Arthur Lee passed away

[The Freedom Man]

The man who got The Doors their contract by Elektra, Arthur Lee from LA's legendary band LOVE passed away yesterday August 3.

RIP Arthur Lee

[The Freedom Man]

AN APPRECIATION
1965, the Strip and Arthur Lee
Love's singer was a man in style and substance ahead of his time, a rock hall of famer recalls.

By John Densmore, Special to The Times


It was 1965 when I rushed down to the Whisky a Go-Go to stand out front and listen to a group called Love. My band, the Doors, was playing in a dumpy club up the street, and we were on a break. I craned my neck past Mario, the doorman, to get a glimpse of a band that was so far ahead of its time, the public still hasn't caught up.

The first time I saw Love, I was shocked. They were bizarre. Arthur Lee, the African American lead singer, wore rose-tinted granny glasses, and they had a guitar player whose pants were so tight, it looked like he had a sock stuffed inside his crotch. It was a racially mixed group who seemed to be friends. After experiencing Love, I knew I had a ways to go before being hip. Wearing leather capes and pin-striped pants, suede moccasins, paisley shirts and jackets with fringe everywhere, I wondered if they went out on the street like that. Not that they were fashion without substance; as Lee told us all: "And the things that I must do consist of more than style."

This was a revolutionary band, way before Jimi Hendrix. No black man had crossed over from "soul music" into rock before Arthur. I desperately wanted to be in this band. Arthur clearly had tons of talent and charisma, a quality that our singer, Jim Morrison, hadn't developed yet.

When we finally became the house band at the Whisky, Arthur graciously suggested to Jac Holzman, the president of Love's record company, that Jac check out the Doors. Due to Arthur's jump-starting, we got a record deal.

Jim and I would drive down from Laurel Canyon to the Chinese restaurant next to Greenblatt's Deli to get egg fried rice for breakfast. On one of those excursions "My Little Red Book" came on the radio, Love's cover of the Burt Bacharach-Hal David song. "If we could make a record as good as that," Jim said, "I'd be happy."

Love went on to make several albums for Elektra Records, one of which, "Forever Changes," is a masterpiece (and, it should be noted, was produced and engineered by the vital Bruce Botnick). This album defined the '60s and is the "Sgt. Pepper's" of the West Coast, the "Pet Sounds" of psychedelia. One title from that album, "Maybe the People Would Be the Times, or Between Clark and Hilldale," reflects the street life on the Strip, the Whisky being located on Sunset Boulevard "between Clark and Hilldale."

*

And oh, the music is so loud

And then, I fade into the … crowds

Of people standing everywhere

And here, they always play my

songs

Wrong or right, they come here

just the same

Tellin' everyone about their

game

*

Forgive me now, for copying a slew of lyrics from this brilliant record, but better to quote a genius than wax on with helium upstairs.

*

On racism:

Around my town

Here, everyone's painted brown

And if with you that's not

the way

Let's go paint everybody gray

*

Reincarnation:

I've been here once, I've been

here twice

I don't know, if the third's the

fourth, or the fifth's to fix

*

War:

There's a man who can't decide

If he should fight for what his

father thinks is right

*

Prophecy (Arthur spent some time in jail years after this was written):



They're locking them up today,

They're throwing away the key,

I wonder who it will be

tomorrow, you or me

*

Philosophy:



This is the time in life that I am

living

And I'll face each day with

a smile

For the time that I have been

given, such a little while

And for everyone who thinks

that life is just a game

Do you like the part you're

playin'

*

Death:



Sitting on a hillside, watching

all the people die

I'll feel much better on the other

side …

*

Arthur, I hope you're sitting on that hill … in fact, the Doors' lead singer is waiting to show you where that hill is … and I'm sure you'll feel better.

Unfortunately, Arthur smoked so much herb that he was reluctant to leave his house. "Forever Changes" became a critical and chart-topping monster in England, but Lee wouldn't cross the pond. For those of you who are new to the importance of this band called Love, please check it out.

When I heard the news that Arthur died Thursday, I lit some white sage given to me by Native American musician friends, in honor, and to help Arthur Lee with his crossing. He was an extremely talented, tortured artist, not unlike Jim, and the two of them are sitting on that hill.

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

— Howard Thurman, African American mystic and activist

[universalmind69]

Thanks for posting this one Ed.This one just elevated my respect for Densmore even higher than before!
He actually included the one song that brought Love to my attention as well, "Maybe the People Would Be the Times, or Between Clark and Hilldale," a truly magnificent song....


Arthur Lee`s music and lyrics will live on forever in all of our hearts.
---------------------------------R.I.P---------------------------------------

[The Freedom Man]

Yes, It's a great piece written there by John.
Can't believe not so manny are turned into LOVE.Most Doors fans have heard about the Band, but so little have heard the great music.In the UK he was BIG.Pitty he never toured that much in the 60's.I'm still dreaming of a recording from the Whisky A GO GO, but there seem to be no recordings from before 1970.
Only just recent surfaced footage from 1969, which I am looking forward to seeing it!
In October/November there will be a DVD release about Arthur and LOVE, so stay tuned for that, it's gonna be a great one.Also John Densmore will be appearing in it.

PS, you just posted message 1100 there!

[JLizard]

This is an excerpt from Jody Rosen's tribute to Arthur Lee which mentions the Doors. Jim Morrison did not really like Elektra. The rest of this article might be found at http://www.slate.com/id/2147353/?GT1=8483.

Even those who have never heard Lee's records know his music secondhand. Robert Plant has cited Love as a crucial influence on Led Zeppelin, and Lee's musical and, especially, sartorial impact on his friend Jimi Hendrix is a matter of historical record. At Lee's urging, Elektra Records signed the Doors, which worshipped and emulated Love. (Lee was galled when the far less talented Jim Morrison became the bigger star.) Meanwhile, Love's role in paving the way for other interracial bands, from the Jimi Hendrix Experience to War to Sly and the Family Stone, cannot be overstated. It's hard to imagine what a startling impression Lee and company must have made in 1966. Surely the well-groomed kids at a 1966 American Bandstand taping had never seen anything quite like Love: three shaggy white guys, a black man with a double-necked guitar, and Lee, glowering behind a pair of diamond-shaped shades and belting out a gruff garage rock version of Burt Bachrach's "My Little Red Book."

[The Freedom Man]

Well written JLizard!

Arthur Lee was burried last Saterday at Forrest Lawn-Hollywood Hills Cemetery LA




Thanks to Torben from:http://love.torbenskott.dk/

[vince]

It seems such a shame that a man who did so much for Music and for other bands in the promotion of music and style should die so young.

What is the curse of fame in the entertainment world that so many of those who deserve a long a fruitful life should be cut off when their presence is still so important.

Such a moving tribute by the inimatable John Densmore. Sensitive, kind and respectful as always.

For Arthur, time has stopped. For those who remain, his legacy is there ot enjoy. That was the purpose on his lifes work.

No, I did not meet him and yes, I heard him once at the Whiskey and it was impressive.

[StrangeNightOfStone]

In 1993 I saw a historic cobilling of Arthur Lee & Love with Ray Manzarek & Michael Mcclure- This took place at the Middle East Club in Cambridge MA, and was the first time since the Whisky days since Ray shared the same stage with Arthur Lee.
Ray and Michael were the opening act, but didn't hang around to watch Arthur Lee's set- I think Arthur was a bit resentful of the Doors huge success, and wasn't particulalry chummy towards Ray, which made things a tad awkward.
Even still, Arthur Lee was amazing onstage- I could see how heavily he had influenced Jim Morrison, many of Arthur's stage mannerisms were emulated by Jim...(such as cupping his ear when he sang, and singing with his eyes closed)

[The Freedom Man]

I have the recording of that gig, sans Ray and Michael.If you are interested. just let me know.

[StrangeNightOfStone]

I have the recording of that gig, sans Ray and Michael.If you are interested. just let me know.

I'm interested, what can i send you? I sent a bunch of photos of this gig off to 'The Castle' love fanzine'- I might have sent them a tape too, I can't remember..Is 'The Castle' still being printed?

[The Freedom Man]

I'll send you a PM.

[wha happened]

I took these a couple days ago.

[The Freedom Man]

Thanks for posting these. Are their no flowers around or candles 'n stuff?Or is that not allowed at the Graveyard?

[wha happened]

They are allowed, but there was nothing on his grave.

[The Freedom Man]

Ok, thanks.

[jamestkirk]

Thanks much for the pics, wha!