Light My Fire

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"Light My Fire"
"Light My Fire" cover
Single by The Doors
from the album The Doors
Released 1967
Genre Psychedelic rock
Length 7:07
Label Elektra
Writer(s) Robby Krieger, Jim Morrison
Chart positions
The Doors singles chronology
"Break on Through (To the Other Side)"
(1968)
"Light My Fire"
(1967)
"People Are Strange"
(1967)

"Light My Fire" is a song written by Robby Krieger (music/lyrics) and Jim Morrison (lyrics) and performed by The Doors on their self-titled first album, which was recorded in September of 1966, and released in January of 1967. It peaked at number one on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in 1967, then was re-released in 1968, peaking at number 87.

Cover versions were recorded by Astrud Gilberto, Will Young (whose version hit number one in the United Kingdom), Amii Stewart (whose version got to number 6 in the United Kingdom, in 1979, and to number 8 as a remix in 1985) Natalia Oreiro, Jose Feliciano (Light My Fire in the Feliciano's cover won a Grammy in 1968 like the Best Pop song of the year), Nancy Sinatra, Shirley Bassey, Cibo Matto, Divididos, UB40, Massive Attack, Amorphis, hide, Minnie Riperton, Stevie Wonder, Al Green, Ananda Shankar and Train, whose version can be found on the tribute compilation Stoned Immaculate: The Music of The Doors. The Challengers did an instrumental version in 1969, as title track to one of their last albums.

"Light My Fire" is a prime example of psychedelic rock and an early example of jazz-rock, with long, seemingly extemporaneous instrumental solos (though it was shortened from seven to three minutes for the radio version) and some Eastern influences. Its harmonic progression and catchy rhythm (particularly Ray Manzarek's swirling, barrel organ-style keyboard motif) lent itself readily to pop or MOR styled cover versions.

"Light My Fire" was performed by The Doors on their infamous appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. In an oft-told legend, The Doors were asked to change the lyrics of the song (specifically, the line "girl, we couldn't get much higher" to "girl, we couldn't get much better") to be more suitable for a coast-to-coast live audience. The band promised to do so, but according to Jim Morrison he forgot to change the lyrics at the last minute and performed the unedited version live on-air. He attributed this to being too nervous. [1]. Ed Sullivan was so upset that he refused to shake Morrison's hand as he left the stage and the band was subsequently banned from appearing on the show again where they were ready to have a seven show deal in the works. Morrison then said, "Hey, man, we just did the Sullivan show."

John Densmore recalls [2] that when Buick wanted to buy the piece for use in a 1967 TV commercial ("Come on, Buick, light my fire" [3]) and Morrison, who had been out of town, learned that other group members agreed, Morrison called Buick and threatened to have a Buick smashed with a sledgehammer on a TV show should the (presumably ready) commercial be aired.


Contents

[edit] Jose Feliciano version

"Light My Fire"
No cover available
Single by José Feliciano
from the album Feliciano!
B-side(s) "California Dreamin'"
Released 1968
Format 7" single
Genre Soft rock
Length 3:33
Label RCA Victor
Writer(s) Robby Krieger, Jim Morrison
Producer(s) Rick Jarrard
Certification Gold (USA)
José Feliciano singles chronology
"La Copa Rota"
(1968)
"Light My Fire"
(1968)
"Hi-Heel Sneakers" / "Hitchcock Railway"
(1968)

Vocalist and guitarist José Feliciano experienced significant international success when he released his version of "Light My Fire" in 1968 as a single on the RCA Victor label. Feliciano's remake blended Latin influences, including a mixture of classic Spanish guitar and flamenco, with American pop sounds. The single helped to spur the worldwide success of its album, Feliciano!, which was nominated for multiple Grammy awards in 1969. Feliciano's arrangement of "Light My Fire" has influenced several subsequent versions, including that by Will Young.


[edit] Chart performance

Country Peak
position
Australia 3
Brasil 2
Canada 1
France 62
Ireland 14
Netherlands 24
United Kingdom 6
United States 3


[edit] Will Young version

"Light My Fire"
"Light My Fire" cover
Single by Will Young
from the album From Now On
B-side(s) "Ain't No Sunshine"
"Beyond the Sea"
Released 27 May 2002
Format CD
Recorded 2002
Genre Pop
Writer(s) BMG
Producer(s) Absolute
Chart positions
Will Young singles chronology
"Anything Is Possible" / "Evergreen"
(2002)
"Light My Fire"
(2002)
"The Long and Winding Road" / "Suspicious Minds"
(2002)

Pop Idol UK series 1 winner Will Young covered the song in 2002. Young originally performed a piano version the song in the final 50 of Pop Idol, and again, with a backing track, in the final 10. It was later released as his second single. It went straight to the number one spot in the UK Singles Chart, selling 177,000 copies in its first week of release. The single stayed at number one for two weeks. The cover version was recorded in the style of José Feliciano's version.

Young also performed the song on World Idol, where he came in fifth place.

[edit] Chart performance

Chart Peak
position
Germany 44
Italy 4
Netherlands 35
Republic of Ireland 5
Switzerland 76
United Kingdom 1


[edit] External links

Preceded by
"Windy" by The Association
Billboard Hot 100 number one single
July 29, 1967
Succeeded by
"All You Need Is Love" by The Beatles
Preceded by
"Without Me" by Eminem
UK Singles Chart number one single
(Will Young cover version)

June 2, 2002
Succeeded by
"A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis and JXL
In other languages