Riders on the Storm
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| "Riders on the Storm" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Single by The Doors | ||
| from the album L.A. Woman | ||
| Released | June 1971 | |
| Format | Vinyl | |
| Recorded | December 1970 | |
| Genre | Psychedelic Rock | |
| Length | 7:12 | |
| Label | Elektra Records | |
| Producer(s) | Bruce Botnic & The Doors | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| The Doors singles chronology | ||
| "Love Her Madly" (1971) |
"Riders on the Storm" (1971) |
"Tightrope Ride" (1971) |
"Riders on the Storm" is a popular 1971 song by The Doors from the L.A. Woman album. Reaching number 14 on the charts, it still receives considerable radio air play, especially when the weather forecast calls for rain or a storm. The song was inspired by the song "Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend". It incorporates thunder and rain sound effects and Ray Manzarek's Fender Rhodes electric piano playing which emulates the sound of rain. It is played in E Dorion mode (almost identical to the E Minor scale). Riders on the Storm is also the title of an autobiographical book written by Doors member John Densmore, and the name of Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger's Doors tribute band (formerly called D21C and Doors of the 21st Century before Densmore's lawsuit forced them to drop the famous name). "Riders on the Storm" is loosely based on the notorious spree killer Billy Cook who posed as a hitchhiker and murdered an entire family. The song was recorded at the Doors Workshop in December 1970 with the assistance of Bruce Botnick, their longtime engineer who was coproducing the recording sessions. Jim Morrison recorded his main vocals and then whispered the lyrics over them to create the haunting effect.
[edit] References
In 2005, James Blunt's song "So Long Jimmy" refers to the passing away of Jim Morrison and this song, which released shortly before his death. "So Long Jimmy" also features a short keyboard solo towards the end from "a song that no one knows".
[edit] Cover versions
In 2001 Nils Landgren's Funk Unit released a Funk version on their album "Fonk da World". The song was also remixed by Nightmares on Wax, Ibizarre, Spacebats, and Baez and Cornell on a Limited Edition Bonus Disc for a 2002 Doors retrospective 'The Best of the Doors'.
In 2005 "Riders" was fused with Blondie's "Rapture" into "Rapture Riders" by Go Home Productions. This unofficial remix was later approved to be included on Blondie's Greatest Hits: Sight & Sound and was a top ten hit on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart.
Snoop Dogg recorded a cover version. It is featured in Need for Speed: Underground 2.
In 1999, Creed did a cover of this song at Woodstock. This version can also be found on the tribute album Stoned Immaculate: The Music of the Doors.
Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13 and Murderdolls also did a cover of this song called Welcome To The Strange.
A piano version of the song was composed by George Winston, appearing on his tribute album Night Divides the Day - The Music of the Doors.
Ahn Trio did a cover of the song on their 2002 album Groovebox.
