Hey Everybody!
I've been chosen to write articles about The Doors on the Examiner.com! The first article is up now Examiner Article I hope you'll subscribe to it as the articles I have planned are going to be pretty interesting, (they are at least in my head) Tell all your friends who are Doors fans, hell, if you can just tell your friends I would appreciate it!

Jim

Moses once tried to sell a Jim Morrison story to the National Enquirer, said a source close to the author. Once rejected,another insider reports he attempted to sell the same story to The Globe.

After 40 years all that can sold are the old stories with a new twist.

This was a Lester Bangs type think piece about the lawsuit.

So is the $89.95 price tag. I sat around yesterday asking myself can I afford it? Do I want to pay $89.95 for the Doors FF box set? Will I do it? Should I? I wish these heavy price tags came with gifts and such. 6 CDs, and the complete FF shows is not something to pass on by. It's an event! But I hate it when eventually they will show up on bootleg sites for free download. They should make these box sets bigger. Like giant coffee table books, or like the old vinyl album sleeves with pull-out posters, zippers, autographs, and neat booklets. A grab bag of goodies. Something you can display, and not feel ripped off. The quality better be good. $89.95 aint chicken feed no more. Was it ever?

For $89.95 it should include a coupon for a case of beer and a dozen condoms.

Or a pair of those Converse sneakers.

Not good that it's in direct competition with the Beatles remastered set either. And that's 200 pounds sterling, so about $100 here. The release date is 9-9-09.

http://www.mojo4music.com/blog/2009/08/bea...s_reviewed.html

Do you have a stack of fivers and teners I could trade you some greenbacks for?


200 British Pound = 325.490 US Dollar

Jeez - you're right! I always do it backwards! That's a lotta lolly, as they say in the UK. I'd love to have that Beatles set, but as you and I will probably be neighbors under that bridge shortly, I guess I'll pass for now!

P.S. Just went over to Amazon to check prices of the box sets (stereo and mono, believe it or not). There was this message - of course, this NEVER happens with anything related to the Beatles!

"Why are the box sets currently sold out?

Collectible box sets take time to manufacture, and initial quantities must be determined well in advance of the product release date. In this case, demand has far outstripped initial supply. While we predicted that the box sets would be highly popular items, we had to work with the inventory allocated to us by the manufacturer.

We’ve been carefully tracking pre-orders, and we updated the product availability information on our site as soon as our initial allocations were depleted. We did this in order to ensure that we could fill all pre-orders without exceeding our allocation limits. "

Couldn't find out the price, but didn't look very hard. All the albums are available singly, also remastered, but I can't buy just one! I like them all, up to Sgt. Pepper anyway. After that, not so much, but always a few songs on each one.

I had a lay over in Gatwick once and changed what euros I had left into pounds so I could get something to eat. I thought steak and eggs was a heck of a deal for 9.99 pounds, right till I realized that was closer to $20.


I thought Michael Jackson had bought up the Beatles catalog? Wonder if his estate owns it yet?


Why not buy the CD's individually and get a nice cigar box to house them in? I love music but $325? I have never seen the Stones because of ticket prices. I think even back in the 80s it was $70 for the nose bleed section. On the other hand I didn't see the 21st Doors at an Indian casino in New Mexico once when 98.9 FM was selling tickets for $9.89.


I don't know why I'M such a tightwad on somethings yet will buy Beluga caviar and $450 pairs of loafers. I'M very conflicted about money. Come to think of it I didn't pay retail for my Mezlan Sebastian's anyway. I just couldn't handle Dick Cheney wearing higher priced shoes than me. He probably didn't pay retail himself anyway. Ebay, Ebay, Ebay. I'M a champion bid sniper when I set my mind to it.


If you do happen to have some 10 pound sterling notes laying around unused I'D be happy to give you a good old American $10 bill for each and every one of them.

Lolly, I never heard that one, I like it. I always thought "dosh" was cute too.

Next time you're in the UK, get the Full English breakfast. It's an artery-slammer. This is a version of it. http://www.mrbreakfast.com/superdisplay.asp?recipeid=1404




He did acquire the majority of the publishing [Northern Songs/ATV Music] in a buy out deal with EMI. He then lost about 50% to Sony in recent years in settlement of various debts. And yes, the estate absolutely does own it.



I have a couple cigar boxes already - Comida and Corina. I really want five of the albums out of the chute. I'll wait.



The Stones were great in their salad days, and I was lucky enough to see them several times, with Brian. I'm pretty outraged by the amount of money that's expected to be forked over by the fans these days.



It's all about the accessories. You can wear $10 jeans from the Goodwill, but it's good to wear a Movado watch, or great shoes.




I have a ten-bob note, some pre-decelimisation coins, i.e. threepenny bit, a sixpence, a ha'penny, a half-crown, a two-bob bit, and also a Victorian half-sovereign, with her profile as a young woman. Unfortunately has a hole drilled in it, as someone wore it as a good-luck piece, but interesting provenance.



LSD was common too. Meaning pounds, shillings and pence. More here. http://www.businessballs.com/moneyslanghistory.htm

I have a Rolex Submariner Oyster Perpetual, I like to think of it as confidence on the half shell. I can wear that and jeans n boots and a pocket T shirt and feel dressed up. Though once I was wearing it and the aformentioned boots and jeans and a long sleeve black T shirt and was standing outside The Whiskey Bar at the Sunset Marquis smoking and talking to my gal when this bimbett said to her friend as she got in a cab " hey look at that chick trying to pick up a homeless guy!" I had undressed from dinner thinking dressing down made me look hipper and richer. I thought that was how really rich folks avoided being noticed.

Funny thing is my Timex keeps better time.

I'M a coin collector. I have always collected American coins but would like a six pence as I hear they are good luck. I'D like a Greek Drachma too but haven't had the big bucks a nice one commands. I collect some paper money too. Right now I'M into American invasion currency. Stu sent once me a Scottish fiver, but I traded it in at an airport kiosk for some euros so I could have some coffee in Rome a few years back.


Great link. I wasn't too impressed by the looks of the 1 pound coin myself but the 50 pence piece was cool. Wish I had saved it, I put it in a candy bar machine at the gate in Gatwick. Since we are on the subject, what is a " quid" exactly? I always thought it was slang for a pound? ie;" I'll bet you 50 quid she's not wearing knickers... ."

I had a terrible time sleeping last night wondering why I always manage to hijack Jym's threads off topic and straight to Cuba. Sorry Jym, I don't do it on purpose.

A quid is slang for a pound. It originates from the phrase "quid pro quo,"i.e. "something for something."

The only coin I wish I had is the farthing, which had a neat little rendering of a wren on it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quid_pro_quo

The woman getting into the cab at the Whisky Bar sounds like a typical LA Moron.

Jim, are you going to do a piece on WYS? It's going to play at two festivals in September.

The George VI Farthing - cool looking coin indeed.

It was a very small coin, like the birdie! I think they discontinued them in the early 60s. I guess they've been around since the 13th century. If any British poster happens on one, let me know!

Man, this thread is way past Cuba, well on its way to Shanghai!

Ok sorry about that. Back on topic-








MOTEL


MONEY


MURDER



MADNESS










Let's change the mood from glad to sadness... .

We'd never experienced death of our contemporaries back then. It was all so light-hearted.

I was still in London on July 2, 1969, and flew out to LA on July 3. 1969, arriving in Toronto on July 4, 1969, during a storm on Lake Erie. I got phone calls about Brian from mutual friends as I was preparing to leave London. I don't think there was anyone who knew the situation that didn't believe he was murdered.

Right after that, the mood did change from glad to sadness. Despite Woodstock. Altamont was a horror movie. Manson.

Man, that's not the best picture Brian ever took. Looks like he escaped the set of Planet of the Apes.

I love this photo of Brian I found today. He was, as they say, more sinned against than sinning.

http://rockphiles.typepad.com/blog/

As for the photo MJ posted, yup, that's what fame will do to you, when you're all alone with nobody to help you. Not a pretty picture.

I'm a resident of a city
They've just picked me to play
the Prince of Denmark

Poor Ophelia

All those ghosts he never saw
Floating to doom
On an iron candle

Come back, brave warrior
Do the dive
On another channel

Hot buttered pool
Where's Marrakesh
Under the falls
the wild storm
where savages fell out
in late afternoon
monsters of rhythm

You've left your
Nothing
to compete w/
Silence

I hope you went out
Smiling
Like a child
Into the cool remnant
of a dream

The angel man
w/ Serpents competing
for his palms
& fingers
Finally claimed
This benevolent
Soul

Ophelia

Leaves, sodden
in silk

Chlorine
dream
mad stifled
Witness

The diving board, the plunge
The pool

You were a fighter
a damask musky muse

You were the bleached
Sun
for TV afternoon

horned-toads
maverick of a yellow spot

Look now to where it's got
You

in meat heaven
w/ the cannibals
& jews

The gardener
Found
The body, rampant, Floating

Lucky Stiff
What is this green pale stuff
You're made of

Poke holes in the goddess
Skin

Will he Stink
Carried heavenward
Thru the halls
of music

No Chance.

Requiem for a heavy
That smile
That porky satyr's
leer
has leaped upward

into the loam

James Douglas Morrison - July 1969

Sally,Thats a great picture of Mr.Jones,I noticed the articles on Steven Tyler,I'n not sure its just his shoulder,he may have relapsed big time.Hey,I put the song "Dude Looks Like A Lady" into Mrs.Doubtfire,my PA was an 18 year old girl and aerosmith was not exactly hot in 91,she had trouble finding the cassette or cd so we could put it in for the rough cut,Aerosmith came in and re-recorded the song for the movie because we edited the crap out of it,they can play but Tylers voice is gone,if you listen to TOYS IN THE ATTIC you'll know what I mean.Chips and fish for all with malt vinegar and a pint on me.Today I've been released,emancipated.Yippie.

I chose that particular photo of Brian as I thought it might have represented what he looked like toward the end of his days. I thought the equivalent of his Young Lion photo would not be appropriate given the topic.

On a semi related note I recall hearing recently an interview of super wealthy and influential hip American aristocrat Ray Manzarek where he talked of seeing Brian in LA.

I'll paraphrase here: 'We passed each other in traffic and recognized each other and smiled threw the windshields at each other that was as close as I ever came to meeting him, like two ships that passed in the night... .'

I thought when hearing that it sounded a wee bit narcissistic that Brian actually recognized Ray. But hey that's just me talking here (man).

HEY! My new article on the examiner is up! It's about John Densmore & the philantropic work he's been doing. Doors Examiner

If you subscribe you'll get an e-mail message about new articles posted.

Jim

It's a long weekend, take advantage of it! If you haven't had a chance to read my examiner articles here they be: The Doors Examiner subscribe & I don't have to keep bugging you!

Jim

Hope to have a new article up tomorrow after I recuperate from yesterday & today's adventures.

He's been clean and sober for years, but that's no guarantee he'll stay that way. If this fall was a result of not being in control, then he's lucky it was his shoulder and not his neck.

When I was playing out, there was no way I could function on stage under the influence. And nothing was as much fun as playing out, being in the studio, and so on.

The new Doors Examiner article is up! I think it's pretty good. Although, it's about Weird Al's Craigslist I found some pretty cool things that I posted around it.

Good stuff so far Jym.. thanks for sharing. I seem to be having a problem linking to the new one though. I keep getting a server error...?

That sucks. That you can't get to the new one, I like it the best so far, try the direct route: http://www.examiner.com/x-21763-The-Doors-...meets-The-Doors

hopefully that will set you right up!

Jim

Got it Jym. Thanks.

New article up! It's about the myths surrounding Jim's death, maybe kind of standard for the fan, but maybe not for the more casual or newbie fan,
The Doors Examiner

Hope you enjoy it! Tell your friends! Don't forget to subscribe!

Jim

I posted this comment, but Examiner.com doesn't allow links. Fortunately, JD do!

"Great stuff Jim!

I believe Le Comte is Jean de Breuteil, not the name that emerges from Break On Through, i.e. DeBritti. Jean was 18 at the time, heir to a newspaper empire in North Africa, and a scion of French aristocracy pre-Revolution. He was really nothing more than a pusher. And as Steppenwolf once observed, " Goddam The Pusher Man. "

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMqVrUSz62o

My new Doors Examiner article, The Doors: In The Comics is now up!

If you haven't already subscribed please do! I think the articles are interesting & the next one on 10/1/9 will be of interest to a LOT of people! Tune in, turn on, & read on! (lots of pictures too!)

My Doors Examiner article about the new book Canyon of Dreams the Magic & Music of Laurel Canyon. Ray Manzarek wrote the foreword, & it has plenty of Doors stories, including an underage John Densmore getting into the Sunset Strip jazz clubs with a fake ID he procured in Tijuana.


addendum: this is post # 1492 for me & it's Columbus Day, how freaky is that!

The Top 10 Non-fiction Doors Books

Your list:

1. Break on Through

2. The Jim Morrison Scrapbook

3.Light My Fire

4.Follow The Music

5. An Hour for Magic

6. Riders On The Storm

7. The Doors: Myth and Reality

8.No One Here Gets Out Alive

9. When The Music’s Over

10.Wonderland Ave.


I disagree with the order of some of these, and wonder why you didn't think to include "The Doors by The Doors", or "The Illustrated History" by Danny Sugerman.

If I was ranking these according to factual information (non-fiction), I sure wouldn't rank "Light My Fire" higher than "Riders on the Storm". "Wonderland Avenue" would also be ranked within the top 5, although I do realize that the entire book is not about The Doors. "The End" by Bob Seymore is also an excellent, non-fiction book, although more about Morrison's death than The Doors as a band.
In your list of 10, btw, NOHGOA would be number 10 in my ranking.

When I was making the list I disagreed with myself on the rankings too! One day I wrote the order, then a couple days later I went back and moved them around, then I rethought & went through it again, and I realized I could keep moving some of those around forever. So, I just went with my original impulse. So, another day I might have ranked them differently. That's why I think this was such an interesting thing to do, the order is so subjective from person to person, and maybe even day to day.

Why I left some out-The biggest shortcoming of a top 10 list is there can only be 10. I left out The Doors by The Doors because even though there was the interview(s) with Morrison's family and a few new pictures overall there wasn't that much new there to me and wouldn't be there except for someone absolutely new to the band. & The Jim Morrison Scrapbook does include family interviews. I also didn't use The Illustrated History even though I thought it was very cool when it came out, it wasn't an intimate look at the band mostly The Doors through the eyes of others. Seymore's The End was also mentioned by someone else & they had the same proviso of "not being entirely about The Doors."

Yeah.. I guess ranking the books is one of those things that'll come out slightly different depending on the general mood of the day.
Another one you didn't include is "Feast of Friends" by Lisciandro. An excellent book. I have both "Feast of Friends" and "An Hour for Magic".. and both are excellent books.

I thought Feast & An Hour were the same book? Feast being the retitled An Hour for Magic, don't tell me my memory is getting this faulty, this fast!

Yes, they are 2 different books, my mistake. I did try to double check my information but Feast is out of print and I couldn't find a complete synopsis of Feast.

Yes, definitely 2 different books!

Feast of Friends contains stories about Jim by people such as Kathy Lisciandro, Babe Hill, January Jansen, Bill Siddons, Rich Linnell, Michael McClure, Leon Barnard.. among others. It's an excellent read. I used to have 2 copies, but I gave one away or I'd send it to you. Sorry.

You can pick it up used.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/044...;condition=used

very true. I personally would have put break on through first as it is the best bio in my opinion and maybe mr mojo risin, the david dalton book released before the movie. Maybe a list of the best doors dvds would be good too.

I was actually thinking of something like that too. Also, maybe a Jim Morrison reading list, people always seem to ask that question too. We shall see.

Can anyone contribute to the examiner if they have any articles or would like to write anything?

Yes & no. You have to go through their evaluation process, here's the link about how to become an Examiner: http://www.examiner.com/assets/examinerfaq.html if you do register to become an Examiner please list me as a referral!

If you have an idea for a Doors related article let me know & if I can use it I will.

Jim

The Doors Examiner has returned! The Examiner had some technical issues with putting up new software & I decided to ride out the glitches, now they have it all together! The new article is about Ray doing the debut of a web series for Lexus (Ray loves the cars!) called Break It Down which features legendary (so far) rock stars talking about how they created their songs Ray on L/studio

I hope you enjoy it!

Jim

Hey! I just noticed this, and I sorry about the tardiness in seeing it. Jeff Jampol the manager of The Doors posted a blurb on The Doors feed about my article of last week about Ray Manzarek debuting an online series called Break It Down on L/Studio. Thank you Jeff & The Doors! Here's the link in case you missed the story.

http://www.examiner.com/x-21763-The-Doors-...Down-on-Lstudio