"I WILL NEVER BE UNTRUE": JIM MORRISON SINGS HIS LOVE LIFE

 

On July 21, 1969 The Doors played a concert in Los Angeles (Aquarius Theatre) which consisted of two shows during the same night.

Inside the first of these two performances, which we will discuss in detail in a future article, Jim Morrison sings a short love song he created, "I Will Never Be Untrue".

It had already appeared on two other informal occasions before being brought to the stage for the first time during the Aquarius Theatre concert.

In both cases, dated between February and May 1969, the song was barely hinted at or under development .

This, together with the absence of any other traces of the song in either musical or poetic form, allows us to place the composition of "I Will Never Be Untrue" between late 1968 and early 1969.

The performance at the Aquarius Theatre on July 21, '69 thus introduces the first structured version of the song, which would never be released on LPs or singles by the group until the release of bootlegs and outtakes in the 1980s and 1990s.

Thus, on stage in Los Angeles, The Doors' lead singer declaims this simple melody, whose instrumental basis is derived from the melodic Rhythm and Blues (in this case a slow ballad) that was remarkably popular in the 1950s.

However, the piece is characterized by a pronounced blues taste that makes its tones darker and its sound impact on the listener more incisive.

In this case, the musical value of the piece is not outstanding and it is placed in the live performance as a transitional moment between compositions of greater depth.

The only attraction from an instrumental point of view comes from Ray Manzarek's electric organ.

The keyboard player, in fact, acts as a background to the vocals and electric guitar that are in the foreground, extracting from his creativity a gospel flavored accompaniment that is original and pleasant.

It must be said that Morrison himself sings the song without much conviction, making it a moment that will not remain in the band's most remembered concert highlights.

The day after the aforementioned concert, so we are on July 22, 1969, The Doors have the opportunity to use a space inside the venue to record more material (we will also discuss this event in a separate article in the future).

During these recordings, "I Will Never Be Untrue" reappears, but this time in a more passionate version, especially in terms of the role played by Morrison's voice.

Unfortunately, no one will get a chance to hear it until the release of this outtake in a 1997 box set.

In this particular situation, The Doors slightly extend the length of the song by slowing down the tempo a little bit, an expedient that significantly improves the final performance.

In this way, the words sung by Morrison have a chance to stretch over some vowels, reflecting more intensely the feelings expressed in the lyrics.

In addition to the electric organ part, which is almost unchanged from the live performance the day before, Krieger's electric guitar delicately embroiders notes that are pleasing without being thrilling.

Morrison's vocal part is definitely the element that lifts the fortunes of this version of the song (which is also the best one available and best-known).

In the lyrics of the song, the singer tries to convince his partner that he means well about his behavior with alcohol and other women, asking her not to make a scene.

Certainly, an autobiographical lyric, most likely addressed to Pamela Courson, where references to Morrison's personal life are evident.

The intonation, melancholic and ironic at the same time, used in this song is perfect for Morrison's deep and a little raucous voice.

The choice of singing in a way that makes him sound almost drunk (there is a possibility that he really was) is also very apt.

Indeed, this device sketches a comedy-like picture in which the protagonist's promises of sobriety and good behavior are made just as he is blatantly breaking them.

At the bottom of the seemingly linear vocal line, a series of emotions related to love and fidelity are stirred up, expressed by the frontman at the crossroads of music and acting.

“I Will Never Be Untrue" becomes relevant again about three months after the concert at the Aquarius Theater, during the recording sessions of the LP "Morrison Hotel", which took place between October 1969 and January 1970.

The song is rehearsed in the studio (link here), but it seems to be more of a warm-up than a real attempt to record a potential track for the album that was already underway.

In this case, the accompaniment is left to Krieger's electric guitar alone, and the blues touch is much more pronounced than in the earlier versions.

Although only one minute and twenty-two seconds in length, this latest adaptation of "I Will Never Be Untrue" gives us a little surprise.

As you can hear, at the end of the song, Morrison invites Robby Krieger to play a song from the repertoire of Jimmy Reed (an excellent and important American musician who played blues and rhythm and blues; Golden period: 1953 to 1963).

Krieger hints at some blues chords but breaks off almost immediately. The outtake ends with Morrison urging him to continue, obviously dissatisfied by the interruption.

Within The Doors' career, "I Will Never Be Untrue" went through 1969 (February through November), then disappeared both from concert setlists and studio rehearsals.

What we are left with is an autobiographical account of Jim Morrison, in this case without metaphors or poetry, which expresses all the spontaneity inherent in the personal daily life of a man who was completely out of the ordinary.

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