THE DOORS' "WAITING FOR THE SUN": A PSYCHEDELIC ROCK SONG IN 1968 AMERICA

Alongside a series of electrifying concerts, spring 1968 saw The Doors busy recording their third LP, "Waiting For The Sun".

As demonstrated by the fascinating tracks that had already been completed by the end of 1967 (“The Unknown Soldier” and “Spanish Caravan”) the psychedelic rock that characterized the band at that time was exploring new avenues linked to theatre and imagery translated into music.

This approach can also be found in "Waiting For The Sun", a song initially intended as the title track for the upcoming album.

The product of a fruitful collaboration between singer Jim Morrison and guitarist Robby Krieger, the track was recorded before the summer of 1968. However, it failed to convince the quartet and producer Paul Rothchild, resulting in the tune being shelved (unfortunately, no recording of this first attempt does exist).

Despite the removal of "Waiting For The Sun" from the LP's track list, the song provided both the title and the cover art for the vinyl release in July 1968.

A year and a half later, in November 1969, The Doors were preparing to record the fifth album of their discography: "Morrison Hotel".

At this point, the lack of new material prompted the band to revisit several older compositions, which made up about half of this eclectic album. Among these tracks was also “Waiting for the Sun”.

Its layered arrangement was essentially unchanged when it was brought into the studio, showcasing the elaborate and emphatic psychedelic sounds that set it apart.

Nevertheless, three key musical elements were replaced with newly recorded ones. These are: Jim Morrison’s lead vocals, John Densmore’s drums, and the electric bass, which was played by session musician Ray Neapolitan while in 1968 it was played by the excellent Doug Lubahn.

Despite these three significant changes, the song's lyrics, personality and instrumentation remained essentially unchanged from the ‘68 version.

Spanning approximately four minutes, this composition has a stimulating and varied structure: verse – chorus (for example, from 0:35 to 0:47) – verse – chorus – middle eight – shortened verse – instrumental transition – shortened verse – chorus – coda.

"Waiting For The Sun" revolves around a stark, evocative and solemn theme, which is used at three distinct points in the composition. These are the verses (for example at 0:19 and repeated twice at 0:30), during the instrumental section (from 2:47 to 3:08) and reiterated one last time at the song’s conclusion.

This musical phrase establishes a majestic and austere rhythm reminiscent of a lavish pagan liturgy, giving its resolute pace a dual function.

Firstly, it defines the track’s atmosphere, infusing it with imposing psychedelic vibrations akin to the sudden revelation of a dangerous secret.

Secondly, it introduces the chorus, much as the rapid rhythmic-melodic figures do in “Love Me Two Times” on the band’s second album, “Strange Days”.

This relentless and dynamic theme is distinguished by the Moog synthesizer, which the Californian group had previously used (to a lesser extent) on the title track of “Strange Days”.

With the help of engineer Paul Beaver, The Doors used this innovative instrument to draw out a gloomy, deep and jagged sound, adding the somber tones of an arcane mystery to "Waiting for the Sun".

Another element that provides continuity with the "Strange Days" LP is Robby Krieger’s style on electric guitar. He employs the technique known as “slide guitar” or “bottleneck guitar” (which originated in the early 1900s within the Country Blues genre), using a small glass cylinder slid along the strings.

The undulating electric trajectories unleashed by the guitarist run throughout the song. They are languid and prolonged in the verses; short, lively and sharp in the choruses; twisted, harsh and experimental in the instrumental section.

These elements further enhance the tune’s psychedelic nature, as do the two keyboards played by Ray Manzarek.

The first is an electric organ (a Gibson K-101 Kalamazoo), which is used in the verses with two built-in effects: “repeat” and “reverb”. The second is an electric harpsichord (Baldwin Harpsicord), which vividly projects its sparkling metallic sound in the choruses, the middle eight and the instrumental section.

The middle eight stands out within the song, lasting for more than a minute (from 1:26 to 2:30). This extended middle section of the composition is based on a stubborn, incisive and dark sequence of chords. With its insistent and penetrating rhythm created by the roaring combination of all the instruments, it is driven by Morrison’s dusky and resolute vocals.

The singer’s voice is evocative and nostalgic in the verses. During the choruses and the middle eight it is accompanied by an additional vocal line layered over the first one to obtain a stronger sonic impact.

Moreover, a few fragments of screams and moans from the 1968 tape are woven within the final mix (listen from 2:46 to 2:58).

While not among his finest vocal efforts, The Doors frontman’s overall performance is convincing, framing lyrics typical of American counterculture in the late 1960s.

The long-awaited sunrise serves as a metaphor for a shift in conservative American society, which was still struggling to take hold at the time (“Waiting for you to tell me what went wrong”).

Among the poetic verses written for this song, Morrison includes a famous exhortation to experience life to the full: "This is the strangest life I've ever known".

"Waiting for the Sun" is strongly linked to the psychedelic rock that characterized the album "Strange Days", making it seem somewhat out of place when it was released in February 1970 on the LP "Morrison Hotel".

This intriguing and moving track shows a band experimenting with unconventional musical approaches in the service of a heartfelt call for social and cultural change.

It draws listeners into soundscapes that are sometimes opulent and thunderous and sometimes ethereal and floating, capturing the imagination with the power of distorted cinematic images.

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