THE DOORS' "(YOU NEED MEET) DON'T GO NO FURTHER": A BLUES B-SIDE

 

The Doors completed the grueling recording sessions for their fourth LP, "The Soft Parade", in spring 1969.

However, the album’s release was delayed until July due to a meticulous mixing process, the addition of intricate final touches, and the fallout from the infamous Miami concert on March 1, 1969.

Meanwhile, a brief one-day session was held in May to record a handful of songs for potential future projects.

Singer Jim Morrison was absent from this session, leaving keyboardist Ray Manzarek to take on lead vocals.

The situation proved ideal for testing a new tune conceived in the preceding weeks, “Roadhouse Blues,” which would be temporarily set aside only to be revisited on their next album (“Morrison Hotel”).

Additionally, the band — now reduced to a trio — took on two blues covers, including “(You Need Meat) Don’t Go No Further”.

The original song belongs to the vast repertoire of blues musician Willie Dixon, who was a central figure in the Chicago blues style. The composition bears a slightly different title than the one given to it by The Doors (“Don’t Go No Farther”) and was first recorded by Muddy Waters in 1956 with Dixon himself on double bass (link here).

A solo by the great harmonica player Little Walter is the most captivating moment of this tasty tune which features a classic blues structure (rhythmic verse - melodic interlude - concise chorus).

The lyrics are a passionate and ironic plea for love which became genuinely appealing when sung by Muddy Waters’ rough and seductive voice.

The song's significant commercial success (it reached the ninth spot on the Black artist chart) justified Manzarek's decision to cover it. This choice was also consistent with his musical preferences.

In fact, since the California quartet’s earliest concerts, he had been singing another Muddy Waters classic, “Close To You” (1958), to give Morrison a chance to rest his voice.

The version of “Don't Go No Farther” arranged by The Doors in May 1969 (link here) is noticeably slower than Muddy Waters' recording.

The song is built around the interplay of John Densmore’s drums, Robby Krieger’s slightly distorted electric guitar and Manzarek’s dynamic electric piano.

As there were no session musicians in the studio, Manzarek plays the Fender Rhodes Piano Bass, a small keyboard that reproduces the frequencies of the electric bass, with his left hand.

The electric guitar solo is well crafted, although it doesn’t fully showcase Krieger’s talent.

The track was shelved pending possible future use and did not resurface until 2019, when it was included in the three-CD set titled "The Soft Parade 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition".

A few months later, on 22 July 1969 (the day after the concert at the Aquarius Theatre in Los Angeles), the band rehearsed a few songs in an informal setting.

Among them was a second version of “(You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further” (link here).

It is essentially identical to the previous one, differing only in its lack of a true solo and its use of an electric organ (Gibson G101) instead of the electric piano. Although Morrison is present, Manzarek still sings this Chicago blues number.

About four months later, the group delivered the third and final chapter in the evolution of this cover.

The Doors recorded the definitive rendition of this track during the sessions for the LP "Morrison Hotel", which took place in October and November 1969 (link here).

In this occasion the composition is punctuated by session musician Ray Neapolitan’s electric bass and driven by Densmore’s lively shuffle on the drums, both of which follow the same rhythm chosen by Muddy Waters in 1956.

As in the previous two adaptations, Manzarek’s voice resonates with depth, passion and intensity, but lacks the magic touch required to deeply move the listener.

The keyboardist returns to the electric piano, on which he launches into a brief and lively solo.

Krieger enriches the track with two distinct electric guitar lines, one of which is overdubbed. The first is limited to rhythmic accompaniment.

The second weaves soft chords in the background of the arrangement before sketching the second solo with confidence. This solo part also represents the tune’s most prominent and enjoyable sonic element.

Once again, the song was shelved and would have to wait another fifteen months before being released.

In March 1971, it appeared as the B-side of the single “Love Her Madly”, released one month before the album “L.A. Woman”. The single peaked at number 11 in the United States but it had no impact in the United Kingdom.

Issued almost two years after its studio debut, “(You Need Meat) Don’t Go No Further” only partially succeeds in conveying the emotions to which The Doors had accustomed their audience.

While not a musical failure, it offers a cautionary preview of the sharp decline in quality that the band as a trio would suffer following Morrison’s death.

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