THE MUSICAL STYLE BEHIND THE DOORS’ "PEOPLE ARE STRANGE"

 

The variety shows broadcast in Europe and the United States in the 1950s and 1960s originated from cabaret shows staged at the turn of the 20^th century in major American city clubs. These events combined entertainment, music, theatre, comedy and short plots.

This cultural and musical tradition was referenced by The Doors in their arrangement of "People Are Strange" (link here), the seventh track on their second album, "Strange Days" (released in September 1967).

This musical entertainment originated in Anglo-Saxon countries and was also known as music hall or cabaret music. It was first rediscovered as a source of inspiration by some British musicians in the mid-1960s.

Among the first bands to consider cabaret music as a basis for songwriting were the Kinks, led by the overflowing creativity of Ray Davies.

As early as late 1965, this great British group began releasing songs containing references to early 1900s shows in their arrangements.

The first song to fully embrace these sonic elements was "Dedicated Follower of Fashion" (link here), a pop-rock single released in February 1966 that was not included on any of The Kinks LPs.

Here, we can appreciate Ray Davis's lead vocals, which adhere to the stylistic canons of the early 20th century. The backing vocals and drum pattern are also noteworthy, as they contribute significantly to the extroverted result.

From this point onwards, the Kinks produced numerous beautiful compositions that translated old-fashioned cabaret into an appealing, melodic pop-rock idiom.

A few months later the Rolling Stones recorded "Something Happened to Me Yesterday" (link here) adopting this expressive style. This song was later released on the album "Between the Buttons" in January 1967.

Bringing this stylistic influence to prominence in charts around the world were The Beatles. In fact, Paul McCartney's composition "When I'm Sixty-Four'" (link here), was included on the 1967 absolute masterpiece "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band".

The ironic stops (listen at min. 1:03, for example), along with the jolting electric bass and light-hearted clarinet, brought cabaret to one of the most important records in music history.

While "When I'm Sixty-four" is not one of the finest tracks on the album, The Beatles' unparalleled fame effectively promoted this style of music worldwide.

The notoriety acquired by this musical style propagated its influence on several other groups and artists, even on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

These artists included The Doors, as previously mentioned, with "People Are Strange". The tune is the only example on the album "Strange Days" featuring these imaginative musical influences, but music-hall inspired songs would reappear several times in their subsequent discography.

For example, with "We Could Be So Good Together" (also recorded during the "Strange Days" sessions in spring-summer 1967, but released on the 1968 LP “Waiting For The Sun”) and with "Easy Ride" (recorded in spring 1968 during the "Waiting For The Sun" sessions, but released on the 1969 album “The Soft Parade”).

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”