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

Of the other musicians' songs that The Doors recorded or performed live, two stand out for their unusual originality, especially when considered in the context of the group's entire career.

These two compositions are so unusual because they belong to the early days of the soul genre, an area of music that The Doors themselves never mastered.

These covers are "Get Out Of My Life, Woman" (Lee Dorsey, December 1965) and "Don't Fight It" (Wilson Pickett, September 1965), both of which were performed live by The Doors.

Let's start with the former.

Lee Dorsey's original song was released in 1965 (link here), a fertile period in music history when rhythm and blues genre, inspired by the newly popular pop-rock scene and influenced by gospel music, gave rise to soul.

In "Get Out Of My Life Woman", the relaxed yet assertive drums, together with the rhythmic accompaniment of the piano, electric bass and electric guitar, still hints at rhythm and blues.

By contrast, the creative horn arrangement and vocals move away from rhythm and blues, incorporating the melodic themes and atmospheres typical of soul music.

The Doors recorded “Get Out Of My Life Woman” live at 'The Matrix' in San Francisco in early March 1967 (link here).

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

These instruments, as well as the song as a whole, are more reminiscent of the sound of groups such as Them and The Animals than of Lee Dorsey's original version, which was more soul oriented.

Compared to the boundless rock that The Doors were developing in spring 1967, Jim Morrison's voice feels out of place here. Consequently, its immense potential is not fully reached.

'Get Out of My Life Woman' was revisited by the group again 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, so it was not included in the album's track list. However, it is still interesting to listen to, as it was made available as an outtake (link here).

The second soul cover that The Doors performed live was Wilson Pickett's "Don't Fight It", which was originally released in September 1965 (link here). Again, we can place this tune both chronologically and musically at a time when soul music was emerging from rhythm and blues.

The dynamism of Pickett's vocals, the timely and inventive backing vocals and horns, and the lively rhythm maintained by the drums and bass all make this track an excellent example of the newly emerging soul genre.

In May 1966, just seven months after officially beginning their career, The Doors tested out this song at the "London Fog" in Los Angeles (link here).

The Californian band brings the soul evident in the original composition to the terrain of rhythm and blues genre. This confirms that their decision to play this cover (as well as the previous one) was not driven by a direct interest in the emerging soul genre.

As with “Get Out Of My Life Woman”, Morrison's vocal performance in 'Don't Fight It' is not quite focused. However, in this case, the group has chosen an aggressive ending for this cover, a finale that stands out from the rest of the song.

This allows the singer to showcase one of his signature tones, offering a glimpse of the biting, dark passion he would exhibit three months later during the recording sessions for The Doors' debut LP.

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

 

P.S.: My book "The Doors Through Strange Days"- The most comprehensive journey ever made through The Doors' second LP, is available on Amazon.com, .uk, .mx, .it, etc.

Here’s a link:

Amazon – “The Doors Through Strange Days”