New releases, a book and more

The Doors will turn 60 next year – something drummer John Densmore says is something the kids who formed the legendary rock band in Los Angeles could never have imagined.

“When I was a kid, turning 60 was like, ‘Well, you’re going to die any minute,'” Densmore said. advertising billboard Laughed. “We’re here.”

The organization’s 60th anniversary celebrations are also approaching – starting next month we will be releasing some important archives. Rhino’s high-fidelity audiophile vinyl collection will be available on November 22nd Gate 1967-1971, A limited edition (3,000 copies) six-disc set featuring the band’s six studio albums released during the lifetime of late frontman Jim Morrison. A week later, during Record Store Black Friday, Rhino will release a four-disc remastered vinyl edition Live in Detroit, Taken from a concert held on May 8, 1970 at the city’s famous Cobo Arena. Jeff Jampol, band manager for JAM Inc., said the 25-song show was the Doors’ longest concert ever.

Subsequently, by early 2025, the Night divides day, A 344-page book from Genesis Publications in the UK, including new interviews with Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger, archival material from Morrison and the late keyboardist Ray Manzarek, comments from other colleagues, friends and admirers, a treasure trove of photos, Nirvana front bassist Kristavo Dudamel (recent Billboard cover). This numbered set of 2,000 will be signed by Krieger and Densmore and feature rare demo recordings of “Hello, I Love You” and “Moonlight Drive” on 7-inch vinyl. Reservations can be made here.

Jampol said this is just the beginning of the Gate’s 60th anniversary celebrations. “Here we are talking about them 60 years later, they’re just as relevant, the music is more relevant than ever and the message is more relevant,” Jampol, who also represents the Morrison Estate, told us advertising billboard. “I want to keep it because I think it’s relevant to a new generation. We’re trying to do two things here. We want to do something fun for the fans, who are great because they’ve been with us and they will They’re great baton passers for supporting anything we’re doing. And then we also want to show the door to people who are less familiar with it… this group of potential new fans, which is thousands of times larger. So we’re working on that. Serving these two different fan bases.

Jampol believes both groups will be impressed by the remastered sound quality of the upcoming vinyl record, while he adds that the book is being Collected Works of Jim Morrisonis another Genesis project launched in 2021. .

Densmore, meanwhile, was particularly flattered by Dudamel’s glowing post-game comments about the Gates’ creativity.

“He talked about my rhythm and said, ‘Oh, hundreds of years from now, the Doors are going to be remembered like Beethoven and Mozart,'” Densmore said. “I was like, ‘Oh my God! I feel like this huge amount of helium is rising in my skull right now.

Densmore himself has written several books about the Doors, one of which is a memoir and another that focuses on Krieger and Manzarek’s legal issues with them after they reunited in the early 2000s. Krieger also published an autobiography. Both men understand why interest in The Doors remains so high 52 years after their last original album was released.

“When you get down to it, it’s the songs. We have great songs,” Krieger told advertising billboard years ago. “A lot of kids come to me, like 10-year-olds, ‘Yeah, I love the Doors. You guys are so cool. I don’t think they even know the myth of Jim Morrison and all that, as much as they love the music. .I think this will continue for the next 50 years and beyond.

“I hope we can last 10 years and pay rent: ‘That would be cool,'” Densmore said with a laugh. “I knew the ingredients were unique. It was a wonderful, happy few years. Are we still talking about it? Come on, man!

Other plans for the 60th anniversary in 2025 are still being finalized, including museum exhibitions and art installations, as well as possible additional archival releases. In February 2016, Densmore participated in a Stand Up to Cancer charity event in Los Angeles, which was Manzarik’s 77th birthday, and he competed with Krieger. Seeing some kind of performance becomes part of the celebration.

“The Doors 60th at the Hollywood Bowl would be great,” Densmore said of the venue where the band recorded and filmed the concert during July 1968 (and returned to it in 1972 after Morrison’s death in 1971) said. “Willie Nelson had his 90th birthday at the Bowl, so it’s great to have something like this – Robbie and I will be doing a little bit here and there and hopefully there will be a lot of great artists coming out. Live now. I’d love to see something like that happen.