"YOU'RE LOST LITTLE GIRL":THE BEGINNING OF JIM MORRISON’S "FRANK SINATRA" SINGING STYLE

Jim Morrison repeatedly expressed his admiration for two of the most influential singers in music history: Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. He also drew inspiration from them when developing his own vocal style.

Although his singing was highly original and distinctly different from anyone else's, the influence of these two singers was evident from the beginning of The Doors frontman's musical career.

Of the two, it is Frank Sinatra's influence on Morrison's vocal style that we will consider here.

The Doors recorded several Elvis Presley tunes in the studio and live. Unfortunately, no similar recordings of Sinatra songs exist.

The first example in The Doors' discography that suggests a similarity between Morrison's vocals and those of the Italian American singer is "You're Lost Little Girl", featured on the band's second LP, "Strange Days" (released in September 1967).

Although the song's psychedelic nature apparently doesn’t fit with this parallel between vocal styles, upon listening, one can easily notice a not-too-subtle, nor coincidental, similarity between the two singers.

In both the verse and chorus of "You're Lost Little Girl", Morrison's singing style reflects Sinatra's in two different ways. In the verse, a low vocal inflection filled with melancholy penetrates the sparse arrangement.

During the refrain, the voice sounds more uplifted and serene, although it remains veiled by a hint of sadness. Additionally, throughout the tune, Morrison’s timbre boldly approaches Sinatra's, while maintaining the necessary distance and the unbridgeable difference between the two.

To understand how Morrison's voice incorporates elements of the Sinatra style, it is helpful to listen to Sinatra's 1951 version of "I'm a Fool to Want You" (link here). At this stage in his career, Sinatra was transitioning from the swing music that had made him famous in the 1940s, to a synthesis of jazz and pop that would cement his status as a unique vocal performer.

After experimenting with this vocal style on the album "Strange Days" with the song "You're Lost Little Girl", Jim Morrison went on to sing other "Sinatra-esque" compositions on the band's subsequent LPs.

The best examples are: "Yes, The River Knows" from the album "Waiting for the Sun" (released in July 1968); "Whishful Sinful" from the album "The Soft Parade" (released in July 1969); and "Blue Sunday" and "The Spy" from the album "Morrison Hotel" (released in February 1970).

Among these tracks, Morrison's attempt to accentuate the pitch of his voice to emulate Sinatra is perhaps most evident in "Blue Sunday".

To hear this for yourself, listen to Frank Sinatra's "I'm a Fool to Want You" (from min. 0:56 to min. 1:46) and then "Blue Sunday" (from min. 0:15 to min. 1:05).

Jim Morrison's voice is a staple of music history and one of the most engaging, recognisable and fascinating ever. Here, we have explored one of its facets: the one associated with Frank Sinatra, widely regarded as one of the greatest jazz singers of all time and a pioneer of modern singing.

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”