THE DOORS' TWO SOUL COVERS (1966 AND '67)

Among the many covers of other people's songs that The Doors recorded or performed live, two songs stand out for their unusual originality, especially when considered taking into account the group's entire career.

The two compositions are so unusual because they belong to the first steps took by the Soul genre, an area of music that The Doors themselves never mastered.

The two covers in question are "Get Out Of My Life Woman" (Lee Dorsey - December 1965) and "Don't Fight It" (Willson Pickett - September 1965), both performed live by The Doors.

Let's start with the first one.

Lee Dorsey's original song is set in 1965, the fertile moment in music history when Rhythm and blues, inspired by the newly exploded Pop-Rock scene and mindful of Gospel music, gave birth to Soul.

The rhythm of the drums, relaxed and assertive at the same time, together with the rhythmic part played by piano, electric bass and electric guitar, still hint at Rhythm and Blues.

On the Other hand, the creative horn arrangement and the vocals break away from the latter matrix with the melodic themes and atmospheres typical of Soul music.

The Doors recorded "Get Out Of My Life Woman" at “The Matrix” in San Francisco in early March 1967.

The emphasis here is on the Rhythm and Blues component of the original song, underscored by short solos by Robby Krieger on electric guitar and Ray Manzarek on electric organ.

The latter instruments, as well as the song as a whole, are more reminiscent of the sound of groups like Them and The Animals than the Lee Dorsey's Soul in the making original version.

Jim Morrison's voice, compared to the rock without boundaries that The Doors were developing at this point in their career, is on foreign soil. Consequently, here it does not do justice to its own immense potential.

"Get Out Of My Life Woman" was also revisited by the group in late 1970 and early 1971, during the recording sessions for their final LP: "L.A. Woman".

This additional version is not of the highest quality and was later discarded and not included in the album's track list. However, it remains interesting to listen to since it was made available as an outtake.

The second soul cover the Doors tackled live was Wilson Pickett's "Don't Fight It" (originally released in September 1965). Again we can place this tune, both chronologically and musically, at the time when Soul was taking its full form starting from Rhythm and Blues.

The dynamism of W. Pickett's vocals, the timely and inventive interventions of the backing vocals and horns, and the lively rhythm maintained by the drums and bass, all make this track an excellent example of how the newly emerging Soul genre was well establishing itself.

The Doors tested themselves with this song at the "London Fog" in May 1966, just a few months after the official start of their career.

Once again, the Californian band brings the Soul tune of the original composition to the Rhythm and Blues terrain. An approach that confirms that the decision to play this cover (as well as the previous one) was not dictated by a direct interest in the emerging Soul genre.

Morrison's vocal performance is not quite focused for the same reason as pointed out before for "Get Out Of My Life Woman". In this case, however, the group chooses an aggressive ending to this cover, a finale that stands out from the rest of the song.

This choice allows the singer to display one of his signature tones: a taste of the scratchy, dark passion that he would show three months later during the recording sessions of The Doors' first LP ("The Doors").

Although the tracks we have discussed are of minor importance inside The Doors' live discography, they are nevertheless interesting as the only examples of the band tackling Soul compositions.

 

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