60 years of Doors: a box set, a live album and a book are released
“In the summer of 1965, Ray Manzarek had a chance encounter on Venice Beach with a young poet named Jim Morrison.
Jim told Ray that he had been living on a friend’s terrace, where he had written songs. Although he had never thought of becoming a singer, Jim sat on the sand and sang those new songs to Ray, who was impressed: they were the best rock lyrics he had ever heard. That’s when they decided to form a band and call it the Doors. Shortly thereafter, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore joined the group. The rest, as they say, is history”. Thus, briefly, the genesis of .Doors is summarized on the social channels dedicated to the band “Light my fire”. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the birth of the Los Angeles band, it was announced the exit of a box set, a live album and a book.
Among the releases scheduled so far, with more to be announced, are “The Doors 1967-1971”, a six-album vinyl box set containing all of the band’s studio works, from 1967’s eponymous debut to 1970’s “LA Woman”, and “The Doors – Live in Detroit”, a four-disc set previously released as a double CD in 2000 as part of the “Bright Midnight Archives”.
“The Doors 1967-1971”, out November 22nd, is limited to 3000 copies and will be available exclusively on Rhino and the band’s website. The live album “The Doors – Live in Detroit”, however, will be made available in stores for the Black Friday of Record Store Day on November 29th.
On the program, in view of 2025 which marks the 60th anniversary of the first meeting between Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison in Venice Beach, there is also the publication of “Night divides the day”, presented as an anthology dedicated to the band, which includes a foreword by Nirvana bassist Krist Novolselic and an afterword by Gustavo Dudamel, the Venezuelan conductor who is currently the music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The volume, limited to 1650 numbered copies and available for pre-order now through Genesis Publications, is signed by Krieger and Densmore, the last two living members of the Doors. The box set also includes a 7″ single with demo versions of “Hello, I Love You” and “Moonlight Drive.”