The Doors Forum

"Revelation"
From: Da Capo, side two, song one
-Running time: 18:57
-Recorded: Late September/early October 1966 Sunset Sound
-Written by: Lee/MacLean/Echols/Forssi
-Lead vocal, harmonica: Arthur Lee
-Lead guitar: Johnny Echols
-Rhythm guitar: Bryan MacLean
-Bass: Kenny Forssi
-Drums: Michael Stuart
-Saxophone: Tjay Cantrelli
-Harpsichord: Alban 'Snoopy' Pfisterer
-One of the first instances a rock group recorded a one song side ever.
-Longest song in the history of the band.
-Original name of the song was 'John Lee Hooker'.
-An extended blues/rock/jazz jam, played live this song could stretch to as long as an hour. Some times in the midst of the song the band would do a cover of 'Gloria'.
-Was the last time that Tjay and Snoopy would record as LoVE on their respective instruments.
-Title came from Annette Ferrel, a fan who attend LoVE shows in flamboyant, gypsy clothing.
-Quotable: Johnny sets the scene for how Revelation was recorded:

"We were aware that "Snoopy" was a classically trained pianist, so we decided to push the envelope a bit, and see where it led. After adding Tjay to the mix, we pushed it a little more. The group was intrigued by the prospect of "fusing" Jazz, Classical, and R&B with Rock&Roll. Revelation was to be [the] culmination of that concept. And was meant to be recorded "live" in studio.

We had intended to include some of the dancers from BIDO LITO'S, in order to recreate a club atmosphere, but the musicians union would not allow us to do that. The problems started with Paul Rothschild, who was busy with the Doors, so he couldn't make the session. Being that he had never heard "Revelation," before attempting to mix the hour long track, down to an eighteen minute cut. He had absolutely no clue as to what we were trying to accomplish. So he wound up splicing the song in the wrong places, leaving the best parts on the cutting room floor. The solo's that needed to build in a natural order, were chopped up, with no rhyme or reason.

If we had worked out a shorter version in advance, we could have forestalled many, if not all of the problems arising from such a long track. Putting all the drama aside, I still think it's a fine song, and a cutting edge piece of music. It's just too bad we were unable to get the "real deal" on tape."

-IMHO: Probably the most controversial song in the history of the band, it seems to have a polarizing effect on all who listen to it: either you love it or hate it. I love it, if nothing else it showcases the musical abilities of the band along with the sheer ambitiousness of trying to capture this song in the studio. Highlights are the ferocity of Arthur's harmonica solo and Tjay's solo section in combo with the support of Michael's drumming.
-Fun fact: Chalk up another LoVE missing song scenario. Beside the pre-Elektra lost tapes, the non-existant but infamous nonetheless Gethsemane album, what would side two of Da Capo been like if Revelation was shelved? No one will know, but Revelation is so much a part of Da Capo's legend that if it hadn't been attempted there would be much more theorizing about it than about what alternate side two songs would be without Revelation.

-Lyrics:

Hey you
Child, standin' over there
Girl, you look so good
Yeah, you look all right
Hey girl
Hear me callin' your name
Baby, the way uou walk
Say you drive me insane
Oh you're lookin' so good
When you're in my bed
Baby, I feel so good
Till you give me a little head
On your knees, on your knees
So good, all right, do it, yeah
Say it's sweet, say it's sweet
All right, yeah yeah
Get it on, do it, baby
Do it baby
Tell me baby, do you want my lovin'
All right, baby
So good, you're so good
Oh hear me talkin' to you, mama
So good, get it on
Get it on, baby
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
You're so good, so good
So good, so good
So good, so good, so good
Yeah, yeah, yeah, all right
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,yeah, yeah
All right, do it, baby
On your knees, oh yeah
Everybody, everybody
Everybody, yeah yeah
I said they need somebody
To love, to love, to love
To love, to love, to love
To love, to love, to love
Love, love, love, love
Love, love, love, love
All the time, all the time
All the time, yeah
All the time
All the time I feel all right
All the time I feel so good
All the time I feel all right
So good, I feel allright
Yes it is, yes it is
Yes it is, mama, yes it is, mama
Yes it is, mama, feel all right
Feel all right, feel all right
I wanna scream
I feel, I feel, I feel good
I feel so good
Feel all righ, feel all right
I feel so good
I feel so good, yeah
Everybody, everybody feel good
Everybody feel good
Yeah, yeah
Feel so -
Can you, can you feel it, mama
Can you feel it, mama
can you feel it, mama
Do you feel like I do
Do feel all right
Do you feel all right, yeah
I feel all right
I feel all right
I feel all right
I feel all right, yeah
Yeah, yeah

I love it too...especially the mono version.

Johnny said he likes the mono version better too!

silentseason wrote:Beside the pre-Elektra lost tapes, the non-existant but infamous nonetheless Gethsemane album, what would side two of Da Capo been like if Revelation was shelved? No one will know, but Revelation is so much a part of Da Capo's legend that if it hadn't been attempted there would be much more theorizing about it than about what alternate side two songs would be without Revelation.

I'm not sure I agree. We still haven't heard "Revelation" as it was when performed live, when it was unedited and at it's best. To me, it's still as intriguing as what would have been done with side two of "Da Capo" had they not released "Revelation."

BallroomDays67 wrote:

silentseason wrote:Beside the pre-Elektra lost tapes, the non-existant but infamous nonetheless Gethsemane album, what would side two of Da Capo been like if Revelation was shelved? No one will know, but Revelation is so much a part of Da Capo's legend that if it hadn't been attempted there would be much more theorizing about it than about what alternate side two songs would be without Revelation.

I'm not sure I agree. We still haven't heard "Revelation" as it was when performed live, when it was unedited and at it's best. To me, it's still as intriguing as what would have been done with side two of "Da Capo" had they not released "Revelation."

I agree in part, bally.
A side two of Lee/MacLean penned songs is more than I can stand to imagine!

What the full 45+ minute unedited version of REVELATION sounded like is unclear & it likely would have taken a full two LP sides to press. If we could only find the master tapes!!

REVELATION was after all LoVE's showpiece and what everyone went to see them for...LIVE. It was obvious that it should be recorded for posterity, but the time or circumstance was just not right.

And Rothchild's edits may or may not have been well thought out (in an otherwise perfect job on Da Capo).

But without this pressing we would have NO document whatsoever of this milestone in blues/rock that inspired the Stones and countless other ARTISTS.

SO I guess with all things considered, I am very happy to have this one & only glimpse of REVELATION & what it meant to LoVE's live catalog.

It is indeed good to have a glimpse of "Revelation", but does it lessen the amount of curiosity about what it sounded like when performed live? That's my point. There's a huge discrepancy between what is described as a highlight of their live shows, and what ended up on record. While we have a glimpse of it, to me it's as much of a mystery as it would have been had it not been included on "Da Capo."

BallroomDays67 wrote:It is indeed good to have a glimpse of "Revelation", but does it lessen the amount of curiosity about what it sounded like when performed live? That's my point. There's a huge discrepancy between what is described as a highlight of their live shows, and what ended up on record. While we have a glimpse of it, to me it's as much of a mystery as it would have been had it not been included on "Da Capo."

True. From what we read, it was different every time they performed it...and Arthur felt this session was just plain "shit" -- Artur's words. (though I love it and play it as background working music...damn great muzak anyway!)

In the end we can only keep hoping for a lost LoVE tape(s), and in the meantime, be happy with the treasures Love left us with!

I love a good rhubarb!!

Seriously, thanks for the opinions, guys. This song always will be their most controversial.

Bally-What you say is certainly very true, and at different times I have been in the same opinion as you regarding what would be the better side two of Da Capo: Revelation or six other songs. In a better world there would be soundboard bootlegs out there that would include John Lee Hooker live and in its entirety floating around for general consumption. But nothing ever comes easy when LoVE is involved. I believe that the mystique of an unheard Revelation would always trump the mystique of unheard six shorter songs, some of which may have been earlier versions of what eventually ended up on FC (ie Hummingbirds, ???).

Anyway, the music is art, and there is no right or wrong. Just glad that there are still people around who still care about the band.

Interesting angle - if "Revelation" had not taken up all of side 2, would Forever Changes have been as good? Assuming some of the songs on FC had been released on Da Capo? What songs would then have come out on FC? Funny how things work out...

I think Arthur simply would have written more songs for FC. That said, according to Michael...

MichaelStuart-Ware wrote:When we went back into the studio the second time to record Forever Changes, the group was sitting around in the lobby of Western Recorders and Bryan was showing Arthur songs we could do that he had written. "Old Man" was chosen right away, and then Bryan played a beautiful piece that would have made an excellent second song, but Arthur said, "No man, what's that other one you played me the other day? You hadn't decided on a title for it yet. It goes "Yeah,... say it's all right..."

So, perhaps "Alone Again Or" would have appeared on "Da Capo", and would have been replaced on FC by the song referred to above by Michael?

Of course, that could have resulted in two big hit singles from "Da Capo", which may have changed their fortunes to some degree? Who knows.

They also had "Wonder People (I Do Wonder)", which actually I prefer to "Bummer In the Summer."

Fantasy side two of Da Capo, sans Revelation:

Hummingbirds
Robert Montgomery
Alone Again Or
Gloria
Barber John
One of the songs that eventually ended up in You Set The Scene

Of course who knows what could have been written had the need been pressing. FC could have been a much different album indeed.

BallroomDays67 wrote:They also had "Wonder People (I Do Wonder)", which actually I prefer to "Bummer In the Summer."

Totally agree on that! "Wonder People" might have fit better on FC in this alternate scenario. I think it would have made a great single, would have sounded great on the radio.