Ray playing Hammond onstage with the Doors

[RayMan]

I have a live recording of Celebration of the Lizard from the felt forum, 1970 in New York) where it's clear that Ray is playing a Hammond Organ. What led to Ray ditching the Gibson for this show and was it more than one show?

John

[jim4371]

Beacon Theatre?
When did they play there?
The only things they did in NY in 69 were MSG and taping Critique.

[RayMan]

Ok oops..thanks for the correction. Fixed.

John

[jim4371]

MSG

FF 18th Late

Looks like the G101 to me.
Maybe a result of overdubbing?

[vince]

Ray had me get a special Hammond B-3. This was compact and much more mobile that the real thing.

This was built for the 1971 tour. It was the first time Ray used a Hammond on the road.

Remember that there was a radical change in format between the last show in 1970 and the First show ten months later. The use of the Hammond was the official conversion of the Doors from an "Acid Rock" band to a "Chicago Blues" style.

[RayMan]

Thanks for those pics. This is the recording where Jim states that they are recording on tape and the song will be "heard from eternity and beyond that." At the end I think he states that "New York has the grooviest people". My ears must be playing tricks on me, I now own a G101 in great shape and it doesnt sound anything like this or the way Ray's 101 sounds as it does on any of the recordings or the Hollywood Bowl. Maybe it's because it's going through Vince's special amps, or a Leslie was hooked up to the G101.

John

[jim4371]

Maybe Ray overdubbed his part on a different organ.

[vince]

ray used his Gibson Kalamazoo model "Organ" on nearly every recording. He also used harpsicord and piano. I am not certain that a G101 was the exact same thing as a Kalamazoo.

Ray's organ was NOT run through a leslie. You can see clearly in many stage photos that he used either an acoustic amp or my system in operation after 1969.03.

In studio, remember that Paul could play with effect and the audio response curve through the board.

If, in fact, a Gibson 101 is not the same as a Kalamazoo you have the first cause for difference. Remember also that the amps have a considerable controlling factor on the timbre of the final sound.