Editing The Doors (section)

== History ==
=== Origins (July 1965 – August 1966) ===
[[File:The Doors Logo.png|right|thumb|The Doors logo, designed by an [[Elektra Records]] assistant, first appeared on their 1967 debut album.]]
The Doors began with a chance meeting between acquaintances [[Jim Morrison]] and [[Ray Manzarek]] on [[Venice,_Los_Angeles#Venice_Beach|Venice Beach]] in July 1965. They recognized each other as they had both attended the [[UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television]]. Morrison confided in Manzarek that he had been writing songs.{{sfn|Manzarek|1998|p=94}} As Morrison would later relate to [[Jerry Hopkins (author)|Jerry Hopkins]] in ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', "Those first five or six songs I wrote, I was just taking notes at a fantastic rock concert that was going on inside my head. And once I'd written the songs, I had to sing them."{{sfn|Davis|2005|p=75}} With Manzarek's encouragement, Morrison sang the opening words of "[[Moonlight Drive]]": "Let's swim to the moon, let's climb through the tide, penetrate the evening that the city sleeps to hide." Manzarek was inspired, thinking of the music he could play to accompany these "cool and spooky" lyrics.<ref name=NPRRay>{{cite web|last=Rogers|first=Brent|title=NPR interview with Ray Manzarek|website=NPR.org |url=https://www.npr.org/2013/05/24/185827139/remembering-ray-manzarek-keyboardist-for-the-doors|publisher=[[NPR]] – Publicly accessed|access-date=June 5, 2013}}</ref>

Manzarek was then in an unsuccessful band called [[Rick & the Ravens]] with his brothers Rick and Jim, while drummer [[John Densmore]] was playing with the Psychedelic Rangers and knew Manzarek from meditation classes.{{sfn|Gilliland|1969|loc=show 43}} Densmore joined the group later in August 1965. Together, they combined varied musical backgrounds, from [[jazz]], rock, [[blues]], and [[folk music]] idioms.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Jon |last1=Pareles |first2=Mickey |last2=Vallee |chapter=The Doors |title=The Grove Dictionary of American Music |title-link=The Grove Dictionary of American Music |publisher=[[Oxford Music Online]] |edition=2nd |date=July 10, 2012}}</ref> The five, along with bass player Patty Sullivan,{{refn|group=nb|Patty Sullivan was later credited using her married name Patricia Hansen in the Doors' 1997 [[The Doors: Box Set#Disc 1: Without a Safety Net|''Box Set'' CD release]].{{sfn|Weidman|2011|p=88}}<ref name="liner" />}} and now christened the Doors, recorded a six-song demo on September 2, 1965, at World Pacific Studios in Los Angeles.{{refn|group=nb|These recordings were officially available much later in October 1997, on the Doors' ''Box Set'' CD release. This has circulated widely since then as a [[bootleg recording]].<ref name="liner">{{cite AV media notes |title=The Doors: Box Set |title-link=The Doors: Box Set |others=The Doors |type=Liner notes & CD booklet|year=1997 |publisher=[[Elektra Records]] |id=62123-2}}</ref>}} The band took their name from the title of [[Aldous Huxley]]'s book ''[[The Doors of Perception]]'', itself derived from a line in [[William Blake]]'s ''[[The Marriage of Heaven and Hell]]'': "If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is: infinite".<ref name="Documentary">{{cite AV media |title=[[When You're Strange]] |year=2010 |people=The Doors |type=Documentary |publisher=[[Rhino Entertainment]]}}</ref>{{sfn|Densmore|1990|p=53}} In late 1965, after Manzarek's two brothers left, guitarist [[Robby Krieger]] joined.{{sfn|Manzarek|1998|p=139}}

[[File:Whisky a Go-Go.jpg|left|thumb|[[Whisky a Go Go]]]]
From February to May 1966, the group had a residency at the "rundown" and "sleazy" Los Angeles club [[London Fog (nightclub)|London Fog]], appearing on the bill with "Rhonda Lane Exotic Dancer".{{sfn|Weidman|2011|pp=120–121}} The experience gave Morrison confidence to perform in front of a live audience, and the band as a whole to develop and, in some cases, lengthen their songs and work "[[The End (The Doors song)|The End]]" and "[[Light My Fire]]" into the pieces that would appear on their [[The Doors (album)|debut album]].{{sfn|Weidman|2011|pp=120–121}} Manzarek later said that at the London Fog the band "became this collective entity, this unit of oneness&nbsp;... that is where the magic began to happen."{{sfn|Weidman|2011|pp=120–121}} The group soon graduated to the more esteemed [[Whisky a Go Go]] after being booked by Ronnie Haran,<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Grow |first=Kory |date=2016-12-16 |title=The Doors Reflect on Earliest Concerts, Jim Morrison's Genius |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/the-doors-reflect-on-earliest-concerts-jim-morrisons-genius-121497/ |access-date=2024-04-30 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref> where they were the house band (starting from May 1966), supporting acts, including [[Van Morrison]]'s group [[Them (band)|Them]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.creemmagazine.com/_site/BeatGoesOn/NiteCity/DarkSideOfLA001.html |last=Goldstein |first=Patrick |title=Nite City: The Dark Side of L.A. |date=September 1977 |magazine=[[Creem]] |access-date=March 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080709054645/http://www.creemmagazine.com/_site/BeatGoesOn/NiteCity/DarkSideOfLA001.html |archive-date=July 9, 2008}}</ref> On their last night together the two bands joined up for "[[In the Midnight Hour]]" and a twenty-minute jam session of "[[Gloria (Them song)|Gloria]]".{{sfn|Weidman|2011|p=128}}{{sfn|Gaar|2015|p=26}}

On August 10, 1966, they were spotted by [[Elektra Records]] president [[Jac Holzman]], who was present at the recommendation of [[Love (band)|Love]] singer [[Arthur Lee (musician)|Arthur Lee]], whose group was with Elektra Records. After Holzman and producer [[Paul A. Rothchild]] saw two sets of the band playing at the Whisky a Go Go, they signed them to the Elektra Records label on August 18&nbsp;— the start of a long and successful partnership with Rothchild and sound engineer [[Bruce Botnick]]. The Doors were fired from the Whisky on August 21, 1966, when Morrison added an explicit retelling and profanity-laden version of the [[Greek myth]] of [[Oedipus]] during "The End".{{sfn|Cherry|2013|p=13}}
{{clear}}

=== ''The Doors'' and ''Strange Days'' (August 1966 – December 1967) ===
[[File:Doors007 c.png|thumb|The Doors performing at [[Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music Festival]] in 1967]]
The Doors recorded their self-titled debut album around August 1966, at [[Sunset Sound Recorders|Sunset Sound Studios]].{{sfn|Goldsmith|2019|p=92}} The record was officially released in the first week of January 1967. It included the nearly 12-minute musical drama "The End".{{sfn|Moskowitz|2015|p=221}}  In November 1966, [[Mark Abramson]] directed a promotional film for the lead single "[[Break On Through (To the Other Side)]]". The group also made several television appearances, such as on ''Shebang'', a Los Angeles television show, miming to a playback of "Break On Through".{{refn|group=nb| According to ''The Doors FAQ'' author Richie Weidman, this was either New Year's Day 1967,{{sfn|Weidman|2011|p=251}} or March 6, 1967, as noted by Gillian G. Gaar.{{sfn|Gaar|2015|p=41}}}} In early 1967, the group appeared on ''[[The Clay Cole Show]]'' (which aired on Saturday evenings at 6&nbsp;p.m. on WPIX Channel 11 out of New York City) where they performed their single "Break On Through". Since the single acquired only minor recognition, the band turned to "Light My Fire"; it became the first single from Elektra Records to reach number one on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]] singles chart, selling over one million copies.<ref name="Brodsky">{{cite magazine |last=Brodsky |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Brodsky |title=Psychotic Reaction |magazine=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]] |date=February 2004}}</ref>

From March 7 to 11, 1967, the Doors performed at the [[The Matrix (club)|Matrix Club]] in San Francisco. The March 7 and 10 shows were recorded by Peter Abram, co-owner of the Matrix. These recordings are notable as they are among the earliest live recordings of the band to circulate. On November 18, 2008, the Doors published a compilation of these recordings, ''[[Live at the Matrix 1967]]'', on the band's boutique Bright Midnight Archives label.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Simpson |first=Dave |date=December 19, 2008 |title=Film & Music: Rock & Pop: The CDs We Missed: The Doors: Live at the Matrix 1967: 4 Stars: (Rhino) |magazine=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Selvin |first=Joel |date=November 17, 2018 |title=City's Psychedelic Past Back In View In Doors' Matrix Discs |newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]}}</ref>

On August 25, 1967, they appeared on American television, guest-starring on the variety TV series ''[[Malibu U]]'', performing "Light My Fire", though they did not appear live. The band is seen on a beach and Morrison is [[lip-synching]] the song in playback.<ref>{{cite video |url=http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x51nbt_the-doors-light-my-fire-1967-malibu_music |title=The Doors – Light My Fire (1967) Malibu U TV |people=The Doors |work=[[Dailymotion.com]] |access-date=October 3, 2020}}</ref> The music video did not gain any commercial success and the performance fell into relative obscurity.{{sfn|Gaar|2015|p=42}} It was not until they appeared on ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'' that they gained attention on television.<ref name="Ed Sullivan">{{Cite web |url=http://www.edsullivan.com/artists/the-doors |title=The Doors Ed Sullivan |website=The Ed Sullivan Show |publisher=(SOFA Entertainment) |access-date=November 24, 2010}}</ref>

[[File:People Are Strange - Unhappy Girl - ad 1967.png|thumb|upright|left|''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' advertisement, September 16, 1967]] 
The Doors made their international television debut on October 16, 1967, performing a live version of "The End" for the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] (CBC) at their Parliament Street Colour Studio in Toronto.<ref name = "CBC Parliament Studio">
{{Cite web
 | title         = The Rock Scene – Like It Is
 | website       = Mild Equator: The Doors
 | url           = http://mildequator.com/filmhistory/tvp.html#rockscene
 | access-date   = July 17, 2022
| archive-url   = https://web.archive.org/web/20220629082941/http://mildequator.com/filmhistory/tvp.html
 | archive-date  = June 29, 2022
| url-status    = live
}}</ref> It was recorded in September when they were in Toronto and transmitted on the show ''[[O'Keefe Centre Presents]]''. The misconception that it was at the O'Keefe Centre stems mostly from the title, as the venue shown in the video has a dance floor, which the Centre did not have.<ref name = "CBC Parliament Studio"/> But after its initial broadcasts, the performance remained unreleased except in bootleg form until the release of ''[[Soundstage Performances|The Doors Soundstage Performances]]'' DVD in 2002.<ref name="Soundstage">{{Cite AV media |title=The Doors Soundstage Performances |title-link=Soundstage Performances |year=2002 |people=The Doors |publisher=[[Eagle Vision]] |place=Toronto, Copenhagen, New York |medium=DVD}}</ref>

On September 17, 1967, the Doors gave a memorable performance of "Light My Fire" on ''The Ed Sullivan Show''.<ref name="Ed Sullivan" /> According to Manzarek, network executives asked that the word "higher" be removed, due to a possible reference to drug use.{{sfn|Manzarek|1998|p=253}} The group appeared to acquiesce, but performed the song in its original form, because either they had never intended to comply with the request or Jim Morrison was nervous and forgot to make the change (the group has given conflicting accounts).{{sfn|Gaar|2015|p=43}}<ref>{{cite news |first=Sterling |last=Whitaker |date=September 17, 2015 |title=When the Doors Got Banned from ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/the-doors-banned-from-the-ed-sullivan-show-september-17-1967/ |website=[[Ultimate Classic Rock]] |access-date=December 3, 2021}}</ref> Either way, "higher" was sung out on national television, and the show's host, [[Ed Sullivan]], canceled another six shows that had been planned. After the program's producer told the band they would never perform on the show again,{{sfn|Manzarek|1998|p=253}} Morrison reportedly replied: "Hey man. We just ''did'' the Sullivan Show."<ref name="Ed Sullivan" />{{sfn|Hogan|1994|p=30}}<ref>{{cite web |last=Kaye |first=Griffin |date=June 5, 2022 |url=https://baminreallife.com/2022/06/05/the-doors-on-ed-sullivan-musics-greatest-act-of-rebellion/ |title=The Doors On Ed Sullivan: Music's Greatest Act Of Rebellion |work=Lace 'Em Up |access-date=August 9, 2022}}</ref>

On December 24, the Doors performed "Light My Fire" and "Moonlight Drive" live for ''[[The Jonathan Winters Show]]''. Their performance was taped for later broadcast. From December 26 to 28, the group played at the [[Winterland Ballroom]] in San Francisco; during one set, in the middle of "[[Back Door Man]]", the band stopped performing to watch themselves on ''The Jonathan Winters Show'' on a television set wheeled onto the stage.{{sfn|Davis|2005|pp=219–220}}{{sfn|Gaar|2015|p=51}}

The Doors spent several weeks in Sunset Studios in Los Angeles recording their second album, ''[[Strange Days (The Doors album)|Strange Days]]'', experimenting with the new technology, notably the [[Moog synthesizer]] they now had available.{{sfn|Davis|2005|pp=197–198}} The commercial success of ''Strange Days'' was middling, peaking at number three on the ''Billboard'' album chart but quickly dropping, along with a series of underperforming singles.<ref name="Brodsky" /> The chorus from the album's single "[[People Are Strange]]" inspired the name of the 2009 documentary of the Doors, ''[[When You're Strange]]''.<ref name="Documentary"/>

Although session musician [[Larry Knechtel]] had occasionally contributed bass on the band's debut album,{{sfn|Fong-Torres|The Doors|2006|p=71}} ''Strange Days'' was the first Doors album recorded with a studio musician, playing bass on the majority of the record, and this continued on all subsequent studio albums.{{sfn|Manzarek|1998|p=258}} Manzarek explained that his keyboard bass was well-suited for live situations but that it lacked the "articulation" needed for studio recording.{{sfn|Manzarek|1998|p=258}} [[Douglas Lubahn]] played on ''Strange Days'' and the next two albums; but the band used several other musicians for this role, often using more than one bassist on the same album. Kerry Magness, [[Leroy Vinnegar]], [[Harvey Brooks (bassist)|Harvey Brooks]], Ray Neopolitan, [[Lonnie Mack]], [[Jerry Scheff]],<ref>These credits are taken from the [[AllMusic]] overviews of the other five studio albums released during Morrison's lifetime:
*{{Cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/strange-days-r6210/credits |title=''Strange Days'' – Credits |website=AllMusic |access-date=August 31, 2020}}
*{{Cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/waiting-for-the-sun-r6211/credits |title=''Waiting for the Sun'' – Credits |website=AllMusic |access-date=August 31, 2020}}
*{{Cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-soft-parade-r6212/credits |title=''The Soft Parade'' – Credits |website=AllMusic |access-date=August 31, 2020}}
*{{Cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/morrison-hotel-r6214/credits |title=''Morrison Hotel'' – Credits |website=AllMusic
|access-date=August 31, 2020}}
*{{Cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/la-woman-r35839/credits |title=''L.A. Woman'' – Credits |website=AllMusic |access-date=August 31, 2020 }}</ref> Jack Conrad (who played a major role in the post Morrison years touring with the group in 1971 and 1972), [[Chris Ethridge]], Charles Larkey and [[Leland Sklar]] are credited as bassists who worked with the band.<ref>{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r35841/review|pure_url=yes}} |title=''Other Voices'' |first=Lindsay |last=Planer |work=AllMusic |access-date=June 4, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r35843/review|pure_url=yes}} |title=''Full Circle'' |first=Lindsay |last=Planer |work=AllMusic |access-date=June 4, 2022}}</ref>

=== New Haven incident (December 1967) ===
[[File:MorrisonJim.jpg|thumb|Morrison's mugshot taken in [[New Haven, Connecticut|New Haven]]]]
On December 9, 1967, the Doors performed a now-infamous concert at [[New Haven Arena]] in [[New Haven, Connecticut]], which ended abruptly when Morrison was arrested by local police.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1967/12/11/archives/new-haven-police-close-the-doors-use-of-mace-reported.html?sq=Jim+Morrison+New+Haven&scp=2&st=p |title=New Haven Police Close 'The Doors'; Use of Mace Reported |date=December 10, 1967 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=November 21, 2010}}</ref> Morrison became the first rock artist to be arrested onstage during a live performance.{{sfn|Riordan|Prochnicky|1991|p=20}}{{sfn|Davis|2005|p=216}} Prior to the start of the concert, Morrison was either having a private conversation with{{sfn|Gaar|2015|pp=48–49}} or kissing a female fan backstage in a bathroom shower stall when a police officer happened upon them.{{sfn|Krieger|2021|pp=27–28}} Unaware that he was the lead singer of the band, the officer told Morrison and the fan to leave, to which Morrison said, "Eat it." The policeman took out a can of [[Mace (spray)|mace]] and warned Morrison, "Last chance", to which Morrison replied, "Last chance to eat it."{{sfn|Hopkins|Sugerman|1980|p=160}}{{sfn|Riordan|Prochnicky|1991|p=202}} There is some discrepancy as to what happened next: according to ''[[No One Here Gets Out Alive]]'', the fan ran away and Morrison was maced; but Manzarek recounts in his book that both Morrison and the fan were sprayed.{{sfn|Hopkins|Sugerman|1980|p=160}}{{sfn|Manzarek|1998|p=272}}<ref>{{Cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p13722|pure_url=yes}} |title=Jim Morrison – Biography |last=Huey |first=Steve |website=AllMusic |access-date=January 1, 2009}}</ref>

The Doors' main act was delayed for an hour while Morrison recovered, after which the band took the stage very late. According to music journalist Gillian G. Gaar, the police still did not consider the issue resolved and wanted to charge him. Halfway through the first set, Morrison proceeded to create an improvised song about his experience with the "little man in blue".{{sfn|Gaar|2015|pp=48–49}} It was an obscenity-laced account to the audience, describing what had happened backstage and taunting the police, who were surrounding the stage.{{sfn|Weidman|2011|p=266}}<ref>{{cite web |first=Sterling |last=Whitaker |date=December 9, 2015 |title=Why Jim Morrison Got Arrested Onstage in New Haven |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/jim-morrison-maced-and-arrested-in-new-haven/ |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |access-date=November 20, 2021}}</ref> Later, the police lieutenant approached Morrison, during which Morrison thrust the microphone against his mouth and remarked, "Say your thing, man."{{sfn|Krieger|2021|pp=27–28}}{{sfn|Weidman|2011|p=266}} The concert came to an abrupt end when Morrison was dragged from the stage by the police. The audience, already restless from waiting so long for the band to perform, became unruly. Morrison was taken to a local police station, photographed and booked on charges of inciting a riot, indecency and public obscenity. Charges against Morrison, as well as those against three journalists also arrested in the incident ([[Mike Zwerin]], Yvonne Chabrier and [[Tim Page (photographer)|Tim Page]]), were dropped several weeks later for lack of evidence.{{sfn|Davis|2005|p=216}}{{sfn|Manzarek|1998|p=272}}

=== ''Waiting for the Sun'' (April–December 1968) ===
[[File:The Doors Cobo Arena Detroit 1968.jpg|left|thumb|upright|Poster for a 1968 concert at the [[Cobo Arena]], Detroit]]
Recording of the group's third album in April 1968 was marred by tension as a result of Morrison's increasing dependence on alcohol and the rejection of the 17-minute "[[Celebration of the Lizard]]" by band producer Paul Rothchild, who considered the work not commercial enough.{{sfn|Wall|2014|p=197}} Approaching the height of their popularity, the Doors played a series of outdoor shows that led to frenzied scenes between fans and police, particularly at [[Chicago Coliseum]] on May 10.{{sfn|Weidman|2011|p=268}}

The band began to branch out from their initial form for this third LP, and began writing new material. ''[[Waiting for the Sun]]'' became their first and only album to reach number 1 on the US charts, and the single "[[Hello, I Love You]]" (one of the six songs performed by the band on their 1965 Aura Records demo) was their second US No. 1 single. Following the 1968 release of "Hello, I Love You", the publisher of [[the Kinks]]' 1964 hit "[[All Day and All of the Night]]" announced they were planning legal action against the Doors for copyright infringement; however, songwriter [[Ray Davies]] ultimately chose not to sue.{{sfn|Hinman|2004|pp=119–120}}{{refn|group=nb|However, some have supported that the court in the United Kingdom determined in favor of Davies and any royalties for the song are paid to him.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/may/11/the-kinks-ray-davies-brexit-is-bigger-than-the-berlin-wall |title=The Kinks' Ray Davies: Brexit is 'Bigger Than the Berlin Wall' |first=Adrian |last=Deevoy |magazine=The Guardian |date=May 11, 2017 |access-date=September 3, 2020}}</ref>}} Kinks guitarist [[Dave Davies]] was particularly irritated by the similarity.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://kinks.it.rit.edu/misc/articles/latimes.html |title=Loyal Pains: The Davies Boys Are Still at It |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060907003915/http://kinks.it.rit.edu/misc/articles/latimes.html |archive-date=September 7, 2006 |access-date=December 23, 2006}}</ref> In concert, Morrison was occasionally dismissive of the song, leaving the vocals to Manzarek, as can be seen in the documentary ''[[The Doors Are Open]]''.<ref name="hellomanzarek">{{Cite AV media |title=The Doors Are Open |title-link=The Doors Are Open |date=1968 |people=The Doors |place=The Roadhouse, London |medium=Concert/Documentary}}</ref>

[[File:The Doors in Copenhagen 1968.jpg|thumb|left|The Doors performing for [[Television in Denmark|Danish television]] in 1968]]
A month after a riotous concert at the [[Singer Bowl]] in New York City, the group flew to Great Britain for their first performance outside North America. They held a press conference at the [[Institute of Contemporary Arts|ICA Gallery]] in London and played shows at the [[Roundhouse (venue)|Roundhouse]]. The results of the trip were broadcast on [[Granada TV]]'s ''The Doors Are Open'', later released on video. They played dates in Europe, along with [[Jefferson Airplane]], including a show in Amsterdam where Morrison collapsed on stage after a drug binge (including marijuana, hashish and unspecified pills).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/jim-morrison-passes-out-amsterdam/ |title=When Ray Manzarek Had to Fill in for a Passed-Out Jim Morrison |last=Gallucci |first=Michael |date=September 15, 2015 |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |access-date=October 3, 2020}}</ref>

[[File:Robby III.jpg|right|thumb|Robby Krieger at [[Roundhouse (venue)|Roundhouse]] in London (September 1968).]]
The group flew back to the United States and played nine more dates before returning to work in November on their fourth LP. They ended the year with a successful new single, "[[Touch Me (The Doors song)|Touch Me]]" (released in December 1968), which reached No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and No. 1 in the [[Cashbox Top 100 number-one singles of 1969|''Cashbox'' Top 100]] in early 1969; this was the group's third and last American number-one single.<ref>{{cite web |title=Once Upon a Time in the Top Spot: The Doors, 'Touch Me' |date=February 12, 2019 |url=https://www.rhino.com/article/once-upon-a-time-in-the-top-spot-the-doors-touch-me |website=[[Rhino Records|Rhino.com]] |access-date=April 11, 2021}}</ref>

=== Miami incident (March 1969) ===
{{anchor|Miami incident}}
[[File:Jim Morrison mug shot.jpg|right|thumb|Jim Morrison on the day of his conviction in Miami for profanity and indecent exposure]]
On March 1, 1969, at the [[Coconut Grove Convention Center|Dinner Key Auditorium]] in the [[Coconut Grove]] neighborhood of Miami, Florida, the Doors gave the most controversial and consequential performance of their career, one that nearly "derailed the band".<ref name="allmusic.com" /> The auditorium was a converted seaplane hangar that had no air conditioning on that hot night, and the seats had been removed by the promoter to boost ticket sales.{{sfn|Hopkins|Sugerman|1980|p=227}}{{sfn|Riordan|Prochnicky|1991|p=293}}

Morrison had been drinking all day and had missed connecting flights to Miami. By the time he arrived, drunk, the concert was over an hour late.{{sfn|Hopkins|Sugerman|1980|p=227}}{{sfn|Manzarek|1998|p=312}} The restless crowd of {{formatnum:12000}}, packed into a facility designed to hold {{formatnum:7000}}, was subjected to undue silences in Morrison's singing, which strained the music from the beginning of the performance. Morrison had recently attended a play by an experimental acting company [[the Living Theatre]] and was inspired by their "antagonistic" style of performance art.{{sfn|Manzarek|1998|p=310}}{{sfn|Riordan|Prochnicky|1991|pp=292–293, 295}} Morrison taunted the crowd with messages of both love and hate, saying, "Love me. I can't take it no more without no good love. I want some lovin'. Ain't nobody gonna love my ass?" and alternately, "You're all a bunch of fuckin' idiots!" and "You’re all a bunch of slaves!"<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/1991/02/28/jim-morrisons-miami-show/ |title=Jim Morrison's Miami 'Show' |date= 28 February 1991|newspaper=[[South Florida Sun Sentinel]]}}</ref> while screaming "What are you gonna do about it?" over and over again.{{sfn|Riordan|Prochnicky|1991|pp=292–293, 295}}{{sfn|Hopkins|Sugerman|1980|p=230}}{{sfn|Manzarek|1998|p=312}}

As the band began their second song, "Touch Me", Morrison started shouting in protest, forcing the band to a halt. At one point, Morrison removed the hat of an onstage police officer and threw it into the crowd; the officer reacted by taking Morrison's hat and throwing it in the same direction.{{sfn|Riordan|Prochnicky|1991|p=296}}{{sfn|Hopkins|Sugerman|1980|p=231}} Manager [[Bill Siddons]] recalled, "The gig was a bizarre, circus-like thing, there was this guy carrying a sheep and the wildest people that I'd ever seen."{{sfn|Riordan|Prochnicky|1991|p=297}} Equipment chief Vince Treanor said, "Somebody jumped up and poured champagne on Jim so he took his shirt off, he was soaking wet. 'Let's see a little skin, let's get naked,' he said, and the audience started taking their clothes off."{{sfn|Riordan|Prochnicky|1991|p=297}}  Having removed his shirt, Morrison held it in front of his groin area and started to make hand movements behind it.<ref name="mojo">{{Cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01278z4 |title=BBC Radio 2 – Mr Mojo Risin' |website=[[BBC]] |date=June 29, 2011}}</ref> Manzarek described the incident as a mass "religious hallucination".<ref name="mojo" />

On March 5, the Dade County Sheriff's office issued a warrant for Morrison's arrest, claiming Morrison had exposed his penis while on stage, shouted obscenities to the crowd, simulated [[oral sex]] on Krieger, and was drunk at the time of his performance. Morrison turned down a plea bargain that required the Doors to perform a free Miami concert. He was convicted and sentenced to six months in jail with hard labor, and ordered to pay a $500 fine.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jim-morrison-is-charged-with-lewd-behavior-at-a-miami-concert |title=Mar 5, 1969: Jim Morrison is charged with lewd behavior at a Miami concert |website=[[History Channel|History.com]] |access-date=August 20, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.doors.com/miami/letter.html |title=2007 Letter to Governor Crist |website=Doors.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927100410/http://www.doors.com/miami/letter.html |archive-date=September 27, 2011 |access-date=August 20, 2011}}</ref> Morrison remained free, pending an appeal of his conviction, and died before the matter was legally resolved. In 2007, [[List of Governors of Florida|Florida Governor]] [[Charlie Crist]] suggested the possibility of a posthumous pardon for Morrison, which was announced as successful on December 9, 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6B85UA20101209 |title=Florida pardons Doors' Jim Morrison |date=December 9, 2010 |access-date=December 9, 2010 |newspaper=Reuters}}</ref> Densmore, Krieger and Manzarek have denied the allegation that Morrison exposed himself on stage that night.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6B20CF20101203 |title=Drummer says Jim Morrison never exposed himself |date=December 2, 2010 |access-date=December 9, 2010 |newspaper=Reuters}}</ref>{{sfn|Manzarek|1998|p=314}}{{sfn|Riordan|Prochnicky|1991|p=299}}{{sfn|Krieger|2021|p=242}}

=== ''The Soft Parade'' (May–July 1969) ===
Morrison, who was increasingly distancing himself from the music, announced to the other Doors members his intention to quit the group; Manzarek convinced him to stay for six more months, ahead of completing ''[[The Soft Parade]]'', the Doors' forthcoming album.{{sfn|Davis|2005|p=181}}{{sfn|Hopkins|Sugerman|1980|p=190}}

Released in July 1969, ''The Soft Parade'' was their first-and-only to feature [[brass instrument|brass]] and [[string instrument|string]] arrangements. The concept was suggested by Rothchild to the band, after listening to many examples by various groups who also explored the same radical departure.<ref name="Jackson" /> Both jazz-influenced Densmore and Manzarek agreed with the recommendation,{{sfn|Riordan|Prochnicky|1991|p=320}} but Morrison declined to incorporate orchestral accompaniment on his compositions.{{sfn|Riordan|Prochnicky|1991|pp=338–340}} The lead single, "Touch Me", featured saxophonist [[Curtis Amy]].{{sfn|Goldsmith|2019|p=94}}
[[File:The Doors 1969.JPG|thumb|The Doors {{circa|1968}}]]

While the band was trying faintly to maintain their previous momentum, efforts to expand their sound with instrumental changes, including string, brass, and wind parts, caused critics to attack their musical integrity.{{sfn|Matijas-Mecca|2020|p=80}} According to Densmore in his biography ''Riders on the Storm'', individual writing credits were noted for the first time because of Morrison's reluctance to sing the lyrics of Krieger's song "[[Tell All the People]]". Morrison's drinking made him difficult and unreliable, and the recording sessions dragged on for months. Studio costs piled up, and the Doors came close to disintegrating. Despite all this, the album was immensely successful, becoming the band's fourth hit album.{{sfn|Densmore|1990|p=187}}

=== ''Morrison Hotel'' and ''Absolutely Live'' (November 1969 – December 1970) ===
[[File:Doors - Morrison Hotel.jpg|left|thumb|Photo by [[Henry Diltz]] used on the cover of ''[[Morrison Hotel]]'']]
During the recording of their next album, ''[[Morrison Hotel]]'', in November 1969, Morrison again found himself in trouble with the law after harassing airline staff during a flight to Phoenix, Arizona to see [[the Rolling Stones]] in concert. Both Morrison and his friend and traveling companion [[Tom Baker (American actor)|Tom Baker]] were charged with "interfering with the flight of an intercontinental aircraft and public drunkenness".{{sfn|Riordan|Prochnicky|1991|p=347}} If convicted of the most serious charge, Morrison could have faced a ten-year federal prison sentence for the incident.{{sfn|Hopkins|Sugerman|1980|p=284}} The charges were dropped in April 1970 after an airline stewardess reversed her testimony to say she mistakenly identified Morrison as Baker.{{sfn|Hopkins|Sugerman|1980|p=290}}

The Doors staged a return to a more conventional direction after the experimental ''The Soft Parade'', with their fifth LP ''Morrison Hotel'' in 1970.<ref>{{cite web |first=Harvey |last=Kubernik |author-link=Harvey Kubernik |title=Ray Manzarek on the Doors' 6 Studio Albums: The 'Lost' Interviews |url=https://bestclassicbands.com/ray-manzarek-interview-doors-12-18-19/
|work=Best Classic Bands |date=February 12, 2022 |access-date=June 14, 2022}}</ref> Featuring a consistent [[blues rock]] sound, the album's opener was "[[Roadhouse Blues]]". The record reached No. 4 in the United States and revived their status among their core fanbase and the rock press. [[Dave Marsh]], the editor of ''[[Creem]]'' magazine, said of the album: "the most horrifying rock and roll I have ever heard. When they're good, they're simply unbeatable. I know this is the best record I've listened to&nbsp; ... so far".{{sfn|Hopkins|Sugerman|1980|p=284}} ''[[Rock (magazine)|Rock Magazine]]'' called it "without any doubt their ballsiest (and best) album to date".{{sfn|Hopkins|Sugerman|1980|p=284}} ''[[Circus (magazine)|Circus]]'' magazine praised it as "possibly the best album yet from the Doors" and "good hard, evil rock, and one of the best albums released this decade".{{sfn|Hopkins|Sugerman|1980|p=284}} The album also saw Morrison returning as main songwriter, writing or co-writing all of the album's tracks. The 40th anniversary CD reissue of ''Morrison Hotel'' contains outtakes and alternative takes, including different versions of "The Spy" and "Roadhouse Blues" (with [[Lonnie Mack]] on bass guitar and [[the Lovin' Spoonful]]'s [[John Sebastian]] on harmonica).<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=Morrison Hotel |title-link=Morrison Hotel |others=The Doors |type=40th Anniversary edition CD booklet & Liner notes |year=2007 |publisher=[[Rhino Records]] |last1=Botnick |first1=Bruce |author-link1=Bruce Botnick |last2=Fricke |first2=David |author-link2=David Fricke |id=R2 101173}}</ref>

July 1970 saw the release of the group's first live album, ''[[Absolutely Live (The Doors album)|Absolutely Live]]'', which peaked at No. 8 position on the charts.{{sfn|Gaar|2015|p=102}} The record was completed by producer Rothchild, who confirmed that the album's final mixing consisted of many bits and pieces from various and different band concerts. "There must be 2000 edits on that album", he told an interviewer years later.<ref name="Jackson" /> ''Absolutely Live'' also includes the first release of the lengthy piece "Celebration of the Lizard".

Although the Doors continued to face de facto bans in more conservative American markets and earned new bans at [[Salt Lake City]]'s [[Salt Palace (arena)|Salt Palace]] and Detroit's Cobo Hall following tumultuous concerts,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/the-doors-cobo-arena-1970/ |title=How the Doors Got Banned from Detroit's Cobo Arena |last=Lifton |first=Dave |date=May 9, 2015 |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |access-date=January 15, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://mildequator.com/performancehistory/concertinfo/cancelled/700411.html |title=The Doors Cancelled Performances {{!}} Salt Lake City 1970 |website=Mildequator.com |access-date=January 15, 2020}}</ref> the band managed to play 18 concerts in the United States, Mexico and Canada following the Miami incident in 1969,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://mildequator.com/performancehistory/concertdates1969.html |title=The Doors Concert Dates & Info 1969 |website=Mildequator.com |access-date=January 15, 2020}}</ref> and 23 dates in the United States and Canada throughout the first half of 1970. The group later made it to the [[Isle of Wight Festival 1970|Isle of Wight Festival]] on August 29; performing on the same day as [[John Sebastian]], [[Shawn Phillips]], [[Lighthouse (band)|Lighthouse]], [[Joni Mitchell]], [[Tiny Tim (musician)|Tiny Tim]], [[Miles Davis]], [[Ten Years After]], [[Emerson, Lake & Palmer]], [[the Who]], [[Sly and the Family Stone]] and [[Melanie Safka|Melanie]];<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/r233269|first=Richie|last=Unterberger |title=Isle of Wight Festival |website=AllMusic |access-date=October 3, 2020}}</ref> the performance was the last captured on the band's [[Roadhouse Blues Tour]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://mildequator.com/performancehistory/concertdates1970.html |title=The Doors Concert Dates & Info 1970 |website=Mildequator.com |access-date=January 15, 2020}}</ref>

On December 8, 1970, his 27th birthday, Morrison recorded another poetry session.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=An American Prayer |title-link=An American Prayer |type=CD booklet |year=1995 |publisher=Elektra Records |last=Lisciandro |first=Katherine |id=CD-61812}}</ref> Part of this would end up on ''[[An American Prayer]]'' in 1978 with music, and is currently in the possession of the Courson family.{{sfn|Weidman|2011|p=375}} Shortly thereafter, a new tour to promote their upcoming album would comprise only three dates. Two concerts were held in Dallas on December 11. During the Doors' last public performance with Morrison, at [[The Warehouse (New Orleans)|The Warehouse]] in New Orleans, on December 12, 1970, Morrison apparently had a breakdown on stage. Midway through the set he slammed the microphone numerous times into the stage floor until the platform beneath was destroyed, then sat down and refused to perform for the remainder of the show.{{sfn|Riordan|Prochnicky|1991|pp=438–439}} After the concert, Densmore, Manzarek and Krieger came to a mutual agreement that they should end their live act, claiming Morrison was ready to retire from performing.{{sfn|Hopkins|Sugerman|1980|p=309}}{{sfn|Densmore|1990|p=263}}

=== ''L.A. Woman'' and Morrison's leave of absence and death (December 1970 – July 1971) ===
[[File:Grave of Jim Morrison.JPG|thumb|Jim Morrison's grave at the [[Père Lachaise Cemetery]] in Paris]]
Despite Morrison's conviction and the fallout from their appearance in New Orleans, the Doors set out to reclaim their status as a premier act with the album ''[[L.A. Woman]]'', recorded in Los Angeles in 1971.<ref name="Runtagh">{{Cite magazine |first=Jordan |last=Runtagh |date=April 19, 2016 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/doors-l-a-woman-10-things-you-didnt-know-41912/ |title=Doors' ''L.A. Woman'': 10 Things You Didn't Know |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=March 16, 2021}}</ref> The album included rhythm guitarist [[Marc Benno]] on several tracks and prominently featured bassist [[Jerry Scheff]], best known for his work in [[Elvis Presley]]'s [[TCB Band]]. Despite a comparatively low ''Billboard'' chart peak at No. 9, ''L.A. Woman'' contained two Top 20 hits and went on to be their second bestselling studio album, surpassed in sales only by their debut.{{sfn|Goldsmith|2019|p=92}} The album explored their [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] roots,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/doors-morrison-hotel/ |title=When the Doors Went Back to Basics on ''Morrison Hotel'' |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |last=Gallucci |first=Michael |date=February 1, 2016 |access-date=May 29, 2021 |quote=In the end, it turned out to be a smart move for the band, which returned to the studio at the end of the year to make its last album with Morrison, ''L.A. Woman'', a recharged take on the R&B and blues roots music it returned to on ''Morrison Hotel''.}}</ref> although during rehearsals they had a falling-out with Paul Rothchild, who was dissatisfied with the band's effort. Denouncing "Love Her Madly" as "[[lounge music|cocktail lounge music]]", he quit and handed the production to Bruce Botnick and the Doors.<ref name="Jackson">{{cite AV media|url=http://archives.waiting-forthe-sun.net/Pages/Interviews/OtherInterviews/rothchild_bam.html|title=BAM Interview with Paul Rothchild|last=Jackson|first=Blair|date=July 3, 1981|via=Waiting for the Sun Archives|volume=107}}</ref>

The [[L.A. Woman (song)|title track]] and two singles ("[[Love Her Madly]]" and "[[Riders on the Storm]]") remain mainstays of rock radio programming,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-aug-03-ca-popeye3-story.html |title=21st Century Doors Make Grave Decision |last=Hochman |first=Steve |date=August 3, 2003 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=January 15, 2020}}</ref> with the latter being inducted into the [[Grammy Hall of Fame]] for its special significance to recorded music. In the song "L.A. Woman", Morrison makes an anagram of his name to chant "Mr. Mojo Risin".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.technologytell.com/hometech/83873/blu-ray-movie-review-doors-%E2%80%AD-%E2%80%ACmr-%E2%80%AD-%E2%80%ACmojo-risin%E2%80%AD%E2%80%AC-the-story-of-l-a-%E2%80%AD-%E2%80%ACwoman%E2%80%AD/ |title=Blu-ray Movie Review: Doors – Mr. Mojo Risin': The Story of L.A. Woman |last=Whitman |first=Howard |website=Technologytell.com |access-date=April 2, 2012 |archive-date=August 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120805002144/http://www.technologytell.com/hometech/83873/blu-ray-movie-review-doors-%E2%80%AD-%E2%80%ACmr-%E2%80%AD-%E2%80%ACmojo-risin%E2%80%AD%E2%80%AC-the-story-of-l-a-%E2%80%AD-%E2%80%ACwoman%E2%80%AD/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> During the sessions, a short clip of the band performing "[[Crawling King Snake]]" was filmed. As far as is known, this is the last clip of the Doors performing with Morrison.<ref>{{Cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB_ZYE3qtXs |title=Jim Morrison's Last Ever Performance (Australian TV 1971) |date=August 3, 2011 |website=YouTube |access-date=July 17, 2022}}</ref>

On March 11, 1971,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/jim-morrison-in-paris/ |title=The Day Jim Morrison Moved to Paris |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |last=Giles |first=Jeff |date=March 11, 2016 |access-date=April 11, 2023}}</ref> near the end of the mixing of ''L.A. Woman'', Morrison took a leave of absence from the Doors and moved to Paris with [[Pamela Courson]];<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/doors-la-woman/ |title=Revisiting the Doors' Last Album with Jim Morrison, ''L.A. Woman'' |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |last=Giles |first=Jeff |date=April 19, 2015 |access-date=July 11, 2022}}</ref> he had visited the city the previous summer. On July 3, 1971, following months of residency, Morrison was found dead in the bath by Courson.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Fong-Torres |first=Ben |author-link=Ben Fong-Torres |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/james-douglas-morrison-poet-dead-at-27-19710805 |title=James Douglas Morrison, Poet: Dead at 27 |date=August 5, 1971 |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=March 14, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222124736/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/james-douglas-morrison-poet-dead-at-27-19710805 |archive-date=February 22, 2018}}</ref> Despite the absence of an official autopsy, the cause of death was listed as heart failure.<ref>{{cite web |first=Jeff |last=Giles |date=July 3, 2015 |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/jim-morrison-death/ |title=The Day Jim Morrison's Body Was Discovered |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |access-date=February 23, 2021}}</ref> He was buried in the "Poets' Corner" of [[Père Lachaise Cemetery]] on July 7.{{sfn|Davis|2005|p=472}}{{sfn|Olsen|2007|p=105}}

Morrison died at age 27, the same age as several other famous rock stars in the [[27 Club]]. In 1974, Morrison's girlfriend Pamela Courson also died at the age of 27.{{sfn|Segalstad|Hunter|2008|p=157}}