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Post by TheWallsScreamedPoetry on Jul 28, 2006 17:03:21 GMT
 Walls, hi! Good to be here...(if there is a Doors site ..count on Jacky to be there). The concert I was talking about was at the "Arena" at 45th and Market Sts. The only other one I know of (and was there) was one year later at the Spectrum...at that one I was roughly 15 feet from the stage...no more 'balconies' for this fan. Philadelphia loved the Doors, (it is a Doors kind of town) that may be why they liked playing here. At the Spectrum concert. . . Jim and the boys felt our respect and total awe of the band. We didn't disrupt or carry-on like some jag-off's in other cities. Jim seemed quite happy to be here, he smiled alot, and the show itself was (of course) awesome. In Frank's book "A Feast of Friends" opposite page 10, there is a shot of Jim in a Philadelphia hotel room. (That had to be the Arena concert). The only other one I know of was 1 year later at the Spectrum. Walls, did I miss one? Town Hall 1967 on 18th June which features the famous version of The End that leaves people slumped in the aisles according to reports. The Arena in 68 on August 4 which is a great bootleg. The 1969 gig was scheduled for the Spectrum then the Convention centre then the Spectrum but cancelled as a reult of Miami and ended up in the Arena then the 1970 one at The Spectrum. The last Doors gig there was a three man post Jim show show at the University in November 1971. You guys did quite well though as two out of the four gigs were recorded....  |
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Post by ensenada on Jul 28, 2006 19:23:15 GMT
hey swimout! cool to hear you attended some of the doors conerts, but the question is.....were you sober enough to remember them?  |
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Post by kristyob on Apr 26, 2011 19:53:04 GMT
1. Sneaking into my sister's room at 13 and listening to the first album on her stereo while lying on the floor in the dark, giant earphones engulfing my psyche. I had heard their music for a few years prior without ever seeing what they looked like or knowing the bands history. When I finally got my hands on the cover I was equally terrified by the 3 Doors in the shadows and fascinated by Morrison who was in the light. Seriously, Robbie, John and Ray looked evil to me!!!
2. Racing to get my sister's new copy of Circus magazine from the mailbox before she got home (she would never let me read it). While walking in the house I looked down at the cover to see the most beautiful man ever. It was my first strong crush. I just had to know who he was, so I asked my older brother who replied simply "he's dead".
3. Reading NOHGOA (again at 13). It was my first 'adult' book.
4. COTL
5. Reading Ray's book in 2001. It re-introduced me to something that was so important to me as a kid and made me seek out the real story of Jim.
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adam
Door Half Open
Posts: 100
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Post by adam on Apr 26, 2011 20:59:18 GMT
far too many too post !!
buying all 6 albums after only ever owning best off & listening to them in chronological order again & again
(attempting to) understand some of jim's influences & reading these books for myself
understanding that the issues/hopes/dreams of my generation were harmonised with not only my parents (jim's) generation but ALL generations past & present
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Post by kristyob on Apr 27, 2011 16:20:37 GMT
"understanding that the issues/hopes/dreams of my generation were harmonised with not only my parents (jim's) generation but ALL generations past & present"
Beautiful!!
It seems that a lot of us have taken the iniative to seek out Jim's influences. What is it about the music or his life that makes us do this ?
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Post by casandra on Apr 27, 2011 18:34:10 GMT
I was in high school in 1983, I was 15 years old. It was a Catholic public school. In the English class, every day a girl came on the platform, she wrote the lyrics of a song on the blackboard, we listened to a cassette and then we translated it. The teacher was a nun, who had lived many years in the U.S. So far we'd traslated the Beatles, Michael Jackson, and some others songs, especially pop songs of those years. I had been hesitating between "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin or "People are Strange" by The Doors, so I went to my local library, but I didn’t find a Doors or Led Zeppelin songbooks, I asked a friend who had some Doors records and he said that he had “People are strange” lyrics and he wrote it for me. So I went to school with my cassette and lyrics. I put the song, I wrote the lyrics on the blackboard and nothing happened, but the nun asked me where I had got that song and I told her that I had recorded from the radio. But a few days later, the nun caught me smoking a cigarette with some friends on a street near the school. So the next day she called me to her office and she said me: "You are a product of the corruption of youth, first that unbearable music, after cigarettes and who knows what else more. That is what socialists have succeeded" (*). So I endured the scolding, left the office and I thought, "This music must be good when this nun is so nervous, I'll have to listen more". I went to a record store and found Absolute Live of second-hand. That was my first album of The Doors, because until then only knew three songs from The Doors (Light my fire, Break on through and People are strange) that I was recorded in a cassette, recorded from the radio. I put the first record, I began to listen and then the second record and everything seemed wonderful. There was something in those records, in Jim Morrison’s voice that captivated me. He was enigmatic, rebellious, and he was a poet reciting verses, but practically I only understood two words out of ten. So when I saved some money, I bought little by little, the six studio albums and I listened continuously until I learned the lyrics of almost every song by heart. And after I bought Hervé Muller's book and then I knew more about the Doors and Jim Morrison. (*) At that time the Socialist Party won the elections for the first time in Spain since democracy was restored, and they had forced the Catholic schools to provide sex education in religion class and Spanish Constitution in the history class. Also they just decriminalized drug use and they had approved the abortion law. So in Catholic schools, the atmosphere was very upset. After another girl came with “Anarchy in the UK” by Sex Pistols and the translation songs class was finished for ever…  |
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Post by TheWallsScreamedPoetry on Apr 27, 2011 19:54:41 GMT
That is the best story in answer to these kind of questions I have seen. |
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Post by kristyob on Apr 27, 2011 19:57:49 GMT
I love this story as well. See the music still works even if you don't know the words!!
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Post by TheWallsScreamedPoetry on Apr 28, 2011 9:43:52 GMT
This is a momemnt I remember from the late 70s that struck a paticular chord with me....not sure of the time or even the year....but it happened in a pub in the village of Norton which was the suburb of Stockton I was brought up in.
I always had hung out with people who were into rock music from school onwards but never found anyone who was a fan of The Doors. Most ignored the band and many hated them completely.
My best mate Geoff Davis was a hater....not rabid but he had a healthy contempt for Jim.
He was extremely knowledgeable when it came to rock and was a big Deep Purple fan and of Yes who were his two fave bands.
We talked rock all the time in pubs and went to gigs together with our circle of friends.
Doors conversations were few and far between in my circle of rock mates as nobody liked the band but I remember one evening meeting Geoff in a pub in Norton for a pint and he made an amazing revelation to me which rather shocked me.
He had bought a copy of LA Woman and told me he was quite enjoying listening to it. I cannot recall exactly why he had a change of heart but know he never came to call himself a fan although he did indeed buy several more Doors albums and liked them.
Here was my best mate whom I had known since the age of 5 back at Junior School in 1960 asking me to explain a bit about The Doors and recommend some tracks to listen to.
A supremely wonderful Doors moment for me which I never forgot even if I cannot remember the date and time of the event.
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adam
Door Half Open
Posts: 100
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Post by adam on Apr 28, 2011 14:33:43 GMT
After another girl came with “Anarchy in the UK” by Sex Pistols and the translation songs class was finished for ever… PMSL !!!!!!!!! quality story |
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Post by kristyob on Apr 28, 2011 16:08:15 GMT
That's a real cool story Alex. I think a lot of us can relate to keeping our interest in the band on the down low because our friends don't share the obsession. Maybe that is why so many of us have kept in touch from the Doorsboard. Finally people who got it, who understood.
But it begs to be mentioned....maybe some good has come out of Ray's publicity hunger. There was a time when the Doors weren't as popular as they are now.
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Post by TheWallsScreamedPoetry on Apr 28, 2011 16:25:50 GMT
There was a time when the Doors weren't as popular as they are now. Pretty much my experience of growing up as a Doors fan in the late 60s early 70s. I saw a lot of venom directed to the band from friends and schoolmates. |
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Post by casandra on Apr 28, 2011 16:41:41 GMT
Thank you very much to all; I'm glad you like the story. Your stories are really interesting and nice. Adam, we were very irresponsible and mischievous girls and we enjoyed very much tormenting to the poor nuns… |
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Post by kristyob on Apr 28, 2011 16:50:45 GMT
Casandra, I love it. I went to Catholic school as well. The worst we did was dye our hair pink, you ladies were so much badder. Rock on!!
Alex, why do you think that was ? Was it just fall-out from Miami and all the bad press ?
Right around the time I discovered The Doors, the famous Rolling Stone "He's hot, he's sexy and he's dead" came out. So it was a bit cooler to be into the music then.
I must admit when the poetry books started coming out (atound 1987-9) I picked one up at a book store, browsed through it before rolling my eyes and saying 'oh please' to myself. I thought it was pretentious. some of it still is to me...but the ones that work realy, truly shine.
I think as an artist, he would be appalled to know that many of his notes and works in progress were made available to the public. a lot of bad writing has to take place before a gem appears.
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Post by TheWallsScreamedPoetry on Apr 28, 2011 17:11:21 GMT
Alex, why do you think that was ? Was it just fall-out from Miami and all the bad press ? To be honest that was not even the slightest deal here from what I saw. I am sure it was mentioned but we had The Beatles and Stones here so Jim's antics were of no interest round my neighbourhood. I have never been able to make a reasoned answer to why this was. Still got me beat! I knew people who liked The Dead but never one who even thought The Doors were even OK. Weird. I think as an artist, he would be appalled to know that many of his notes and works in progress were made available to the public. a lot of bad writing has to take place before a gem appears. If he had survived he would have finished many of the poems but it's all we have to gauge his worth as a poet. It's not ideal but it's better than nothing. I must admit when the poetry books started coming out (atound 1987-9) I picked one up at a book store, browsed through it before rolling my eyes and saying 'oh please' to myself. I thought it was pretentious. some of it still is to me...but the ones that work realy, truly shine. Totally agree with that. Took me 30 years to get into it. Some of it is cringeworthy but some of it is rather profound. |
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adam
Door Half Open
Posts: 100
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Post by adam on Apr 28, 2011 18:58:46 GMT
Thank you very much to all; I'm glad you like the story. Your stories are really interesting and nice. Adam, we were very irresponsible and mischievous girls and we enjoyed very much tormenting to the poor nuns… sounds like they had it coming |
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adam
Door Half Open
Posts: 100
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Post by adam on Apr 28, 2011 19:32:56 GMT
i think re the doors popularity (lack of)
-& i'm playing devil's advocate here-
they were quite a basic band really... the 70s saw so many great bands, that really evolved the 60s sounds
take led zep for example, far more talented musicians, far harder sound, multi layer music & a powerhouse of a singer
the doors by comparison were kinda old news & little pretentious, even before jim died
so why do we like the doors? what do we get that other's miss
i think the answer is that they earned that pretentiousness - it's ok to be pretentious if your real, if you mean it, which of course the doors did (to a point)
but unless you delve deep into the music you wont see this reality
[us lot were obviously blessed with the intelligence, charm, good looks & discerning taste required to understand the doors sound immediately !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]
now more people are into the doors, largely because (as Kristy says) of Ray, Ray made the world realise jim was real, ok so ray has lied thru his wallet, claiming jim was out of control, but the basic message was that 'hey kids this jim guy was real, his msg is valid'
& now (as discussed on other threads) jim is seen as this crazy, out of control artiste, driven by art to be nuts, like a convulsion
the kids respect this - even tho it's bollocks, & ergo the doors are cool
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Post by TheWallsScreamedPoetry on Apr 28, 2011 19:58:48 GMT
As you say mate that came later but in the 60s and early part of the 70s people here embraced US bands such as the Dead and Country Joe and The Fish but not The Doors. Zeppelin did not become legendary until Zepp 4 and bands like Wishbone Ash, Yes and Genesis were just starting out. Purple was beginning to become established by then as were Sabbath and Floyd were popular but there was indeed as Jim said something about The Doors that rubbed people up the wrong way. People in my area were into American bands like The Byrds or Buffalo Springfield and even bands like The Amboy Dukes but The Doors were seen as something sinister. I knew loads of people into all sorts of stuff US and Brit but never any Doors fans. Still got me beat to this day. |
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Post by casandra on Apr 29, 2011 17:56:42 GMT
Casandra, I love it. I went to Catholic school as well. The worst we did was dye our hair pink, you ladies were so much badder. Rock on!! Pink hair!! I never did that!!! sounds like they had it coming Yes. After so many years, it is very fun to remember the commotion that ensued into the classroom… I guess at that time (late 70’s-early 80’s) here, we were living our own The times they are a changin'. There was freedom so it was palpable in the environment. So I think at that time we were very rebellious and politically aware. We were too young, but I think we were realizing what was happening... And we liked the challenges. It was our way of rebelling against the things what we didn't like. |
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Post by casandra on Apr 29, 2011 19:31:55 GMT
[us lot were obviously blessed with the intelligence, charm, good looks & discerning taste required to understand the doors sound immediately !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!] Thanks, is a good comment. Do you really think this? Sure, because we are that way, we have come to this forum. But we are the 0'0000001% of the Doors fans. If the three Doors had to live with the royalties of what we buy, they would be very poor. They would be begging in a subway entrance or a Church door (this is where the homeless beg in my city), as they have worked very little in the last 40 years. |
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