“CRAWLIN' KING SNAKE”: THE DOORS' VERSION AND ITS ORIGINS
The Doors' last LP, L.A. Woman, released in April 1971, is the band's most blues-influenced work. Three songs belonging to this genre were recorded for the album: "Been Down So Long", "Cars Hiss By My Window" and "Crawlin' King Snake" . The latter is the only one of the three that is a cover. Although the original song has been around since the 1920s and '30s along the banks of the Mississippi River, it is attributed to bluesman Big Joe Williams, who firstly recorded it under that title in 1941. The tune has been part of The Doors' live repertoire since their early days. A recording of their version of this outstanding country blues is dated March 1967 and was made at "The Matrix" in San Francisco . After an underground run throughout the group's history, "Crawlin' King Snake" was officially put on vinyl by The Doors in late 1970 during the recording sessions of "L.A. Woman". Two other musicians j
