THE DOORS "BACK DOOR MAN": ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT - PART 2

YOU CAN FIND PART 1 AT THIS LINK

 

So, we come to August 1966, when The Doors recorded "Back Door Man", surpassing in quality all previous attempts. They kept the track within the blues framework of the original, while bringing out several innovative elements within it.

On this tune, the sharpness of the rhythm provided by the electric bass in unison with the bass drum was made even more effective by Manzarek's piano.

In fact, the latter instrument is played almost like a percussion, with chords that constantly emphasize the brash air The Doors wanted to give to the song.

The whole thing is enveloped by the long, high, flowing sound of the electric organ, once again played by Manzarek. Perhaps it is the electric organ that most characterizes the overall musical profile of The Doors' "Back Door Man”.

The balance between the assertiveness of the rhythm section on the one hand and the strong sensual charge generated by Morrison's voice and the electric organ on the other is almost perfect.

Krieger's electric guitar solo, placed in the middle of the song, is not particularly original. However, it manages to hold the blues feeling and a rock attitude together nicely.

To complete the picture, there is of course the unmistakable and magnetic voice of Jim Morrison. While respecting the blues nature of the piece, he imbues it with a new transgressive and revolutionary spirit: that of the second half of the 1960s.

The vocal performance is at the suggestive and exciting intersection of anger, arrogance, seduction and carnal passion. It is impossible to imagine anything more appropriate or compelling for this song and its lyrics.

The Doors didn’t know, however, that between Hammond Jr.'s version (1964) and their own (August 1966), two other groups had attempted to revive the song, in both cases with interesting and good results.

First, there was the Australian band Pink Finks. Formed in 1965, they released a single that year with "Back Door Man" as the A-side.

Their interpretation of the song is inspired by Howlin' Wolf's original, while retaining the harmonica and maracas used by Hammond Jr. in 1964 (see part 1of this article).

Even though they were moving away from Blues and closer to Rhythm and Blues, their rendition of this song wasn’t bad at all and, being recorded one year before The Doors did, confirmed its popularity among the musicians of those years.

Second, it was the American group Blues Project who once again anticipated The Doors, albeit by a few months, with "Back Door Man".

Their first LP was recorded live at the Café Au Go Go in New York and released in March 1966. Here we find a sped-up version of the Howling Wolf blues, played with technical excellence thanks to their considerable instrumental skills.

Transposed into a Rhythm and Blues format, the song is notable for, among other things, the hard-pushing and extremely engaging rhythm created by the well-conceived synergy between drums and electric bass.

This is where the journey into this blues tune ends. It was The Doors' version that gave it its most complete, convincing and compelling form, so much so that it is still today inextricably linked with the Californian quartet.