THE DOORS - "Love Me Two Times"

The Doors
"Love me Two Times"
Single / B-side: "Moonlight Drive"
Released:: November 1967
Album: Strange Days (Released: 25 September 1967)
Writer: Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, Jim Morrison, John Desmore
Label: Elektra
________________________________________________________

"Love Me Two Times" is a song by The Doors. It was written by the band and first appeared on the 1967 album Strange Days. It was released as the second single (after "People Are Strange") from that album, and reached number 25 on the charts in the US.

The Doors' single "Love Me Two Times" (France single cover)
(Courtesy of Elektra / thedoors.com)

The Doors - "Love Me Two Times" (single 45 rpm)

This was released as a single in December, 1967, the same month Jim Morrison was arrested at a show in New Haven when he delivered an on-stage rant against a police officer who confronted him backstage with a young girl. This incident, combined with the rather suggestive lyrics of "Love Me Two Times," enhanced the dark, rebellious image of The Doors, but also scared them away from some family-friendly radio stations that refused to play the song. I reached its chart peak of #25 on January 13, 1968, but have done a lot better if Morrison's baggage wasn't attached to it.

Ray Manzarek played the final version of this song on a harpsichord, not a clavichord. See Ray Manzarek's book Light My Fire on page 258.

The Doors' single "Love Me Two Times" (Dutch single cover)
(Courtesy of Elektra / thedoors.com)

The Doors - "Love Me Two Times" (Europe 1968)

Doors guitarist Robby Krieger wrote this song after their keyboard player Ray Manzarek implored the band members to go home and write some songs. Krieger came up with this one "Light My Fire" in about an hour. It was a rare Doors song where lead singer Jim Morrison did not contribute lyrics.

Krieger's lyrics were inspired by both The Doors going on the road and American soldiers going to Vietnam. The theme is sex as a way to survive in strange times, and the need to be "loved two times" before going away.

Through most of the song, Jim Morrison left off the "s" in "two times," creating a double meaning to the phrase.

The Doors - "Love Me Two Times" (Stage performance, Europe, 1968)

The Doors performance - Danish TV, Copenhagen, 1968

"Love Me Two Times" was covered by Aerosmith for the soundtrack of the 1990 film Air America (whose producers, Carolco Pictures, would also produce a biopic about the Doors) and was also played at the band's MTV Unplugged performance that same year, where lead singer Steven Tyler dedicated the song to Jim Morrison, who performed with the Doors at the same venue of the Unplugged performance, the Ed Sullivan Theater, several years prior. The 1990 cover reached number 27 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. In 2001, the song was included on their greatest hits album, Young Lust: The Aerosmith Anthology. In addition, their version was included on the Doors tribute album Stoned Immaculate.

The Doors - "Love Me Two Times" (album Strange Days,1967)

In 2000, the surviving members of the Doors taped a VH1 Storytellers episode with guest vocalists filling in for Morrison. Pat Monahan from Train sang on this.

It was also covered by pianist George Winston on his album Night Divides the Day – The Music of the Doors.

The song is also briefly covered in the song "Bitchin' Camaro" by the Dead Milkmen, albeit with slightly altered lyrics.

"Love Me Two Times" was also covered by Joan Jett, and included on the compilation The Hit List.

Line-up / Musicians:
Jim Morrison – vocals, percussion
Ray Manzarek – Vox Continental organ, harpsichord 
Robby Krieger – guitar
John Densmore – drum
With
Douglas Lubahn – bass guitar

Links / Reviews:
Wikipedia: Love Me Two Times
Songfacts: Love Me Two Times by The Doors
The Doors official website: thedoors.com - songs Love Me Two Times
Rateyourmusic: The Doors - Love Me Two Times / Moonlight Drive

THE DOORS - "Touch Me" - 1968

The Doors
Single /  B-Sides: "Wild Child"
Album: The Soft Parade
Released: December 1968
Writers: Robbie Krieger
Label: Elektra

"Touch Me" is a song by The Doors from their 1968 album The Soft Parade and was released as a single in December 1968. Written by Robby Krieger, it is notable for its extensive usage of brass and string instruments (including a solo by featured saxophonist Curtis Amy) as well as a Christmas Music like sound to accent Jim Morrison's vocals. The song also borrowed the guitar riff from the 1967 Four Season's "C''mon Maryann" and used it on keyboards.

Single "Touch Me" / "Wild Child", 1968 
(The cover art can be obtained from Elektra)

A remixed version with added bass and compression appeared on a 1974 compilation called Heavy Metal released via Warner Bros. 

According to Bruce Botnick's liner notes the song was initially referred to by its various working titles; "I'm Gonna Love You," from a line in the chorus, or "Hit Me," a reference to blackjack. The opening line was originally "C'mon, hit me...I'm not afraid," the line thus reflecting the first person vantage point of a blackjack player. Morrison reportedly changed the lyric out of concern that rowdy crowds at their live shows would mistakenly believe that "hit me" was a challenge to physically assault him.

Jim Morrison and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra 

(the Doors on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, 1968)

The group mimed "Touch Me" on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour along with the single's B-side, "Wild Child". The taping date was December 6, 1968 with air date of December 15. During the performance, Morrison, who was providing a live vocal to a pre-recorded backing track, missed his cue for the lines "C'mon, c'mon", and Krieger could be seen with a black eye. Krieger stated in several interviews given after Morrison's death that Morrison had given him the black eye during a confrontation, inadvertently referencing the song's original title. The group appeared with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, with Curtis Amy miming to the saxophone solo he had provided on the studio recording. Twice during the performance, Manzarek can be seen "conducting" the backing musicians, as if to maintain the illusion--at least to home viewers--that they were playing live.

Line-up / Musicians:
Jim Morrison – lead vocals, maracas, tambourine
Ray Manzarek – piano, Gibson G-101 organ, Harpsichord
Robby Krieger – guitar
John Densmore – drums
With
Curtis Amy – sax solos
Reinol Andino – conga
George Bohanan – trombone solo
Harvey Brooks – bass
Champ Webb – English horn solo
Paul Harris – orchestral arrangements

Links:
- The Doors official website: thedoors.com - Touch Me
- Wikipedia: Touch Me (The Doors song) 

THE DOORS - "Light My Fire"

The Doors
"Light My Fire"
Single - B-Side: "The Crystal Ship"
Released: May 1967
Album: The Doors (Released: 4 January 1967)
Writer: The Doors
Label: Elektra

"Light My Fire" is a song by The Doors, which was released the first week of January 1967 on the Doors' debut album nearly a year after its recording. It was their breakthrough hit, and is considered their signature song. The song is number 35 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It was included in the Songs of the Century list. José Feliciano's cover version won a 1969 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, the same year he won another Grammy for Best New Artist.

The Doors' single "Light My Fire", 1967
(Photo courtesy of  Elektra)

The song originated as an unfinished Robby Krieger composition, which the other band members then expanded upon. Ray Manzarek said that the distinctive organ intro was inspired by Johann Sebastian Bach's Two and Three Part Inventions. Although the album version was just over seven minutes long, it was widely requested for radio play, so a single version was edited to under three minutes with nearly all the instrumental break removed for airplay on AM radio.

The Doors - "Light My Fire" (vinyl LP version)

The Doors' dutch 7 inch sleeve Ligh My Fire

The band appeared on various TV shows, such as American Bandstand, miming to a playback of the single. However, "Light My Fire" was performed live by The Doors on The Ed Sullivan Show broadcast on September 17, 1967. The Doors were asked by producer Bob Precht, Sullivan's son-in-law, to change the line "girl, we couldn't get much higher", as the sponsors were uncomfortable with the possible reference to drug-taking. The band agreed to do so, and did a rehearsal using the amended lyrics, "girl, we couldn't get much better"; however, during the live performance, the band's lead singer Jim Morrison sang the original lyric. Ed Sullivan did not shake Morrison's hand as he left the stage. The band had been negotiating a multi-episode deal with the producers; however, after breaking the agreement not to perform the line, they were informed they would never do the Sullivan show again. Morrison's response was "We just 'did' Sullivan."

The Doors - "Light My Fire" (Ed Sullivan Show)

The Doors - "Light My Fire" (official music video)

The Doors at Ed Sullivan Show, 1967 

"... we have a masterpiece, "Light my Fire" is a musical piece very well written, yet better performed in their concerts, this is without a doubt one of the proggiest songs that they ever released, and again, without a doubt, one of the most significative songs in their history, and the history of rock, here we can also notice the way of the weird lyrics...." 
(Progarchives, review by: memowakeman)

Line-up / Musicians:

Jim Morrison - lead vocals

Robby Krieger - Gibson SG electric guitar

Ray Manzarek - Vox Continental combo organ, keyboard bass

John Densmore - drums

With:

Larry Knechtel - bass guitar 

Link / Review:

wikipedia: Light My Fire 
songfacts: Light My Fire by The Doors  
thedoors.com: Light My Fire - The Doors
ppcorn: The Doors "Light My Fire" Still On Fire
rollingstone: 500 Greatest Songs of All Time