Ray Manzarek

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Ray Manzarek
Background information
Birth name Ray Manczarek
Born February 12, 1939 (age 68)
Flag of United States Chicago, Illinois, USA
Website official homepage

Raymond Daniel Manzarek or Manczarek (b. February 12, 1939) is an American musician, singer, producer, movie director, writer, co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors from 1965 to 1973, and the Doors of the 21st Century (renamed Riders On The Storm) since 2001.

Contents

[edit] Early life and career

Ray Manzarek was born in Chicago, Illinois and attended St. Rita High School. He attended DePaul University for four years as an economics major before moving out West and into the Department of Cinematography at UCLA 1962-1965. It was there that he met another film student named Jim Morrison. Forty days after they finished film school, thinking they had gone their separate ways, they met in Venice, Los Angeles by chance. Manzarek saw Morrison, called him over, and asked how he was doing. Morrison said he had written some songs, and Manzarek exclaimed that he wanted to hear them. Morrison then sang a rough version of "Moonlight Drive" to him. Things just fell in to place after that. In January 1966, The Doors were the house band at a club called The London Fog. According to Manzarek, "Nobody ever came in the place...an occasional sailor or two on leave, a few drunks. All in all it was a very depressing experience, but it gave us time to really get the music together." The same day The Doors were fired from The London Fog, they were hired to be the house band of the Whisky a Go Go.

The Doors' first contract was with Columbia Records. After a few months of inactivity, they found out they were on Columbia's drop list. At that point they asked to be released from their contract. After performing live gigs for a few months, they were "re-discovered" by Jac Holzman and signed to Elektra Records.

He sang a few rare live songs like Close To You, Who Do You Love or Tightrope Ride. He also sang at the last Doors albums, without Jim Morrison, named Other Voices and Full Circle. He has a voice that remains more the blues that the rock.

[edit] Later career and influence

Manzarek recorded a rock adaptation of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana with Philip Glass, produced Echo and the Bunnymen and Los Angeles band X, played with Iggy Pop and backed San Francisco poet Michael McClure's poetry readings. Ray also worked extensively with "Hearts of Fire" screenwriter and former Stooges front man Scott Richardson on a series of spoken word and blues recordings entitled "Tornado Souvenirs".

His memoir, Light My Fire: My Life with The Doors, was published in 1998. The Poet in Exile (2001) is a novel exploring the popular rumour that Jim Morrison may have faked his death. Manzarek's second novel, Snake Moon, released in April 2006, is a Civil War ghost story.

Manzarek is regarded as one of the most influential keyboardists of rock and roll from his tenure with The Doors. He raised the level of virtuosity a keyboardist is expected to have. The Doors lacked a bassist, so Manzarek would usually play bass parts with his Fender Rhodes Piano Bass in addition to rhythm and solo support. His signature organ sound is that of the Vox Continental organ, an instrument used by many other psychedelic rock bands of the time.

Ray lives in San Francisco, California. He relocated from Beverly Hills after an extensive remodeling of the home he purchased in Napa.

[edit] Trivia

  • Ray wore- and still wears- the trademark 1960's glasses that are typical of the era. A Polish-American, his pictures in the 60's show the characteristic sky blue eyes and honey blond hair many Slavic people have.
  • The Doors song "Alabama Song" was taken from a 1930s German opera called The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahoganny written by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill. In 1966, Manzarek had a record of that opera, sung by Lotte Lenya. He played the record for Jim Morrison, and at one point suggested The Doors do a rock version of the song.
  • The solos in "Light My Fire" are based on John Coltrane's "My Favorite Things". Other examples: a Thelonious Monk line from "Straight, No Chaser" in "We Could Be So Good Together", the opening organ passage of "When The Music's Over" inspired by Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man", and finally the organ solo in "Take It As It Comes" inspired by J.S. Bach. In May of 2006, at a public performance, Manzarek listed Erik Satie as an influence.
  • He is famous for playing the keyboard while not looking at the keys and shaking his head throughout songs.
  • In a televised interview, Manzarek advised listeners to "open the doors of consciousness... but stay away from white powder!"

[edit] Books


[edit] External links

v • d • e
The Doors
Jim Morrison | Ray Manzarek | Robby Krieger | John Densmore
Discography
Albums : The Doors | Strange Days | Waiting for the Sun | The Soft Parade | Morrison Hotel | L.A. Woman | Other Voices | Full Circle | An American Prayer: Jim Morrison
Live albums: Absolutely Live | Alive, She Cried | Live at the Hollywood Bowl | In Concert | Live in Hollywood
Compilation Albums: Weird Scenes Inside The Gold Mine | 13 | The Best Of The Doors (2 CDs) | The Doors Greatest Hits | The Best Of The Doors | Legacy: The Absolute Best
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