"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.
| "Roadhouse Blues" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| 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 |
| |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Composer(s) | The Doors | |||
| Lyricist(s) | Jim Morrison | |||
| Producer(s) | Paul A. Rothchild | |||
| The Doors singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio sample | ||||
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]
Recording
editThe 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]
Other versions
editA 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]
Personnel
editThe Doors
- Jim Morrison – vocals
- Robby Krieger – guitar
- Ray Manzarek – tack piano
- John Densmore – drums
Additional musicians
- Lonnie Mack – bass
- John Sebastian – harmonica
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Italy (FIMI)[25] sales since 2009 |
Gold | 35,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[26] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Charts
edit| Chart (1970) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[27] | 44 |
| Canada (RPM) | 41 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[5] | 50 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | 76 |
Status Quo version
edit| "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,[28] 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.[29] 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.[28] The lyrics differed from the original; for instance, "I should have made you" instead of "Ashen lady".[30] The track was released as a promotional single, with Black Sabbath's "Children of the Grave" on the B-side.[28]
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".[31][32] A 14-minute version appears as the final track on 1977's Live.[33] In 1992, the live album Live Alive Quo featured "Roadhouse Medley", which blended other songs into the main "Roadhouse Blues" riff.[34]
"Roadhouse Blues" was revived for the "Frantic Four" tours in 2013.[35] In 2014, a deluxe reissue of Piledriver included a 15-minute live version, recorded in 1973.[36]
Personnel
edit- Alan Lancaster – lead vocals, bass
- Francis Rossi – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Rick Parfitt – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- John Coghlan – drums
Additional musicians
- Bob Young – harmonica
- Jimmy Horowitz – piano
References
editCitations
- ^ Luhrssen & Larson 2017, p. 97.
- ^ Goldsmith 2019, p. 95.
- ^ Hermann, Andy (September 18, 2001). "The Very Best of the Doors – Review". PopMatters. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
- ^ Morrison Hotel (Liner notes). The Doors. Elektra Records. 1970. Back cover. EKS-75007.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b "The Doors Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard.com. 2019. Archived from the original on May 7, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - May 23, 1970" (PDF).
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100" (PDF). Cash Box. May 16, 1970. p. 4. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ a b Weidman 2011, p. 214.
- ^ Weidman 2011, p. 200.
- ^ "The Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time: Dirty Dozenth Edition". Q1043.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
- ^ Kryza, Andy; Levine, Nick; Kerwin, Bryan (November 4, 2022). "The 28 Best Classic Rock Songs of All Time". Time Out. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Botnick & Fricke 2006, pp. 1, 3, 7.
- ^ Marcus 2012, p. 100.
- ^ Densmore 1990, p. 235.
- ^ CRL Chapter 05. November 1, 2009. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2016 – via YouTube.
- ^ Cianci, Bob (February 11, 2010). "Robbie Krieger – The Doors' Distinctive Fret Master". Premier Guitar.
- ^ Krieger 2021, p. 262.
- ^ "Jim Morrison Quoted Alice Cooper in 'Roadhouse Blues'". Uncut. July 10, 2008. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
- ^ Iyengar, Vik. "The Doors: An American Prayer". AllMusic. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
- ^ The Doors (2007) [1970]. Live In Boston 1970. Bright Midnight Archives.
- ^ "Stoned Immaculate: The Music of the Doors". AllMusic. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
- ^ The Soft Parade (50th Anniversary edition liner notes). The Doors. Rhino Records. 2019.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "The Doors: The Soft Parade – 50th Anniversary [Deluxe edition]". Thedoors.com. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
- ^ "The Doors with Eddie Vedder Perform 'Roadhouse Blues'". Rockhall.com. Archived from the original on July 21, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ^ "Italian single certifications – Doors – Roadhouse Blues" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
- ^ "American single certifications – The Doors – Roadhouse Blues". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ "The Doors – Roadhouse Blues". ultratop.be.
- ^ a b c Stroud 2017, p. 78.
- ^ Rossi, Parfitt & Wall 2005, p. 88.
- ^ "Roadhouse Blues". Status Quo. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
- ^ Stroud 2017, p. 113.
- ^ Harrison, Welch & Adler 2012, p. 291.
- ^ "Live! – Status Quo". AllMusic. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
- ^ "Status Quo: Live Alive Quo". AllMusic. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- ^ "Music review: Status Quo: The Frantic Four Ride Again, Manchester Apollo". The Independent. March 7, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
- ^ "Status Quo: Piledriver [Deluxe Edition]". AllMusic. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
Sources
- Botnick, Bruce; Fricke, David (2006). Morrison Hotel (Remastered) (Album notes). The Doors.
- Densmore, John (1990). Riders on the Storm: My Life with Jim Morrison and the Doors. Delacorte Press. ISBN 978-0-385-30033-9.
- Goldsmith, Melissa Ursula Dawn (2019). Listen to Classic Rock! Exploring a Musical Genre. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1440865787.
- Harrison, Scott D.; Welch, Graham F.; Adler, Adam (2012). Perspectives on Males and Singing. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-9-400-72660-4.
- Luhrssen, David; Larson, Michael (2017). Encyclopedia of Classic Rock. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1440835148.
- Krieger, Robby (2021). Set the Night on Fire: Living, Dying, and Playing Guitar with the Doors. Hachette. ISBN 978-0316243544.
- Marcus, Greil (2012). The Doors. Faber & Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-27996-8.
- Rossi, Francis; Parfitt, Rick; Wall, Mick (2005). XS All Areas: The Status Quo Autobiography. Pan Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-330-41962-8.
- Stroud, Graeme (2017). Status Quo: Song by Song. Fonthill Media.
- Weidman, Richie (2011). The Doors FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Kings of Acid Rock. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-1-61713-017-5.