“STRANGE DAYS”, FROM THE EARLY VERSION TO THE LP MASTERPIECE

 

The earliest live recording of The Doors is the "London Fog" gig, a performance recorded in May 1966 at the small Los Angeles venue of the same name. At the time, the Californian group was relatively unknown and still busy establishing itself on the local scene.

Soon after, a favorable twist of fate, partly thanks to Arthur Lee (leader of Love), allowed them to record their debut LP, released in January 1967. Among the various blues and rhythm and blues covers performed at the "London Fog" was "Strange Days", an original composition by The Doors themselves.

This song was later recorded in spring/summer 1967 for the band's second LP, also titled "Strange Days" and released in September 1967. This gives us the chance to compare the two versions, which are exactly one year apart.

The first version, performed at the 'London Fog' in May 1966, should be considered for its fundamental characteristic: the innovation it represents in music history. In fact, written in early 1966, this tune immediately stands out for its original arrangement and melody.

Here, The Doors demonstrate that they were moving artistically into the almost unexplored terrain of psychedelia, which was in its infancy at that time.

Although this innovative song would have to wait another year to be officially pressed onto vinyl, the London Fog recording shows that the four musicians were already tuned into the psychedelic vibes that would so beautifully characterize pop rock and rock music in the years to come.

One of the first fully psychedelic hit songs was "Rain" by the Beatles, released in May 1966 — the same period as the "London Fog" recording of "Strange Days".

Similar rare examples of psychedelic innovation can be found on "The Velvet Underground and Nico", the debut album by the band of the same name, which was recorded in spring/summer 1966, and on "The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators", which was also recorded in spring/summer 1966.

This early version of "Strange Days" is dominated by John Densmore's drums and the ringing sound of a tambourine (presumably played by Jim Morrison). This creates a highly original rhythm for the time, demonstrating the band's ability to find brand new rhythmic solutions.

Ray Manzarek's electric organ and Robby Krieger's guitar intertwine tightly to create fascinating, shifting textures of sound. These two instruments are therefore essential in giving the song the psychedelic atmosphere that we can already appreciate in this concert recording.

The album version was recorded about a year later, by which time psychedelia had come to dominate both the public's musical tastes and the musicians' forms of expression. Here, The Doors apply different studio effects and distortions to each instrument, leaving only the drums virtually unchanged from the version performed at the "London Fog".

However, the overall structure of this live rendition remains intact on the vinyl, with the same visionary lyrics and identical vocal line. This confirms the innovative nature of the tune, which remains disruptive even a year after it was originally written.

P.S.: My book "The Doors Through Strange Days"- The most comprehensive journey ever made through The Doors' second LP, is available on Amazon.com, .uk, .mx, .it, etc.

Here’s a link:

Amazon – “The Doors Through Strange Days”