The Doors Promo Singles Light My Fire Touch Me 1967 1968 Rare White Label VG++
The Doors – Light My Fire / The Crystal Ship Label: Elektra – EK-45615 Format: Vinyl, 7", Single, 45 RPM, Promo Country: US Released: 1967 Genre: Rock Style: Psychedelic Rock Tracklist ALight My Fire2:52 BThe Crystal Ship2:30 Credits Engineer – Bruce Botnick Producer – Paul A. Rothchild Words By, Music By – The Doors Notes ELEKTRA RECORDS • 51 WEST 51 STREET • NEW YORK CITY
"Light My Fire" is a song by the American rock band the Doors. It was recorded in August 1966 and released in January 1967 on their eponymous debut album. Released as an edited single on April 24, 1967,[6] it spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (in July 29, August 5 and August 12, 1967), and one week on the Cash Box Top 100, nearly a year after its recording.
A year later, it re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968 following the success of José Feliciano's cover version of the song (which peaked at number three on the Billboard chart), peaking at number 87. The song was principally written by the band's guitarist, Robby Krieger,[7] but was credited to the entire band.
Jim had been writing all the songs and then one day we realized we didn’t have enough tunes, so he said, "Hey, why don’t you guys try and write songs?" I wrote "Light My Fire" that night and brought it to the next rehearsal ... It's always kind of bugged me that so many people don’t know I was the composer. – Robby Krieger discussing the song's writing during an interview.[8] "Light My Fire" originated in early 1966 as a composition by Robby Krieger,[9] who said that he was inspired by the melody of "Hey Joe" and the lyrics of the Rolling Stones' "Play with Fire".[10] On taking his initial composition to the band, John Densmore suggested that it should have more of a Latin rhythm, Jim Morrison wrote the second verse, while Ray Manzarek added the Bach-influenced introductory organ motif; Densmore also suggested that it should open with a single snare drum hit.[10] The extended solo arrangement was inspired by John Coltrane's cover version of "My Favorite Things",[11][12] with some parts of it, containing polyrhythm vogue.[13]
Vox Continental organ was played by Ray Manzarek for the song's recording The band started playing the song in performances in April 1966, and extended it with a jazzy improvisation. When the Doors performed the song at live concerts, Manzarek played the song's bass line with his left hand on a Fender Rhodes Piano Bass, while performing the main keyboard lines on a Vox Continental using his right hand. When they came to record the song later in the year, producer Paul A. Rothchild brought in session musician Larry Knechtel to overdub a Fender Precision Bass guitar to double the keyboard bass line.[10][14][15][16] Rothchild also suggested that the recording repeat the introductory motif at the end of the track.[10]
Although the album version was just over seven minutes long, it was widely requested for radio play,[7] notably by Los Angeles DJ Dave Diamond, and Elektra Records owner Jac Holzman asked that a shorter version be released as a single.[10] Rothchild edited a single version, cut down to under three minutes with nearly all the instrumental break removed for airplay on AM radio.[9]
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Doors performing "Light My Fire" at The Ed Sullivan Show, September 17, 1967. The band appeared on various TV shows, such as American Bandstand, miming to a playback of the single. However, "Light My Fire" was performed live by the Doors on The Ed Sullivan Show broadcast on September 17, 1967. The Doors were asked by producer Bob Precht, Sullivan's son-in-law, to change the line "girl, we couldn't get much higher", as the sponsors were uncomfortable with the possible reference to drugs. However, the meaning of the line was confirmed to be literal, as in "high in the sky".[17][18] The band agreed to do so, and did a rehearsal using the amended lyrics, "girl, we couldn't get much better". However, during the live performance, the band's lead singer Jim Morrison sang the original, unaltered lyrics.[17] Ed Sullivan did not shake Jim Morrison's hand as he left the stage. The band had been negotiating a multi-episode deal with the producers; however, after violating the agreement not to perform the offending line, they were informed they would never perform on the show again. Morrison's response was "Hey man. We just did the Sullivan show."[19]
This performance was portrayed in the 1991 Oliver Stone film The Doors, but with Morrison singing "higher" more emphatically and without his subsequent retort to Sullivan and the show's producer.[20]
Buick TV commercial Drummer John Densmore recalled that Buick offered $75,000 in October 1968 to adapt the song for use in a Buick TV commercial ("Come on, Buick, light my fire").[21][22] Morrison, however, was still in London after a European tour had just ended on September 20, and could not be contacted by the other band members, who agreed to the deal in his absence. As the band had agreed in 1965 to both equal splits and everyone having veto power in decisions, Morrison consequently called Buick and threatened to personally smash a Buick with a sledgehammer on television, should the commercial be aired.[23]
Speed discrepancy The 40th Anniversary mix of the debut album presents a stereo version of "Light My Fire" in speed-corrected form for the first time. The speed discrepancy (being about 3.5% slow) was brought to Bruce Botnick's attention by Brigham Young University professor Michael Hicks, who noted that all video and audio live performances of the Doors performing the song, the sheet music, and statements of band members show the song in a key almost a half step higher (key of A) than the stereo LP release (key of A♭/G♯). Until the 2006 remasters, only the original 45 RPM singles ("Light My Fire" and "Break On Through") were produced at the correct speed.[24]
Legacy A live version was released in 1983 on their live album Alive, She Cried,[25] the first of several live albums released in subsequent decades to include the song. "Light My Fire" achieved modest success in Australia, where it peaked at number 22 on the ARIA chart. The single originally reached number 49 in the UK in 1967, but experienced belated success in that country in 1991, when a reissue peaked at number seven. This reissue was more successful in Ireland, peaking atop the IRMA chart for two weeks in June. The reissue occurred due to revived interest in the band following Oliver Stone's film biopic The Doors.
The single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in September 1967 for exceeding one million units shipped.[26] As of December 1971, it was the band's best-selling single with over 927,000 copies sold.[27] It was also certified Platinum by the RIAA in September 2018 for reaching 1,000,000 digital units.[28] Billboard described the single as a "top discotheque offering" with an "infectious beat" that "really grooves from start to finish."[29]
"Light My Fire" has since been widely viewed as among the Doors' greatest songs,[4][30][31] and one of the quintessential works for the psychedelic rock genre.[2] The song is ranked at number 35 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[32] It was included in RIAA's Songs of the Century list, ranking number 52. NME cited it as the second greatest song of all time.[33] Feliciano's cover won the 1969 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance,[34] the same year he also won the Grammy for Best New Artist. In 1998, the track was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame under the category Rock (single).[35]
Personnel The Doors
John Densmore – drums Robby Krieger – electric guitar Ray Manzarek – Vox Continental organ, piano bass[36] Jim Morrison – vocals Additional musician
Larry Knechtel – bass guitar
The Doors – Touch Me / Wild Child Label: Elektra – EK-45646 Format: Vinyl, 7", Promo, Mono Country: US Released: 1968 Genre: Rock Style: Psychedelic Rock
ATouch Me Arranged By – Paul Harris (2) 3:09 BWild Child2:34 Credits Engineer – Bruce Botnick Producer – Paul A. Rothchild Written-By – The Doors Notes "FOR RADIO STATION USE ONLY" "AAA" "Elektra Record 1855 Broadway N.Y. N.Y." on label black / white label Barcode and Other Identifiers Matrix / Runout (Side A Runout): EK-45646 - A (MONO) AM Matrix / Runout (Side B Runout): EK-45646 - B (MONO) AM
Touch Me" is a song by the Doors from their album The Soft Parade. Written by guitarist Robby Krieger, it is notable for its extensive usage of brass and string instruments, including a solo by featured saxophonist Curtis Amy.
It was released as a single in December 1968 and reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 (their last Top Ten hit in US) and No. 1 in the Cashbox Top 100 in early 1969 (the band's third American number-one single). The single also did well elsewhere, peaking at No. 1 in the RPM Canadian Singles Chart and at No. 10 in the Kent Music Report in Australia. However, despite the band's commercial success the previous year, "Touch Me" did not chart in the UK Singles Chart.
According to Bruce Botnick's liner notes, the song was initially referred to by its various working titles; "I'm Gonna Love You", from a line in the chorus, or "Hit Me", a reference to blackjack. The opening line was originally "C'mon, hit me ... I'm not afraid", the line thus reflecting the first person vantage point of a blackjack player.[5] Lead singer Jim Morrison changed the lyric out of concern that rowdy crowds at their live shows would mistakenly believe that "hit me" was a challenge to physically assault him.[6]
Billboard described the single as having "all the drive and rhythm of their No. 1 winner, 'Hello, I Love You'," stating that "the Doors have a smash follow -up here."[7]
Musical style and structure
Touch Me MENU0:00 Morrison's vocal intro on "Touch Me". The song's musical style has been commented by many authors and critics. Problems playing this file? See media help. "Touch Me" incorporates influences from traditional pop music.[8] The introduction is notated in the key of Bb Minor with a 4/4 time signature.[9] The track's last section piece includes a saxophone solo played by Curtis Amy inspired by jazz music.[3][4] Krieger interpolated the guitar riff from the 1967 Four Seasons song "C'mon Marianne".
In A to X of Alternative Music book, the track has been declared as "solid gold soul classic".[2] Writing for AllMusic, critic Jason Elias said that "Touch Me" has "the style of pop and pure lounge."[11] Some critics suggested the track blends pop[1] with psychedelic rock; a combination which was unique at the time.[8] It has also been characterized, along with other album tracks, as an early attempt of progressive rock.
Other version "Touch Me" was remixed with added bass and compression appeared on a 1974 compilation called Heavy Metal released via Warner Bros. Special Products. The song later released as one of the first downloadable content songs for Rock Band 3, along with several other songs by the band.
Personnel
The Doors
Jim Morrison – lead vocals Ray Manzarek – keyboards Robby Krieger – guitar John Densmore – drums Additional personnel
Paul Harris – orchestral arrangements Harvey Brooks – bass guitar[14] Curtis Amy – saxophone (solo)
