward to next time....

Hi Alex,
It was great to see you in Paris too!!! You all did a great job with the poetry reading.
Greetings from Mexico
Patricia

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

The Doors Live Mexico City El Forum June 1969.










A concert by The Doors scheduled for June 28 in Plaza Monumental bullring here was cancelled at the last moment when it was recalled that the date also marked the first anniversary of the 1968 student revolt in this city.
It was feared that the crowds of youths who would turn out for the rock event might serve as a catalyst for some elements to touch off a demonstration commemorating the anniversary.
Variety Magazine July 9 1969.
On The forthcoming gig at Mexico City's Forum Cafe

Read more: newdoorstalk.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=24&page=1#ixzz1BsaILaAw

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

Jun 27-30, 1969 - Mexico City

The Doors were originally scheduled to appear on May 31 in Mexico City at the enormous Plaza Monumental, the largest bullfighting ring in the world.
The performance is then tentatively rescheduled for June 27, but
promoter Mario Olmos is unable to secure the required
authorizations from city officials.
As a result of the disruptive student revolts the previous year, President Gustavo Diaz and Mayor Corona Del Rosal are extremely wary of authorizing such an event at the Plaza,
especially since it is so close to the anniversary of the
student unrest. This was the third time that they
retracted permission for the performance.
Their apprehensions were magnified following a stadium riot in March, during which newspapers burned and chairs flew through
the air while the Mexican band Tijuana played "Light My Fire." Apparently all hell had broken loose whenm it was announced that the Union Gap would not perform for such an unruly crowd.
In addition to these Plaza Monumental negotiations, preparations are being considered for a benefit designated for either the United Nations or the Red Cross, to be held at the Camino Real Hotel and/or an expensive dinner club. Such a benefit would contribute to the citizens of Mexico as well as
further the political agendas of Mexican officials.
Attempts are even made to schedule the Doors into the
18,000-seat National Auditorium. A television special is also
discussed.
Finally, Mario Olmos approaches Javier Castro, who was the
owner of the 1,000-seat diner club the Forum, and
offers him the Doors for four consecutive nights at
approximately $5,000 each evening. When this offer arrives,
Castro immediately seizes the chance and schedules the
Doors over a four-day weekend with a cover charge
equivalent to a steep $16. Surprisingly, the Doors are never
consulted about this situation, and upon arriving they are
quite upset when they realize that the exorbitant cover
charge will prevent many fans from attending. Despite
the awkwardness of the situation, all four of the
Doors' shows are reportedly outstanding.

Mexico City's major newspaper runs two half-page advertisements for the broadcast association to air the first show
on June 27. However there is no confirmation that this broadcast ever transpired. Similarly, arrangements to film one of the concerts for later use by both American and Mexican networks never materialize.
On opening night, Jim Morrison greets the audience in their
native language to considerable applause. "Buenos
noches, senores y senoritas," he rings out and then
introduces the band members as "Ramon Manzarek, Juan
Densmore, and Roberto Krieger."
The Doors are besieged with requests for "The End" throughout the evening. When they finally oblige, an uncomfortable silence
pervades the room until Jim begins the Oedipal section and
the entire audience roars out the lyrics in unison with him.
It is not until later that the astonished Doors are informed that in Mexico such lyrics are especially revered for their daring and courage.
The Doors On The Road

[casandra]

I have read Jim Morrison said to the audience: "Quiero presentarles a mis músicos: Roberto Krieger en la guitarra, Juan Densmore en la batería y Ray Manzarek en el órgano... y yo soy... ¡Fidel Castro!" (I want to introduce you my musicians: Roberto Krieger guitar, Juan Densmore drums and Ray Manzarek organ... and I am Fidel Castro!

More information (in spanish):
www.etcetera.com.mx/2000/364/gvz364.html

[casandra]

I have traslated this article about The Doors in Mexico. I hope you understand it.

MORRISON IN MEXICO

The Lost Steps of the Lizard King
Guillermo Vega Zaragoza

www.etcetera.com.mx/2000/364/gvz364.html

The Lizard King, Jim Morrison, continues making mischief. It just releases in the U.S. a complete collection of studio albums by The Doors, completely remastered versions, to which have been added seventh album: Essential rarities, which is a compilation taken from The Doors box, released in 1997. The newness is an unreleased song titled "Woman is a devil". The collection is acompannied with a 60-page booklet with comments and the full lyrics of the songs.

On the other hand, Jerry Hopkins's book, The Lizard King. Lo esencial de Jim Morrison (Grupo Editorial Tomo) is circulating in Mexican bookstores. This book originally appeared in 1992 and Lasser Press published it in Spanish in 1996, with infamous appearance and bad translation. This new edition greatly overcomes it.

Jerry Hopkins is co-author with Daniel Sugerman, of the successful first Morrison biography called Morrison. No one here gets out alive (Nadie sale vivo de aquí). However, Hopkins apparently had much more things in the pipeline and he tries to complete them in The Lizard King. A Morrison portrait, with more human details, analyzing its different facets: child, student, poet, rock star and drunkard. He also includes a selection of interviews that Morrison gave in his life to various publications, including to Hopkins himself, as Rolling Stone journalist.

Certainly, Hopkins was the only American journalist, like a corresponsal for that magazine, who in 1969 traveled to Mexico with The Doors. They go to play some concerts there. Indeed, although today many young people may seem it incredible; The Doors played in Mexico City, almost clandestinely for a short season of four nights (28, 29, June 30 and July 1, 1969). We say clandestinely because they did it in a totally weird environment, in a nightclub known as The Forum (now closed), to those who were their real audience then.

These historic presentations were so secret that only few sources exit where you can go to look for how these concerts were. In Hopkins and Sugerman’s biography, they just write a few pages and their information is not entirely correct. In The Lizard King, Hopkins provides more data, not much, especially some anecdotes of what he was a witness and a participant.

In another biography, Break on through, James Riordan and Jerry Prochnicky only paraphrase (for not to say that they copied it) the same information from Hopkins and Sugerman’s book. Moreover, this last simply writes out himself in his The Doors: The Illustrated History with an excerpt from the biography written in tandem with Hopkins, but he has the seemliness to post some pictures of Jim at the concert and during his travel for the Aztec lands.

A book written by a Mexican writer Merced B3l3n (so he writes it) Valdés Cruz, The Doors: Los días extraños (The Doors: Strange Days), is where we get a little more information, as he transcribed fragments of chronicles of that time; it was published in rock magazines almost underground, all missing. We reconstruct Jim Morrison and The Doors adventures in Mexico from these sources.

"A la chingada, no vamos" (“To hell, we don’t go”)

After Miami incident (where Morrison allegedly showed his private parts in public), the subsequent cancellation of the tour and the concert promoters running away them like a plague, the group received the offer to perform in Mexico by Mario (not Javier, as Hopkins and Sugerman call him) Olmos, a young promoter, and Javier Castro. This guy was a member of a group named “Los Castro”, who also owned a nightclub known as The Forum, with a capacity for one thousand people.

The offer was originally a performance at Plaza de Toros de México (Mexico City Bullring), with a capacity for 48,000 people. The Doors were interested in playing to so many people to prove they could still drag crowds and so what had happened in Miami was only an incident. In addition, there was the possibility of doing a benefit concert for Red Cross or UN in a hotel, Camino Real. Those were the initial plans, so that the group was quite excited, especially because they had just canceled a couple of concerts in Honolulu.

But you know how the Mexican promoters proceed. With the wounds of the October 1968 killings still without suturing, to obtain a permit to perform at the Plaza Mexico was not only impossible but ridiculous. Howewer, seeing The Doors excitement for playing in Mexico, Olmos didn’t want to waste the opportunity. Nevertheless, he tried to get permission for the National Auditorium, but he wasn’t good luck. He borrowed $20,000 and he told Castro that The Doors could be performed at the Forum four nights and $5,000 dollars each night. No contract, nothing else. They had the audacy to announce the concerts with a full page in the newspapers.

The next day he travelled to Los Angeles, with those full pages announces, the bank check and the certainty that, with a fait accompli, The Doors would not refuse to play in Mexico. Obviously, the band's manager, Bill Siddons, didn’t seem himself too well the audacy of these young Mexican promoters (“A la chingada, no vamos" -“To hell, we don’t go"- was one expression attributed to Siddons), but the contracts were scarce and it would also be good experience for the group.

We must take a break here, because there is a wrong information that Riordan and Prochnicky reproduce: The prohibition of the concert at Plaza de Toros de México (Mexico City Bullring) wasn’t due to 1968 anniversary student manifestations (which was on October, too), but because the government had been banned every massive youth rally since then, less it would allow a rock concert and still less with a group with such a “bad notoriety" as The Doors. Apparently, this information originally appeared in Variety magazine and biographers copied it without checking.

In this sense, Hopkins noted that while they were in Mexico, Siddons tried to arrange a concert in a public park (possibly at Ciudad Universitaria -University Campus-), but that was even more unthinkable than at Plaza de Toros. Siddons also wanted to arrange a two hours TV show with the group, their music and their ideas, but materialized nothing.

Hopkins and Sugerman assert the group was received and feasted like Kings, and they even had a guy who went with them everywhere with a bag of cocaine to dispatch it whenever they wanted. Moreover, they even met with President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz’s son (Alfredo), who was a little "crazy" and he liked rock music. Riordan and Prochnicky also say the group couldn’t get accommodation at leading hotels, as they were refused for fear of riots, so they had to stay in the residential section of a small private hotel (whatever that means).

The group and their entourage (which it included wives and girlfriends) were treated like a King (Lizard, of course). They walked around the city by a limousine, visited the Anthropology Museum (and not "Archeology", as the inept translator of Hopkins’s book says), they got drunk at Garibaldi Place and they went to Teotihuacan Piramyds. It is much known Morrison's photo, with beard, paunchy and with a shirt, climbing Pyramid of the Sun steps.

In The Forum the promoters stood at the door a huge mural with the image Jim without beard and Siddons, Jim’s manager, wanted Jim shaves his beard, but he doesn’t want to do it. When they arrived, the fans didn’t even recognize him. While the fans threw themselves like crazies behind the others Doors, Jim shouted them: "Hey, here! Give the singer something!".

According to Hopkins, the thruth is that Jim behaved quite well, as he brought a personal marking by Pamela Courson, his girlfriend. He kept reading and practicing his Spanish that he has learned at Tijuana brothels. As the most "fool" he did, it was look out the limousine window, totally drunken, and pointing his fingers like a way of a gun to some incredulous cops: "¡Ándele, ándele!” (“Come on, Come on!”) like "an outlaw with Zapata's ghost riding on Avenida Revolution by Cadillac" Hopkins writes in a clear lyrical rapture.

The "golden youth" pays homage to the myth

There are conflicting versions about the reactions that these concerts led. According to Hopkins and Sugerman, "the peformings in Mexico were the best of what the Doors achieved in their history. They were much more popular in Mexico than they imagined, and the enthusiasm of the millionaries young sons, who crowded the club night after night, allowed to the Doors climbling to new heights in their music performance". Riordan and Prochnicky say the same, but they added that the local press and the government had their cautions. They were called "hippies" and described as "undesirables."

The barrage of insults was led by El Heraldo de Mexico, the most recent appearance newspaper in the capital then, and the executioner called Raúl Velasco, who was a reporter for the entertainment section in it. The first concert review, which had a full page that it continues in inside pages, is anthologycal. (It would have been a delight to Marco Levario’s section). The headline was: "Mexican youth’s mental health triumphed over Morrison and The Doors’s sordid and distressing projection".

Velasco’s hasty writing was accompanied by more than a dozen concert photos taken by Carlos Villagrán. In these, Morrison appears bearded and wearing a multicolored print shirt.

A half of the pictures show to the audience; in general, they were defectors from the social commentary section the same day (directed by Agustin Barrios Gomez and it called "People Popoff”). But priceless are notes below the photos. These are a couple of them: a young man in a suit and tie taking refresher drink: "Clean, innocence, life and dreams while sipping orange soda." In another: "A pretty girl caught drinking Coca-Cola. The environment was so healthy".

Morrison photos have below an extensive commentary: "Jim Morrison captured at different moments of his performance that took place in the dark. The photographer’s flash discovered details that escaped the beholder eye, like the time when Jim went to drink beer at a corner, staring, and after, when he left stage, swaying from the effects of some stimulants. Look at the microphone stand on the floor and the singer appearance. Also see with detail organist’s blonde hair (Ray Manzarek), who bent, he reminds one sinister character of a terror tale. The Doors made music to communicate squalor, despair and destruction".

As some one would say, The Doors brought the plague to contaminate Mexican "golden youth” (how Velasco calls them) who "came to pay a total homage to The Doors myth".

“Morrison, apaga mi fuego” ("Morrison, off my fire")

The truth is that the concerts were pretty lackluster, so we can deduce from reading some other reviews from the music press of that time. In the aforementioned Cruz Valdés’s book, there is a Victor Blanco Labra’s chronicle that it appeared on Pop Magazine, August 1969 (now closed). Below, we reproduce any excerpts of it; it is one of the few primary sources that are available about what was The Doors first in Mexico. (We respect the intricate original writing).

The Doors show in Mexico emerged of the Underground cavernous depths (under ground rock or anti commercial rock), but they got lost in a sequence of “poses” that were deflated with the destruction that they made to “Light My Fire”', a show that was from less to more and this disappointed The Doors fans.

With Javier Castro’s “Forum” to burst, full of youth “popis”, the show strated. It was introduced by a “Mario Olmos” light show based on slides of various rock concerts (from Canned Heat, Hendrix, Bloomfield, Kooper, etc. excluding The Doors) and with background music of the amazing Blood, Sweat & Tears (they follow to The Doors in the lists of rock'n'roll groups hired by the Forum), putting everyone in the best position to applaud wildly to “The Doors of Perception”.

Suddenly we were in a complete darkness.We heard John Densmore’s drums (our heart beat stronger) and Krieger's guitar is tuned with Manzarek’s organ (nerves took over the environment). Soon the red reflector illuminated the stage and we discovered a so-huge beard and hairy man taking the place of Morrison, who began to blow panting and almost eating into the microphone. It was Morrison.

A terrible, dramatic, schizophrenic, erotic and sickly underground rock, “Five to One”, began to tear the singer’s throat; a completely different Morrison's image idolized by his fans. He sang with eyes closed, “wiping” the moustaches every moment, holding (that's the word) the microphone with desesperation and incredibly supported by unparalleled accuracy of his great rock musicians.

Every once in a while, Morrison opened his little dark eyes, with a expression of surprise, perhaps because he didn’t hear screams, applauses and cries for his insane, provocative, flirtatious, destructive and extremely destructive portrayal.

But his show was precise, very serious, and very professional. Great. The song ends. Strong, confused, hopeful applauses. It starts another super-underground rock, Morrison kneeling with his head stuck in Densmore battery boom, and Densmore’s foot hitting the leather without mercy. Morrison jumps with a feline leap (and theatrical) and he tries to break with shouts and howls the 48 speakers what were trying to vibrate to Mexican “popis” youth. He ends “When the music’s over”. New round applauses. Strong. Hopeful.

With ridiculous gestures, Jim reads a few words in Spanish and the audience warmly welcomes the chatter. “Quiero presentarles a mis músicos” -he said, strutting-, “Roberto Krieger en la guitarra, Juan Densmore en la batería y Ray Manzarek en el órgano... y yo soy... ¡Fidel Castro!”, (“I want to introduce you to my musicians, Robert Krieger on guitar, John Densmore on drums and Ray Manzarek on the organ... and I am... Fidel Castro!); more applause and then the show began to decline. First, we had screened The Doors with superunderground wave and the incredible precision and aggressiveness of all members. After the presentation semi-comic, the Doors were lost in a sequence of interpretations, barring few sparks that could excite to us; they took a declining line during the show, without finding communication with the audience. “Break On Through” and we heard isolated screams. We like the first hit that The Doors had and Morrison gets excite, making the sign of the “V” like saying “We are finally found the wave”, but it was not. Two numbers and nothing happened.

Morrison travels frequently to the corner of the stage to drink beer (pose), he staggers (pose) and he makes a face like stoned (more pose). “Touch me” rose up applauses and it raises the environment. Manzarek, he alone is quite a show. Don’t you see his face, completely covered by a golden, wavy, clean and silky hair. He carries an incredible rithm that he involved the organ with his whole being. Stoops, with his claws clenched (top left, right below) clubbing the keyboard with savage fury. No one can play better the organ! The drummer is the best that we've seen. Violent and effusive in his drums. The man owns perfectly psychedelic-distorting technique in an almost infernal way.

Jim Morrison is a myth. His figure had come down to us disfigured by the legend of “dirty Morrison”, of who was told a lot of atrocities and was said the most incredible daring in his shows; it was so sexy and more than Mick Jagger or Elvis Presley. Lies, Morrison wasn’t at the level of his myth, his image, his legend. He wanted to excite us and shock us, but was unsuccessful.

He sang very well. It has a magnificent voice and a tremendous vivacity and aggressiveness, but his show doesn’t convince anyone. He was well, perhaps he was better, but we hoped that he was too good, the best, amazing, ultimate, incomparable!.

The notes of “Light my fire” (“Enciende mi fuego”) sound and we all were excited. Morrison can’t handle with the song! His voice sounds insecure, fake. The others Doors are disconcerting and the song falls, it is dragging down The Doors to their collapse. At the end, Morrison and company flee in terror, we might almost say that they left the stage almost ashamed and embarrassed and on the disappointed faces of the hundreds of young lovebirds who filled the “Forum”, we could be read clearly: “ OFF MY FIRE” (“APAGA MI FUEGO”). Too bad. There was no wave.

The last and we went out

Finally, a year later, on July 1970 without the other Doors, Jim Morrison came to visit Mexico, invited back by the same Mario Olmos, who continued with the foolish idea to promote rock concerts. By then, he had hired some gropus, Kimberly and Tower of Power, from San Francisco, for play at the Quid, another nightclub in Mexico City. He invited to Morrison to attend the concerts and he accepted. He was only accompanied by his friend, photographer Frank Lisciandro.

At the Quid, while playing the band opener, Mexican group Army Love, Morrison took the stage to jamming and fell on top of the drums, but without more mishaps. After, he went to another nightclub, the Maxim’s, but he didn’t come onstage there, he just was introduced as a special guest.

Guillermo Vega Zaragoza is a writer, journalist and professor of Comunicación at the Anahuac University.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

That was excellent.
Nice bit of new information. Many thanks for taking the time to translate.


this is a photo from Jim's second visit with Frank Lisciandro where he sits in with a band.

## also from 1970

[casandra]

Gracias!!

I think that, too. I have other article about this second visit. Other day, I will translate it. I have a different picture of you have put, but I don't know how I can insert it on the post.

[casandra]

Thanks.

Here is the photo.

JIM MORRISON IN MEXICO 1970

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

Incredible photo ;D
Thanks for that.
Frank Lisciandro must bre the one sitting to Jim's right with his face obscured by the person in front of him.
Amazing!

[casandra]

Thanks!!!

Now, what happened that night...

JIM MORRISON IN MEXICO CITY 1970

This article was published in Spanish in a Mexican magazine (unknown to me) aproximately 2005-2007.

A REMINDER OF THE UNKNOWN ADVENTURES OF THE LIZARD KING IN MEXICO

By Merced B3L3N VALDES

A year after his concerts at the Castro brothers’ Forum, Morrison came again to Mexico City... James Douglas was deeply in love with our country, mainly, the pyramids of Teotihuacan and the mystery that they hold... So whenever he had the opportunity crossing the border, never he missed it.

In this travel he was invited by Mario Olmos, who had hired the San Francisco groups, at that time: Kimberly and Tower of Power, and a psychedelic images "light show", called "Deadly Nightshade", for some performances at the Quid. It was a place for people too "exclusive", almost closed to the plebs.

Carlos Baca, one of the best and the most respected writers has given the Mexican rock, made a brief article, -using the cool language of that time- about that “Morrisonian” visit, which was published in "Mexico Canta" magazine, number 482 -281, July 10, 1970... I included in that review, as originally was published, because I think it is an interesting testimony...

"And inside bourgeois Quid, I was, boys and girls, for assist to the press conference that Mario Olmos had been convened there. His purpose was to present the two groups that Mario had brought: Kimberly and Tower of Power.

There were a lot of reporters and photographers, and some bourgeois who regularly visit this place. In addition to foreign hairy guys of the grups mentioned, there were the manager’s goups, the light show workers, etc. So there were many foreign guys with a good knownlegde about the music, eager to hear Love Army, they was playing with effectiveness that night; the foreigners didn’t know that there was a group as good in Mexico. I walked out of the place to look for Mario Olmos and to see what was up him, when other boys were going in.

Suddenly I noticed one of them, his face was well known for me: a quite high guy, with wavy hair to his shoulders, and a little cross-eyed look. I paid more attention: God, he was Jim Morrison! I greeted him and he recognized me (we had been talking in Los Angeles, too) and he said, with his strong voice, in Spanish: "Ah, que goshto verrte otrra vez… ¿cómo astas?” (I’m glad to see you again… How are you?).

“Pos bien, ¿y tú?” (Well, and you?), I answered.

"Bien grashias...." (Well, thanks…)

They kept walking to where was Love Army -Frank Lisciandro came with him, the guy who made the film "Feast of Friends”, inseparable Morrison’s friend- and I found Olmos.

"Hey, man", I said him.

"This is good, why is Jim Morrison here?"

"Because I invited him", he answered me. "I brought him a guest to the concerts, here".

Morrison was greeting to everyone, and he walked over to sit in front of Love Army. I sat with Kimberly guys; on one side all shouted and clapped when listening to music."Far Out Man, Far Out!” -something like "cool" or "stunning"- and they cheered them.

"El Pájaro” (The Bird), Love Army singer thanked the applause and he said in English: "You heard some of our songs in English until now, but we will sing in Spanish now...."

And they began to sing "Ser Libre (To Be Free), and foreign guys were still applauding.

One of them asked me: "Where are they from?".

I replied: “from Tijuana”.

The boy turned and he replied to Morrison, "Far Out".

"Have you been there?” I asked Jim.

"What if I have been there!", he said me.

The group finished his performance and during the applause, Morrison stood up and he called Kimberly guys up on stage. He took the microphone and screamed. The photographers crowded around, including those who were shooting a film, pouring him a light stream.

Morrison began to move provocatively, as some girl would say, and he took his microphone between his legs, while the group began to play hard rock. Jim reeled and danced on one leg. Suddenly, he stopped and gestured. The band played very effective. Morrison sang, jumped and moved like "drunken vedette". But rock'n roll vedette. The foul Morrison, "dirty Morrison”, which sickened to the burgueois boys gathered at the Forum and he almost killed fright Raul Velasco; he was making mischief again, in one of his famous" ego trips "or trips in which he only does things that he likes to do, for indulge himself. Parmenides remembered Mick Jagger and he wondered who would be the best rock'n roll “vedette” if Jagger or Morrison. The rich boys were afraid again: "Oh, this junkie pork moves like a woman, ah! And did you see his outside? A real dirty pork".

But the audience applauded very happy for the improvised super-show.

Morrison was reeling and he jumped on one leg, hanging from the microphone, when "Cuaz!", he puts a foot wrong and first, he falls on the drums, and after falls on one guys of Love Army that he was there, which it prevented that Jim would fall to the ground. The first part of that was accidental, but after Morrison did it on purpose. But he had broken the microphone and said, "No"...

He didn’t want to continue singing more and he went to sit down. The group continued his improvisation quite well, good guitar, bass and drum accompaniment. And Morrison rose again, grabbing another microphone (Love Army guys thinking, if he also would break this) and he started singing Steppenwolf song "Rock Me". He sat on stage and he sang crouch: after a while he turned off the microphone (I don’t know if this was his purpose) and he complained that there was no sound, pointing to it. Several guys got up to find the problem, but he didn’t found it.

Morrison's voice was heard through the microphone later again. He danced, twirled, jumped and shook his hair like a crazy. All caught the wave The Doors poet. When he did sexy movements (almost all) the girls were thrilled.

So, until they ended, and Jim quickly went back to his place and, among the applause, he began clapping too. Once that improvisation ended, we went out; Fernando Arrabal, "Fando y Lis" author, was there, who had also invited for Mario.

Morrison came to see me; he greeted me and he asked me again. I turned to answer him that well, and I asked him for Manzarek, Krieger and Densmore, the other Doors.

"Very well," Morrison said me; he was friendly but so introverted as always he was, trying to avoid answering.

After he said me, “Hey, do you get us two girls for this night, now?”

“I'll try it”, I said him.

"I know you can’t promise anything but you will try to do it possible”.

Parmenides and I tried to talk with him. "I read your poem, The New Creatures", Parmenides said him.

"Well," Jim said.

"What did you mean when you said Aztec Kings in that poem?"

"What do you think?" He said.

"Uh, well, for that is why I want to know your point of view".

"That's what I meant," Jim said.

Then he stared at Parmenides and he asked, "¿Quién es tu nombree?” (“Who” is your name?).

"What?" Parmenides said.

"¿Quién es tu nombree?” ("Who” is your name?), Morrison said again.

"Ah ... Parmenides", he said.

"Tramenides" Jim said.

The car arrived in which they had to go and they went out....

[casandra]

Another article about The Doors in Mexico (1969).

It was published in Víctor Blanco Labra’s book “Rockstalgia. Crónicas rocanroleras (50's and 60)“, (Editorial Diana, 2007).

Reproduced by Guillermo Vega Zaragoza on his blog (in Spanish):

ombloguismo.blogspot.com/2007/08/rockstalgia-de-los-doors.html

Víctor Blanco Labra wrote the review appeared in a Mexican magazine called POP, August 1969, translated above.

INTERVIEW

After the narrated “des-concierto” (chaos), I looked for The Doors at the very exclusive little hotel in Las Lomas de Chapultepec where they stayed in Mexico City. I only could speak with Ray Manzarek and Robbie Krieger. Here, I reproduce a single answer, for other wise very intelligent, for my stupid question:

POP: What do you think about the world situation?

Robbie: In 25 words?

JIM ON THE WAVE

Later I learned that the night of Jim Morrison famous concert, he was so drugged. In the darkness of the show, Javier Castro had to crawl himself behind Jim, who sang sitting on an amplifier. He stopped Jim with a broom introduced at his back to his shoulders below of the singer’s leather jacket and it kept Jim down on the floor.

THE DOORS IN L.A.

POP magazine nº 48, December 12, 1969. We reproduce some excerpts from the article "A Day With The Doors", written from Hollywood by my partner Eduardo Baca Delgado, who met with The Doors in Los Angeles, California, where they rehearsed in a studio and we only talked about their concert in Mexico City. He asked to Bill Siddons, The Doors’s manager:

POP: Is it true that you will perform again in Mexico?

BILL: I don’t think we can do it, between other things, because they didn’t get along at the Forum, and the boys also didn’t like to perform there.

RAY: You know, all those people at the Forum.

POP: But all young people, those really appreciate your music, they want to see you at some stadium or wherever.

BILL: But there is no permission from your authorities.

RAY: That's what we love most, playing for all the people in the wave in Mexico, but unfortunately it is not possible, for now. Chance and next year. Well, mate, sit on that chair, the reshearsal is about to begin.

ROBBIE: That chair is Jim’s chair.

At this moment, one guy went in. He had fairly short hair, very clean shaven and he weared dark glasses; he was walking very strange.

"Well" -he said-, “I just arrived a little later and you have a new singer occupying my seat. What things, I will have to find another group”.

It was Jim Morrison with his hair shorter than ever, and already shaving!

When the researshal finished, Jim said:

"Go in peace, the researshal has ended”.

Then, Morrison took his poetry book, red with gold letters; it said: “James Douglas Morrison. Poems”. Before leaving the studio, he turned to look me and he said:

"Do not ask me for an interview, I hated it”.

"I wasn’t going to ask you for anything”, I said.

"All right, see you later". He smiled and he went out.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

Pop Magazine #39 August 1969

The Doors were received enthusiastically by Mexican youth, but not by the city officials or the Mexican press. The Doors were brought down to open up Mexico for future presentations by other top rock groups, according to Mexican promoter Mario Olmos. It had been reported before their arrival that they had been granted permission by president Gustava Kiaz Ordaz to perform in Mexico City's Plaza Monumental bullring where the poorer classes of people would be able to afford the price of admission.
But it didn't work out that way. Instead, The Doors found themselves confined to perform during their four-night stay at the Forum Club and at a select crowd that could afford the 200 pesos ($16) cover charge.
Attempts were made to get permits for the group to perform at the Mexican arena, the National Auditorium, and even in a security-tight closed performance for the students of Mexico's National University, but permission
was not granted. Mayor Corona Del Rosal was afraid that a large public appearance by The Doors would spark some kind of riot or demonstration by students who have been in a state of agitation during the past year.
Plans that had been announced to benefit shows, videotape concerts, and a photo art display did not materialize either.
The Mexican press was not too kind to The Doors either. El Heraldo was quoted as calling the group "hippies" and referring to them as undesirables.
The group was also denied accommodations in several of the large hotels and ended up staying in a smaller private hotel in one of the residential sections.
There was no doubt that The Doors were a sensation at the Forum, where they played to record-breaking audiences nightly.
With a selection of recorded songs, some that have not been released, and improvisations, they literally rocked the rafters loose.
Jim Morrison, singing from the gut, completely losing himself as he does when he performs, had the audience totally absorbed, alternately screaming, chanting, and completely silent.
Pat Alisau Variety magazine July 8th

Read more: newdoorstalk.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=24#ixzz1D14vwiqE

[brightstar]

Maybe it's me that has a bad English understanding, but I wonder what this sentence means in the article about Jim in Mexico?

'According to Hopkins, the thruth is that Jim behaved quite well, as he brought a personal marking by Pamela Courson, his girlfriend.'

I don't get what this 'personal marking' is supposed to be about. Any ideas anyone, please?

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

Hopkins tells the tale in his 2nd book about how Jim asked him to trade rooms with him when they got to Mexico.
That night Pam called and got Jerry, which according to Hopkins was Jim's plan so he did not have to speak to her. Jerry told Pam wrong room and gave here Jim's room number.
The next morning Jim smiled at Jerry and said 'you really know how to hurt a guy.'
So that tells me Jim had to give Pam his personal assurance that he would behave himself.
Which according to Hopkins he did for the rest of that week in Mexico.
Jim went sightseeing with one of the President's son's American hangers on who was the image of Pam.
But mostly spent the time on his own reading.
The rest of The Doors were by this time shunning Morrison as they blamed him for Miami and the Doug Cameron book confirms this as he stated that Jim did not travel with the other three and also witnessed their behaviour to him in the studio which was to practically ignore him unless they needed something.

Hopkins Lizard King book #124/125

[brightstar]

Thank you! I had actually read this story in 'Doors companion' book. Jerry told in it, he gave Jim's number to Pamela on purpose and that Jim was with another girl this night, he didn't want Pam to interrupt them, because she often called in the middle of the night.
Thank's for the help! I hadn't got a clue of what this sentence meant.