THE DOORS' "QUEEN OF THE HIGHWAY": FROM ROCK-SWING TO SOFT ROCK

 

After wrapping up their European tour at the end of September 1968, The Doors headed back into the studio to resume recording their fourth album, "The Soft Parade". In fact, two tracks, "Wild Child" and "Wishful Sinful", had nearly been completed over the summer.

In November 1968, the band brought into the studio a composition inspired by some verses written by singer Jim Morrison, which would later be officially titled "Queen of the Highway".

The arrangement initially chosen for this piece diverged from the group’s previous work, venturing into demanding and ambitious territory.

While guitarist Robby Krieger was absent from the recording studio, the other members of the quartet decided to adorn the song’s languid and sinuous melodies with swing-style elements.

However, this choice does not classify the tune as jazz music, as it merely characterizes its external sonic nuances.

The result of this unusual approach imbues the structure of “Queen Of The Highway” with a sophisticated and mellifluous quality without changing its rock-ballad identity.

Ray Manzarek’s piano drives this version's instrumentation. His passion for jazz helps him tackle the daunting challenge of blending Rock with Swing.

His two brief solos feature, respectively, good-humored single notes (from 1:10 to 1:25) and elegantly confident chords (from 2:06 to 2:18; the latter jazz soloing technique is known as “block chords”).

The two-piece rhythm section completes the composition’s mellow soundscape.

First, we can appreciate the electric bass played by renowned session musician Harvey Brooks (bassist on most of The Doors LP “The Soft Parade”). He effectively captures the roundness and cadences typical of a swing double bass, serving as the standout element in this initial take on “Queen Of The Highway”.

The second instrument of the rhythm section is John Densmore’s drums. He plays with brushes to highlight the song’s jazz flavor. The drummer’s approach is both delicate and lively, resulting in a generally convincing and well-refined performance.

Morrison’s voice is modeled after Frank Sinatra, a style he enjoyed showcasing on various occasions (for example, in the chorus of “You’re Lost Little Girl”, in “Yes, The River Knows”, in “Wishful Sinful” and in “Tell All The People”).

Realizing the composition wasn’t working and had not yet reached full maturity, the band set it aside, temporarily abandoning it to the dusty embrace of the archives.

The right opportunity for its revival arose exactly one year later during the November and December 1969 recordings for The Doors’ next album (“Morrison Hotel”).

The song essentially retained the same structure that had been established in late 1968: verse – chorus (from min. 0:26 to min. 0:41) – verse – chorus (from min. 1:07 to min. 1:22) – instrumental transition – verse – chorus (from min. 0:26 to min. 0:20) – coda.

The lyrics also remained unchanged, poetically depicting a love story between two young people that takes place in the southwestern United States.

The tale is set at the intersection of a wild, evocative Native American past and a modern present symbolized by its infrastructure (the highway) and social conventions (marriage).

The final two lines (“Hope it can continue / a little while longer”) seem skeptical about the future of this romantic relationship, which is caught between the past and present of the U.S.

Although references to Morrison's tumultuous relationship with Pamela Courson are only visible between the lines, they lend the lyrics a vague autobiographical taste.

Unlike the structure and the lyrics, the music underwent a significant change when the band recorded the track for “Morrison Hotel”.

Guitarist Robby Krieger was responsible for this transformation, completely rewriting the arrangement in a soft-rock style and slightly increasing the choruses’ tempo.

The most notable element of this second version is the concise opening theme, which subsequently punctuates the song’s progression twice and ultimately brings it to a close.

The captivating impact of this whimsical motif is created by the musical device known as “tension and release”.

Seven of the eight chords that make up the motif are played in a driving manner by Densmore’s drums (this time played with standard drumsticks) and Krieger’s faintly distorted electric guitar.

The eighth and final sustained chord, on the other hand, is highlighted by Manzarek’s electric piano (Wurlitzer) alone.

The warm, enveloping tone of this keyboard infuses “Queen Of The Highway” with soft, undulating vibrations, decisively shaping its sonic profile.

Throughout the track, the electric bass line is handled by session musician Ray Neapolitan. He maintains a simple, direct style, complementing the dynamic drum part.

Despite Krieger’s prominent role in crafting this second arrangement of the song, his electric guitar remains relatively in the background, limited to a rhythmic function.

Nevertheless, the guitarist overdubbed additional lively phrases to enrich the second and third choruses, the instrumental section, and the coda.

Morrison’s vocal line unfolds with expressive continuity, although the singer’s vocal performance in this circumstance does not reach the superb standards to which he was accustomed.

His singing is nonetheless capable of leaving its mark on a song of good quality, one that, from its initial conception, does not occupy a prominent place in The Doors’ discography.

A weaker artistic successor to “Love Street” (included on the July ’68 album “Waiting For The Sun”), “Queen Of The Highway” was never performed live and became track number nine on “Morrison Hotel”.

Here is the link to the Rock-Swing version; here is the link to the album version.

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”