London Fog 1966

You go into a bar in Anywhere, U.S.A, you order a drink, maybe light a cigarette. You’re nursing your drink when a band you’ve never heard of before gets on stage and starts to play, at first you don’t pay any attention to them. As you’re sitting there the music starts to seep into your consciousness and you realize the band is a little better than usual and you turn around to watch and start to get in to them. This is the feeling you get from The Doors new release “The Doors: The London Fog”.An early reviewer of The Doors first album said the band appeared fully formed and the London Fog does nothing to dispel that impression. Which begs the question where did The Doors work out their sound? History has said that their time at the London Fog was a time for them to work out their sound, and lengthen songs like “The End” and “When the Music’s Over” which I don’t doubt, but these London Fog recordings prove that The Doors were already well on their way to being a mature group performance and arrangement wise.The Doors as heard in The London Fog recordings are a bluesier band, but as Ray Manzarek once noted a comparison to the Rolling Stones or The Animals is reasonable, but there are a couple of caveats I’d like to add to that. The first is, The Doors sound different than those above mentioned groups. The second, all those groups were pulling from the same inspirational source, the blues they loved.“The Doors: The London Fog” was recorded in 1966 by Nettie Pena when The Doors were in residence there from late February to early May of 1966. Jim Morrison asked her to make the recording. She brought along a twenty-two pound reel-to-reel tape recorder and a couple of cameras. Most of the songs are covers from Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Albert King (with whom The Doors would play with in 1970) Wilson Pickett and Steve Cropper, which is due, in equal parts, to The Doors short list of originals and bar owners wanting bands to play songs familiar to customers. The Doors cover of these songs “Rock Me”, “Baby, Please Don’t Go”, “Don’t Fight It”, and “Lucille” are above average renditions of those songs. You can hear their original spark in them. The “London Fog” recording also hails from a time when maybe The Doors were a little more equal in stature and presence with Ray Manzarek handling the vocals on Muddy Waters’ “Hoochie Coochie Man” giving it a real Chicago tinged feel to the song.The Doors originals on “The London Fog” “You Make Me Real” is far blusier than the version on 1970‘s “Morrison Hotel” but the country-rock antecedents are there albeit pushed to the back, but still has the carefree exuberance that will fully flower in the album version. “Strange Days” which was leaked a few years ago, as noted then is very close to the version released on The Doors second album, but as it appears on this release “Strange Days” sounds in context with the rest of the set The Doors play but it is DIFFERENT from anything else The Doors were playing obviously they set themselves apart early on from other bands. Whether this was conscious or not is debatable, or only The Doors themselves know for sure.The London Fog recordings also capture the ambiance of the London Fog 50 years ago, a small, smoky bar with an audience only mildly interested in the band playing and two or three people bothering to clap, and Jim Morrison’s exhortations to get up and dance, and a band standard of “don’t go away.” Gives you the feeling of exactly what the London Fog was like.In Ms. Pena’s notes about the night she recorded The Doors she writes that there were two reels of tape that over the years and moves she’s made in her life the second tape has disappeared. The second reel contains an early version of “The End”, based on what I’ve heard from this package and the recordings I hope she finds the other reel and there’s a “London Fog II”.Jim Cherry is the author of "The Doors Examined" and "The Last Stage"

Ok so I brought this Album/cd set about a months ago, finally decided to listen to it....I open a bottle of tequila and sit down. I put on the album and listen as the needle moves closer to the first song....I'm walking past a bar and I hear a band warming up. I walk in and order a drink, as they tune up before the first song I reach into my pocket a pull out a pack of luckies and light one up. Who are these guys? they sound pretty tight, open up with a muddy waters tune...I'm think alright cool I'm digging it.Order another drink and the band plays another blues tune, an old one, I'm thinking o yeah I've heard this song before but not quite like this...next song I've never heard before but I like it, there is something about the lead singer can't put my finger on it but......, I ask the chick who's sitting next to me " do you know who these guys are? she says yeah they are called The Doors" The Doors I says? I tell her my name and she says nice to meet you my name is Pam.I walk out of the bathroom and sit at the bar again as the band tunes up, I light another cigarette and order another drink.Another blues tune....alright these guys are pretty good, the guy on the keyboards got some chops, drummer got a jazz beat, the guitarist is smooth. The lead singer ......I don't know but there is something about him, seems a bit, mmm I just don't know.Alright a Willie Dixon tune....Pam asked me " what do you think?" I tell her they are alright....Then they play a song I've never heard before, I ask Pam and she tells me it's called "Strange Days". They finish the song and I am hooked these guys got something.I order another drink and buy one for Pam and her friend, light up a lucky and the band breaks into an Albert Collins song...nice....Seems like there done for the night.... the lead singer walks up to the bar next to me and starts talking with Pam, she introduce me, she says this is Jim, I say hey Jim I dig your sound, he looks at me for a while says "thanks man glad you like it" ....Ok great album/cd. I really felt like what I describe could have happened. This is a glimpse into the beginnings of my favorite band. I highly recommend it !!