Beastly beat me to it, but here’s what wikipedia has to say about it.
For the past 40 years it has surprised me how very few people seem to be aware of this bit of trivia:
Admiral George Stephen Morrison, nasty Jimbo’s father, was commander of the U.S. naval forces in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Gulf of Tonkin Incident of August 1964, which set off what is known as the Vietnam War.
One other aspect of Morrison’s personality that hasn’t been mentioned is that he insisted The Doors was a group and shared most of the songwriting credits equally (“The Soft Parade” album is different). Robbie Krieger has said that this worked out about the same for him since he wrote the two biggest hits “Light My Fire” and “Touch Me.” But John Densmore and Ray Manzarek have made a lot of money over the years because of this equal sharing which seldom happens in musical groups.
A nice guy when sober but a mean drunk. Morrison loved to drink saying it was cheap, legal and being Irish he was supposed to (his description, not mine). He also had a strong contrarian personality, when other members hired people to keep him sober, he was more determined to drink.
And that’s why I found the Oliver Stone movie disappointing. The title was a lie. It was not about The Doors, the band; it was The Jim Morrison Story. I wanted to see a film about the band. So much for that. I especially thought that with Kyle MacLaughlan playing Manzarek, there’d be some good scenes showing him and Morrison at odds with each other. Instead, he was portrayed as Morrison’s sidekick. (IIRC; I only saw it once.)
Pfff…Englebert Humperdink would kick Jim Morrison’s ass. Only the young Englebert, though.
I think Morrison had a real death wish-the way he abused his body with alcohol and tobacco-just compare the guy when the Doors got started, with what he looked like when he croaked. Is there something about rock starts that leads them to self-destruction? Amy Winehouse comes to mind-her “Back to Black” video looks like a forecast of her own death.
Nitpick: he wrote two of the Doors’ three biggest hits. Morrison’s “Hello, I Love You,” a #1 smash, easily outclasses “Touch Me” in popularity.
Not “easily”.
Touch Me spent 13 weeks on the charts, 12 in the top 40 and 8 in the top 10. Hello was on the charts for one week less, spent one less week in the top 40, but one more in the top 10.
The first peaked at #3 for one week. The latter peaked two positions higher and lasted two weeks in that position.
Given the competition at the time, they could almost be said to be equal. In 1966-68, over 700 singles reached the Top 100. Compare that to say 2007, when only 410 singles charted. I believe that many #1 singles today have double digit runs.
Oh.
Oh yeah, that Indian he was following around in that movie that only he could see.
And let’s not be silly. Robert Plant is the golden god!
The Doors: carnival music fronted by a hack with absolutely no range in his voice whatsoever.
I haven’t listened to a lot of Doors, but, now that you mention it: yeah, Jim Morrison doesn’t have much vocal range, does he?
He didnt have much of a singing voice, period. However, he made it work for rock and roll.
Put me in the “way too fucking overrated” camp.
Is this a good time to repost Weird Al’s tribute to The Doors?
(And yes, that’s actually Ray Manzarek you hear on the organ.)
I’ll top that, and give you Jimmy Fallon (singing the Reading Rainbow song, no less).
I recall reading/hearing that Jim hated this song, initially refused to sing it and didn’t want his name on the credits.
That song is a stinker.
Well, MY favorite was The Alabama Song (by Kurt Weill, 1928?). This, plus the Doors, plus Jim Morrison = perfect nirvana for me.
Morrison was an incredible talent, but also a flawed human being. Unfortunately the flaws often go with the talent. Really I think he thought he was deeper than he really was. But it still worked for me, and the music was amazing.