THE MUSICAL EVOLUTION OF THE DOORS' "YOU MAKE ME REAL" (1969-1970)

 

"You Make Me Real" by The Doors is a lively Jim Morrison rock composition, inspired by the rhythm and blues genre that was popular in England and the United States during the first half of the 1960s.

It belongs to the early period of the Californian band and was included in the setlist for several concerts held by the quartet in Los Angeles in 1966 (here is the link to the article in which I thoroughly analyze and provide historical context for the first live performance of this song at the London Fog venue).

As it was not recorded for the first album ("The Doors", recorded in late summer 1966), the song gradually disappeared from the group's repertoire and was permanently shelved by early 1967, being replaced in live performances by other songs.

After two and a half years of oblivion, "You Make Me Real" resurfaced on 21 July 1969 as part of The Doors' concert at the Aquarius Theatre in Los Angeles.

This was a completely different moment to when the song was originally conceived. Since its exciting beginnings in the mid-1960s, rock had evolved in many directions and no longer relied on the rhythm and blues paradigm that had marked its early years.

Morrison, Manzarek, Krieger and Densmore had also undergone significant shifts in style, experiencing both considerable public success and a profound musical evolution along the way.

With all this multifaceted musical and personal baggage, the band attempted to revive the tune by performing it live in their hometown that summer (link here).

This performance produced mixed results: the arrangement, essentially unchanged since 1966, leaves a pleasant but not particularly memorable impression, and was used in both shows that night to transition between more significant songs.

At the Aquarius Theatre, the track is slightly extended compared to the original 1966 version. The two electric guitar solos are more prominent thanks to the higher-quality recording; the main riff has been modified in the final section and Morrison's voice has acquired complex and intriguing nuances over the years.

It all comes together in an engaging and energetic rock rendition, although the weight of the years is clearly evident in a composition born from the enthusiastic passion that The Doors displayed for rhythm and blues at the beginning of their career.

The Aquarius Theatre show revived the song among the four musicians' ideas, and they considered it for the album 'Morrison Hotel' at the end of the same year (recorded mainly in November–December 1969).

Aligning well with the rock sound The Doors wanted for the LP, "You Make Me Real" was chosen over other available tracks and was thus released on vinyl for the first time almost four years after it first appeared at the band's early live gigs.

The version included in Morrison Hotel (released in February 1970) is certainly the best known, and arguably the most convincing (link here).

The riff that we hear during the verse takes on a more melodic shape because of two flowing chords that are added to the dry, percussive 1966 theme.

This riff, now lacking its initial edgy quality, is delineated by two instruments.

The first is Ray Manzarek's piano, modified by small iron objects placed on the strings to give it the sound of a 1920s upright piano (known as 'tack piano').

The second is Robby Krieger's electric guitar, whose sound is fragmented and made harsher by distortion. This effect enables the guitarist to dominate the recording and drive the song, even during the chorus.

In addition, Krieger performs two solos himself, dedicating their simple development to the eminent artistic figure of Chuck Berry.

John Densmore's drums dynamically slide through the typical surf rock pattern (already used in the '66 version), while sessionman Ray Neapolitan's creative bass line fits perfectly into the song's direct, rhythmic mood.

Jim Morrison's voice interprets the rock immediacy of "You Make Me Real" with amused fervour, using his unmistakable grave and abrasive timbre to achieve a powerful and passionate tone.

From min. 2:03 to min. 2:16, the singer briefly references one of the vocal parts he had previously used in "Roadhouse Blues" ("Let it roll, baby, roll"), a composition that was recorded during the same period and included on the LP "Morrison Hotel".

Overall, this is a thrilling vocal performance that elevates a song which perhaps lacks artistic weight by the band's standards.

Released in March 1970 as the A-side of the only single from the "Morrison Hotel" LP, the track only reached number 50 in the US charts and failed to enter the UK charts.

To coincide with the release of "Morrison Hotel", The Doors included 'You Make Me Real' in the setlist of the ensuing concerts.

We have chosen one such performance (in Detroit in May 1970, link here) as representative of the last version of the song (1. London Fog, May '66; 2. Aquarius Theatre July '69; 3. "Morrison Hotel" late '69, 4. "Morrison Hotel" tour January-August '70).

During the "Morrison Hotel" tour, The Doors slowed down the tempo and replaced the modified piano with the electric organ. Despite this, they failed to improve the album's version of "You Make Me Real", confining the song as filler between more acclaimed tunes.

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, ca, etc.

Here’s the link:

Amazon – “The Doors Through Strange Days”