THE DOORS AT THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS SHOW: CHRONICLE AND CONTEXT

 

Following their European tour in September 1968, The Doors entered a new phase in their career.

Artistic and management issues began to create a rift between Jim Morrison and the other band members. At the same time, the singer started to distance himself from the rock star and sex symbol image that had been built up around him over the previous year and a half.

In particular, he gradually stopped wearing the clothes that had defined his public identity over the previous year. This transition was completed a few months later, in March 1969, when Morrison made one of his last public appearances wearing his signature leather trousers.

The autumn of 1968 also marked the beginning of the frontman's most prolific period as a poet and, to some extent, as a director and actor.

While these alternative pursuits did not replace music entirely, they would prevent him from the level of commitment he had experienced during the previous two and a half years.

Anyway, amid the Californian group deteriorating musical and relational unity, there were intense and crowded concerts held in various American cities in November 1968.

These gigs led to an appearance on the television show The Smothers Brothers Show on 6 December of the same year (link here), which was broadcast about a week later.

The band seized this opportunity to promote their new single, which also marked a radical change in style: 'Touch Me'.

For this song, they choose to incorporate horns and strings into their sound for the first time. It was a bold and controversial change, especially considering the two number one hits they recently achieved with the single 'Hello, I Love You' and the album 'Waiting for the Sun' in the summer of 1968.

The two hosts introduced The Doors as follows:  ”Our next guests have a sound that’s a real fine sound and more than that they have the ability to combine that sound with their own poetry. Ladies and gentlemen, The Doors!”.

At this point, the cameras focused on the group. They started with 'Wild Child' (the B-side of 'Touch Me' from the aforementioned single), and then, after a break, they played 'Touch Me' itself.

The instrumental parts of the songs were played directly from the vinyl in the TV studio, with Krieger, Manzarek and Densmore mimicking playing their respective instruments. Meanwhile, Morrison’s voice could be heard live instead.

Although softly coiffed and wearing light makeup, the singer was still wearing his seductive leather trousers and belt. Moreover, his singing was less purposeful than usual, his expression was more distant and his attitude less engaged.

The fact that 'Touch Me' was not his favorite song probably played a role in this. In Miami, three months later, he would interrupt the tune on stage, literally shouting 'Stop this shit!!'. He was not excited by the lyrics of this Krieger composition either.

Moreover, during the performance, Morrison missed the four “C'mon” and went straight to the words “Touch me babe”.

Combine this with the image of the elegant and polite orchestra surrounding him, and you get the picture of a musician uncomfortable in his own band.

It should also be noted that television appearances were not the situation in which Morrison preferred to sing, nor were they the setting in which he moved with the greatest confidence and ease.

All these factors dampened the impact and quality of the frontman's singing on this TV show.

In 'Wild Child', he unleashes his magnetic inspiration to a slightly greater degree than in 'Touch Me'. However, his voice does not come close to the charming, penetrating and abrasive vinyl version of the song.

The Smothers Brothers show in December 1968 was a visible sign of a crisis within The Doors, as well as within Jim Morrison's soul. This crisis had just become apparent and would continue until the summer of 1969, never being fully resolved.

This difficult situation is symbolized by the stark contrast between the two compositions performed that day. 'Touch Me' was written by Krieger and represented a new musical direction that Morrison did not appreciate; 'Wild Child' was composed by Morrison and represented the magnificent, mysterious rock that only The Doors could express.

Finally, we'd like to mention one last curiosity about this TV show: Robby Krieger's black eye, which can be seen in the video of the show, was the result of a recent car accident that fortunately wasn't serious.

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

Here’s a link:

Amazon – “The Doors Through Strange Days”