The Doors made it big time...but Love didn't- why?

[StrangeNightOfStone]

I know first hand that Arthur Lee felt resentment both for the Doors and Elektra- he felt Elektra took the money Love made for them, and used it to promote the Doors rather than Love. Why did the Doors...and not Love have a billboard on the Sunset Strip?

plus Lee felt Jim Morrison stole much of his act, and the Doors stole love's fame and fortune.....


I always wondered why the Doors never tried to help Love out- Arthur was key in turning Elektra onto the Doors- so why didn't the Doors try to tour with love? Imagine if during the European tour in '68, the Doors were cobilled with Love, as opposed to Jefferson Airplane. Then again, Arthur Lee didn't seem to like Jim, so there is little point ion doing favors for someone who doesn't like you.

My theory is that the Doors were willing to travel accross the country, and play at any hole in the wall club- but Arthur didn't want to leave LA.

Jim even commented on this- was it the Howard smith interview? I forget...Jim said it was sad Love didn't make it big time- jim chalked it up to Love/Lee's reluctance to travel. I also heard Robby say all arthur seemed to be interested in is locking himself indoors and smoking reefer all day long.....

Does the blame for Love not becoming superstars rest 100% on Arthur Lee's shoulders? Are ther Doors or Elektra to blame in any way? Who was their road manager & promoter? Whoever had the job of promoting Love back in the day didn't do a good job.

I read Love was invited to perform at the Montery pop Festival- but Arthur Lee wasn't interested. That gig alone would have secured stardom.

[BallroomDays67]

In Elektra's defense, Love did have a billboard for "Forever Changes". Their first two albums were released prior to the Doors' debut, so a billboard may not have been an option at that time.



Arthur tried to get out of Love's contract prior to the recording "Da Capo", but was told that Love was a valuable asset to Elektra. That disagreement is said to have resulted in the track "Revelation" taking up the entire side two of the album, which may have affected its commercial success to some degree.

Johnny Echols seems to blame the lack of touring on discrimination more than on Arthur's attitude, but seems to be in the minority (no pun intended).

Of course, it would have been a much different story had they had their own "Light My Fire". Instead, they had "My Little Red Book", which was a minor hit. The classic "7 & 7 Is" did better, but still wasn't a breakout hit like "Light My Fire".

[jamestkirk]

After Forever Changes was released, Michael and the guys kept waiting for Arthur to accept offers to do live shows, Arthur most always said NO. No to Monterey Pop, "no" to just about every offer. Michael and the band wanted to tour and they would get calls from promoters, but they always had to say, "Talk to our booking agent--ARTHUR." And they would go, "oh man!" They knew it would never happen.

Arthur even admitted later, a big part was fear...fear they would not be accepted outside of LA....their comfort zone. or his.

After all, Arthur said, "I was just a kid, 20 or 21.....then i found out you were just like me, like looking in a mirror...we're all the same". (To paraphrase)

As Densmore said, Love just wouldn't travel. the DOORS traveled and toured constantly, to the point of exhaustion, but it was worth it and they made bucket loads of money. Arthur just didn't want to do the work required to be the success the DOORS were....there were a lot of reasons and valid ones, like prejudice, Elektra, the times..but Arthur ultimately has to take the blame...they coulda' been a contender!!

[SomedaySoon]

I've always wondered why Love never "made it" like The Doors. From what I've read, Arthur Lee simply didn't want to tour.

According to Richie Unterberger's liner notes in the reissue of Love's "Out Here" album, Arthur Lee refused to play Woodstock because he didn't "want to go to New York for one f*cking gig."

[silentseason]

The question of why Love didn't make it "big" has always been difficult, with a multitude of reasonable answers all of which in combination are probably the reason.

However, let me pose another question along this vein. Why would Love want to make it "big"? Would constant touring and achieving the recognition and attendant fame have helped or hurt their music? I don't know; I can only guess that Arthur may not have been able to keep it togther had this happened. The touring they did in '68 only exacerbated problems. Had they been touring earlier than this and made it big time then there may have never been a Da Capo or FC. So maybe the fact that they didn't make it to the stardom that the Doors achieved may have lessened their national impact, I think it helped in the most important aspect: the music. The three albums they made are beyond any constraints of time or money or fame. They are artistic achievements of the highest order. Making it big time may have ultimately denied this.

[jamestkirk]

The question of why Love didn't make it "big" has always been difficult, with a multitude of reasonable answers all of which in combination are probably the reason.

However, let me pose another question along this vein. Why would Love want to make it "big"? Would constant touring and achieving the recognition and attendant fame have helped or hurt their music? I don't know; I can only guess that Arthur may not have been able to keep it togther had this happened. The touring they did in '68 only exacerbated problems. Had they been touring earlier than this and made it big time then there may have never been a Da Capo or FC. So maybe the fact that they didn't make it to the stardom that the Doors achieved may have lessened their national impact, I think it helped in the most important aspect: the music. The three albums they made are beyond any constraints of time or money or fame. They are artistic achievements of the highest order. Making it big time may have ultimately denied this.

You know....I agree.

The history of LoVE IS Love, and anything else ...would have made them... something else.

They were LoVE...the hottest band in LA for a while. There was a mythic quality around them....on the Strip, at Ben Franks, in Laurel Canyon. They were LA's band, and that gave them a unique mythical quality, especially for those outside that discovered them...a cult following, and that gave LoVE the freedom to be LoVE.

LoVE is our band. If they were everybody's band would we still love them?!! Maybe. Maybe not as much.

We would not love LoVE as much if things had been any other way. We can wish for their success, for Love's sake, but then... they wouldn't be OUR Love....even today, a treasured "secret", for only the lucky few who LOVE them!!!


Love FOREVER!!

[TJSAbass]

Very good points. Arthur needed time to sit around, relax, open his mind, and conjure up the songs that are Forever Changes. The stress of touring might have done more damage than good for this band. Look at The Doors' 2 middle-period albums, when they were doing all that touring. Waiting For The Sun and The Soft Parade are commonly regarded as their weakest material. Then, after Jim's little escapade in Miami, the bookings dried up, and we have Morrison Hotel and LA Woman, 2 better albums. If there is a trade-off between touring and writing, I'd take a timeless album over a bucket o' bucks, but that's easy to say in retrospect.

[StrangeNightOfStone]

I wonder when was the last time Jim & Arthur crossed paths? And was the meeting friendly, or hostile?

I think the last time Ray & Arthur crossed paths was that circa 1993 gig I attended outside of Boston.Ray went out of his way to avoid Arthur, so there was a bad vibe between the two..

[StrangeNightOfStone]

I've always wondered why Love never "made it" like The Doors. From what I've read, Arthur Lee simply didn't want to tour.

According to Richie Unterberger's liner notes in the reissue of Love's "Out Here" album, Arthur Lee refused to play Woodstock because he didn't "want to go to New York for one f*cking gig."

So Arthur really had no reason to resent the Doors....yet he did