THE DOORS AND CHUCK BERRY: ARTISTIC COLLABORATIONS

On 10 December 1967, the music world lost Otis Redding. Just two weeks later, this great soul artist was due to open the three-night show by The Doors at the Winterland Auditorium in San Francisco (26–28 December 1967).

The band received the tragic news with sadness, while the organizers scrambled to find a replacement to entertain the audience at the three shows before The Doors took to the stage.

The solution was a happy one, albeit less up to date than the original: Chuck Berry.

By that time, he was in the decline phase of a career that had reached its peak in the mid to late 1950s with the rock 'n' roll genre.

Nevertheless, Chuck Berry still enjoyed considerable fame and was widely recognized as a key influence in the development of pop rock and rock music.

A bootleg of one of Berry's concerts from those evenings is available (here's link), and it clearly shows that he was still capable of putting on a great show.

In 1967, he relied on reworked versions of his rock 'n' roll hits, adapting them to the musical changes of the time.

Nevertheless, the fire that had defined its turbulent and disruptive music some ten years earlier remained in his music.

Like all the great groups that graced the music scene of the 1960s and early 1970s, The Doors acknowledged the paramount importance of the Georgia-born guitarist and composer.

In fact, less than two years later, in September 1969, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore of The Doors seized the opportunity to see Chuck Berry play live.

On 13 September 1969, during a music festival in Toronto where The Doors were also performing, the three band members appeared on the side of the stage in a short clip of Chuck Berry's show (here's link).

Their enthusiasm for C. Berry is clearly visible in the video, confirming the band's musical interest in this legendary guitarist.

The musical relationship between The Doors and Berry continued even after that concert.

During the recording sessions for the "Morrison Hotel" album (October 1969 – January 1970), "Carol", a famous song by the rock 'n' roll icon, was briefly rehearsed in the studio (here's the link).

However, it did not seem particularly convincing and probably the group did not intend to make it an official “Morrison Hotel” track.

"Carol", released as a single by C. Berry in 1958, has become a mainstay of modern music, particularly Rock 'n' Roll, and it is a must-have for everyone who loves music.

It was also included by the Rolling Stones in their debut album (1964).

Its simultaneously open and urgent riff, softly mischievous and vaguely mocking vocals, and undistorted electric guitar solos and vibratos make "Carol" an obligatory chapter in the book: "How to compose and play, changing the course of modern music".

Anyway, The Doors' attempt to record this tune in November 1969, which was later shelved, didn't go to waste.

In fact, the band performed part of this excellent rock 'n' roll song during the promotional tour for the “Morrison Hotel” LP, which took place in the United States in the first half of 1970.

Here are two worthy examples: the first from the Philadelphia concert on 5 January 1970 (link here), and the second from the Detroit concert on 8 May 1970 (link here).

As with any respected musical group, Chuck Berry was an indispensable cultural and musical reference for The Doors.

This bond, expressed through shared live performances and covers, reaffirms the depth of The Doors' artistic background and their commitment to the finest musical traditions, which informed their innovative sound and stage performances.

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”