How The Doors Played God on One of Their Best-Known Tracks

On April 19, 1971, The Doors released their sixth studio album L.A. Woman. “Riders On The Storm” was the second single from the album and the last song recorded by the late-great singer Jim Morrison. In February 2025, the remaining Doors members, Robby Krieger and John Dunsmore, sat down with Rick Beato for an interview. The two talked through the creation of the track and also played along to a few sections. It’s amazing to see these two rock ‘n’ roll legends reminisce after all these years.

Origin of “Riders On The Storm”

The Doors drummer John Dunsmore explained that instead of a more standard drum beat, he decided to play eighth notes on the kick drum, ride cymbal, and snare drum simultaneously. The bass part was created by keyboard player Ray Manzarek, playing the part with the left hand. Jerry Scheff, who was playing bass for Elvis Presley at the time, stepped into the studio to play bass on L.A. Woman.

In the interview, guitarist Robby Krieger credits his use of jazz chords to Manzarek’s Chicago origins. Ray Manzarek grew up around Chicago blues and jazz, bringing these influences to The Doors overall sound.

Playing God

Bruce Botnick was the producer on L.A. Woman. He later went on to produce Eddie Money’s debut studio album and Steve Perry’s 1984 solo album. Previously, Botnick engineered The Beach Boys Pet Sounds and was no stranger to experimentation.

“When Elektra was a small label, they’d do weird stuff like sound effects. Bruce would go out in the desert and record the thunder and lightning. So, that’s what we used,” said Krieger.

Densmore explained, “We would put on the LP, and we had continual thunder and rain that Bruce had recorded years before. Then we had a machine or two queued up to thunderclaps so we could play God right after a guitar solo or keyboard solo. We thought that was brilliant.”

The track reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, the same week of Jim Morrison’s death in 1971. “Riders On The Storm” became one of The Doors’ best-known tracks. To this day, the song will take you on a ride as the stormy sound effects make you feel you’re surrounded by thunder, rain, and lightning. “Riders On The Storm” remains timeless.