The Doors Forum

Hi Vince,

Apologies if you have already addressed the 1969 public TV appearance. I did a search on the board and didn't see anything.

The Doors have released the 1969 NET (call letters of station are currently WNET, but were WNDT in 1969) special in truncated form from an inferior multi-generation copy of the broadcast videotape. Frank Lisciandro, who was on site photographing the show for The Doors, recalled in his book that "Light My Fire" was performed. However, this wasn't included in the broadcast, suggesting more songs may have been performed than what ended up in the broadcast edit.

Did you happen to attend this videotaping? If so, can you share any insights/recollections about the show?

Also, do you recall any additional songs that were performed and videotaped, but ultimately not used in the special?

Also, can anyone clear up the actual recording date of this show? If seen on the web it was taped either April 29 or May 23. Anyone know the correct date?

The performance was April 28th, the interview was the 29th. The panel discussion recorded around May 13th. I aksed Frank years ago if he remembered additional songs, he does not. I pointed out the photos in An Hour For Magic don't match any of the footage we have. jim4371 also shows me a photo where Ray is playing a different keyboard. Maybe those were taken during a soundcheck? Maybe they did play LMF but decided against releasing it for whatever reason(s).
I've seen a crisp, clean copy of this show at the Doors office, no glitches at all. They had this copy before Soundstage was released.

thanks. i wonder why they keep releasing a sub-standard quality critique source if a better copy exists/existed in their archive. kind of frustrating for fans, as this show deserves to be seen in much better quality as the performances are outstanding.

manzarek said they have a 3/4" videotape source (which would be the Sony uMatic format); however, while this may be the case, whatever they used for Soundstage Performances and Perception is clearly not a direct copy from the 2" quadruplex master direct to 3/4." What's on Perception is clearly a multigenerational copy.

BTW, I understand that most of Jim's scenes in HWY were filmed around Easter of 69, which would be circa April 6 give or take a few days.

Jim looks relatively thin and healthy in HWY. Only 3 weeks later on April 28 in the Critique show, we see a Jim who is noticeably heavier.

Perhaps the negative fallout from the Miami incident, the gig cancellations was causing him to eat and drink more? Mid - to late April 69 seems to be the beginning of his physical transformation and weight gain.

bump

wha happened wrote:jim4371 also shows me a photo where Ray is playing a different keyboard. Maybe those were taken during a soundcheck?

I remember Vince said that the Vox would have been a rental, wonder what the deal with the RMI is.
Some other things to notice: the drum platform has paper around the rim and the microphones are in a different setup, someone's red pant leg can be seen behind the camera, and there are some pedals (Vince?) set up under the RMI.

I thought this photo was PBS?



RUN

it is....

I'd have to argue against the case that Jim is any substantially heavier in the Critique footage than a few weeks or even months earlier. His hair/beard is simply longer and makes his face look heavier. His body looks the same. Thin as a rail. Poor guy gets a bad rap for being overweight. He just wasn't a stick like in '67-'68. Obviously, the drinking gave him a bit of a belly, but so did getting a year or two older. Hardly the major physical transformation it's made out to be.

Porsche wrote:I'd have to argue against the case that Jim is any substantially heavier in the Critique footage than a few weeks or even months earlier. His hair/beard is simply longer and makes his face look heavier. His body looks the same. Thin as a rail. Poor guy gets a bad rap for being overweight. He just wasn't a stick like in '67-'68. Obviously, the drinking gave him a bit of a belly, but so did getting a year or two older. Hardly the major physical transformation it's made out to be.

you`re right, he wasn`t, as they say, "substantially heavier" around this time....I think what actually made/make people think this is the fact that Jim seems to have a much "thinner" and "narrower"face in the very photos that are THE most recognizable images for most people...namely the "young lion" photos, where it looks like he`s got this incredibly narrow and slim face something which I`ve actually heard people that knew him say was wrong...
Another thing is that he "posed" much more in his earlier photos...this is contrary to his 69-70-71 photos where it seemed like he had taken a much more relaxed stance in regard to his image and appearence, plus as you said; the beard made him look a bit heavier as well.

universalmind69 wrote:

Porsche wrote:I'd have to argue against the case that Jim is any substantially heavier in the Critique footage than a few weeks or even months earlier. His hair/beard is simply longer and makes his face look heavier. His body looks the same. Thin as a rail. Poor guy gets a bad rap for being overweight. He just wasn't a stick like in '67-'68. Obviously, the drinking gave him a bit of a belly, but so did getting a year or two older. Hardly the major physical transformation it's made out to be.

you`re right, he wasn`t, as they say, "substantially heavier" around this time....I think what actually made/make people think this is the fact that Jim seems to have a much "thinner" and "narrower"face in the very photos that are THE most recognizable images for most people...namely the "young lion" photos, where it looks like he`s got this incredibly narrow and slim face something which I`ve actually heard people that knew him say was wrong...
Another thing is that he "posed" much more in his earlier photos...this is contrary to his 69-70-71 photos where it seemed like he had taken a much more relaxed stance in regard to his image and appearence, plus as you said; the beard made him look a bit heavier as well.

Manzarek says in an interwiew:
"The beard has grown up, but food hasn't caught up with him yet."

Yes, I did all the set-up as usual. They didn't let me sing, though. Ray was using and RMI piano/organ that we got from them. The ledals on the floor are the same as those on a piano. The mikes are set pretty much as usual though there are no top mikes over the cymbals. Other than that it was pretty much standard.

There is quite a discussion about Jim's weight factor. In 1969 jim had begun the dringing. I don't mean on stage but sort of morning noon and night type. Definitely any excuse. This does not take too much time to work the magic balloon effect.

The real shock for Jim was the girl who, upon sticking here head in the limo window exclaimed. "Jim, You're getting Fat!!" He told Bill to enroll him at the Beverly Hills Health club and with a years fee fully paid - never spent one minute inside the place.

I assure you that he had more than a "Pot Belly" by the end of 69 and into 70-71 got even more bloated. The beard was to hide the swollen face that even began to sag on the underside. You can get severely fat in about 6 months if you work at it. Jim definitely did though it was not intentional.

As and aside - That why this Washington Cowboy is such a joke. Jim would not even work out much less do the work of a cowboy on a living ranch. Has anyone done the DNA test yet or has that been denied?

Remember this forum is about the real story. As much as we miss Jim and his real "Performances" the fact is that he was trying to get like Babe Hill and making good progress.

Porsche wrote:I'd have to argue against the case that Jim is any substantially heavier in the Critique footage than a few weeks or even months earlier. His hair/beard is simply longer and makes his face look heavier. His body looks the same. Thin as a rail. Poor guy gets a bad rap for being overweight. He just wasn't a stick like in '67-'68. Obviously, the drinking gave him a bit of a belly, but so did getting a year or two older. Hardly the major physical transformation it's made out to be.

His legs were spider thin- I think his full beard gave the impression he was fat...