JIM MORRISON INTERVIEWED ON 13TH OF OCTOBER 1970: THE HIGHLIGHTS

 

On 13 October 1970, Jim Morrison was interviewed by Salli Stevenson, a music journalist for the American monthly "Circus Magazine".

The twenty-six-year-old lead singer of The Doors sat down with the reporter, who was the same age, in the band’s office in Los Angeles.

The relaxed and playful atmosphere of the conversation, which lasted about an hour, matched the frontman’s long beard and unassuming appearance perfectly, as he discussed some rather interesting and unusual aspects of his personality.

At that time, The Doors were preparing to record their sixth LP: “L.A. Woman” (which would in fact be recorded two months later, in December 1970). Furthermore, the group’s first live album, “Absolutely Live”, had recently been released and entered the US top ten during the summer of 1970.

 

MUSIC

It is no coincidence that the interview begins with “Absolutely Live” (which compiles performances recorded in the summer of 1969 and the spring of 1970). Morrison stresses two features of this live album.

First is the overall performance on the album, which he describes as "fairly good", although not at the band's peak. The second aspect of the LP that the singer highlights is the inclusion of significant, previously unreleased tracks. Among these, he mentions "Celebration Of The Lizard," dating back to the first half of 1968, which was never released before “Absolutely Live”.

When asked about The Doors' introduction of theatrical elements into Rock music some three years earlier, in the spring and summer of 1967, the frontman attributes its origins to his aspiration to become a screenwriter and playwright. This passion developed during his college years and never faded. It subsequently spilled over onto the stage once he embarked on his musical career.

Salli Stevenson then steers the conversation toward a sensitive topic: the deaths of Jimi Hendrix, Al Wilson (Canned Heat), and Janis Joplin, all of whom died in the month before the interview.

Unaware that he would meet the same tragic fate shortly after, Morrison offers a compelling explanation for these shocking events. The three musicians could not sustain the intense energy that swept through the American music scene from 1966 to 1970.

One final question about music concerned an innovative and abrasive band that had already released two seminal and cutting-edge underground rock albums by October 1970: the Stooges. Morrison states that he has never listened to that group but has read about them in newspapers and appreciates their ability to challenge audiences with their raw sound.

 

PHILOSOPHY

Some of the conversation is devoted to philosophical themes, a topic that The Doors’ singer particularly enjoys. Salli Stevenson recognizes Morrison's interest in these types of questions and seizes the opportunity to draw out the most fascinating passages of the interview.

The answer to the question of what distinguishes a hero is certainly among these moments: "A hero is someone who rebels, or seems to rebel, against the facts of existence and seems to conquer them, but obviously it can’t be a lasting thing".

Even more striking is the ironic self-description Morrison offers to posterity with apparent delight: "I think of myself as an intelligent, sensitive human being with the soul of a clown which always forces me to blow it in the most important moments".

On the other hand, the inevitable themes of love and loving are addressed by the artist with an almost nihilistic approach: "Love is one of the handful of devices we have to avoid the void".

The final philosophical passage is dedicated to a question previously posed to a large number of celebrities: “If you had the whole thing to do over, where would you go? What would you do? Would you become Jim Morrison of the Doors?” the journalist asks.

The musician's answer is by no means predictable: "I’m not denying that I’ve had a good time the last three or four years […], but if I had to do it all over again I think I would have gone more for the quiet undemonstrative little artist plodding away in his own garden trip".

 

ON MORRISON’S PERSONALITY

Through the questions that characterize this interview, which sometimes touch on deep and private topics, some little-known aspects of Morrison’s thinking come to light.

This is the case with spirituality. Salli Stevenson asks Morrison if he believes in reincarnation. In addition to his negative response, the singer's stance on faith and religion during this final phase of his life is uncovered. He declares himself an agnostic imbued with curiosity and openness to a wide range of possibilities about what may lie beyond death.

Even the very direct question, "How do you think you'll die?", emphasizes an interesting angle of Morrison's personality. “I hope at about the age of a hundred-and-twenty with a sense of humor and a nice comfortable bed. I wouldn't want anybody around. I'd just want to quietly drift off”.

Morrison maintains a relaxed, low-key tone throughout the interview, frequently punctuating it with brief pauses for reflection. This adds a special charm to the full audio version of the conversation (link here).

The interview ends when the other three members of The Doors arrive, including drummer John Densmore, who had gotten married just ten days earlier. They are waiting for Morrison in another room for an important meeting: the recording sessions for the LP “L.A. Woman” are fast approaching.

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