THE DOORS’ “WISHFUL SINFUL”: AN ORCHESTRAL EXPERIMENT
Among the first songs recorded in the summer of '68
was "Wishful Sinful", written by the band's guitarist, Robby
Krieger.
Fitting into the stylistic groove already established
by one of his recent compositions ("Yes, The River Knows"), the song
was chosen to try out a new approach to arrangement that would later be
repeated on other tracks on "The Soft Parade".
Krieger and The Doors producer Paul Rothchild opted
for an orchestral accompaniment inspired by such hugely successful records as The
Beatles' "Revolver" and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band”.
The orchestra consisted of strings and horns combined
together that strongly conditioned the overall sound atmosphere. It was
recorded about four months after the drums, electric bass and electric guitar
(in November 1968).
The orchestration of the tune greatly enhances its
romantic atmosphere, taking it away from rock and introducing it into the
pop-rock genre without giving it the originality necessary to sustain this
musical transition unharmed.
The somewhat questionable decision to exclude Ray
Manzarek's keyboards and replace them with a melancholy, floating blanket of
strings and horns is thus detrimental to the entire composition.
This unsatisfactory result is summed up by the brief
English horn solo (from min. 1.28 to min. 1.39), which is perhaps one of the least
successful moments inside The Doors' entire discography.
A fairly common trend in 1968-'69, the addition of
cumbersome orchestral backgrounds detracted from the quality of many otherwise
fine works of the period. We mention as examples the first two Nick Drake
records or Judy Sill's first LP.
The rhythm section, provided by Densmore's drums and
electric bass, passionately tries to add dynamics and depth to the progress of
the melodies.
The bass line in particular stands out for its
imaginative yet fluid pulse. It is conceived and played by the excellent
sessionman Doug Lubhan, known for his praiseworthy work on two earlier The Doors
LPs ("Strange Days" and "Waiting For The Sun").
Of course, Morrison's vocals also contribute to improve
the fortunes of "Wishful Sinful".
The singer succeeds mainly in the short bridges that
connect verse and chorus, when he sings the words "Right back where I
came" (for example, from min. 0.29 to min. 0.32).
Here the rhythm is broken, taking on a rock-like
appearance for a few seconds, enabling the temporary emergence of the scratchy
energy that only Morrison's vocals can express.
In "Wishful Sinful", the singer exhibits his
peculiar "Frank Sinatra-esque" singing style, which fits well with
the pop-tinged melodies; the latter constantly supported by the slightly
distorted arpeggio of the electric guitar.
A version of "Wishful Sinful" that predates
the orchestral overdubbing has also been made available over time.
Although worth a listen (link here), it cannot
be considered satisfactory due to a structural problem.
In fact, the recording was made with the prospect of
adding horns and strings to the arrangement at a later date.
As a result, there are deliberately left empty spaces,
a circumstance that makes this stripped-down track more of a demo than an
alternative version of the original song.
“Wishful Sinful" was also released as a single (its
B-side was "Who Scared You") in March 1969, well ahead of the album
"The Soft Parade" on which it will later appear.
The 44th spot reached in the US (not entering the UK
charts), only slightly diminished its overall musical quality.
P.S.: My book "The Doors Through Strange Days"- The most comprehensive journey ever made through The Doors' second LP, is out and available on Amazon.com!
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