THE DOORS LOOKING FOR A NEW SINGER AFTER JIM MORRISON'S DEATH

 

Following the death of The Doors’ singer Jim Morrison in Paris on 3 July 1971, the band continued as a trio with Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore.

With this reduced line-up, they recorded and released two unsatisfactory albums, Other Voices in 1971 and Full Circle in 1972, before finally disbanding in 1973.

During those two years, the three remaining members considered several times the possibility of returning to being a quartet by bringing in a new singer.

Manzarek's singing abilities had already been tested in previous years, both at concerts where he performed blues covers to give Morrison a break and on "You Need Love (Don't Go No Further)" (the B-side of the March 1971 single "Love Her Madly").

Nevertheless, his dark and powerful voice did not seem capable of standing out enough to sustain a whole album (or live show) convincingly.

Until July 1971, Robby Krieger's singing was limited to the chorus of "Runnin' Blue" (a track from the July 1969 LP "The Soft Parade"): a weak performance certainly not up to The Doors' standards.

Therefore, neither Krieger nor Manzarek seemed capable of effectively filling the role of lead singer that the band required.

The idea was to bring in an artist who could offer vocal and musical quality as well as pronounced charisma, both on stage and in the recording studio.

This proved to be an extremely difficult task due to the immense void left by Morrison, the band's frontman and symbol, who was not only a brilliant musician but also a singer with unparalleled stage presence and mysterious charm.

Various interviews given by the three surviving members in the decades following The Doors' definitive break-up suggest that the group considered three distinct alternatives for a new lead singer in the early 1970s: Paul McCartney, Paul Rodgers, and Iggy Pop.

One of these options was merely theoretical and was quickly abandoned, but concrete attempts were made with the other two.

Following the Beatles' breakup in April 1970, McCartney was considered a singer, bassist and composer.

Since then, he had released two successful solo albums. In the summer of 1971, when Morrison died, McCartney was in the recording studio with his new band, Wings.

However, the obvious musical incompatibility between McCartney and The Doors meant that any collaboration was unrealistic. McCartney's name was thus discarded immediately after briefly appearing among the seemingly viable options.

The second attempt involved another English musician: Free singer Paul Rodgers. His career was put on hold in the summer of 1971 due to Free's first temporary split. Anyway, the band returned to recording together in January 1972.

Free's rock and rock-blues had proven their effectiveness, in part thanks to Rodgers' distinctive voice, which stood out for its high register, rough yet sensual timbre and deeply passionate style.

From an artistic point of view, this second choice was not entirely inappropriate and could potentially have paved the way for The Doors' future.

Yet, the search for a new frontman was unsuccessful even this time. Logistical problems in locating Rodgers in England and Free's sudden reunion also thwarted this second attempt.

Iggy Pop, the third and final singer, came closest to joining John Densmore, Ray Manzarek, and Robby Krieger for new musical adventures.

He was inspired to form his own band while attending the disastrous yet fascinating concert of The Doors in Ann Arbor on October 20, 1967. During this live show Morrison was so drunk that he was unable to perform (here is the link to my article about this infamous concert).

Furthermore, Iggy Pop had a reputation for transgression and artistic experimentation, which undeniably resembled Jim Morrison's turbulent life and overwhelming artistry.

His vocal qualities were original and unmistakable. Powerful and scratchy with lascivious undertones, his singing style could have been adopted by The Doors to create a new sound that could have successfully challenged the US rock scene of the 1970s.

Moreover, by 1971, there were few prospects for the aggressive underground rock that characterized his band: The Stooges.

When asked directly about joining The Doors, Iggy Pop refused, asserting his artistic individuality and rejecting a role that would inevitably be compared to Jim Morrison's outstanding presence.

Nevertheless, Ray Manzarek had the opportunity to play with Iggy Pop at a one-off gig in Los Angeles in 1974 (there is also a photo of the two musicians together on stage).

During the two years that The Doors continued as a trio, Krieger and Manzarek shared vocal duties.

Their vocal performances were nowhere near the standard of the first six albums recorded with the original line-up and could not fill the painful absence of Morrison.

The California-based group's disappointing results throughout this period ultimately led to their split in 1973.

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

Here’s a link:

Amazon – “The Doors Through Strange Days”