THE DOORS LAUNCH “DOOR 70”
PLAYLIST GENERATOR
Fans Can Make Their Ultimate Doors Playlists
And Unlock Exclusive Content
Morrison Hotel: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
With Over An Hour Of Unreleased Session Outtakes
Available This Friday, October 9
Unreleased Studio Outtake Of “Roadhouse Blues” Available Now Digitally
LOS ANGELES – In advance of tomorrow’s release of the Morrison Hotel: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, The Doors have unveiled DOOR 70, a new platform that lets fans build their ultimate Doors playlist. At www.door70.com, fans can choose songs from any classic Doors album to assemble their own personal playlist, which can be listened to on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, and YouTube Music and be shared across social media platforms. Fans can also unlock exclusive Doors content through building playlists via DOOR 70, such as video messages from guitarist Robby Krieger revealing untold stories from the band’s history.
The Doors also recently previewed an unheard studio outtake of “Roadhouse Blues” from Morrison Hotel: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition. The track begins with Jim Morrison setting the scene of the song to the rest of the band. “We’re driving in a ’57 Chevy to an old roadhouse. Can you dig it? It’s about 1:30 and we’re not driving too fast, but we’re not driving too slow either. We’ve got a six-pack of beer in the car, and a few joints, and we’re just listening to the radio and driving to the roadhouse through nature. Dig it?” says Morrison before the song kicks in with the now iconic opening riff from Krieger.
The Doors returned to their roots and were reborn a rock ’n’ roll band on Morrison Hotel, the group’s fifth studio album and fifth consecutive gold-certified record. Completed in only a few weeks and released in February 1970, the hard-charging album took its name from the Skid Row hotel in downtown Los Angeles that’s featured in the iconic cover photo taken by Henry Diltz.
To commemorate the album’s 50-year anniversary, Rhino checks in again at the Morrison Hotel with a limited edition 2-CD/1-LP set that will be available this Friday, October 9 for $54.98. Morrison Hotel: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition includes the original album newly remastered by The Doors’ longtime engineer and mixer Bruce Botnick, plus a bonus disc of unreleased studio outtakes, and the original album on 180-gram virgin vinyl. The music will also be available from digital and streaming services the same day.
For this new collection, which was recently awarded 5 out of 5 stars from Mojo Magazine, the original album has been expanded with more than an hour of unreleased recordings taken from the sessions for Morrison Hotel. These 19 outtakes transport listeners into the studio with Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Robby Krieger, and Ray Manzarek for an unprecedented perspective on the making of the album.
Botnick says: “There are many takes, different arrangements, false starts, and insightful studio conversations between the band – who were in the studio – and producer Paul Rothchild – who was in the control room. It’s like being a fly on the wall.”
Several of these unheard recordings spotlight how “Queen Of The Highway” and “Roadhouse Blues” evolved across multiple sessions. It’s especially interesting to hear how the band played with different bass players on “Roadhouse Blues.” Early versions include Harvey Brooks, who played on the band’s previous album, The Soft Parade. Later takes feature guitar legend Lonnie Mack on bass along with The Lovin’ Spoonful’s John Sebastian on harmonica who, due to contractual restrictions at the time, had to be credited as “G. Puglese.”
Among the treasure trove of unreleased outtakes are also rough versions of Morrison Hotel tracks “Peace Frog” and “Blue Sunday,” as well as The Doors rarity “I Will Never Be Untrue.” The collection also captures some incredible session outtakes of the band jamming on cover versions of the Motown classic “Money (That’s What I Want)” and B.B. King’s “Rock Me.”
Veteran rock journalist David Fricke tells the tale behind this classic album in the set’s detailed liner notes. He writes: “As spring turned to summer in the last year of the 1960s, The Doors were a band in suspended animation. Singer Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore were off the road and in serious legal jeopardy after Morrison’s profane meltdown during a show at Miami’s Dinner Key Auditorium…The Doors were also exhausted and uncertain of their recording future after the protracted studio drama and uneven experiment of their fourth album, The Soft Parade…It was a season of chaos and anxiety. But The Doors were on the road to Morrison Hotel.”
A new line of official Morrison Hotel merchandise is also available in celebration of the album’s 50th anniversary. Fans can visit www.thedoors.com for exclusive hoodies, sweats, socks, a t-shirt, a jean jacket, and a key chain from the Morrison Hotel.
www.thedoors.com
MORRISON HOTEL: 50TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION
CD Track Listing
Disc One: The Original Album
Side One: Hard Rock Cafe
1. “Roadhouse Blues”
2. “Waiting For The Sun”
3. “You Make Me Real”
4. “Peace Frog”
5. “Blue Sunday”
6. “Ship Of Fools”
Side Two: Morrison Hotel
7. “Land Ho!”
8. “The Spy”
9. “Queen Of The Highway”
10. “Indian Summer”
11. “Maggie M’Gill”
Disc Two: Mysterious Union
Black Dressed In Leather (Queen Of The Highway Sessions)
First Session (11/15/68)
1. “Queen Of The Highway” (Take 1, She Was A Princess) *
2. “Queen Of The Highway” (Various Takes) *
3. “Queen Of The Highway” (Take 44, He Was A Monster) *
Second Session (1/16/69)
4. “Queen Of The Highway” (Take 12, No One Could Save Her) *
5. “Queen Of The Highway” (Take 14, Save The Blind Tiger) *
Third Session (Date Unknown)
6. “Queen Of The Highway” (Take 1, American Boy – American Girl) *
7. “Queen Of The Highway” (Takes 5, 6 & 9, Dancing Through The Midnight Whirlpool) *
8. “Queen Of The Highway” (Take 14, Start It All Over) *
9. “I Will Never Be Untrue” *
10. “Queen Of The Highway” (Take Unknown) *
Money Beats Soul (Roadhouse Blues Sessions)
First Session
11. “Roadhouse Blues” (Take 14, Keep Your Eyes On The Road) *
12. “Money (That’s What I Want)” *
13. “Rock Me Baby” *
Second Session
14. “Roadhouse Blues” (Takes 6 & 7, Your Hands Upon The Wheel) *
15. “Roadhouse Blues” (Take 8, We’re Goin’ To The Roadhouse) *
Third Session
16. “Roadhouse Blues” (Takes 1 & 2, We’re Gonna Have A Real Good Time) *
17. “Roadhouse Blues” (Takes 5, 6 & 14, Let It Roll Baby Roll) *
Dawn’s Highway (Peace Frog/Blue Sunday Session)
18. “Peace Frog/Blue Sunday” (Take 4) *
19. “Peace Frog” (Take 12) *
LP Track Listing
Side One: Hard Rock Cafe
1. “Roadhouse Blues”
2. “Waiting For The Sun”
3. “You Make Me Real”
4. “Peace Frog”
5. “Blue Sunday”
6. “Ship Of Fools”
Side Two: Morrison Hotel
1. “Land Ho!”
2. “The Spy”
3. “Queen Of The Highway”
4. “Indian Summer”
5. “Maggie M’Gill”
* previously unreleased
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