THE DOORS' "SPANISH CARAVAN": THE FOLLOW-UP TO "STRANGE DAYS”
Following the release of The Doors' second LP, "Strange Days"
(September 1967), new musical horizons opened up for the group.
The psychedelic rock that pervaded “Strange Days” was expanded into even
more distinctive arrangements and instrumentally sophisticated compositions.
These included unusual and elaborate elements that surprised listeners
and greatly varied the palette of colors used in rock music.
As early as autumn 1967, the band began
recording "The Unknown Soldier" (link here to an article about this great composition).
Immediately after recording this innovative song, the band returned to
the studio to develop an idea by guitarist Robby Krieger. By the end of 1967,
this had evolved into "Spanish Caravan", which will be included on
the next album, "Waiting for the Sun" (July 1968).
The song is imbued with the Iberian atmosphere evoked by the title
itself and mirrored in the arrangement and instrumentation.
The lyrics vividly depicts evocative images of the golden age of the
Spanish Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries, with references to gold,
galleons, and lush wheat fields.
The composition is divided into three distinct sections, each separated
by a second of silence. Each part takes up about a third of the three-minute
tune.
The first section is instrumental, with Krieger putting his flamenco
guitar studies into practice with a charming run on the strings of an acoustic
classical guitar.
This is joined by a second, overdubbed, flamenco guitar line, also
played by Krieger, which complements the beautiful melody (based on a classical
Spanish motif).
At min. 0:28, another acoustic instrument enters: the double bass,
played by a jazz musician hired for the occasion. He is Leroy Vinnegar, who was
active mainly in the cool jazz genre from the mid-1950s to the late 1960s.
His contribution adds depth to the tastefully sketched Spanish-style
dance by Krieger, remaining present until the end of the second section before
leaving the scene in the final part of the composition.
From min. 0:38 onwards, a modified drum cymbal is also introduced,
probably with objects placed on top of it to shorten and dry its sound. It
punctuates the progress of the piece, giving it rhythm and dynamism.
The second section (from min. 1.01) features the same instrumental
arrangement (two classical guitars, a double bass and the modified cymbal), but
with the addition of Jim Morrison's deep voice singing a verse-chorus sequence.
The melody traced by the singer's voice is extremely effective in
transporting the listener on a "Spanish caravan" and conjuring up an
atmosphere of languid, fascinating poetry.
Starting at min. 1:46, the third section dives into psychedelia with a pressing
riff played by the guitar, this time electrically amplified and distorted by a
fuzz pedal.
The double bass is replaced by the electric bass played by session man
Doug Lubahn, while Morrison's voice is even darker, deeper and more haunting.
Ray Manzarek's electric organ also makes its appearance in this last
section, turning its notes into evanescent swirls that at times seem to cast a
magical spell, mysterious yet carefree (listen from min. 1.56 to min.
2.12).
The drums, which were absent earlier, join in with a whirlwind rhythm that
alternate between the passionate urgency of flamenco (from min. 1:56 to min. 2:04, for example) and a hasty, surreal waltz (from min. 2:05 to min. 2:13, for
example).
After finishing "Spanish Caravan", The Doors continued
recording "Waiting For The Sun" during the first half of 1968. The
song was performed live several times throughout that year.
'Spanish Caravan' remains an example of how the band could blend images and sound with great charm and originality, enriching the psychedelic rock that characterized their music at the time with highly unconventional and surprising elements.
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:
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