Throughout a tough time in his life, The Doorways’ drummer, John Densmore, remembered the reassuring phrases of George Harrison. The ex-Beatle typically had blunt but clever phrases about loss of life and dying. They helped Densmore whereas he was grieving his fellow bandmate.
John Densmore mentioned George Harrison’s phrases helped him grieve Ray Manzarek
Densmore spoke to Kenneth Womack in regards to the parallels between The Doorways and The Beatles on an episode of the “All the pieces Fab 4” podcast (per Salon). He additionally defined that George’s phrases helped him grieve The Doorways’ keyboardist, Ray Manzarek.
The drummer defined that in a chapter of Densmore’s ebook, The Seekers, he quotes George’s sentiments after shedding John Lennon. George basically mentioned, “Once you had a particular relationship with somebody, and you’ll’t proceed that after they died, then how will you have a relationship with Jesus or whoever you’re projecting as a deity?”
This put issues into perspective for Densmore. It modified the best way he considered loss of life. Due to this fact, this notion allowed him to manage after Manzarek died in 2013.
George had an attention-grabbing philosophy about loss of life, and it’s good to listen to somebody benefited from it.
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Densmore and George’s bands each made a reputation for themselves within the Nineteen Sixties
Nobody seems like The Beatles, simply as nobody seems like The Doorways. Densmore defined to Womack that though the bands treaded by way of completely different paths, they had been at all times related. They each experimented with psychedelics. The Doorways additionally acquired into Indian music, which George additionally cherished.
Densmore mentioned, “It’s attention-grabbing that again within the mid-60s, The Doorways and The Beatles had been each experimenting with then-legal psychedelics, after which each of us type of-well it is a little Earth-shattering on the nervous system. Perhaps meditation is the best way to go.
“And we each stumbled into the Maharishi, and that is earlier than web. There was no speaking backwards and forwards… Psychedelics sort of opened up the thoughts. Then meditation was clearly an extended route.
“So we get uncovered to meditation, after which that introduces us to the Indian tradition. Ravi Shankar. And The Beatles are doing the identical precise factor, and we aren’t speaking to one another about it. After which our music and their music, George specifically, will get sort of dipped in curry sauce, it seeps into a few of our stuff and theirs.”
Densmore defined that he first heard The Beatles throughout their efficiency on The Ed Sullivan Present in 1964. He thought the harmonies had been infectious. After that, each time The Beatles launched a brand new album, he and The Doorways would “gobble it up.” As a drummer, he cherished Ring Starr too.
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The Doorways tried making an album like The Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Membership Band’
Densmore mentioned that The Doorways had been attempting to make The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Membership Band once they had been recording Delicate Parade.
“Our fourth album, ‘Delicate Parade,’ we put strings and horns on,” he mentioned. “We had been attempting to make ‘Sgt. Pepper.’ And we acquired some flak for that however ‘Contact Me’ remains to be primary. However we had talked about attempting that even earlier than we acquired a file deal. And I’m certain The Beatles had been like, ‘Let’s see the place this goes.’
“After which after ‘Delicate Parade,’ that acquired us again to ‘LA Lady’ and our type of bluesy storage sounds. So, that’s the street you are taking. You’re experimenting, you’re curious, and hopefully, the viewers follows you.”
Densmore revealed George turned up for a few of Delicate Parade‘s classes. He agreed that the album sounded rather a lot like Sgt. Pepper due to all of the horns and Jap influences. The drummer additionally mentioned the backward drum tracks on “Unusual Days” had been impressed by The Beatles.
Densmore concluded that The Doorways and The Beatles had been like “two personal golf equipment” with their very own loyal followers. Nonetheless, they subliminally helped one another, musically and philosophically.
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