THE DOORS' "INDIAN SUMMER": A FASCINATING BALLAD FROM 1966

 

“Indian Summer” is an obsolete expression once used in the United States to indicate a brief period of unusually mild temperatures that sometimes occurs in the autumn months.

Jim Morrison captured the evocative power of this term when he wrote the song of the same name for The Doors. It dates back to the early months of the band's career in early 1966.

A sweet rock ballad, it cloaks a tender feeling in dreamlike soft sounds, making its appearance on the threshold of psychedelia.

The lyrics reflect a significant facet in the sentimental life of The Doors' singer.

In fact, the concise verses of the tune explicitly reveal Morrison's tendency to favor a relationship with one girl without excluding a series of other love affairs.

Here are the lyrics: “I love you / The best / Better than all / The rest / That I meet / In the Summer / Indian summer”.

However, the title “Indian Summer” also emphasizes an arrangement inspired by the growing interest of American and British musicians in the music of the Indian subcontinent.

From “Norwegian Wood” by The Beatles (December 1965) to “Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones (May 1966), Indian music became part of Pop-Rock and Rock music. Shortly afterwards, it officially became an important component of psychedelia with “Love You Too” (again by The Beatles, August 1966).

This trend was therefore well established by the time The Doors began their first LP recording sessions (“The Doors”) at the end of August 1966.

Among the songs rehearsed and recorded for the Californian band's debut album, there was also “Indian Summer.”

The latter comprises at least three elements that recall Indian music.

The most obvious of these is Robby Krieger's languid guitar line, which consists of subtle phrasing inspired by the sound of the sitar (the most famous of Indian stringed instruments).

This style continues with lively eloquence in the short solo: an engaging yet fleeting excursion into the raga rock themes that Krieger was exploring at the time from both technical and cultural perspectives.

The trajectory followed by Morrison's vocals in the verses is equally evocative in unfolding the exotic charm of Indian music.

With its solemn yet oscillating accents, the frontman of The Doors gently alludes to the seductions of the East in his singing (from 0:17 to 1:02 and from 2:00 to 2:26).

With its solemn yet oscillating accents, The Doors frontman's singing gently alludes to the seductions of the East (from min. 0:17 to min. 1:02 and from min. 2:00 to min. 2:26).

Finally, the percussive shapes drawn by John Densmore's drums and hi-hat are also worth noting. The drummer places deep rhythmic counterpoints in the background of the verse with measured sensitivity, vaguely simulating the pattern of what is known in Indian music as tabla.

The chorus differs from the verse by means of a slightly more animated overall rhythm. The latter is gently interspersed by resounding beats played by Densmore on the edge of the snare drum.

Although references to Indian music are absent from the chorus, the song's overall ethereal quality remains unchanged. At the same time, it uncovers nuances of ecstatic inner rapture that were new to the Rock genre.

The simple musical elements that make up “Indian Summer” are effectively combined to enrich and diversify its structure: verse – chorus – solo – chorus – verse.

This framework is supported by the dark and soft notes of the Fender Rhodes Piano Bass played with the left hand by Ray Manzarek (a short keyboard that reproduces the frequencies of the electric bass and, in this case, replaces it).

The slow-paced bass parts that result have a smooth quality, giving the entire composition an aura of nostalgic tenderness.

Additionally, the keyboardist intervenes with delicate expressiveness on the electric organ (Vox Continental) during the central section of the track (from min. 1:03 to min. 1:58).

For less than a minute, the instrument releases a feathery and intangible stream of high-pitched sound, like a thin ray of light falling on the intimate awakening of two lovers.

An intense reverberation permeates the entire tune, smoothing out any rough edges in its sound and enveloping the music in a warm glow.

Morrison's voice benefits greatly from this slight distortion.

In this way, the vocals on “Indian Summer”, recorded in a room designed specifically to accentuate the reverb, seem to be wrapped in a sentiment at once heartbreaking and elusive. They transcend the love expressed by the lyrics, outlining the secret texture of a vulnerable soul.

The singer succeeds in the arduous task of conveying a wide range of emotions that sometimes diverge from each other, filling each word with multiple meanings.

He achieves this remarkable result with surprising and vivid spontaneity. Without forcing his singing in any way, he documents the natural talent of a musical genius for posterity.

It is one of the best vocal performances of his career, bringing together passionate affection, melancholic sadness, and a mystical vibration that embraces all the griefs and delights of life itself.

Despite its high quality, “Indian Summer” was not considered suitable for inclusion in the track list of The Doors’ debut album (“The Doors”, later released in January 1967).

There were two main reasons for this exclusion.

First, the album already contained two other wonderful ballads that were both objectively superior (“The Crystal Ship” and “End Of The Night”).

The second reason can be traced back to the amazing closing song of the album (“The End”). This absolute masterpiece featured the same mysteriously floating introductory chord, sitar-influenced guitar and bass line that also characterize “Indian Summer.”

Considering this context, it is not surprising that the composition we are discussing was omitted.

Unfortunately, it did not make it onto any of the band’s subsequent three LPs, finally being recovered for the group's fifth album, “Morrison Hotel”, issued in February 1970.

Here, the best of the “Indian Summer” recordings made in August 1966 (link here) was included without any changes. This circumstance allows us to appreciate, albeit out of context, the enchanting soundscapes created by The Doors at the beginning of their career.

An alternative take, also dating back to the same '66 sessions, remains in the archives (link here). It’s a little faster and its sound quality is noticeably poorer than the version that ended up on “Morrison Hotel” (producer Paul Rothchild can be heard giving suggestions while the tape is rolling).

Despite the three-and-a-half-year gap between its recording in August 1966 and its release on the album “Morrison Hotel” in February 1970, the official version of 'Indian Summer' remains an extremely fascinating song.

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