Ray Manzarek
Raymond Daniel Manzarek (born
February 12,
1939 in
Chicago, Illinois) is an
American musician, producer, movie director, writer, and a co-founder and the
keyboardist of
The Doors, from
1965 to
1973, and in the
Doors of the 21st Century (The Doors of the 21st Century now go by the name
Riders On The Storm) since
2001.
Manzarek also recorded a rock adaptation of
Carl Orff's
Carmina Burana with
Philip Glass, produced
Echo and the Bunnymen and
Los Angeles band
X, and played with
Iggy Pop and backed
San Francisco poet
Michael McClure's poetry readings.
He is widely regarded as being one of the most influential keyboardists in rock and roll history from his tenure with The Doors, having changed the spectrum of ability a keyboardist is expected to have. This is largely due to the fact that since The Doors lacked a
bassist Manzarek would often play those parts with his Fender
Rhodes Piano Bass.
He is famous for playing the keyboard by not looking at the keys and shaking his head throughout songs.
His memoirs,
Light My Fire: My Life with The Doors, was published in 1998.
The Poet in Exile (2001) was followed by his second novel,
Snake Moon, which was released by Nightshade Press in April 2006.
In
Oliver Stone's
biopic The Doors, Manzarek was played by
Kyle MacLachlan. MacLachlan's performance was the only good thing Manzarek had to say about the Oliver Stone movie.
*He attended
St. Rita High School in Chicago.
*Ray attended
DePaul University for four years as an economics major before moving out West and into the Department of Cinematography at
UCLA.
*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.
*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 song "
Alabama Song" was actually 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's wife Dorothy had a record of that opera, sung by
Lotte Lenya. She played the record for Ray and Jim Morrison, and at one point suggested they do a rock version of the song.
*Ray's real name is Raymond Daniel Manczarek. The
c was dropped in 1966 when he,
Jim Morrison,
Robby Krieger, and
John Densmore signed with Elektra as The Doors.
*The solos in "Light My Fire" are based on
John Coltrane's "Ole" from the album
Ole Coltrane. 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.
*
Ray Manzarek's website*
Michael McClure and Ray Manzarek website*
1998 Fresh Air with Terry Gross interview of Ray Manzarek*
Light my Fire, the book by Ray Manzarek, Amazon entry
