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http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/publicist-ray-manzarek-founding-member-of-the-doors-dies-at-74-from-cancer/2013/05/20/2dec0d86-c193-11e2-9aa6-fc21ae807a8a_story.html

This. SUCKS.

Huge bummer.  A sad day indeed.  :'(

Just saw this. goshdarn.


This year really fucking sucks for musicians dying.

:(

Very sad day.  RIP Ray. :(

From Alice Cooper's Facebook page:


[...]




Weird. Some hoax.

R.I.P., Manzarek.

I'm really sorry to hear about this.  Didn't know he was on his way out. What a great keyboard player he was!

Now he's in Rock & Roll Heaven with Jim.

Well, this really ruined my day. May he rest in peace.

Damn, really? Didn't even know he was sick...

Always found every member of The Doors incredibly cool, especially him. RIP  :(

Funny you should mention "Rock & Roll Heaven" - Alan O'Day who wrote that song died last week.

And if you think Jimbo's there with him.....well, I just wonder what the odds are at Ladbrokes that we'll see the Lizard King make Ray's burial. Or at least the memorial service.  I mean, you gotta figure if it really was him in Pere Lachaise, somebody would have tried to steal the body by now to hold for ransom. And nobody's even bothered to try.

Should be a quiet burial as long as there's no dead Indians around the cemetary......

I was shocked when i herd it, still pretty much am, he seem to be a down to earth kind of guy and was very funny and could tell a good story of the band, RIP

It's hard to listen to "Light My Fire" or "Riders On The Storm" or "The Crystal Ship" or any Doors' songs - even Other Voices and Full Circle - without Ray in this world. Although he was the "older" Door, he was so young at heart, so much energy, so much spirit. His keyboard work provided me with more musical enjoyment than probably any musician ever. I was glad that he and Robby got to perform together over the last decade; I know they loved it. I hope Ray and John spent some final quality time together; I'm sure they did. As a young kid, The Doors were my first favorite group. I'm physically sick over this; I didn't know Ray was ill. My thoughts are with his family. R.I.P. Ray, and thanks for years and years of great music, and making my life happier.   

Oh man... very depressed... he tried so hard to hold the band together... Didn't know he was sick...

Ah man that sucks :'( If there is an afterlife, I hope he and Jim are catching up and writing new tunes.

Pretty much sums up my thoughts!

Sure don't see it that way. Sad that he's gone, sure, I guess; Sad when anyone we enjoy(ed) that much passes. But great music is , well, great music and Ray being gone doesn't diminish that for me. At all

The thing that always got me was that the Doors had no bass player! Ray was their keyboard player AND their bass player. And he also played it like a lead instrument when the guitar was usually the only lead instrument. Don't know how many other bands were like that, but somehow they still got a good full sound out of just those three guys backing up Morrison.

Good point , I was in a Band in the 80's ( 3 piece-Keys, Drums and guitar ) and our Keyboard player played Hammond / Synths and Bass pedals - Certainly don't see that very often

Amazing wasn't it. When you listen to Absolutely Live or any of the Bright Midnight live releases or watch any live videos, ALL of those brilliant keyboard parts was Ray playing them with one hand - his right hand. He was simultaneously playing a keyboard bass with his left hand. How did he do that?! And he made it look so effortlessly.

As a tribute, so much stuff to listen to in the next couple of days. The Doors, with and without Jim. The Golden Scarab, The Whole Thing Started With Rock & Roll Now It's Out Of Control. Nite City. I have this Ray Manzarek/Roy Rogers CD. And, of course, the DVD's and YouTube videos.

Did they ever use an outside bass player for studio albums? I swear I hear an electric bass being played on one of their albums (maybe their debut), but I could be wrong.

They used session players on all of their albums, but not on every track. There's some electric bass on the first album that (I think) Larry Knechtel played. From 1967-69 they used Douglass Lubahn, Kerry Magness, Leroy Vinnegar, and Harvey Brooks on bass. On Morrison Hotel they had Lonnie Mack and Ray Neapolitan on bass. On L.A. Woman they had the one and only Jerry Scheff, from Elvis Presley's live band.

Thanks for that response. I remember reading that they actually tried to find a permanent bass player in their early days, but as was mentioned above, Ray took over that job

Just to be specific, Larry Knechtel played bass on the Doors first album, Jerry Sheff on L.A. Woman, Ray Neapolitan played bass on many of the Morrison Hotel tracks, Harvey Brooks and Doug Lubahn on Soft Parade. Lubahn also played bass on Waiting For The Sun and Strange Days.

Ray may have been the only prominent rock keyboardist to be so associated with that Fender keyboard bass, I think what little vintage and collector market there is for that quirky instrument is 99.9% due to fans of Ray and the Doors who want one because of the association.

It is and was a striking visual too, think back to the Ed Sullivan appearance where Ray is playing that Fender keyboard perched atop his regular keyboard rig, whatever it was for any given show. No other band had that, or that sound, as prominent as Ray with The Doors.

It did have limitations, though, but damn Ray made it work beautifully for his band.

The classic Manzarek setup:
(http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i195/Peacefrog35/athomeNewsilvertopbass002.jpg)

I heard the news as it broke listening to Andre Gardner on Philly's 102.9 this afternoon in the car, which is fitting because he was like my musical older brother who played all the cool records and Beatles outtakes for me in my younger years. I immediately texted the bad news to two close friends - Doors fans to the core, all of us. RIP Ray.

I didn't even realize Ray was that ill, surely not sick enough to have been living in Germany receiving treatments for his cancer. It was stunning news, not exactly the unexpected kind, but just the news that someone else whose music meant an awful fucking lot to me for years is gone, and will not be around except through his legacy in music and on film and video. He always seemed to be around, you know? He was just in Philly recently, one of those deals where the choice between going to see him in person and waiting for the next time came down to "oh, he'll be back, I'll try to catch him then...", only there is no next time.

I really enjoy reading about and hearing the personal side of this from fellow fans, like what the music meant to them, or how it was a part of their life or represented special moments. I could go on long-winded as usual, but I wanted to share this:

The first CD I ever bought and owned was The Doors, that amazing first album. I used to carry it around in 9th grade, go to the school library, sit at one of those headphone listening stations, and listen over and over to that disc. Very loud.

The first rock band I ever played a live show with in front of people - the first group of musicians my age outside of a formal school band or other organization who asked me to play with them, actually - featured a very Doors-heavy set. The keyboardist could play Ray's parts, which hearing as a teenager blew me away, and could come close to the sounds, too. I had just gotten a vintage Fender blackface amp with the vibrato channel, so I could nail Robby's "Riders On The Storm" tone, and I also saved up some spare dollars to buy the old DOD "Classic Fuzz" pedal to match his fuzztones.

Our set included "Light My Fire", "Riders On The Storm", and "LA Woman". I was living in paradise playing that music with that group, I felt that connection to other musicians playing music we loved for people who were into what we were playing. As a shy kind of 15-16 year old kid that group experience was like a drug for me, I'll never forget that or those Doors songs which helped bring it all together. That Light My Fire intro, damn that is fantastic.

I've only known the Doors in my lifetime as Ray, Robby, and John, and Jim was always the departed legendary frontman. I've enjoyed and played Ray's parts for years, as most of us have, and it's easy to say we'll miss him but that music will live on and continue to inspire as long as we pass it on and share it.

I was thinking of having a Doors listening session tonight in tribute, either albums or the YouTube route, but I do that regularly anyway. Instead I pulled out a guitar arrangement of Ray's keyboard intro, along with Robby's chords and parts, and played it with my last student of the night, as we talked about Ray and The Doors and the music. Like coming here to the board and sharing with other fans, it seemed appropriate to share and pass on the music to a new and younger fan and musician who may in 20 years be doing the same thing.

The Doors, especially Ray and Robby as musicians I wanted to sound like, meant a lot to me and to all those posting in this thread. Pass on one of those tunes to a new fan.

Thanks for sharing those thoughts, guitarfool2002.

Gosh Darn mother fucking sh*t!!!!!  >:( Some people shouldn't be allowed to die.  :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T3171i8Gs8

I just told my mom. She turned her head up and said "Dad's listening to him and Jim". This sucks.  :'(

I seem to remember reading Scheff came into the LA Woman sessions at the suggestion of Marc Benno who played guitar alongside Robbie on it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLAr-WlxMZY

- for the benefit of SS'ers who are a bit on the young side, gives an idea of what The Doors sounded like in peak form. (Worth remembering that Oliver Stone's movie is now closer in time to the band's existence than to the present.)

RIP Ray, you were a great one.

THAT is a front man!! From about 2.40  in wow!

I have spent many many hours digging music the great Ray Manzarek played on.  Obviously his keyboard work was central to the Doors sound -- though you could say that about all three of the players in the band.  But Ray was definitely the spiritual springboard for Jim Morrison, from running into him on the beach that fateful day to carrying on his legacy after the fact.

Gonna put on "Morrison Hotel" now....

‍

I grew up listening to 50s and 60s music as a teen in the early 90s, and then switched to punk and grunge, and The Doors were just the perfect bridge between those two phases. I've loved that band ever since.

A few years ago I saw Manzarek and Krieger live with their new band (I believe they were called Riders on the Storm at the time), they were amazing. They still sounded great and were having a lot of fun. So glad I saw them that time. The last couple of months I've been checking the tour dates on their site to see if they were going to come back, but unfortionately that's not going to happen anymore now.

In a way, Ray Manzarek was one of the most underrated musicians in rock history. People often talk about The Doors like it was Jim Morrison and three other guys, but I dare to say that Manzarek was even more essential for that band than Morrison was. Light My Fire for instance, that's such a great song that few singers could've ruined it. But it would've been nothing without that organ part. And he seemed like a very smart, funny and friendly guy too.

RIP Ray.

Only found out today. This is very sad news indeed. Hope he enjoyed life to the very end!
Wonderful musician he was.

Thanks for that photo! Ray's work was amazing on "Riders..." and amazing that a single 4:35 in length got such AM AirPlay. Often the FM stations did the 7:10 album version because they seemed less hemmed-in by commercial constraints. 

Outstanding and legendary truly "soulful" keyboardist.  He helped make big sound come out of the cheapest little record player on vinyl, or pocket-sized transistor radio.  One of the rock world's greats!  RIP.

I loved the Doors when they appeared in the 60's.  There was nothing else like it musically at the time.  For those who were around when it was new, you have to recall how very cool the keyboard sounded on Light My Fire.  Or the circus like vibe of Strange Days.   Hard for me to realize that Ray was 74 years old.  In 1967, Ray was pushing 30 years old.
In hindsight, it was probably Ray who was the mature member who actually lead the band and kept it all together.


"If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite"

I wanted to add, I believe that Ray's sound  was a big influence on the keyboard sound of Wild Honey.

That was one truly dynamite combination, when they used Jerry Scheff on LA Woman.

You know, last year I spent a lot of time with the "Bright Midnight" sampler, and the word "awesome" is overused, but that thing is AWESOME.  Great music that stangs up today too.

I read this in one of the many bios of The Doors.

There was a concert, I think in 1969, where Jim was too inebriated too continue, even for him.  I believe he passed out and they took him back stage.  Rather than cancel the show, Ray took over the vocals, and did all the songs from memory, without having ever sung most of them before.

I think you mean the September 15, 1968 show at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Jim passed out while watching the support act (Jefferson Airplane) and they did the entire show with Manzarek on vocals.

And I believe that was their only Dutch show ever. Fun fact that I just realized: The Beatles and The Doors each played just one concert in The Netherlands, and neither band managed to show up with all four members.

Tonight, VH1 Classic is playing Live At The Hollywood Bowl and Classic Albums:The Doors. At each commercial it has a couple of seconds of a picture of Ray and the caption: In Memory of Ray Manzarek 1939-2013. That Classic Albums:The Doors documentary is excellent. There's some good interviews with Ray, Robby, and John, and also Jack Holzman and Bill Siddons.

I've been reading a lot of the internet articles and tributes to Ray. He was a really a nice man who, as Robby mentions, always saw the good in people, even when others didn't. And, as Robby notes, Ray really came into his own AFTER Jim died. I know that's hard for some people to believe considering his work with The Doors, but, Ray did some creative stuff and some really good work post-Morrison, too. 

I was thinking about Dorothy and Pablo a lot. Ray met Dorothy at U.C.L.A. and married in December 1967 (Jim was the Best Man) and they stayed together all those years. And, one of the reasons Ray left The Doors when he did was to be with Dorothy when she was pregnant with Pablo.

I always held out hope that Ray, Robby, and John would get back together and record one more album. I didn't really care about the vocals and who sang them, I just loved to hear the musical chemistry that those three created when they got together and played. Who knows, there might be some recorded stuff in the vaults somewhere...

Here's the man himself talking about Riders On The Storm. This put shivers down my spine. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoRFAbdmKD4

If you're a musician like Weird Al Yankovic, and you've written a parody with the Doors' sound in mind, who would you have called to play keyboards on it? For all the talk of the music and the sounds and all of that, it was also about Ray himself, and how that certain magic happened when he got behind the keyboards. It's *that sound* in all the clips similar to this, but I thought this one was pretty damned special to watch, I don't believe it has been released before and Al just posted it this week.

Ray Manzarek recording his keyboard parts for the Doors tribute-parody "Craigslist", by Weird Al Yankovic. Not on a vintage organ, or piano bass, but on a modern Nord keyboard...

*that sound*   :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra5x88C0yQY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra5x88C0yQY)



 

After giving it some thought over the last few days, I have come to the conclusion That Ray was more important to The Doors as a whole than even Jim was.

There was a quote somewhere where Morrison points towards Manzarek and says, "that guy IS the Doors."

It was ultimately Ray's band, they say, but The Doors at their peak were four musicians who were equally as important to their sound and the musical background each of them brought to the table. From jazz, to blues, to flamenco, to rock, it was a true band in every sense of the word when they created music, especially on those first two albums.

I understand the point, but maybe the wording isn't what I'd use because to make those classic songs each member was equally as important and subtracting or replacing one of them would have altered the sound immeasurably.

I'd say the media hype naturally focused on Jim because he was the drama and the good copy when he was alive, and the tragedy and legend after his death. And for people who don't go beyond that surface image of the Doors fueled by media and other hype, that's what they see and hear in the music. But the focus on Ray and the Doors in general has indeed shifted in the more recent decades so people see more of the big picture, and hear what the others brought into the fold removed from Jim's aura and legend, therefore I think "The Doors" will be more of a legacy than the image of "Jim Morrison and The Doors".

From watching various Doors films these past few days, I think Ray would have disagreed with the notion of anyone's importance to the band in favor of what each guy added to the mix when they got together to make music.

And Ray is and was a humble guy, which is refreshing in light of a few specific artists who think they and their image are more important to if not better than the music itself...those who shall remain nameless outside their recent Saturday Night Live performances.

Perhaps I was a little quick with my wording. I know that each indivigual person had a hand in making each song what it was. But there are so many Doors songs where to me the organ is the key part. But I consider Ray to be the greatest keyboard player in rock, so I may be biased.  ;D

I think the best description of the band and how the members complimented each other is the story of the band playing a gig in early '67 when the promoter announced the band as "Jim Morrison and the Doors", to which Jim promptly replied, "no, we're called the Doors."

It's telling that Jim never went solo. As much as he was the figurehead so to speak, he needed Ray, Robby, and John behind him and vice versa. The four of them had an almost kinetic energy around them, almost an extra-sensory perception. You can hear it on live recordings. They could work around Jim even in the most drunk of states. That's a band that was clearly more than one member, or even all of them.

Here's a god example of that. This is from a show in Boston in 1970. Jim, by all accounts, was falling down drunk. He gives up on singing Five To One, but they keep playing on. They won't let him do another Miami. They'll finish the song with or without him.  ;D http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Tyk957V-k0

For me the two most memorable /epic keyboard runs of the 60's:

Doug Ingle - In a Gadda da Vida

Ray Manzarek - Light My Fire

R.I.P. Ray.

Robby addressed that subject in the Classic Albums:The Doors documentary. He said, and I'm paraphrasing, that when the band was working on a song, if somebody started a song, but another member added a part - a good part - they kept it. It wasn't a "don't mess with my song" kind of thing. Everybody's contribution was welcome, and Robby attributes that attitude to the band's success.

Ray was a humble guy, and seemed like a genuinely nice man. Even though he was a living legend, he always had time for his fans. Actually, Ray was probably The Doors' biggest fan. Yeah, there were times when he would get a little verbose and you would wince, but you still loved his enthusiasm. And I will miss that. Even though Jim was the life of the party and could last 'til the wee hours with his excessive behavior, I always got the feeling that if there was a session or a informal jam, that Ray would be the last man standing, he just had that passion for the music. And he never lost it....

Yes, Shelter, thanks for the correction.

.

Been listening to a lot of Ray, celebrating his music. These are my favorite "Ray songs" at this time, in no particular order, what are yours:

1. Light My Fire
2. Break On Through
3. Riders On The Storm
4. The Crystal Ship
5. Downbound Train
6. Ship Of Fools (Isle Of Wight)
7. When The Music's Over
8. L.A. Woman
9. Begin The World Again
10. The Soft Parade (1969 PBS Special)

I can't much argue with your list, although I'd add Roadhouse Blues, Alabama Song, Moonlight Drive, You're Lost Little Girl, and Yes, the River Knows to that list.

I actually had "Alabama Song" on the list and substituted it because I thought I had too many from the first album. I also wanted to put "Soul Kitchen" on there. Damn, Ray's organ did define the sound of that first album didn't it...

Good point, never thought of that influence. 

Wild Honey sure is a rocked-out scorcher!  ;)

I think that this song is essential too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ybqb__MNNs

Love "Ships W/ Sails"... Other Voices was the first new Doors album I ever bought. I first discovered The Doors in the summer of 1971, when all of their music was being played on AM radio. I didn't realize at the time it was because L.A. Woman had just been released - and Jim had just died. I was reading Baseball Digest instead of Rolling Stone, riding a bike instead of a car, and listening to an $8.00 transistor radio instead of a "stereo". "Light My Fire" got my attention big time, and my older sister bought the Doors' album 13. My parents bought me a record player for my birthday and that 13 album soon made its way into MY bedroom. Anyway, I saved up my money to buy an album, and in all of the stores (department stores used to carry records in those days), the bins were full of Other Voices - ON SALE! - so I bought that one over L.A. Woman and the rest. When you're a kid and pay for albums with coins, price is a factor. Back to Other Voices...Robby and John wrote "Ship W/ Sails"; I love the instrumental tag. There's some good musicianship on Other Voices and Full Circle. 

I like the Doors. Would not say I am a huge fan, but I like them enough to buy many vinyl titles and boots. Ray seemed like a real guy and that's what is important. That you treat all people you meet with respect.

Been heavily into the "LA Woman"  deluxe edition lately. The alternate takes 2nd CD should be essential listeninng for any Doors fan. Great remaster of the original album too.

There was actually an announced boxed set that never happened, the LA Woman box.

Man, I was so excited for that box set. The Doors's manager posted the tracklist back when it looked like it would actually be released. It was, simply put, a Doors fan's wet dream.  ;D There were going to be about five takes of The Changling on the set, for example.

RIP Ray.

The Doors were such a great f-cking band.  So damn original!  I always thought their sound was totally Ray's doing.  It was Ray's sound -- his utterly original, slightly creepy, yet at the same time comforting (almost toy-like) organ sound coupled with his remarkably well-suited and highly technical playing that made the band so damn fascinating and worthy of all the repeated listens.  It was half funeral and half soaring above the earth.

Not to discount the unique sounds that the others brought to the table.  They all had such unique sounds... one note played by any of them was instantly recognizable.  When does a band ever have that much character in all of their members?!?

But the lethal cocktail was certainly two-parts Jim and one part Ray.  Shake well!  Sprinkle liberally with Robbie's spicy, buzzy guitar and pour over Densmore's smoke signal drums. That's a damn good drink.

Thanks Ray.

(http://www.waxpoetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/jf045.jpg)

It was truly a major bummer. My favorite Doors album. They should have atleast put it out on iTunes. Very inexpensive compared to a box.

Very sad, but I guess he was getting old. His keyboard work was always my favorite element of the band. He had a real gift.

Show some damn respect.

Show some respect to me babe i luv u thanx 

Ray was a young 74. I bought this CD, Translucent Blues, by the Manzarek-Rogers Band, released in 2011. Ray sings a lot of the lead vocals on the album and he sounds just like he did on Other Voices and Full Circle. Of course he never lost his touch on the keyboard. Check out some of the YouTube videos of the Manzarek-Krieger concerts from the last couple of years. Those two guys loved playing those old Doors' songs and they still had it. One of my big regrets is never seeing The Doors. I compounded it by not seeing Ray and Robby while I had the chance.

I passed on seeing Ray and Robby when they played Pittsburgh a few years ago. I guess I was hoping that John Densmore would eventually decide to join.  ::)

Um.....no, no thank you.

This place is getting weirder by the day. :brow

Shux im just an old cougar don't mind me

Still remembering the great Ray Manzarek, but also on this day, remembering the first Door to break on through to the other side ... Jim Morrison ... December 8, 1943 - July 3, 1971.

I completely forgot about that. I've been caught up in watching various programs on the 150th anniversary of the battle at Gettysburg(I'm a history buff/nutcase  ;D).

Still remembering Ray, and his friend and bandmate, Jim Morrison, who would've been 70 years old today.

Still missin' Ray. Thought you might enjoy this:

http://youtu.be/yCgefBzbP2A

Yeah very impressive in my opinion.  Most people would have done that by just playing the two keyboards like 1 keyboard, but he never did that.  He'd play two melodies at the same time, how in the hell is that even possible.  Never got how he was able to pull that off.

Another thing too, I believe I read that they had a bass player in the studio on many of the songs.  So think about THAT sh*t.  When they got to concert, not only was he playing two seperate melodies at the same time, he wasn't even playing something comfortable to play, he was covering another dude's bass line!

Extremely talented guy. 

I was just thinking about Ray last night, oddly enough. Man, I really miss him.  :( Not only his music,  but his whole mentality and views about certain things. It was comforting to know that a guy like Ray existed in the world, you know? In a way, after Jerry Garcia Ray Manzarek was like the quintessential hippie. He believed in being free and having fun, being kind to one another, and just digging the music.  8)

Please don't ask me my direction
Let my tracks be buried in the sea
'Cause to wander is my infection
'Till the four winds bring you back to me
Don't count your memories
Think of me as just a dream
Just like this melody, I sing

It's been close to a year, and I still can't believe it!

He was my favourite Doors member, and my all-time favourite keyboardist.

It was Ray who is the main reason why I still enjoyed the Post-Morrison Doors albums.

But I guess with him gone, the Doors are really finished. I like Robby and John, but they're no Ray or Jim.

R.I.P.

Ray would've been 75 years old February 12th....

I'm still not hearing The Doors' music the way I used to. This only happened a few other times, when John Lennon, Carl Wilson, Perry Como (due to his Christmas music in my childhood years), and recently, when Lou Reed passed. Does anybody else ever experience that feeling? Like, it's just not the same...You go through a period of adjustment. It's like the music - hell, the world - isn't the same without that artist in it. Feeling sorry for yourself, I guess. Life moves on. You move on. Hopefully. Eventually.

I first "discovered" The Doors in the summer of 1971. I was a young kid, and I didn't realize that all of these Doors' songs were being played on AM radio because a guy named Jim Morrison just died. My older sister bought this Doors' comp, 13, told me about Jim Morrison, and things were never the same again. The first new Doors album I bought was Other Voices (because it was on sale; there were a lot of them in The Doors' slot) and I enjoyed the heck out of it. Then I bought Weird Scenes Inside The Gold Mine. Oh, man....Then L.A. Woman, then Full Circle, then Absolutely Live (in a bargain bin!), until I had 'em all.

Of course Jim Morrison was "the man"; as a young kid about to become a teenager, you wanted to look like Jim, sing like Jim, be like Jim (or the Jim you thought he was). But it was the music, the Doors' sound that hooked me. The first Doors' song that I was obsessed with was "Light My Fire". I used to play this game every night where I wouldn't go to sleep until I heard "Light My Fire" on my $8.00 Panasonic transistor radio. I would scour AM radio stations like WLS, WABC, and WFIL, turning the dial slowly but constantly until I heard it - and I ALWAYS found it! There was nothing like it as young music fan, hearing Ray's organ solo on AM radio, in the dead of the night, on a radio station across the country.

I was devastated when The Doors eventually broke up after Full Circle. Keep in mind this was 1973, and the only way I could find inside music news was by going to the local magazine store and reading Circus and Creem. There were no message boards, so you couldn't discuss it with anyone. I didn't have (m)any friends who were into The Doors. But, then I was excited to read about the impending Ray Manzarek solo album and the Robby & John-led Butts Band album.

I had only been a Doors' fan for about three years when Ray's first solo album, The Golden Scarab, was released. I played the hell out of that album. I studied it, loved it; it was a "different" album, but Ray's performance was great. It wasn't long before The Whole Thing Started With Rock And Roll Now It's Out Of Control Came Out, and then Ray's post-solo band, Nite City, was formed. Nite City only released one album but it was a great one.

Ray's solo excursions were kind of critically acclaimed, but they never caught on commercially.I felt sad for Ray; I felt like his biggest fan. I mean, I didn't know anybody who was listening continuously to The Golden Scarab! Ray's solo music was very important to me at that time. I didn't have a lot of money to be buying records, so you played the ones you had over and over. Around this time (1974-75-76), I was starting to get hooked on this surfin' group, The Beach Boys - again because of my older sister who purchased this album called Endless Summer. But, The Doors and especially Ray's solo albums held their own while I was being converted to the gospel according to Brian Wilson.

I always hoped that Ray, Robby, and John would reunite and record again, maybe under some moniker like Ray, Robby, & John or Manzarek, Krieger, and Densmore or KDM or anything! Those guys had a chemistry and it's a shame that it ended so prematurely. There was that American Prayer poetry album, and the MTV Storytellers reunion, but I really thought they would record an album again. Doesn't everybody reunite! It's not that Ray and Robby stopped writing and playing. This isn't a post to address those Doors Of The 21st Century or Riders On The Storm projects.

I know Ray's verbosity turned off some people, but I always enjoyed it when he popped up in interviews. He was The Doors' and Jim's biggest fan, and I loved him for that. Ray always appeared upbeat and enthusiastic, but I always wondered if, deep down inside, he was still suffering and feeling the loss, the loss of Jim, and the loss of The Doors who still had a lot to offer after L.A. Woman. I hoped that Ray had a happy life, with his wife Dorothy, his son, Pablo, and his grandchildren. We know his musical chops  remained in tact, and, although I have mixed feelings about those Doors' off-shoot performances without John Densmore, I was glad that Ray and Robby could get together again and perform their music to adoring fans. Ray really appeared to enjoy that, Robby has stated as such, as did the fans who attended the shows.

Finally, Ray seemed like a genuinely nice man. I had read that he always had time for the fans. Even with The Doors' enduring record sales and the familiarity of their "sound" and Ray's name appearing near the top of keyboard polls, I still don't think the man received the credit he was due. You know the music, the Doors' sound, the organ/piano parts, but do you know the name of the man who created those sounds? Jim's name recognition is off the charts, but only real music fans know the other names, the other voices.

When Ray died, I felt like it, the whole Doors' thing, was finally joining the past. I know that sounds strange, with Jim being dead for 42 years and the band having not released an album in 40 years. But, with Ray being alive, it was as if the Doors were still alive. I can't explain it....Ray just had a way, through his interviews, of keeping The Doors in the present tense. Yeah, Jim was gone, but you still had The Doors, if that makes sense. When I heard a Doors' song on the radio or TV, just knowing that Ray (or Robby and John) was around and could still duplicate the sound, well, that was enough for me.

I wish I would've seen Ray in concert over the last 40 years. Damn, I could kick myself; he was certainly around. I wish I could've shook his hand, and I wish I could've said "Thank you, Ray".

What a great tribute Sheriff! Beautifully written.

I was lucky to have seen the "Doors of the 21st Century" in a small club in Honolulu. Just standing a mere 10 feet from Ray and Robby, I was mesmerized by their masterful interplay for the nearly two hour show. Ray and Robbie were a monster duo musically. I will never forget that show. It wasn't the Doors but musically it was amazing!
(I wonder sometimes what happened to the album Ray and Robby were recording with Ian Astbury)

I highly recommend Ray's "Love Her Madly" album. A fav along with Scarab.

Another favorite lost last year, Alvin Lee. As I watched Paul rock it over to Billy Shears on CBS last week, it hit hard that my idols as a youth will all be gone soon (atleast, from the stage). Bittersweet moment.

Thanks, OregonRiverRider.

Yes, you are lucky to have experienced Ray & Robby live. As I wrote above, it will always be a big regret of mine not to have seen them.

As far as The Doors of The 21st Century, there is an officially released DVD (available at Amazon) called The Doors Of The 21st century: L.A. Woman Live (2004). There are also 4 or 5 concerts available on a site called DiscLive.

I recently read that Robby and John are reuniting to organize a memorial tribute concert for Ray sometime later this year. The musical guests, who haven't been announced yet, will be performing Doors/Ray tunes.

I will seek out that DVD Sheriff. Yeah, I feel VERY lucky to have seen them. I can still picture and hear it in my minds' eye.

Did you get the bonus CD "LA Woman" release? Great stuff hearing the alternate takes. That is one boxset cancellation that really bummed me out.

Too bad it took Ray's death to bring John around. But a good chance to Celebrate the Lizard one more time.

Very NICE tribute, Sheriff John.  You have expressed it perfectly.

I've been spinning a lot of the Doors live CDs lately, the ones on Bright Midnight.  Many of these are so great I find it hard to believe they weren't issued right away while the band was touring.  The "Absolutely Live" set just didn't do them justice!

For anyone who needs convincing, start with the Bright Midnight sampler.

JEEZ those guys could play!

Heysaboda, thanks for bringing up the Bright Midnight releases. They're incredible!

There's been this myth that Jim was some stumbling, raving drunk on stage for most of the Doors' shows, probably because of the legend of Miami 1969. And, yeah, sure, Jim was intoxicated for his share of shows (the Bright Midnight Boston show being one of them). But, when you listen to the entire Bright Midnight collection, you will immediately notice that Jim was consistently and OVERWHELMINGLY at the top of his game. As great as the studio recordings are, some of the Bright Midnight live versions actually surpass the studio versions. The energy level was greater, Robby was turned up louder, John was pounding, and Ray improvised more - all the while retaining the Doors' sound. I am continually amazed how Ray could play that keyboard bass with his left hand, and, at the same time be playing these mind-blowing parts with his right hand. And, he never seemed to miss/lose the beat. Never. Not a single note/beat. The sound that that three piece band made still astounds me.

When you listen to the Bright Midnight CD's, it's obvious that they could've made a better Absolutely Live. Oh, I love Absolutely Live, don't get me wrong. It's essential Doors listening. But, man, there were better versions and selections in the can.

Sheriff, that was a very well written and moving tribute to Ray and The Doors.  :) I've been a huge Doors fan my whole life. I have some great memories of my dad and I listening to the Doors In Concert cd when my mom left the house for a few hours. We would listen to the rather naughty(but, incredibly, still heavily edited) version of Gloria as loud as humanly possible. Build Me A Woman was also fun.  :lol  Man, when I heard the news about Ray, it really hit me like a ton of bricks. Like I said a handful of posts above, I've always thought that Ray just might have been the biggest part of The Doors. Not only in sound, but in spirit. Sheriff, I totally understand what you mean about feeling like The Doors were "still around" as long as Ray was here. He really was the group's biggest fan, and champion. Much like Carl Wilson with The Beach Boys, Ray Manzarek was always the "keeper of the flame" for The Doors. Thanks, Ray.  :smokin

Sheriff - Loved your post...loved Perry as well...and the AM transistor radio story. And WABC! (Only at night!)  ;)

I read where John Densmore an Robbie Krieger are trying to bury the hatchet since the death of Ray.    I hope they do more things like this

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/10/an-evening-with-the-doors-john-densmore-robby-krieger_n_4418169.html

A new Doors' tribute album to be released:

http://www.vintagevinylnews.com/2014/06/preview-long-list-of-classic-rockers.html

Remembering Jim Morrison  December 8, 1943 - July 3, 1971

A nice video tribute to Jim: http://youtu.be/uRD5o42_yoc

Should also mention that Brian Jones died 45 years ago today. The same day as Jim, only two years earlier. And both at 27.

R.I.P. to both of them.

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(https://allkindsacrap.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/jimmorrison1967.jpg)

Just saw the movie for the first time today...wow... :o

It is a pretty messed-up film, and much of it was fiction, though the surviving Doors members said it could have been a lot worse.

The movie really does suck, but I watch it from time-to-time because of Kilmer's amazing performance. Also, there are some beautiful moments peppered throughout the film (The End being played in the Whiskey for example).

Retrokid, have you seen 'When You're Strange'? It's a documentary that aired on PBS a while back, definitely worth watching if you're a fan of the Doors.

yea I thought Van did a great job and he looked just like him too. and no I haven't seen that documentary, if it's on youtube I'll check it out, thanks Rab

Apparently, upon hearing Kilmer sing some of the vocals, the members of The Doors couldn't tell the difference between Kilmer's voice and Morrison's :o

Here's the link to 'When You're Strange': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqTum7zFtPY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqTum7zFtPY)

There's also a 'Classic Albums' episode on the making of their debut album...though I wish they had chosen Strange Days instead. That's their best.

Are you mocking my taste, Woodstock?? :lol

I haven't seen that 'Classic Albums' piece - I'll have to check that out.

Hahaha, no I'm just kidding. Strange Days is great musically but it depresses me too much to listen to. 'You're Lost Little Girl" is total brilliance...I just wish the songs weren't all the same sad mood. "Love Me Two Times" is also great. There's a clip out there of The Doors playing that after Jim died with Ray on lead vocals - actually pretty good!

My favorite would be LA Woman though. There are a couple on their debut that I just don't dig, while every song on LA is so strong + it has Riders on the Storm.

RIP Ray: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Otkw2uCVEaE

Paul Rothchild apparently hates L.A. Woman - he loves 'Riders' and the title song, but he said the rest of the album is total garbage. This interview with Rothchild is very insightful:
http://archives.waiting-forthe-sun.net/Pages/Interviews/OtherInterviews/rothchild_bam.html (http://archives.waiting-forthe-sun.net/Pages/Interviews/OtherInterviews/rothchild_bam.html)

I love L.A. Woman (album) - 'Cars Hiss By My Window', 'The WASP', and definitely the two you mentioned. What a great trip that album.

Thanks for posting that clip. Damn, I wonder what it was like for them to perform without Jim so soon after he passed.

Strange Days is full of so many moments of instrumental/vocal/lyrical genius that I disregard the dour mood of the album. It is pretty depressing, but easily overlooked by me.

Everyone has an opinion.  LA Woman is the only  Doors LP that Rothchild didn't produce so there ya go.  I think all the albums have their merits, but I am partial to the more rootsy ones -- LA Woman and especially Morrison Hotel.  Interestingly that record gets the short shrift -- Bruce Botnick is amazingly dismissive of it in the reissue's liner notes, particularly in how it relates to LA Woman -- which HE produced. 

Rotchchild walked out as soon as they started...no wonder he didn't like it considering its success. He was a weird guy anywayz...