"Roadhouse Blues" | ||||
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Single by the Doors | ||||
from the album Morrison Hotel | ||||
A-side | " You Make Me Real" | |||
Released | March 1970 | |||
Recorded | November 4–5, 1969 | |||
Studio | Elektra, Los Angeles | |||
Genre | Blues rock [1] [2] [3] | |||
Length |
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Label | Elektra | |||
Composer(s) | The Doors | |||
Lyricist(s) | Jim Morrison | |||
Producer(s) | Paul A. Rothchild | |||
The Doors singles chronology | ||||
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Audio sample | ||||
"Roadhouse Blues" is a song by the American rock band the Doors from their 1970 album Morrison Hotel. It was released as the B-side of " You Make Me Real", which peaked at No. 50 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [5] and No. 41 in Canada. [6] "Roadhouse Blues" charted in its own right on the Cash Box Top 100, peaking at No. 76. [7] The song became a concert staple for the group and it has been covered by numerous artists.
Hailed by sound engineer Bruce Botnick as "the all-time American bar band song," [8] "Roadhouse Blues"–despite its relatively unsuccessful chart peak–received strong airplay on rock radio stations. [9] The song's title was considered for the name of the album, but it was eventually changed. [8] It was ranked the 153rd top classic-rock song by Q104,3, [10] and the eleventh best rock song of all time by Time Out. [11]
The song was recorded over two days, from November 4 to 5, 1969. Producer Paul A. Rothchild insisted on several takes, some of which were included on the 2006 reissue. [12] Jim Morrison, who was apparently intoxicated during the sessions, flubbed several lyrics and kept repeating the phrase "Money beats soul every time". [13]
There was more progress on the second day when resident guitarist Lonnie Mack (then employed as an Elektra Records A&R representative) joined in to play bass; Ray Neapolitan, the regular bassist during the Morrison Hotel sessions, was stuck in traffic. [12] [14] Although there has been speculation that Mack also contributed the guitar solo, he confirmed that he had played bass and nothing else. [15] While Mack had stopped working as a professional musician at the time, he decided to return to his career following the session. [16]
Guitarist Robby Krieger is responsible for all guitar parts on "Roadhouse Blues"; Morrison shouts "Do it, Robby, do it!" at the start of the guitar solo. [17] Ray Manzarek switched from a Wurlitzer electric piano to a tack piano. [12] Ex– Lovin' Spoonful frontman John Sebastian contributed harmonica (listed as "G. Puglese" for contractual reasons). [12]
Alice Cooper claimed that he was the inspiration for the line "Woke up this morning and I got myself a beer", as stated on his Planet Rock morning show: "We were sitting there drinking and Jim comes in and he flops down ... I said that I had got up this morning and got myself a beer and while we're talking he just writes that down. So they go in and they're doing the song and the next thing I hear is 'Woke up this morning and I got myself a beer' and I went 'I just said that a second ago!'" [18]
A live version appeared on the album An American Prayer, released several years after Morrison died, [19] and that version can be heard again on In Concert. In this version, Morrison talks for a short while to a female audience member about his Zodiac sign and, with a sudden, ironic twist that causes the audience to erupt in laughter, denounces his belief in it. [20] The song was also featured twice in the movie The Doors; the studio version in the film, and the aforementioned live one over the end credits.
A studio version of the song with John Lee Hooker sharing vocals with Morrison can be found on the 2000 tribute album Stoned Immaculate: The Music of The Doors. [21] A studio rehearsal of the song with Ray Manzarek on lead vocals was recorded on May 6, 1969. [22] This version was finally released on The Soft Parade: 50th Anniversary Edition in 2019. [23] "Roadhouse Blues" was also performed by the surviving members and Eddie Vedder at the Doors' Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1993. [24]
The Doors
Additional musicians
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Italy (
FIMI)
[25] sales since 2009 |
Gold | 35,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Chart (1970) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [26] | 44 |
Canada ( RPM) | 41 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [5] | 50 |
US Cash Box Top 100 | 76 |
"Roadhouse Blues" | |
---|---|
Promotional single by Status Quo | |
from the album Piledriver | |
Released | 1972 |
Genre | Hard rock |
Length | 7:26 |
Label | Vertigo |
Composer(s) | The Doors |
Lyricist(s) | Jim Morrison |
Status Quo, while touring in Bielefeld, Germany, in 1970, [27] heard the Doors' recording shortly after it was released. They were looking for a change of direction, away from their original psychedelic pop style, and were unsure about what to do; after hearing the song in a club, they enjoyed its 12-bar shuffle and thought it would be a good template for future original material. [28] The group recorded a studio version on the 1972 album Piledriver, with bassist Alan Lancaster taking the lead vocal and featuring an extra verse with three-part harmonies, which the Doors' recording did not have. [27] The lyrics differed from the original; for instance, "I should have made you" instead of "Ashen lady". [29] The track was released as a promotional single, with Black Sabbath's " Children of the Grave" on the B-side. [27]
The song was a regular feature of Quo's live setlist throughout the 1970s, its performance coming towards the end of the show. It was extended to allow a jam session in the middle, featuring snippets of other songs, including the traditional " The Irish Washerwoman" and " Shakin' All Over". [30] [31] A 14-minute version appears as the final track on 1977's Live. [32] In 1992, the live album Live Alive Quo featured " Roadhouse Medley", which blended other songs into the main "Roadhouse Blues" riff. [33]
"Roadhouse Blues" was revived for the "Frantic Four" tours in 2013. [34] In 2014, a deluxe reissue of Piledriver included a 15-minute live version, recorded in 1973. [35]
Additional musicians
Citations
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