JULY 29, 1967: "LIGHT MY FIRE" LAUNCHES THE DOORS' CAREER

The failure of The Doors' debut single, “Break On Through (To The Other Side)”, released in January 1967, also negatively impacted the chart performance of their debut LP, "The Doors", released on the same day.

Adding to this disappointing backdrop, the band's fanbase in California proved too limited to meet the Elektra label's expectations for the quartet.

In an attempt to overcome this setback, producer Paul Rothchild suggested releasing a second single from the debut album: "Light My Fire".

However, the song's length (over seven minutes) was deemed too long for radio airplay, so it was recommended that the middle section be omitted.

This section consisted of two long solos, one played on the electric organ and the other on the electric guitar, and The Doors considered it an essential part of the tune.

Initially skeptical about this solution, the group was convinced when they heard the cut version for the first time in the recording studio.

Persuaded by the immediacy of the song and the limited alternatives available to reach a wider audience, the band members agreed to the change.

The single was released at the end of April 1967 and immediately caught the attention of listeners far beyond California.

On 3 June, it entered the charts, with Aretha Franklin's perfect and historic rendition of "Respect" (an exceptional soul tune written by Otis Redding) at the top spot.

From that moment on, "Light My Fire" began an upward trajectory that ended on 29 July with the number one spot in the charts.

The Doors' song left the interesting soul tune of 17-year-old Stevie Wonder's "I Was Made to Love Her" in second place and the disappointing pop rock of The Association's "Windy" in third.

After three weeks at the top of the singles charts, "Light My Fire" was knocked off in mid-August '67 by the Beatles' "All You Need Is Love”.

This pop-rock song perfectly captured the spirit of the psychedelic summer of '67, although musically it was not particularly outstanding aside from its verse and original lyrics.

"Light My Fire" remained The Doors' best-known song and slowly slipped out of the Top 10 in early October 1967, after 16 weeks.

The single stayed on the charts for almost six months in total, from June 1967 to the end of the year.

Therefore, Rothchild's decision regarding 'Light My Fire' was crucial in propelling The Doors to stardom and enabling them to achieve fame that would change their fate and that of rock music forever.

This turning point also had an immediate effect on the band's concert schedule. Prior to the summer of 1967, The Doors had only performed live in California, with three exceptions involving trips to New York and the surrounding area to play in small venues.

However, during the summer of that year, the success of "Light My Fire" took them outside their home state, with performances in Canada (three nights) and 11 other US states across the East Coast, Midwest and South.

The jump in sales produced by the release of the shortened version of "Light My Fire" represented a watershed moment in The Doors' career.

While cutting out the middle section certainly diminished the song's overall quality, this compromise later allowed the full version to become even more popular than the abbreviated single itself.

Furthermore, the group escaped the obscurity that sadly characterized the destiny of so many outstanding bands of that musical period. For this, we should be grateful.

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”