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

 

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

With this reduced lineup, they recorded and released two unsatisfactory albums, “Other Voices” in 1971 and “Full Circle” in 1972, before finally disbanding in 1973.

On several occasions during those two years, the three remaining members considered 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 convincingly sustain an entire album (or live show).

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 bland 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 needed.

The idea was to bring in an artist who could offer vocal and musical quality plus pronounced charisma to be displayed 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, a more than brilliant musician, a singer with mysterious charm and unparalleled stage presence.

From the content of various interviews given by the three surviving members in the decades following The Doors' definitive breakup, it emerges 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 a mere theoretical speculation that was quickly abandoned, but in the other two cases, concrete contacts were tried and made.

McCartney was considered as a singer, bassist and composer, given the recent breakup of the Beatles in April 1970.

Since then, he had released two successful solo albums, and 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 made any proposal for collaboration 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 forced on standby in the summer of 1971 due to the first temporary breakup of Free. Anyway, the band would return to recording together in January 1972.

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

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

However, the search for a new frontman was unsuccessful even in this case. Logistical problems in finding 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 after the disastrous yet fascinating concert of The Doors in Ann Arbor on October 20, 1967. During this live performance Morrison was completely drunk and unable to carry on the show (here is the link to the article about this infamous concert).

Furthermore, Iggy Pop had a reputation for transgression and artistic experimentation, which could have provided continuity to Jim Morrison's turbulent life.

His original and unmistakable vocal qualities were undeniable. Powerful and scratchy with lascivious undertones, his singing could have been integrated by The Doors into a new sound capable of successfully challenging the US rock scene of the 1970s.

Moreover, in 1971, his career lacked real 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 in opposition to a role that would inevitably be compared to the outstanding figure of Jim Morrison.

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

So, during the two years during which The Doors continued as a trio, Krieger and Manzarek shared vocal duties.

Their vocal performances were too far behind the quality of the first six albums recorded with the original lineup to fill the painful absence of Morrison.

The California based group's less-than-positive results from mid 1971 until the end of 1972 led to their definitive split in 1973.

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