The D©©®s.....Band or B®and? ....you decide......

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

The B®anding of a Legend

It's interesting that a band can be so alive 40 years on even though they effectively died 40 years ago.

The question to you dear reader is WHY is this?

Is it because of the clever marketing opportunities taken to keep the name in the public eye or is it because of something a lot simpler?
People! The most powerful tool any art form possesses is people.
People have the unique ability to both talk and think.
They are able to process information and form a reasoned opinion of what they absorb.

They also are able to share that opinion with others who may not be privy to the information they themselves have catalogued and analysed to form that opinion.

So the question remains is it the fanbase or the marketing?
Without the fan the marketing is useless, as the fan possesses years of experience as a fan whilst the marketing is superficial at best.
A pretty picture or a catchy tune designed to ensnare attention for a fleeting moment.
But once the marketing has ensnared attention where can those really interested go for information.
Well of course there are books and films.
But why do these things exist?
Because of people.
Without the interest of these people marketing and product placement is a waste of money.

So where do these people come from?

They come from the ART itself.

In this case the music.
Of course it can be argued in the case of The Doors that clever marketing captured America's attention in 1967. Billboards and a catchy single.
But without a strong fanbase such marketing would never have been able to rocket the band to #1 and Legend.
The Doors had earned that strong fan base in California and New York from a year of hard work.
And it was only a matter of time before it paid off because the talent shone through and everything in between was conquered.
With a little bit of luck and some help from an interested record company of course.
Despite my claim none of this is THAT simple
But mainly because they were able to touch a nerve with an audience and that audience formed the bedrock of The Doors success. In 1966 and today in 2011.

Art is a state of mind not a marketing campaign.

It is from human intelligence that an art form can exist so long after its instigators have either died or the name associated with that art disbanded.
Word of mouth is the most powerful tool known to the Human Race.
This is what marketing tries to feed on and as such creates fad after fad that have a finite lifetime and bring in a pretty penny as a result.
But an art form is more than just a passing fad.
Music, literature and paintings transcend generations and popular culture.
They are able to implant themselves into the psyche of one generation who then pass it down to the next.
Do they do that because of clever marketing or is it something else that insincere men in suits could never ever conceive of?

Marketing by it's very nature is completely superficial and designed to make a buck ‘today’ not found a dynasty for a hundred years along the ages.

Branding simply a way to rake in cash not establish an art form for generations.

So is it right to consider a band like The Doors a brand name?
It is something that fundamentally goes to the heart of what The Doors stood for.
And let’s not forget that ‘art’ itself comes from the heart.
The clue is in the very word itself.


It matters not one jot to me how rich The D©©®s of the 21st century become from making a brand name out of something as special as The Doors.
And make no mistake The D©©®s of the 21st century do consider The Doors to be a brand rather than a band.

If you doubt what I say go read Jeff Jampol JamInc site.
wemanagelegends.com/jeff-jampol/

The D©©®s of the 21st century are dedicated to protecting their copyrights even as far as to attack their own fans who dare to infringe on their money making by opening a Doors theme pub.

Of course they are within their rights to do this but just because you CAN do something does not always mean you SHOULD.

That is where integrity comes into play.

Have The Doors lost their way in their crazed search for riches?
You are supposed to be Doors fans and many read this who hide behind the protection of the ‘guest’ on this forum.
Is there nothing about this great band that you have an opinion of?
Apathy is no different to what Jeff Jampol is doing with his b®anding of The D©©®s.
In some ways it is worse.
Are Doors fans merely sheep who wait to be sheared and exploited for their meat?
Or is there some semblance of intelligence hidden away somewhere which still has the ability to formulate an opinion and be able to articulate that opinion in the form of sentences.

I must admit I see very little evidence myself these days.

So Doors sheep.
This goes to the very heart of everything this band ever stood for.
Is it the sidelines for you or can you manage a bit of rebellion.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

Here is the original blog Bob Lefsetz posted in favour of 'the band'.

The Lefsetz Letter


The End

It’s bad enough that “Rolling Stone” has morphed into “Esquire” for a slightly younger generation, with a perfect binding that makes it impossible to fully grasp Angus Young’s mug, he looks like some origami trick from the back cover of “MAD”, but what had me blowing chunks was the ad four pages into the magazine… “THE DOORS INSPIRED CHUCK TAYLOR”.

Are you fucking kidding me? I thought that John Densmore had a lock on this kind of shit. Or maybe that was just the band’s music. Their image…

I love the Doors. Their first album was transcendent. But I’ve never ever owned a pair of Chuck Taylors. I’m just not a Converse kind of guy. To tie up the Doors with Chuck Taylor is like hooking up Metallica with Maypo. What’s next, the Stones for Stride-Rite?

Shit, is there no commercial opportunity these bands won’t turn down? The concept of legacy has been completely forgotten. But, a great band’s music never will be. Isn’t that the lesson of AC/DC, that despite refusing to whore themselves out, endorse products, feature their music in commercials, they own the second biggest selling catalog?

Respect the music.

But no one buys that anymore. Our whole country has lost its dignity. As Ray Davies once sang, money talks and we’re the living proof.

If you’re educated, you’re an elitist. You should be working a blue collar job like a real American, not prepared for change that might come down the pike, and about to be fired because the man shipped your job overseas. Forced to buy all your goods at the big box store known as Wal-Mart that raped your city’s downtown and replaced reasonable jobs with low-paying gigs akin to those in a jail. Not as guards, but as PRISONERS!

Has the Doors music been forgotten? What caused the last renaissance, twenty five years ago? When suddenly everybody wanted to listen to “The End”. There was no advertising then, just WORD OF MOUTH!

God, does the Vatican have to do a deal for the Sistine Chapel? To make sure people continue to come? Too bad Picasso’s dead, otherwise he could be hawking scarves for Target. Hell, couldn’t they do one of those ads where they take footage and he appears with his daughter Paloma? Just because the body’s cold doesn’t mean you can’t make some money on it.

And did Jim Morrison even OWN a pair of sneakers? Never mind Chuck Taylors? I remember him dressed in black. The Ramones were big on canvas shoes, but not the rockers of the sixties.
But Chuck Taylor’s got a lot of bread. They want to make the brand cool. And their advertising agency likes the Doors… I mean who’s cooler than Jim Morrison? So you make an offer of beaucoup bucks and the only person who gets fucked in the ass is the fan. I respect the act. I’m not whoring myself out. How do you expect me to buy music if I can’t respect it?
What’s next?

Come on… Can’t John Lennon sell glasses?

Or maybe that’s Buddy Holly’s purview.

And if the Doors are in danger of being forgotten, how about Sinatra?

If the music is great, it’ll last forever. And that’s why classic rock endures. Because of its greatness.

The Doors might not sell quite the tonnage of AC/DC, but that’s because their music is cerebral. It’s for people who want to delve a bit deeper, who want to think. It’s a rite of passage for those who read Vonnegut and Hesse in high school as opposed to dropping out and working at the 7-11. You’re not even aware of the Oedipus complex unless you finish high school… How are you supposed to comprehend “The End”?

But now that you’ve seen the band has aligned with Chuck Taylor, you’re gonna check ‘em out. You’re gonna buy all those albums because the band inspired sneakers, if you can stomach that bullshit.
Don’t tell me that things have changed. These are my memories, this is my life. You can make a ton of dough and lose it all in the market, seemingly overnight. But it takes a lifetime to build memories. Respect them. They pay dividends. Not only monetary, but emotional. And that’s what we are, not the sum of our toys, but our experiences, our moods, our memories, our histories. Great music is not only part of our identity, it IMPACTS our identity. We respect artists who are grasping for greatness, who want to get it right, who want to say something as opposed to cashing the check.
Jim Morrison might be six feet under, but he’s alive and well in my mind. Long live the Lizard King!

Bob Lefsetz October 2008

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

This is from Jampol's jamInc site and responds to the criticism The Lefsetz Letter made



Jeff Jampol (manager of The Doors) responds to Fri, Oct 31, 2008
Film, Merch, Music, Must Reads, New Media, Tech

Jeff Jampol has written a brilliant response to a Lefsetz Letter criticizing The Doors’ licensing deal with Converse. If you have any interest in the thought processes involved in the licensing of iconic band imagery, or the way licensing works or doesn’t work, this is a must read.

Hi, Bob:

As The Doors’ manager, I thought I’d take a stab at weighing in after reading your interesting commentary.

First off, let me state for the record that I am clearly biased here and in no way objective – The Doors pay me, and when The Doors make money, I make money. Their legacy is not mine, though I AM hired to promote it, protect it, monetize it, guide it, and keep it alive for the NEXT generation as WELL as their current (and past) fans. On the one hand, I am supposed to find ways to make them money. On the other hand, I am supposed to protect their legacy. And, finally, I am to promote their name, their music, and their message to the new generations coming up – and as we all know, marketing to existing fans, and an older fanbase, is MUCH, MUCH different than marketing to a newer generation of young fans, to whom The Doors are a new band and a “new idea.” We must do BOTH, and although they have a lot of overlap, they are separate tasks, and are done in differing ways. Makes for a heady brew of conflict!

It is many times because of this inherent conflict in what we are trying to do that occasionally we will cross lines and upset some folks. Sometimes rightly, sometimes wrongly, and sometimes people seem to get upset whenever they see change of any kind. Our job here is to try and discern what they’re really upset about, take a look at it, and see if we are wrong, if they’ve raised valid issues, if we’ve taken a misstep, or if we are rightly hewing true to what we believe. Many times, the points raised have validity and help us to become better, smarter humans, as well as better “keepers of the flame.”

I have read your comments, and I want to try and shed a little light on how I look at this – hopefully, you will try to be as open-minded as I am trying to be, and together, we can reach some kind of consensus — or not, I guess. It is ultimately up to each individual to embrace The Doors’ legacy as well as their music and message the best way he or she sees fit, and if everyone agreed with us (or me), I probably wouldn’t be doing my job!

In this case, the music had nothing to do with this. We are not USING Doors music, just, as you had written, the image (or, name and likeness, as we hoary businessmen say), so let’s be clear what we are discussing – and we are NOT discussing the use of The Doors’ music.

You invoke John Densmore’s name in your letter, and I think it’s pretty obvious to many that John Densmore is completely passionate and devoted to his particular beliefs and the way he approaches the issues at hand. John and I have had MANY “spirited discussions” about matters pertaining to promoting the Doors’ legacy, and I must say, I love and respect John immensely – he truly walks like he talks, and I have seen him, time and again, sacrifice personal comfort, ease, dollars, and serenity in order to stand up for what he believes in, not only in business, but in his personal life, and not only for The Doors, but for ANY cause or issue with which he is involved.

You asked in your letter, “What caused the last renaissance, twenty five years ago? When suddenly everybody wanted to listen to ‘The End’. There was no advertising then, just WORD OF MOUTH!” And you are correct when you say there was no advertising, per se, but there WAS a major motion picture, Oliver Stone’s “The Doors”. The release of that movie tripled The Doors’ catalogue sales at the time. Terrestrial radio was also THE major factor in exposing music to new generations, and we had RECORD STORES to go browse in, hang out in, and salivate over the newest releases – sadly, as you reported on in an earlier letter, these stores have disappeared and been somewhat replaced by Apple stores – where music is not the product they are selling. So, we have none of these tools available to us anymore.

Now, down to the issue of Converse shoes and The Doors. Perhaps we have overstepped here (I couldn’t resist the pun), and perhaps we have not. Let’s take a look at how I see it, as I have already read how YOU see it. Let me explain what I see as a few factual circumstances, and let’s also get down to the philosophical issues at hand.

First off, we see the music and the name somewhat differently – they are BOTH important to us, but to me, there are degrees of sanctity, if you will, when it comes to marketing and promoting The Doors’ legacy: the most sacrosanct thing that exists is the music. Next in this hierarchy is Jim’s poetry (which is owned by the Morrison successors), then the name “The Doors,” followed by the photos and images, and last but not least, the individual members themselves.

The Doors decided long ago (way before MY time) that apparel was an acceptable category in which to license The Doors’ name, and acceptable to market, sell and promote, not only to enhance their legacy, but to make a profit as well (we like to do that – we are not a nonprofit organization). I’m told that some of The Doors also felt that we were being bootlegged so rampantly all over the world, and so much crappy stuff was out there, that they AND their fans would be better served by at least trying to put quality merchandise out there for fans to buy, and to also capture some of the millions that was being unfairly pocketed regardless by outsiders and fly-by-night, substandard bootleggers trading unfairly and illegally on The Doors’ name.

Some of what The Doors ultimately permitted to be manufactured, I disagreed with – and some, I stopped, discontinued, or outright denied.

A few examples? Although The Doors did Christmas ornaments, and several folks I know own them and apparently like them, I personally found them to be demeaning, and not in the spirit (excuse the pun again) of these “Erotic Politicians,” and I so advised The Doors (again, that’s my job). There was a “Light My Fyre! ” action-figure doll, which I found particularly repugnant (it pained me just to write that out), and many other categories, like cheap belt buckles, cheap calendars (note the word “cheap”: it’s there for a reason), lizard this-’n-that, feather earrings, etc. I could go on and on here – ugly incense holders, a disgusting purple plastic-topped Lava Lamp-like table lamp, a Jim action-figure doll (but not the Todd McFarland one, which is cool, to us), tawdry tapestries (??!), magnets, and even bobbleheads! I mean, c’mon! How does one make a logical connection between “Soul Kitchen” and a BOBBLEHEAD??!? In fact, when I first came on board, one of our first actions as a management team was to terminate deals for over 150 items – all of which had already been approved, wittingly or unwittingly, by The Doors. We then terminated about the same amount of apparel items and designs as being hoary, uncool, stupid, ugly, demeaning, cheap, and usually some combination of these horrible attributes. We disapprove and/or terminate WAY more than we ever approve.

As you can see, though, a lot of this is a judgment call – one man’s hoary, uncool trinket is another man’s prize…and so be it. We have to stay true to OUR vision, and I know we will not be in agreement with everyone – in fact, I often disagree with The Doors themselves, and we will all argue about it, talk it out, discuss, etc., but in the end, it is THEIR legacy, and I am happy to carry out whatever they direct me to move forward with.

So, we decided – GENERALLY (there can always be exceptions) – that some of the apparel categories we were okay with selling were: t-shirts, messenger bags, sweatshirts, shoes, outerwear/jackets, jeans, cycling jerseys, beanies, caps, belts, higher-end belt buckles, cool dress/tunic/overshirts for women (like the Trunk ones we did), leather jackets, and denim shirts.

I could be mistaken here, but I think the only categories we haven’t done yet are shoes, leather jackets, and jeans – there may be more. So, when this opportunity came along with Converse, we took a look at it. There is only ONE “first time” you can do something, and to me, the first time has to really count – we didn’t want to do something half-assed (I was gonna say “slipshod,” but I thought three puns was too many in one diatribe). You speak about AC/DC and insinuate that their marketing is more on point with respect to legacies – yet I believe AC/DC has done way more merchandise and retail items than The Doors EVER have! How is it that a t-shirt or a skateboard deck is cool, bit a sneaker somehow ISN’T??

Before I go further, here’s some insight and knowledge about how the merchandise business works: ALL of the items we do for The Doors – whether it’s a t-shirt, Converse shoes, a messenger bag, or Doors posters – are NOT items WE make, or have made, they are LICENSES. The Doors DO NOT manufacture anything – we never have. I don’t know any major artists who do. We’re not in the manufacturing business – apparel manufacturers are. We don’t DO “Doors T-Shirts” – we LICENSE the name “The Doors”, via our merchandising reps, to a t-shirt brand, or to a t-shirt vendor, who then manufactures them (or sources a manufacturer), and then sells them under their own brand name to retail, where you buy them, same as AC/DC, The Beatles, or any other major band. Even when a band is on tour (this again applies to bigger bands), the artists are not MANUFACTURING those shirts you buy at their gigs – they have LICENSED their band name and their tour merchandising rights to a merchandising company, who have their OWN brand of t-shirts – that merch company then goes out on the road with the artist and sets up merch tables, selling their (the company’s) t-shirts with the artists’ name on them.

When manufacturers want to license The Doors’ name to make a piece of Doors apparel for retail sale, we assure complete approval rights over every key aspect of the apparel: Which company is manufacturing the piece, what the item is (a t-shirt or a messenger bag), the design, the images used, the garment itself, where it’s distributed, how much it sells for, and how long it’s available. That way, we can insure that the item stays in keeping with the level of quality and the image of The Doors. If we don’t approve the final sample, it doesn’t get made. Period.

I spent virtually all of last year terminating almost ALL Doors licenses, in every category, and completely pulling The Doors OUT of the mass-market (Target, K-Mart, etc.) altogether. We don’t belong there right now, I don’t think. We WERE there, for certain and specific reasons I can’t get into (business stuff), but 2008 has been, for us, a year of retrenchment and “giving the name a rest.” We don’t ever want to be TOO ubiquitous, and I think part of the magic of The Doors is that they are a bit special, and above the fray, and not TOO common. We don’t want to be everywhere – I would like to see us as kind of exclusive. So, for 2008, we have done nothing but pull all Doors items off of the market.

We want to come back in 2009 (well, starting at Christmas 2008) with a whole new line: all-new designs, higher quality, finer garments, some better/different/rarer images, different categories (like maybe the shoes and jeans we’ve never done), and new retail outlets.

Which leads me back to Converse.

I think one of the things people may be having a problem with is that they see the Converse/Doors shoes as somehow selling out, or us putting OUR name on THEIR shoe. But this is what we do for EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF DOORS MERCHANDISE THAT HAS EVER BEEN PRODUCED. There is no difference here, other than the category of apparel – we have licensed The Doors name, for t-shirts and belt buckles (and many other items), but not for shoes. The only other difference I see here is that I think you perhaps view it differently because Converse has brand name recognition on its own, as opposed to companies like, say, “Liquid Blue”, “Winterland”, or “Junk Food”, who are some of our past t-shirt manufacturers/vendors.

True Religion made Doors sweatshirts, yet THEY have brand name recognition apart from The Doors – Trunk made Doors t-shirts, and Winterland made Doors t-shirts, hats and jackets, yet THEY have brand name recognition (albeit more limited) apart from The Doors.

The only difference here is that Junkfood sold Junkfood-branded shirts that said “The Doors” on them, Winterland sold Winterland-branded shirts, hats and jackets that said “The Doors” on them, and Converse will be selling Converse-branded shoes that say “The Doors” on them. And, I guess, that Converse is more well-known than Junkfood or Winterland. All of them also sell plenty of apparel with NO name on them except their own. (Though I am sure that Converse sells more than Junkfood or Winterland).

So, some take the position that it is okay to put The Doors name on a piece of merchandise as long as the brand of merchandise is small and/or unknown? Or is it sneakers/shoes in general? Or Converse in particular? Or ALL merchandise in general? Or just “successful” brands of apparel? Or is everything verboten except for t-shirts? Or are THEY verboten now, too?

Some of these positions seem a tad inconsistent – and I think part of the confusion may be that you are/were not aware of how the merchandising business really works. In fact, “merchandising” is a misnomer – it’s really a licensing business (which is why I went to such great pains to elucidate everything above).

One last word about Converse as a manufacturer, as a licensee, and shoes as a category of apparel – we considered all of the following:

*I look at shoes, t-shirts, jeans and leather & denim jackets as the “four corners” of the American rock ‘n roll wardrobe, if there is such an animal. Think James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause as the archetype. If one is okay with t-shirts, why not the other three items? It doesn’t seem to really make sense. True, we haven’t done shoes or jeans yet, but why not? Is there something intrinsically RIGHT with t-shirts but WRONG with leather jackets? Or sneakers? But that’s okay for metal die-cast cars? Is there something here that violates a tenet of The Doors as a name, or as a band? Surely jackets have been synonymous with rock bands since the ’70s at least! [ed. note: at LEAST we're not making satin tour jackets]

*Sneakers ARE cool, to me, as an item of apparel. As well as being one of the above “four corners” of rock apparel that I mentioned above.

*Converse HAS been associated with rock ‘n roll. True, more so with bands like The Ramones or Nirvana, but I kinda feel like that’s credible company (again, a judgment call, for sure). And they are doing/have done FOUR of these sneaker lines: The Doors, The Grateful Dead, Kurt Cobain, and Black Sabbath.

*Converse has been around for 100 years, and they’re an American company, as The Doors are an American rock ‘n roll band (though Converse’s product IS made overseas, like most others).
*Their 100th Anniversary motto for 2008 is “First In Sports, First In Rock ‘N Roll.”

*WE designed the shoes (in collaboration with Converse, of course). I think they’re cool-looking, understated, and I’m proud of the design. I also think they’re definitely the coolest of the bunch. I’m sure you may disagree (I’m going with the odds here).

*As I understand it, we are the ONLY artist of the four who refused to let Converse distribute our shoes to mass-market. We will ONLY be doing two categories of retail: High-end stores, like Saks Fifth Avenue, and limited “specialty stores” like Jernees. And overseas.

*You surmised in your letter – or at least insinuated – that Converse wooed us with money when you wrote, “So make an offer of beaucoup bucks….” However, this deal is primarily a marketing device, in our eyes. What I mean by that is, the advance and royalty we received for this deal were very, very low. Insanely low. In fact, I think it may be the smallest advance deal we have ever done. We clearly did not do this just for the money. So, why else DID we do it? Simple – we want The Doors name to be promoted and marketed to as many people as we can, especially people who may not hear The Doors on the radio, and/or may not go to record stores – it’s a chance to reach a whole new stratum of potential Doors fans that we otherwise may never be able to get to. We feel that Converse will promote The Doors, as will the retailers that carry them. People will see the name of The Doors, they will see photos of the band, they will see our logo, and maybe, some stores will put up Doors displays (though that is not a part of the deal and is completely up to each store – I’m just being hopeful). We also feel that as kids wear these shoes, their peers will see The Doors name, and their awareness will be raised – hopefully enough to go check out the music!

*Lastly, we are NOT using music in ANY WAY, SHAPE or FORM here. No music at all. Just putting out Doors shoes. Which happen to be manufactured by Converse. And, I presume, Converse will promote them and publicize them. Trunk advertised Doors shirts manufactured by Trunk. There was nothing wrong with that. I’m sure Liquid Blue, Junk Food and Winterland have done ads, too, as well as co-op ads, and retail displays.

Look, I know that the “business” part of a rock ‘n roll band can seem a bit hoary, a bit crass, and NOT what the music was all about. And I agree with that. It IS a bit crass, in the end, isn’t it? It’s NOT the pure music. It’s business. But I have made a certain inner peace with myself over it. I’m not suggesting that you follow me, or that you are even like me – but I AM saying that I have a heart, and a soul, and I am human, and a HUGE Doors fan, too. I mean, I GET it. I love The Doors. I love Jim Morrison. I love his poetry. I love The Doors’ art and music. I want to keep it real, and pure, and alive! And here I am, presiding over an army of marketing, promotion and sales entities whose aim is to market, sell and profit from the free ideas and ideals that gave birth to the music in the first place. It IS a bit of a conflict – and I acknowledge this. I wrestle with it. I debate it with myself – and others. I think of myself as a sensitive guy (here’s a Kleenex, in case you were getting moist), and I want to do the best, most honest, forthright and credible job for my heroes. Part of that job is making them money and a profit from their band, its history, its name AND its music. And where profit motive comes into play, there is ALWAYS an element of the crass. You quoted Ray Davies in your piece, and perhaps an equally on-point quote is from Bob Dylan, when he sang, “Money doesn’t talk, it swears.” Again, I am human, I acknowledge this, and I try to do the best I can with it.

Bob, you say in your letter, “Don’t tell me that things have changed. These are my memories, this is my life.” And while these ARE your memories, Bob, and surely your life, I am here to tell you that times HAVE changed, and radically – said changes that you have reported on yourself, over and over.

I am faced with a business landscape that is horrible. Record sales are declining 20-30% every year. On top of that, MOST CDs in the nation are sold by “big-box” retailers (i.e., Best Buy, Wal-Mart), who don’t CARRY “catalogue” or Box Sets as a rule! They tend to carry the Top 40 current hits, because they’re not IN the record business. They use CDs as “loss-leaders” to get folks into their store, so they can then sell them a washer & dryer. And they have rightfully surmised that MOST folks want the current hits, so that’s what they carry. They don’t carry deep catalogue at all. Yes, Internet and digital sales are up – and so is vinyl. These are all good trends (great trends, actually), but they don’t come NEAR replacing the losses sustained by the overall record business. And terrestrial radio, long the bastion of classic rock, nee, of ALL rock ‘n roll for decades, is losing influence, and listeners, seemingly by the hour. Please don’t forget, also, that in the case of The Doors and many other classic rock artists (like another one of my clients, Janis Joplin), these artists have passed, hence we don’t have touring or new music to rely on in helping us expose new generations – two VERY powerful tools, forever gone from our available arsenal.

My task, then, my question, is: how am I going to expose these coming generations to The Doors if I don’t have terrestrial radio, new music coming from my artist(s), record stores OR touring? One of the (but not the only) answers is that I have to expose these generations to The Doors as an idea, as an institution, as a certain way of seeing the world, as well as a band, in a way that each different generation can relate to. As a NAME that’s cool to them and to their peers. There are SIX distinct generations, all of whom behave and respond differently, that we market and promote The Doors to: Baby Boomers, Post-Baby Boomers,Gen X, Gen Y, Millenials…and soon, Post-Millenials.

And how do we get to them? Not to YOU, per se – you already HAVE a relationship with The Doors, and you expect that relationship to go a certain way and have The Doors treated in a certain manner. But to the NEW generation(s)? How do I reach THEM? They are used to different things than we are, and they accept certain things that WE (you and, to a certain extent, I) may find repugnant or undesirable. They are influenced by, and in turn want to influence, their peers, just like I did when I was a kid, and just like I am betting you did, too. But make no mistake – IF YOU ARE BEYOND YOUR TEENS, YOU ARE NOT THEIR PEER (nor am I). How YOU think is very different than how THEY think. I appreciate the differences. I abhor many of them. But in the end, I respect them, and I deal with them, because it IS reality. These differences are clearly not something I am making up – I’m merely reporting them, as you have yourself many times.

We can continue to do things exactly as we would have a generation or so ago, keep The Doors all to ourselves, and go on about our lives. I think a certain number of new fans would never discover The Doors if that were to happen, though. Still, we can try to avoid the occasional missteps and overreaches that sometimes occur as we continue to try and insure that new kids will discover my heroes – whether that’s through a peer, a parent, a videogame, or a Doors sneaker. I am just trying to illustrate, again, HOW and WHY we decided to move forward with a Doors shoe in addition to our other Doors apparel. The only possible exception is that, in this case, there was not much of a money consideration here – it was purely an exercise in marketing.

We all discussed this move, and we all approved it. The question that remains is, did we misstep? Did we cross some invisible line? Were we wrong in our ideas? Have we missed something? We KNOW that not everyone will agree. We’re not trying to get everyone’s approval. The Doors NEVER did that. But we ARE trying to look at HOW we do things, and why, and make sure, to the best of our limited human ability, that we stay as true as possible.

I know that I will never convince anyone that is firmly to one side or the other of any particular ideology, or idea. And I am not even going to try to take on THAT “fool’s task.” You have your opinions, you are entitled to them, and I respect them. All of them.

You have made your feelings known. I have now exposed mine here. I have tried to explain how we came to this conclusion (and others). I hope we can both respect each other enough to take what each side has said and chew on it. I know I’M chewing on some of the things YOU brought up.

In the end, I do truly feel it’s a Doors sneaker, just like we have Doors t-shirts or a Doors messenger bags (and NOT a Doors Christmas ornament). In the end, Bob, it’s only rock ‘n roll, as I’ve oft-quoted Mick ‘n Keith – but I LOVE it.

“Long Live The Lizard King,” indeed!!
Peace. 
Love.

-Jeff Jampol

Manager, The Doors

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

Two 'ideals' that go fundamentally to what was The Heart of The Doors.
Some will favour Bob some will favour Jeff.
I fervently dispute Jeff's position and did so on the Densmore forum in 2008 when we discussed it.

I have a strong dislike for 'Jampot' who is a liar. I find it distasteful to respect liars.

But I can feel some measure of respect for anyone who stands up for an opinion and argues a point. Even a maggot like 'Jampot'

Most Doors fans sadly favour apathy.

These sheep get no respect from me as apathy is one step away from dictatorship in any form of democracy.

Wake up from your torpor and read both points of view and pick a side.

Straddling the fence is the worst option and as Jim said it makes your balls hurt.

Is this all it will come down to 40 years after the singer and heart of The Doors died.
An image on a shoe and a new Best Of album?
The Doors were always deserving of better than that.
But then again a band so inventive and so intelligent deserve a better fan base as the bunch of sheep they currently have.

Maybe there is no justice in this world and all that is left is avarice and materialism.

Maybe The Doors are really nothing but a B®and to be exploited, like the sheep they call a fanbase, for their fleece and their meat.

Think about that next time you buy a Doors best of album.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

We don’t DO “Doors T-Shirts” – we LICENSE the name “The Doors”, via our merchandising reps, to a t-shirt brand, or to a t-shirt vendor, who then manufactures them (or sources a manufacturer), and then sells them under their own brand name to retail, where you buy them, same as AC/DC, The Beatles, or any other major band. Even when a band is on tour (this again applies to bigger bands), the artists are not MANUFACTURING those shirts you buy at their gigs – they have LICENSED their band name and their tour merchandising rights to a merchandising company, who have their OWN brand of t-shirts – that merch company then goes out on the road with the artist and sets up merch tables, selling their (the company’s) t-shirts with the artists’ name on them.

This is an argument this man makes. The T Shirt with The Doors name on it is the same as the Converse sneaker with The Doors name.
Seems a pretty conclusive argument would you not say?
If you could not differentiate between a promotion and an endorsement then you probably would.
Me I have this thing called a brain which I use to ponder such complex questions.

Now I have owned hundreds of band T Shirts including a few with The Doors or Jim Morrison on them. Without actually taking the time to look I have never had a clue who made them ....nor cared.
That is called a promotion.

You make a poster advertising a gig but that does not mean that the band are speaking for the printing company.
Does an advertisement in the LA Times endorse that newspaper? Of course not. It's simply a tool to promote a band.
Same goes for keyrings and coasters and even skate boards.
None of these advertise a company although a company benefits via sales and making more to meet demand.
But never once do the artists who use these promotional tools endorse the company who made them

The Converse deal was not a promotion but an endorsement. The Doors endorse Converse who link The Doors name to their product via advertising and image rights.

It is not rocket science but simple common sense.
Buick and LMF was an endorsement designed to sell cars.
Pirelli and ROTS was an endorsement designed to sell tyres.
Converse and Jim Morrison's image was an endorsement designed to sell shoes.
A Doors T Shirt is a promotion designed to sell the band on the front.

If you cannot see the difference between a promotional tool and an endorsement then you have my sympathy as you must be a pretty dull human being to have a conversation with.

Of course those who seek endorsement from bands like The Doors will try to wrap it up like Converse sneakers as an 'homage' to an iconic group.
Put if you fall for that then you must really be a simple soul and should not really step out of the house in case you fall down a gopher hole.

It is to the advantage of a company to keep the fanbase on board so we see many 'homages' to musical groups.

The English language has taken a real battering this last decade.
Lying is now misspeaking and endorsements are now 'homages'.
The Marketing hype cares nothing for the nuances of language and will twist and bend any word to suit their purpose.

The argument can be made that the band endorse musical equipment but again that argument is silly.
They choose Gibson or Ludwig because these tools are to them best for the job in the same way Stabilla is to a spirit level.
They are simply tradesmen and the tools of their trades vary in style and quality. They may well pass on their view that one is better than another in their opinion but again this is not an endorsement simply an example of the power of word of mouth.
Recommending Gibson guitars to someone is no different from recommending The Doors to a total stranger you met in a pub.
It is not an endorsement as such as the person spreading the word makes no material gain from the arrangement.

It seems complicated but it really is NOT.
All it requires is thought and common sense.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

The Doors were once a band but are now a b®and.
Seems sad to me that but I am just a silly old man who actually believed The Doors stood for something once.

What exactly do these people stand for now?

It's a question worth asking as 40 years of the death of the singer approaches.

What exactly was the point of it all if it just comes down to money in the end?




Endorsement because Chuck Taylor Converse Sneakers Brand is linked to the sale of the shoe and the band carry an endorsement of that company as part of the deal..









Promotions simply because these are tools to advertise the band albums, concerts and name

[darkstar3]

Billboard Magazine
By Craig Rosen
Saturday November 4 2006

The Doors: Break On Through, Again

It seems to happen every decade or so.

In 1979, eight years after the death of the Doors' magnetic frontman Jim Morrison, the band's song "The End" seared the psyche of moviegoers during the opening scene of Francis Ford Coppola's landmark Vietnam epic, "Apocalypse Now!"

Then in 1991, Oliver Stone's Doors biopic relit the fire of interest in the band, recalls manager Jeff Jampol, commenting on the Doors' enduring and cyclical popularity.

Now, the band's surviving members—keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore—are preparing to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their 1967 self-titled debut album with a wealth of activities to spark interest in the band among a new generation.

On tap: a new boxed set, the band's first authorized biography and a push into areas ranging from ringtones to a theatrical production in Las Vegas that will feature the group's music.

While the Doors have been one of the most written about and reissued acts in rock, Rhino/Elektra Records' "Perception" boxed set and Hyperion's "The Doors by the Doors" coffee-table book hit the streets with something new.

Longtime fan, artist and TV/radio personality Henry Rollins, who contributed to "The Doors by the Doors," is optimistic that the book and boxed set will offer something valuable for followers of the band.

The Doors' previous projects "have never been cheesy or have never offended me because it's always for the fans," Rollins says. "It's never some awful T-shirt or something disgusting like an Elvis thing."

True to that spirit is "The Doors by the Doors," due Nov. 7, an oral history written by Ben Fong-Torres, the journalist who conducted Morrison's final interview and later penned his obituary for Rolling Stone.

While working on the book, Fong-Torres consumed every bit of Doors music, archival footage and previously published interviews and then dug deeper, conducting new interviews with the three surviving band members, their families and closest associates.

"There's more detail from intimates that hasn't been said before, because I took their interviews and asked for more details and more information," Fong-Torres says. "This is the first time you have an 'as told to' in the voices of the Doors by all four of them in one collection and not told by an outside narrator, biography, investigative reporter or just one of the Doors with just only his point of view."

The 288-page tome will also include never-before-published photos and memorabilia, including Morrison's drawings and handwritten lyrics to "L.A. Woman," which Fong-Torres obtained from one-time Doors publicist Diane Gardner, who lived in the apartment below Morrison's girlfriend Pamela Courson. It was in Gardner's apartment that a chance meeting between Fong-Torres and Morrison became the final published interview with the iconic singer/poet.

While "The Doors by the Doors" will enlighten fans with new details behind the band's rise and fall, the 12-disc "Perception" boxed set, due Nov. 21, promises to reveal previously unheard aural treasures for the faithful. The set is broken down into six CDs and six DVDs featuring the band's six Elektra studio albums.

Yet rather than the usual remastered boxed set, "Perception" includes new stereo mixes of the six albums, incorporating backing vocals and other outtakes that were left off the original releases, plus alternate takes of choice cuts.

In addition, the DVD versions of the albums features 5.1 surround sound mixes, photo galleries, lyrics, discographies and two videos of songs on each disc. In addition, each album will feature new liner notes by noted rock journalists, including Fong-Torres; Paul Williams, founder of Crawdaddy; and Barney Hoskyns, author of "Waiting for the Sun," a history of the Los Angeles music scene from which the band emerged.

"There were all kinds of things that we left off the albums at that time—harmony vocals, different guitar parts, things like that—and we put them all back in, so those who hear the new [versions] will hear a lot of new stuff," says Bruce Botnick, the Doors' longtime engineer who oversaw the new set.

"The first album [1967's "The Doors"] in particular has never been heard at the correct speed," Botnick says. "It's always been running slow. So those who buy the [boxed set] will hear it at the correct speed for the first time."

Additionally, Rhino will reissue deluxe double-disc versions of the albums separately beginning in January 2007. The label also hopes to reach new fans by pushing the Doors' songs as ringtones through an extensive TV advertising campaign. "There's a whole new generation of potential fans to whom we have to connect," Jampol says.

The 40th-anniversary campaign kicks off Nov. 8 with an event on the Sunset Strip, which served as the setting for the Doors' rise to fame. That night the Whisky a Go Go, the club where the Doors served as the house band during the summer of 1966, will be honored with a plaque from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, designating it as a historic location. Inside the Whisky, Doors guitarist Robby Krieger will be on hand for a listening party for "Perception."

Despite the fact that the Doors were banned from the Whisky following a performance featuring Morrison's obscene Oedipal rant in "The End," the club owner Mario Maglieri has nothing but fond memories of the band.

"He was a good guy," he says of Morrison. "I'd bawl him out and he'd look at me, rolling his eyes. They were a good bunch of guys, young guys that succeeded with this kind of carnival music, which I enjoyed."

Down the street from the Whisky is the Cat Club, the former home of the London Fog, the venue where the Doors played some of their earliest gigs. During the Nov. 8 event, Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek will host a scaled-down version of the Doors' Rock and Roll Hall of Fame exhibit, which opens in spring 2007 at the rock hall in Cleveland.

Across the street is Book Soup, formerly the site of the Cinematheque 16 movie house where Morrison once staged an impromptu poetry reading accompanied by Krieger on acoustic guitar. There, Densmore will be on hand to sign copies of "The Doors by the Doors." The book will also be on sale at the Whisky and the Cat Club, allowing fans to get their book signed by all three Doors members as they visit the three locations.

Even before the 40th anniversary's official kickoff event, the Doors were once again proving their commercial viability. On Aug. 8, Rhino/Elektra reissued the two-CD "The Best of the Doors," which promptly returned to the No. 1 position on Billboard's Top Pop Catalog Albums chart.

Since its original release, "The Best of the Doors" has been certified nine-times platinum by the RIAA. The recent success of the album "just shows how relevant the band continues to be," Rhino VP of marketing Kenny Nemes says.

Of course, those affiliated with the band through the years have seen the signs of a resurgence before. Bill Siddons, who became the band's first manager at the age of 19 simply because he was the only one they could trust, was shocked when his then-13-year-old daughter began requesting photos of Morrison more than two decades ago.

"I asked why she wanted them, and she said, 'All my friends want them, Dad.' "

Current manager Jampol, who has guided the Doors' career since the death of his partner and longtime Doors associate Danny Sugerman in 2005, sees it as part of a continuing tradition.

"The Doors have been an iconic brand for 39 years," Jampol says. "I'm actually in the very luxurious and grateful position of having a brand (or band - magazine contains the word brand) that's completely relevant today."

The statement is backed up by the band's continuing merchandise sales. Dell Furano, CEO of Signature Networks, the longtime Doors' merchandising and licensing representative, says the band is one of the company's best sellers, right up there with the Beatles and AC/DC. The fact that such celebrities as Paris Hilton have been photographed wearing a Doors T-shirt has just upped the ante.

While the Doors may once again be riding high, this latest resurgence began more than two years ago in sort of an underground, subversive manner true to the band's roots.

Jampol began licensing the Doors' music for remixes in videogames. "Riders on the Storm (Fredwreck Remix)" featuring Snoop Dogg appeared in the 2004 videogame "Need for Speed: Underground 2." Authorized remixes by such electronic acts as BT, the Crystal Method and Paul Oakenfold followed.

However, not everything was planned or authorized. In 2005, renegade mash-up artist Go Home Productions combined the Doors' "Riders on the Storm" with Blondie's "Rapture" to create "Rapture Riders," an intriguing blend of cool '80s new wave hip-hop and mysterious '60s psychedelia.

In the renegade spirit of the Doors, when Jampol caught wind of the recording, rather than having an attorney send a cease-and-desist order, he met with the man behind the project to find a way to release an authorized version of the mash-up in a manner that would benefit all parties involved.

It was officially released on Blondie's "Greatest Hits: Sight + Sound" and later became a hit on the Hot Dance Club Play chart as well as in several international territories, thanks in part to a video mash-up featuring both acts.

As for the Doors, they were ecstatic. "Hey," Manzarek quips, "we did Blondie."

END.

forum.johndensmore.com/index.php?showtopic=4033

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

Another interesting read on this subject!

Interesting People: Classic Rock Branding: Jeff Jampoland the Doors

As manager of seminal rock band the Doors and head of the Doors Music Company, Jeff Jampol, 35 years after the death of singer Jim Morrison, works with surviving members Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore (as well as the Jim Morrison and Pamela Courson estates) to both safeguard the band's legacy and chart new uses for its catalog, image, songs and other assets.

Succeeding the late Danny Sugerman, who worked with the group for most of his life and had managed them since the '80s, Jampol – Sugerman's partner starting in 2003 – is charged with maintaining one of the most familiar brands in popular music. He has made it his mission to expand that brand's visibility for younger consumers and protect the boundary-breaking group's impeccable credibility. We asked him to discuss that balancing act, branding's place in rock history and the fate of shamanistic pop art in the contemporary marketplace.

What's your perspective on branding, from an artist-management point of view?
The word brand is sometimes seen as a nasty word, because bands and art are pure, and brand is seen as the most whorish kind of word to a lot of musicians. There's a lot of truth to that – art is pure, but when you take that precious child and try to get a check for it, you're not a pure artist anymore. Art and commerce do mix, however, and that's where managers and artist-development people come in. That's where I see my nexus.

You can see how different products have branded themselves over the years: for Maytag washers, it's the lonely repairman, because they never break down. For a while, a backwards red baseball cap meant Limp Bizkit. Bands develop images that are part of the brand. But the brand itself is a
Since the Doors are timeless and relevant, and to this generation of kids music is completely relevant, there are these two islands. I have to find a bridge to connect these two islands.statement, definition, ethos or vibe that goes beyond the surface product. The Doors have songs, but it goes way beyond that. The brand of the Doors is dark and edgy, a little bit dangerous. It's the underbelly. They represent freedom and the questioning of authority – the questioning of everything. They never gave the answers, and that leaves it very open.

Jim Morrison was a poet. They called him the Electric Poet. The band was called four sides of a diamond, because they brought together four different elements with jazz, blues, slide guitar, and rock 'n' roll. They had a very unique sonic signature and iconic hit songs. They seem to take root with fans in every generation.

Where did things stand when you arrived?
[Keyboardist] Ray Manzarek said, "Look, there's the Beatles, the Stones, the Who, Led Zeppelin, arguably the Beach Boys and Pink Floyd, and us. We might not be #1 or #2, but we're definitely Top Five." I had to agree. So you had this all-time-great rock band who had hundreds of millions of fans all over the world, and they had superserved that fan base for years. But that base was aging and shrinking through attrition and finding other means of entertainment. I saw a quote in an article that said, "If you rely on history, you become history." That really resonated for me. The Doors had always relied on history. Pop culture tends to compress time. Broadcast TV, music and movies used to be it for entertainment. Now we have the Net, video games, 400 channels, text messages, IMs – there are a hundred different ways to be entertained or to communicate. So the Doors start to shrink.

Yet here's a whole new generation of kids for whom this music is vital. The poetry is vital. The message of questioning authority is vital. If you're a 14-year-old kid, you have the same age-old questions. You detest your parents and want to break free; you think you've got it all figured out. Or you don't have anything figured out and you feel completely lost. You look for a guide, something that gives meaning and context to feelings you think no one understands – and you find the Doors. Since the Doors are artistically valid and certainly timeless and relevant, and to this generation of kids music is completely relevant, there are these two islands. I have to find a bridge to connect these two islands, and for me it has to be elemental in its validity and in its context for kids today.

So how do you do that?
It's not enough to do a big billboard; that's old school. Maybe it's ringtones, iChat, podcasts or remixes. In our case it's all those things. We want to get to kids through film, through radio, through the Internet, through their phones, through other artists with covers, remixes and duets. We're working on some interesting concepts with some possible duets, coupling Morrison's vocals with some important modern artists. We're working on a project with Perry Farrell, taking some poetry and spoken material and adding original music that he, [New Order's] Peter Hook and Flea have written. It's a project called Satellite Party. When a kid goes to see them and suddenly hears Jim Morrison's voice, that's a portal, a bridge, that's very relevant. When you hear Adam Freeland remixing "Hello I Love You," or other electronica acts like Crystal Method or Paul Oakenfold remixing Doors songs, that's a bridge that's relevant.

The other tricky part is that you have to continue to serve your existing fan base. You can't abandon them. The more you move into a modern context, the more you're going to leave old fans behind; so you really have to minimize the old-school loss.

Was there a backlash among those fans?
There's always going to be a backlash among certain fans who are used to a certain sound. Bands have been going through that for 40 years. There was a big backlash when the Beatles' Revolver came out. I'm sure there was a big backlash when [the Beach Boys'] Pet Sounds came out from people who were used to hearing "Fun, Fun, Fun." When Dylan went electric, he was booed, called "Judas." You get what I call "demo love"; you listen to a song 10,000 times and when you hear it done differently, it rubs you the wrong way. People are used to Jim Morrison and the Doors a certain way; it's fixed in their landscape. When you alter that, it's grating to them. But if you're open-minded, it's cool.

It's about finding that line between an innovative new take on something and Fred Astaire dancing with a vacuum cleaner.
Absolutely. Here's how I look at it: The major asset of the Doors Music company – we own our own publishing and we work with Rhino/Warner Music Group on the master recordings – is the brand of the Doors. To me, that's a half-billion to $1 billion asset. Every time we do something with that brand we put a half-billion-dollars-worth of chips on the table. So the question is: I may not lose my half billion, or I might. But what if I eviscerate the brand to the tune of $100 million? What if I do something that really screws up this brand, for the sake of something experimental or very narrow in its focus? This is something every brand faces.

Especially when it comes to participating in commercials, if you're a band like the Doors.
We've been hit up for commercials since 1967. You can't say what Jim would do or say. You have to go by what happened. The context of pop image has changed in 40 years. Has it changed enough for someone to behave differently now than they would have then? You can't say. You just have to respect what happened. In July of 1967 "Light My Fire" became the biggest song in the world. Morrison happened to be off, I think in Europe somewhere, and GM approached the band to use "Light My Fire" for a commercial introducing the Buick Opel to America. They were offering $75,000, which at the time was huge. [Guitarist] Robby Krieger wrote that song. They couldn't find Jim; the three Doors signed the deal.
Commercials were always uncool for bands to do. If they did them they were considered sellouts like the Cowsills or the Partridge Family. That thinking changed sometime around 10 years ago.Jim came back and was apoplectic. They made the commercial and I'm told it aired a few times, but Morrison demanded it be taken off the air. GM said, it's too late; you signed the contract and cashed the check. Jim said, "If you don't take it off the air I'm going to smash a Buick Opel at every concert I do." They pulled it, and since that time we've never done a commercial.

Jim really wasn't in it to be a rock star. He was a poet. Ray turned him into a singer. In the beginning, Jim wouldn't face the audience, but performing was a great way to get his poetry heard. For him, seeing that song advertising the Opel had to be sacrilege. Commercials were always uncool for bands to do. If they did them they were considered sellouts like the Cowsills or the Partridge Family. That thinking changed sometime around 10 years ago. I think the sea change came with a one-two punch: Microsoft used "Start Me Up" and Nike used "Revolution." The Stones already broke ground with co-branding and co-promotion in '75, with Jovan Musk's name on tickets and a banner. Then they used "Start Me Up," which wasn't an iconic song. And the Stones were all alive to make the decision. Lennon, by the way, wasn't alive to say it was okay to use "Revolution," a song that spoke to everything this commercial wasn't. But at some point a lot of bands lost this knee-jerk reaction to doing commercials.

And fans' perceptions changed – they became less stringent about it.
Absolutely. Music has become a background soundtrack for what people do. In the '60s and '70s it was a clarion call for social revolution. If you walked down the street and saw a guy with long hair, you knew: he's one of us. If you heard him blasting Cream or Janis Joplin or Hendrix or the Doors out of his car as he drove by, you knew he was playing on your team. Now it's a background. [Drummer] John Densmore said the Doors' music is sacred because people died in Vietnam listening to it. It gave context and meaning to soldiers who were completely alienated and disenfranchised by society coming back from Vietnam; they were blamed for the war. It was a call for the hippies and yippies in '68 in Chicago at the Democratic Convention. People did a lot of important stuff while listening to the Doors, and that is sacred to the band, like "Light My Fire" was sacred to Jim.

We were approached a few years ago by Cadillac to use "Break on Through" and they were offering millions and millions of dollars. Some of the band members wanted to do it and some didn't, and they've always had a unanimity agreement, so they passed on it. In hindsight, an argument can be made on both sides. I was not involved with the Doors when this issue came up. But if one was going to do a commercial, I'm not sure Cadillac would be the right choice for the Doors. Maybe for their older fans, but certainly not for the newer fans. [Editor's note: Cadillac went on to use Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll" for its "Break Through" campaign.]

There's an old saying in poker that there's a sucker at every table – and if you can't spot the sucker in eight to 10 seconds, it's you. I believe that when you put two brands together, one of them will suck cred from the other. You make sure you're not the suckee. You have to get as close as you can. There are brands that are seen as cool and cutting-edge, though. Apple comes to mind.

I'm not saying we should or shouldn't do a commercial, but if we do couple with another brand, it has to be cool and cutting-edge. Another great category is brands that promote the communication of entertainment to consumers. If somebody like Sprint or Cingular is promoting a service that allows you to download songs to your phone, they're promoting a service that gives consumers access to entertainment. New technology – we'd be open to looking at that.

We just did a big event – we shut down the Sunset Strip and took over the Whisky, the Cat Club and Book Soup, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame designated the Whisky a historically significant place; we celebrated the release of a new book, The Doors by the Doors, and the new box set, Perception.

We don't want it to seem like the Doors are endorsing a product, especially a mundane or trivial, non-meaningful product like toothpaste or deodorant. If you're using a Doors song straight up in a TV commercial, you have to be careful how you do it.

But if the song's appearance just advertises the availability of the Doors catalog, that's different.
Right. With any commercial, even though the payoff is $10 million, you might eviscerate your brand to the tune of $200 million. Was it worth it? I got a great piece of advice from a label chairman: "What you do will kill you. What you don't do, nobody will care about." Every time you're in the hand, you're risking your pot. On the other hand, you can't get ahead without taking a risk. Hence my hairline recession.

Your collaboration with Shepard Fairey of Obey Giant seems to reflect a willingness to revamp the Doors' imagery.
We worked with him on iconography to freshen their image, to recreate it in a modern context. There's also the book I mentioned, The Doors by the Doors, which was written with [esteemed rock journalist] Ben Fong-Torres; it tells their story and has a lot of graphics that really pop. We hired a very cutting-edge design team, Melanie Paykos Design, to lay out the book, got forewords by Chester Bennington from Linkin Park, Henry Rollins and Perry Farrell. In the last chapter of the book, we talk about the Doors' impact on modern musicians; we interviewed former members of Rage Against the Machine, System of a Down, Eminem, Snoop and a lot of other artists who were really affected by the Doors. Hopefully a lot of kids who admire those artists will want to explore what they've found. We're doing a theatrical documentary on the Doors and we're even playing with the idea of using all remixes in the soundtrack.

We wanted to minimize alienating our existing fan base and maximize our attraction to new fans. And to do the latter we had to approach fans on their turf.

Every 10 or 12 years there's been a big Doors resurgence based on a signal event. Jim's death in '71, Apocalypse Now in '79 [featuring the band's "The End" in a climactic sequence, one of the few film licensing requests the group granted until recently], Oliver Stone's Doors movie in '91. Instead of those big events, we've chosen to do myriad smaller events in the hope that the whole will be bigger than the sum of its parts. I wanted to infiltrate pop culture in a stealthy way. We started out doing remixes of the Doors, but we didn't do a remix record. Instead, we released the remixes on the remixers' records, to pick up their fans. We did a version of "Riders on the Storm" with Snoop and put it in the Need for Speed Underground: 2 game. That's the only place you can get it.

So the older fans aren't even necessarily aware of these developments.
No. And of the ones who are, some like it; some don't.

The other interesting thing about the Doors is that they sound completely current. If we were having this discussion about Styx or REO Speedwagon, it would be very different. I'm blessed to manage a band that sounds completely timeless. On this forthcoming box set, we restored the original tracks – there's a lot of cussing on there, things that were kept out at the time because of social dictates. It's amazing how fresh those original tracks sound.

So in a way, time has caught up with the records.
That's right. And next year the Doors are going to be the major exposition at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We're also doing a Jim Morrison Treasures© book, which is a coffee-table book with little souvenirs, cards and things in rice-paper envelopes. There's not a lot of money to be made on things like that because they're expensive to make, but they're so cool. So once again, you're serving the brand. In so doing, the brand will serve our pocketbook in the long run. We're playing long ball. We could take some huge advance and cash out, do some big book and make a lot of money, but we didn't. We're now digitizing and digitally editing and enhancing all the Doors footage – we have thousands of reels of footage. I just saw some that this team of expert restoration guys at DTS worked on. They took a two-minute strip of the Doors live at the Hollywood Bowl, and it looks like it was shot yesterday. So we're going to do a complete Doors video box set to get that imagery out there again and present it all in Blu-Ray or HD-DVD, the brand new DVD formats, which offer unbelievable quality, clarity and depth of picture.

We're doing a lot of work in film and TV, which we never did. Once again, you have to serve the brand with cool shows. Entourage we were into from the very beginning. We saw the pilot and thought it would be a hit. We guessed right, fortunately, and we've used one or two Doors songs every season, usually end titles. Matt Groening loves the Doors, so we always had the Doors in The Simpsons. "The End" is sacred to the guys, so we don't use it a lot, but we gave it to The Simpsons. We did stuff on Alias and Cold Case, and we talked to several new shows about doing some kind of theme song, as well as several different movies.

Right now we're doing something interesting, which is an Infected Mushroom remix of "People Are Strange." It'll be a duet with Fiona Apple and Jim Morrison for the end title of a movie. She's perfect to sing that song with Jim.

You've approached music supervisors in a unique way.
We did a special project last year called Love, Death, Travel. The Doors had never been in a lot of movies; they turned down about 90 percent of the film and TV that was offered. And because of their iconic status, the music is not cheap to license. The music supervisor community is small, and over the years there were these misconceptions that the Doors won't clear music for TV, and even if they do, you can't afford it. So the supervisors stopped considering the Doors.

We wanted to open that up and start being considered for some cool projects, so we needed to overcome two problems: (1) Dispel the myth that we won't clear music and (2) Dispel the myth that the Doors are unaffordable. And these supes get CDs all day; their desks are piled high with them. So we wanted to make this really elegant box set to present to them, almost like a treasure chest, to set the Doors apart, to illustrate their special status and that they might be worth more than another band.

So we did this beautiful faux-lizard-skin, slipcased, four-disc set with a letter from the Doors and Rhino/Elektra and management saying, hey, if you want songs like "Break on Through" or "Light My Fire," be prepared to pay the price. However, there are lots of other songs that have that sound and imagery and poetry that maybe you haven't considered in a while. We remastered all the songs, and in the letter we said, we'll work with you and help you get this music cleared and we definitely want to do film and TV. Don't be afraid to call us.

Each box set was individually numbered and we sent 2,500 to music supervisors and sold 2,500 to hardcore collectors. It came out beautifully; the photos were stunning and the paper was of the highest quality. We're now following up and finding that a lot of the assistants took the boxes home! Some of the supervisors never got them. But the response has been phenomenal. We're working with Bud Carr and Nora Felder from PictureTunes Music, who work with [entertainment management company] The Firm and us on film and TV. We're in negotiations on a lot of big projects right now. We're also talking about doing remixes of entire Doors albums – song by song, with different remixers.

The other thing is you don't want to overdo it. The Doors have been in business for 39 years and we'd like to be in business for another 39; you don't want to front-load everything into '07.

What about the different members and their own projects?
I think the surviving members treat their projects separately from the brand of the Doors. Ray and Robby have a band with Ian Astbury [of the Cult] called Riders on the Storm; they go out and play Doors music, and it's an amazing show. They're Doors, you know? You hear Ray's fingers on those keys, and Robby hits that bottleneck and, my God – it's that sound. And Ian's a great singer. John Densmore has a project called Tribaljazz; their album came out Oct. 17 on Hidden Beach Records, home of Jill Scott, and it's a multicultural jazz/world beat/fusion band.
I think the surviving members treat their projects separately from the brand of the Doors.In addition to Densmore it has three African percussionists and keyboards, reeds and bass. It's really cool; Alfre Woodard and Michael Franti are guest vocalists on the record. Robby goes out and plays with the band Particle; he's on their new DVD doing covers of "Roadhouse Blues" and "L.A. Woman." Ray will occasionally sit in with other artists; he's got a new solo album with an artist named Bal called Atonal Head. He also has a new book out, Snake Moon, which is set during the Civil War. The story is very well told. Densmore's working on a new book, an essay on modern politics and culture called The Greed Gene. John is one of the most soulful, liberal, charitable guys around. He tithes, gives a big portion of his income to charity every year. And as his income went up he found his hand shaking when he wrote the checks. That gave him the idea for the book.

What have you done with TheDoors.com?
I'm really focusing on the Doors' site right now, to make it a portal for everything Doors. I want to train consumers who are looking for music or imagery or anything Doors-related to check the site first. We just completed a deal to offer our own merchandise. We deleted 134 designs and got rid of a bunch of products. You don't see Doors keychains or ceramic mugs. We make deals with what we think are the coolest clothing companies, like Junk Food, Trunk, Buddhist Punk, to do really cool designs. We're talking to Shepard Fairey about doing a limited-edition line of shirts that say "Obey the Doors."

The Doors recently completed a deal to offer not only all of our merchandise – and about 165 new designs – but all of our CDs, DVDs and books on the site, serviced and fulfilled by us. We'll have direct links to video and news, a complete discography, a historical timeline, an extensive picture gallery. Fans can go there to find anything they want to know and whatever products they want, and we'll also lead them with links to find out more about the Doors. This generation is trained to go to the Web anyway.

What about digital music sales?
We've also got a complete Doors page on iTunes, and we're doing something interesting: December is "The World of the Doors Month" on iTunes, and we're offering a chance for consumers to build their own virtual box sets. In addition to that, we have a new collection, Set The Night On Fire - The Doors Bright Midnight Archives Concerts; it's basically a "suitcase" of all the live Doors songs ever released on Bright Midnight – 99 tracks for $59.95. iTunes announced it in their "New Music Tuesdays" e-mail. We're also going to sell downloads directly from the Doors' site of a bunch of unreleased live concert recordings. The Doors' production team, Bruce Botnick and Paul Rothchild, went on the road with them in 1969-70 and recorded many live songs on multitrack, using the highest-quality audio gear and engineering. We have all those multitracks. Most of them have never been heard. We're going to let our fans build their own virtual box sets of live recordings.

So this month we've got a huge promotion on iTunes, the Doors book and the box set; in Feb. '07, they'll receive their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; in April, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Main Exhibit, a couple of live concert releases (on Bright Midnight, the Doors' joint-venture label with Rhino/Elektra) available at retail, via the site and via Rhino; in November, the Jim Morrison Treasures© book; in '08, two companion volumes of Jim Morrison's writing, Things Known and Things Unknown. Things Known will be a compendium of all his published poetry and iconic photos. Things Unknown will be unpublished lyrics and poetry, as well as drawings and paintings by Jim that no one's ever seen.

The Doors' vault is an astonishing cache of tape, photos and who knows what else.
We're still excavating. It's going to be a multi-year process. All of it has to be digitized and stored on optical media; scientists don't even know if DVDs will store archivally. It might cost $1 million to do it. Can you imagine the guy who spent $1 million to convert a film library to VHS?

We found out in the late '80s or early '90s that when Elektra was moving back to New York, they went in their vaults here and threw out all kinds of unreleased Doors songs and outtakes just to save the reels, which were worth $2-3 apiece. That stuff's just gone forever.

Is that traditional record-company logic in a nutshell?
No comment.


From Editorial Emergency 2008

[darkstar3]

NPR News
October 28, 2009


The Perilous Business Of Brand

The death of frontman Jim Morrison in 1971 spelled the end for the Doors, though the band's brand lives on through a company charged with keeping old fans happy, introducing the act to new generations and keeping the cash rolling in. Sometimes, that means Doors-branded sneakers.

"You're talking about the level of The Beatles and Elvis Presley ... and Frank Sinatra," says Jeff Jampol, who manages major pop icons, including The Doors and Janis Joplin.

Not "managed" — manages, as in now. Jampol is the current manager of these dead or long-disbanded greats — or at least of their brands and images. He approves and rejects licensing requests, schedules album re-releases, and tries to get his artists onto the covers of magazines. It can be a perilous business, as he's all too aware.

"Literally, I could ruin in an afternoon what it took these guys 30, 40 years to build," Jampol says.

www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114168764

[darkstar3]

Interesting People
Classic Rock Branding: Jeff Jampol
and the Doors
11/12/2006

www.doorscollectors.com/FORUM/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=174

[darkstar3]

The Doors Street Team

Hello Doors fans around the world!

We are starting up a brand new official Doors Street Team and we would love your help spreading the word! In the US, we would love your help on the street passing out handbills and stickers and putting up posters for our up and coming Documentary Feature and for future releases and special promotions. In addition, we will soon have an assortment of fun online tools you can use on your Myspace & Facebook pages as well as your blogs, personal websites, and other social networks. International street team members can also help out the band online.

We will have special rewards for people who put in a lot of effort into up and coming campaigns such as books, music, t-shirts, posters and other cool merchandise. Please click on the link below to fill out your information and only select The Doors Street Team as the street team you want to join. Once you sign up, you will be hearing from us soon with many ways you can help out The Doors.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE DOORS STREET TEAM!
fanmanager.net/html/teams.html

Thanks,

The Doors Music Company

doors.multiply.com/journal

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

New Band-Branded Converse Sneakers Stir Controversy

Converse is rolling out band-branded Chuck Taylors for it’s 100 year Birthday Celebration with the debut of its Fall 2008 Footwear Collection that includes The Grateful Dead and Kurt Cobain. Converse’s goal is to sell a lot more of its sneakers “celebrate musicians who have transformed culture and changed the world featuring shoes designed to honor these pioneers of music who have disrupted the status quo.”

The design of the kicks are actually not half-bad, but the idea of selling mass-produced band-merch beyond the staples of t-shirts, hats and patches is noteworthy. Several Hip-Hop stars have lent their names and design ideas to sneaker concepts, but the majority are limited-edition releases aimed at trendsetters and collectors.

Other bands who are involved include: The Beatles and The Doors. Many fans and industry watchers have cried foul prompting Jeff Jampol, who handles the Doors licensing deals to declare:

“I know, I know, we’re ALL sellouts. But The Doors dug this, they were involved in the design and creation, and we hope you’ll agree they’re very, VERY cool. Or not. The Doors have NEVER been artists to shy away from controversy. We thought long and hard about this, and I gotta say, Converse Jack Purcells and rock go hand-in-hand, and have ever since the mid-sixties.” However, you know Jim Morrison is rolling over in his grave.

Converse is owned by Nike.


“I know, I know, we’re ALL sellouts. But The Doors dug this, they were involved in the design and creation,
Now this little snippet is interesting as it is a blatant downright lie by Jeff Jampol.
We got into this during 2008 on the John Densmore board and JD himself came onto the discussion to deny flat out that he had taken any part in the design and creation of the shoe.
Jampol exposed once again with his pants on fire.

More importantly it shows the depth this man will trawl to sell his branding of The Doors argument.
A man of low moral standing who is a proven liar who makes a living from dead bands and artists.

As I said it is not as simple as I made out in my original post but by applying common sense it becomes clear what is an endorsement and what is a simple promotional tool.
I will be wearing a promotional tool when I go to Paris but will not be endorsing 'Fruit Of The Loom'
#I looked at one of my T Shirt tags.

[darkstar3]

Canada.com
The Gazette (Montreal)
November 24 2007

Who doesn't sell out?


The Sledgehammer

Well, another classic rock band was approached for Cadillac's 2003 Break Through TV campaign before Led Zeppelin.

"Correct," says Jeff Jampol, manager of the Doors.

They said no.

"Correct." Jampol also manages the estates of Janis Joplin and Gram Parsons. "The Doors have, to date, never done a commercial."

Not officially. There was a near-collision with General Motors back in 1967.

"Light My Fire was the No. 1 song in the world, basically," Jampol continues. "And Jim (Morrison) was off somewhere, and GM approached the Doors to use Light My Fire in a television commercial for the Opel Cadet. They couldn't find Jim, and Robbie (Krieger, guitarist) is the guy who wrote Light My Fire, and so the three other Doors made the deal. (GM) actually made the commercial, and as I understand, it actually aired a couple of times. And Jim got back and found out what happened and was completely apoplectic.

"What I am told," Jampol says, "he called the head of GM and basically said if you air this commercial one more time, I'm gonna go on the Ed Sullivan show and smash an Opel with a sledgehammer."

The ad was discontinued. A philosophy, however, was in its waning days.

"It used to be that commercials were death - it was a complete corporate sellout. Rock 'n' roll was a free, anti-authoritarian, rebellious concept."

When Nike used the Beatles' Revolution in 1987, fans were ready to hit the bricks in rebellion. It was a flashpoint moment - but not as intended. Rather than validating the inseparable connection between the lyric content - and context - and the tune, that moment separated music and meaning forever, in ad terms.

"And today, media and pop culture and rock have completely intermingled. Today's generation completely accepts commercials as a way to learn about music."

And to consume, both the product and the song. Which is which? And is that question even valid?

More here:
www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/preview/story.html?id=74b2e3e0-b781-42fb-8df3-5f76e18d5ab8

[darkstar3]

BrandWeek
Strategy: The Doors Of Reception: Now Open For Business
Box sets of the band's music will suggest themes for brands.
May 30, 2005
- Becky Ebenkamp

For the first time in its 38-year history, '60s rock band The Doors is opening its music catalog to marketers. Along with a more liberal attitude toward sharing songs, the group's music and iconography will be leveraged to a new generation of rebels through 2007, the band's 40th anniversary.

This summer, The Doors Music Co., Los Angeles, will send 2,500 limited-edition Love/Death/ Travel box sets to ad agencies and music supervisors to inform them The Doors are now open for business—for TV, film or ad soundtracks.

The move represents a perfect example of the current detente between counter-culture bands and corporate brands: today, ads and soundtracks are viewed as a music promo tool, like radio used to be. "A new generation of fans are moving away from the old standards, like radio, and into new forms of media," said Doors manager Jeff Jampol. "We'd rather be part of this revolution than a past that doesn't work anymore."

The plan comes fresh off a Riders on the Storm remix with Snoop Dogg for EA Games' Need for Speed Underground 2.

"The Doors represent the last chance for freedom before putting on the yoke of conformity," said Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek, explaining why he thinks today's kids—and the marketers who want their wallets—will dig it. "That always exists for every generation."

The Doors are perhaps rock 'n' roll's most recognizable but underutilized group, at least in marketing terms. Although singer Jim Morrison died in 1971, the band's music remains in continuous play on the radio. Their songs include some obviously brand-friendly hits such as Light My Fire, Break on Through (to the Other Side) and Hello, I Love You.

Manzarek believes The Doors continue to resonate, especially in these straitlaced cultural times, because the message speaks to disenfranchised youth, much like hip-hop does.

"I think there's a need in people to find a freedom and rebellion within themselves rather than being chained to the ideas and the times, and The Doors represents this in a conservative age," Manzarek said. "That sense of spontaneity, excitement, and rebelliousness could go hand in hand with the right brand."

The L/D/T set, swathed in lizard skin (as in Lizard King—geddit?), contains three discs showcasing the broad music catalog, from tender ballads to Morrison's oedipal scream on The End. Also, a DVD of live performances and a lithograph by guerrilla artist Shepard Fairey (of Obey Giant fame; see graphic, above). The sixth pocket contains four unpublished photos, one of each Doors member: Morrison, Manzarek, guitarist/songwriter Robby Krie-ger and drummer John Densmore.

A menu lists songs and star DJs (Thievery Corporation, DJ Lethal) at the ready for tailored client remixes. Another 2,500 copies of L/D/T will sell online.

Meanwhile, there are many initiatives pegged to the 40th, including a dark, interactive Las Vegas ride—dubbed, for now, The Doors Experience—and a traveling tent show (working title: Break on Through) recreating four stages in the career of the band, from its Sunset Strip roots to Morrison's final resting place, Paris.

Also planned are remixes by DJs Paul Oakenfold (L.A. Woman) and The Crystal Method (Roadhouse Blues), a Doors Anthology (Chronicle Books), a theatrical documentary, a revamped licensing program and remastered CDs.

Jampol sees cutting-edge tech companies and eco-minded brands as marketing partners. However, receptivity will be tempered with selectivity. Don't expect to hear Morrison crooning for military recruitment or GMOs. "The Doors were all about opening the doors of perception, questioning authority, [and] not taking things at face value," Jampol said.

login.vnuemedia.com/bw/esearch/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000938396

[darkstar3]

Future Music
June 2 2008
New Band-Branded Converse
Sneakers Stir Controversy

Converse is rolling out band-branded Chuck Taylors for it’s 100 year Birthday Celebration with the debut of its Fall 2008 Footwear Collection that includes The Grateful Dead and Kurt Cobain. Converse’s goal is to sell a lot more of its sneakers “celebrate musicians who have transformed culture and changed the world featuring shoes designed to honor these pioneers of music who have disrupted the status quo.”

The design of the kicks are actually not half-bad, but the idea of selling mass-produced band-merch beyond the staples of t-shirts, hats and patches is noteworthy. Several Hip-Hop stars have lent their names and design ideas to sneaker concepts, but the majority are limited-edition releases aimed at trendsetters and collectors.

Other bands who are involved include: The Beatles and The Doors. Many fans and industry watchers have cried foul prompting Jeff Jampol, who handles the Doors licensing deals to declare:
“I know, I know, we’re ALL sellouts. But The Doors dug this, they were involved in the design and creation, and we hope you’ll agree they’re very, VERY cool. Or not. The Doors have NEVER been artists to shy away from controversy. We thought long and hard about this, and I gotta say, Converse Jack Purcells and rock go hand-in-hand, and have ever since the mid-sixties.” However, you know Jim Morrison is rolling over in his grave.
Converse is owned by Nike.

futuremusic.com/blog/2008/06/02/new-band-branded-converse-sneakers-stir-controversy/

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

Another way of marking the difference between these two types of marketing tool is that in an endorsement a company will approach a band or artist with an offer of money for them to be associated with their product.
The main reason for this would be to increase sales of the product rather than promote the band.
Of course the band receives a monetary reward plus a level of promotion for this tie in but the over riding part of the deal is it sells the company's product.
An example is Converse tie in with The Doors. Another would be Buick using LMF to advertise a car.
It would be the car they want you to buy not a Doors single.

In a promotion a band or artist approach a company with an offer of money to produce a certain number of items which would be associated with the band or artists name.
The reason for this would 100% to promote the name of band or artist via whatever medium is utilised.

Reduced to it's simplest form a promotion is where a band pays a company for their services to promote the band whilst an endorsement is where a company pays a band for their services in promoting their company.

By using common sense this complex argument can be stripped bare to it's essential elements and seen in it's most basic form as rather simple.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

Some rather interesting points made here.

www.thelicensingplate.com/the-brand-is-not-the-band-nor-is-it-a-record-label/

I particularly like this one.

Brands do not associate with music to sell music, they associate with music to sell more of their particular product.
The Brand is Not the Band…Nor is it a Record Label
Tue, Apr 5, 2011 Branded Music, TLP Original

By associating The Doors with brands Jeff Jampol goes against the ethic Jim Morrison championed with his argument against Buick and his comments towards fans who were copying his lyrics and selling bootleg copies of them.
As far as Buick was concerned Jim Morrison was against getting into bed with brands.
His attitude to his fans profiting from his hard work was surprisingly simple.

Interview with Jim Morrison (Backstage at the Isle Of Wight Festival) August 30 1970 by John Tobler.

John: I've discovered a book on sale at this festival called The Doors Song Book, which appears to be a pirated version of all the words off all the albums, including the new one. What do you reckon about that?

Jim: Well, I don't mind if they've got all the words spelled
right. A lot of time they really screw up the meaning, just one word or one semi-colon can ruin the whole thing.

John: You don't mind that somebody's making some bread out of your words?

Jim: No, what harm could it do?

This speaks volumes for a man who has been much maligned this last 40 years by friend and foe alike. Someone was profiting from his hard work. he was NOT getting a cut.
What did he care about?
As long as they got the punctuation and the spelling right he was fine with it.

Makes you think eh?

[gizmo]

Jun 3, 2011 13:02:59 GMT darkstar3 said:

The Doors Street Team

Hello Doors fans around the world!

We are starting up a brand new official Doors Street Team and we would love your help spreading the word! In the US, we would love your help on the street passing out handbills and stickers and putting up posters for our up and coming Documentary Feature and for future releases and special promotions. In addition, we will soon have an assortment of fun online tools you can use on your Myspace & Facebook pages as well as your blogs, personal websites, and other social networks. International street team members can also help out the band online.

We will have special rewards for people who put in a lot of effort into up and coming campaigns such as books, music, t-shirts, posters and other cool merchandise. Please click on the link below to fill out your information and only select The Doors Street Team as the street team you want to join. Once you sign up, you will be hearing from us soon with many ways you can help out The Doors.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE DOORS STREET TEAM!
fanmanager.net/html/teams.html

Thanks,

The Doors Music Company

doors.multiply.com/journal

sheeps?? i think slavery is a better word, work for your band....like bands with a low budget did in the 60's , but at least they could come backstage and had food and drinks, all you get now is................................ *fill in here*

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

Jun 3, 2011 12:55:44 GMT TheWallsScreamedPoetry said:

Especially when it comes to participating in commercials, if you're a band like the Doors.
We've been hit up for commercials since 1967. You can't say what Jim would do or say. You have to go by what happened. The context of pop image has changed in 40 years. Has it changed enough for someone to behave differently now than they would have then? You can't say. You just have to respect what happened. In July of 1967 "Light My Fire" became the biggest song in the world. Morrison happened to be off, I think in Europe somewhere, and GM approached the band to use "Light My Fire" for a commercial introducing the Buick Opel to America. They were offering $75,000, which at the time was huge. [Guitarist] Robby Krieger wrote that song. They couldn't find Jim; the three Doors signed the deal.
Commercials were always uncool for bands to do. If they did them they were considered sellouts like the Cowsills or the Partridge Family. That thinking changed sometime around 10 years ago.Jim came back and was apoplectic. They made the commercial and I'm told it aired a few times, but Morrison demanded it be taken off the air. GM said, it's too late; you signed the contract and cashed the check. Jim said, "If you don't take it off the air I'm going to smash a Buick Opel at every concert I do." They pulled it, and since that time we've never done a commercial.

Interesting People: Classic Rock Branding: Jeff Jampoland the Doors

Jun 3, 2011 12:55:44 GMT TheWallsScreamedPoetry said:

You can't say what Jim would do or say. You have to go by what happened.

Jampol uses this phrase to give gravitas to what he says about branding. But we can indeed get a sense of what Jim would say as he made this very point several times in his life both with Buick and the pirate copies of his words that fans were making money from.

Jun 3, 2011 12:55:44 GMT TheWallsScreamedPoetry said:

The context of pop image has changed in 40 years. Has it changed enough for someone to behave differently now than they would have then? You can't say. You just have to respect what happened.

This is indeed true. Would Morrison have mellowed out and become as greedy and as shallow as Manzarek?
Nobody knows.
But as Jampol says "You just have to respect what happened."
But NO respect at all is shown to what happened as The Doors have continued for 40 years to try to embrace the same commercialism Morrison was firmly against.
Pam stopped the three from selling LMF for a second time. She could not prevent them selling ROTS to Pirelli but luckily John Densmore finally got it and has stopped the worst excesses in their tracks ever since.
Of course he has not stopped all of them.
Would Jim Morrison be cool with his image on a shoe?
All we know is what happened and what happened was Jim Morrison was not at all cool with his image on the first LP dwarfing the rest of the band.
He demanded that his image did not appear on the 2nd LP.
During the LA Woman photo shoot he hunched down so that he seemed shorter than the other Doors.
This is all we have to go on as to what Morrison's position may have been.
It falls to individual Doors fans to make up their mind as to what the answer may have been.

Would Jim Morrison consider The Doors a brand?
We know Jim was proud of his work with The Doors.
We know Jim hated the commercialisation of the band and grew to hate LMF because of what it stood for rather than the song itself.
He grew to tire of the audiences who screamed for the hit and paid less attention to work such as COTL.
We know he tried hard to introduce poetry into the Doors 3rd and 4th albums.
It is very hard to consider any situation where Jim Morrison would have been comfortable referring to The Doors as a brand.
But some do think just that.
Ray Manzarek has spoken for Jim Morrison many times.
He has said that Jim Morrison would embrace adverts nowadays as he and Jim were of one mind towards this use of The Doors.
He stood up in a court of law and lied that Morrison disliked Buick because his father the Admiral drove a Buick.
A cruel lie that removed the integrity of a stand against commercialism in 1968 and reduced it to a pitiful spat against his Dad.
So according to Jampol you cannot say what Jim would do or say. But Ray Manzarek does when it suits his agenda.
So if he can then we can.
I am confidant in saying that Jim Morrison even as an old man would have nothing to do with Converse and nothing to do with Jeff Jampol and his brand D©©®s.
But then what do I know.
After all these people have their next million to make

[gizmo]

i saw jampol's facebook page yesterday and he claimed to be the manager from the morisson estate? is he becoming a bit rayish?