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This became The Doors' signature song. Released on their first album, it was a huge hit and launched them to stardom. Before this was released, The Doors were an underground band popular in the Los Angeles area, but this got the attention of a mass audience.
The Doors' record company thought this was too long to get radio play, so the guitar solos were edited down for the single to make it considerably shorter. Many stations played the 6:50 album version anyway. Since the single was a shortened version, fans had to buy the album to get the extended mix, which helped spur sales of the album.
Elektra founder Jaz Holzman recalled to Mojo magazine November 2010: "We had that huge problem with the time length - seven-and-a-half minutes. Nobody could figure out how to cut it. Finally I said to Rothchild, Nobody can cut it but you. When her cut out the solo, there were screams. Except from Jim. Jim said, 'Imagine a kid in Minneapolis hearing even the cut version over the radio, it's going to turn his head around.' So they said, 'Go ahead, release it.' We released it with the full version on the other side.
Most of the lyrics were written by Doors guitarist Robby Krieger. He wanted to write about one of the elements: fire, air, earth, and water. Jim Morrison wrote some of the second verse, and Ray Manzarek came up with the organ intro.
The extended organ and guitar solos in the album version of the song are based on John Coltrane's Jazz cover of the song "
My Favorite Things" from the motion picture
The Sound of Music. (thanks, Sam - Lincoln, NE)
Jim Morrison indicated in his notebooks that he disliked this song and hated performing it. He also seemed to resent that the popularity of the band derived from this song, which he had just a small part writing. (thanks, John - Topeka, KS)
This was produced by Paul Rothchild and was recorded in late 1966 and then released in April 1967.
The song topped the chart for the first three weeks in July 1967. It sold over one million copies and was the first #1 hit for their record label Elektra. (thanks, Kain - Charleston, SC, for above 2)
The producers of The Ed Sullivan Show asked the band to change the line "Girl we couldn't get much higher" for their appearance in 1967. Morrison said he would, but sung it anyway. Afterwards, he told Sullivan that he was nervous and simply forgot to change the line. This didn't fly, and The Doors were never invited back.
A blind, Puerto Rican singer named Jose Feliciano recorded a Latin-tinged version of this song that reached #3 in 1968 and won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Performance, Male. For Feliciano, who also won the Best New Artist Grammy that year, the song was his breakout hit and introduced his style of acoustic, woodwind-heavy arrangements. Based on his "Light My Fire" performance, Feliciano was asked to sing the
The Star Spangled Banner before Game 5 of World Series between the Tigers and Cardinals. He delivered the first non-traditional take on the National Anthem at a major sporting event, doing a slow, acoustic version and causing an uproar. Feliciano capitalized on the controversy by releasing his Anthem performance as a single, and it reached #50 in the US.
Buick offered The Doors $100,000 to use this in a commercial as "Come on Buick, light my fire." With Morrison away, Krieger, Densmore, and Manzarek agreed to allow it. When Morrison found out, he pitched a fit and killed the deal.
This was the last song Jim Morrison performed live. It was a show at The Warehouse in New Orleans.
Train covered this on the 2000 Doors tribute album
Stoned Immaculate. Lead singer Pat Monahan sang with the remaining members (Manzarek, Krieger, Densmore) on the VH1's
Storytellers dedicated to the Doors.
According to Ray Manzarek on BBC Radio 2's program
Ray Manzarek's Summer of Love, the baseline to "Light My Fire" was inspired by Fats Domino's "
Blueberry Hill." (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England)
Manzarek told About.com how the keyboard solo came about: "It was exactly what we were doing at the time at Whisky a Go Go - letting the music take us wherever it might lead in a particular performance, just improvising. And thats exactly the same way that solo came about." (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France)
The Doors didn't have a bass player, but there is some bass on this song. Determining who played it is an inexact science, as session musicians were not formally credited at the time, but Carol Kaye claims it was her. She was a first call studio pro at the time, and had performed on a lot of the hits that were recorded in Los Angeles, including many of Phil Spector's productions. She told us regarding her involvement: "The Doors weren't there. Just a couple of the guys were there in the booth. We cut the track. I'm playing on that, but I don't like to talk about it, because there's too many fanatics about that stuff. I'm a prude. I don't do drugs. I think it's stupid. I think for people to be into drugs and to die on stage, I think that's so stupid, and totally unnecessary. So I stay away from even talking about that. But I am on the contract, yeah, I played on the hit of that." (Here's our full
Carol Kaye interview.)
Comments (100):
Bass Player Scott Edwards
Scott was Stevie Wonder's bass player before becoming a top session player. Hits he played on include "I Will Survive," "Being With You" and "Sara Smile."
Michael Bolton
Into the vaults for this talk with Bolton from the '80s when he was a focused on writing songs for other artists.
Chris Knight
This Kentucky singer/songwriter's hits include "She Couldn't Change Me" (recorded by Montgomery Gentry) and "It Ain't Easy Being Me."
Divided Souls: Musical Alter Egos
Long before Eminem, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj created alternate personas, David Bowie, Bono, Joni Mitchell and even Hank Williams took on characters.
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Apart from the solos let's not forget the vocal reprise and chorus at the end. If ever there was a moment that defined the concept of the vocalist-frontman-rock and roll god, this was it. That last scream of "FIYURRRR!!!" never fails to send shivers down my spine.
Oh, and the ALBUM was ALSO mono in some versions, too.:wink:
3/20/2010
i read your Doors experience. Cool! I never got to see the Doors in person. I lived in Massachusetts way back then. Just before they were scheduled to play in Boston, Mass, the Doors played New Haven, Connecticut. Well we all know what happened there! I still have the original Look magazine article about the whole thing. Anyway, once the New Haven incident took place, the Doors were not allowed to enter Massachusetts. Well there went my plans to get tickets...the next thing was Miami..the beginning of the end..no joke intended. BUT I can recall a summer in 1960something when I heard a song on the radio called Light My Fire. I had no idea who the Doors were but I went out and found the lp (the recordings were called lp's in those days..for long playing) and bought it..the Strange Days lp is my all time favorite. I am rambling now but I remember early mornings drinking coffee while listening to Strange Days and looking out on the fresh fallen snow still purple from the early morning light. Great memories.
Mr. 8 x 10 Glossy, the 'nickname' of singer Robert Goulet, for his clear vocals.
and dorm of young folks during the love era...
it was truly an anthem for that time.
but after reading this whole thread, i noticed two things that were brought up and never elaberated on. First "funeral pyre" is in some cultures (some American Indian tribes) a ritual involving the building of a small raised woodin platform where on the deceased is placed. A large fire is then set to the structure.
second, someone mentioned "mr mojo risin". this is an anogram. The letters (when re-arranged) spell- Jim Morrison
i would rater tear my own ears off than listen to this song
Im doubting any recording act has ever put out a better and stronger first album than The Doors did with their first one.
MOJO (as in Mr. Mojo Risin)
The songs easily worth five stars
Light my fire is easily one of the greatest songs of all time.
but i think that jim morrison did an even better
job singing it.
this is one of my fav songs, whenever i here it on the radio, i cant get it out of my head.
And our love become a funeral pyre"
which was the only lines the Morrison contributed to the song
-Chris Galea-
And our love become a funeral pyre"...it's about sex and losing virginity...I'm sure you can all guess what type of fire he's talking about...burning desire and all that...hence the "pyre"...
Everybody I knew listened to Beatles songs on AM until Light My Fire was released in 1967.
There ways a mass migration to FM, mainly to listen to the full version of Light My Fire.
I wish I had access to data on the growth of FM before 1967 and after to proof this point.
This has to be the most influential rock-n-roll song ever.
Think about it. Peace
Cameron
14
2 Peter 2:20-22 "For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world ... the dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire"
Well your daddy is a liar
Contrary to what Oliver Stone portrayed in the Doors movie, Jim sang this line as eloquently as any line preceeding.
He was a poet, not some grotesque, suggestive sleaze. He sang the line gracefully, not forcefully as if starved for attention.
I've seen the recording!
And, for Kyle, you probably made that dream up, but just in case you didn't, I'm gonna ask you to see a therapist, 'cause you've got some serious Freudian implications going on there.
My dad said that when he watched that episode of the Ed Sullivan Show, he didn't just say the line "girl we couldn't get much higher," He screamed it!