Munz sent over this rant by John Densmore, the drummer of The Doors, about the use of songs in TV commercials. The piece isn’t exactly new – except to me – but we seem to be dealing in history today and it says a hell of a lot about the world we live in. (And also Jim’s ancient hippie integrity.)
“Dread ripples through me as I listen to a phone message from our manager saying that we (The Doors) have another offer of huge amounts of money if we would just allow one of our songs to be used as the background for a commercial. They don't give up! I guess it's hard to imagine that everybody doesn't have a price. Maybe 'cause, as the cement heads try to pave the entire world, they're paving their inner world as well. No imagination left upstairs. Apple Computer called on a Tuesday--they already had the audacity to spend money to cut "When the Music's Over" into an ad for their new cube computer software. They want to air it the next weekend, and will give us a million and a half dollars! A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS! Apple is a pretty hip company...we use computers.... Dammit! Why did Jim (Morrison) have to have such integrity? I'm pretty clear that we shouldn't do it. We don't need the money. But I get such pressure from one particular bandmate (the one who wears glasses and plays keyboards). "Commercials will give us more exposure," he says. I ask him, "so you're not for it because of the money?" He says "no," but his first question is always "how much?" when we get one of these offers, and he always says he's for it. He never suggests we play Robin Hood, either. If I learned anything from Jim, it's respect for what we created. I have to pass. Thank God, back in 1965 Jim said we should split everything, and everyone has veto power. Of course, every time I pass, they double the offer!” (Click for the rest)
Click here for The Doors
The Doors didn't exactly have much integrity when they started adding horns and strings on their discs to get on top 40 radio, i.e. Touch Me...my guess is Jim would have been the first person to sell his tunes to advertising people, after all Jimmy Reed did an ad for Gypsy Rose Wine, Bo Diddley did one for a hair straightener and lord knows how many commercials Ray Charles cut. Hank Williams did a Pancake syrup spot, Little Richard did Royal Crown hair dressing, the Stones did a Rice Krispies ad in '63 (even wrote an original song for the occasion, which is a great performance), Sonny Boy Williamson had King Biscuit Flour as a sponsor, Howlin' Wolf had C.V. Wine. And who can forget the Who's relationship with the Oderono folks? It's nice to be rich enough to be sanctimonious but I wonder what he'd do if he was broke?
ReplyDelete"my guess is Jim would have been the first person to sell his tunes to advertising people"
ReplyDeleteBut he didn't.
He wasn't broke and neither is John Densmore. The desperate need to sniff out hypocrisy is something teenagers indulge in. Conjecture away, but the Doors were offered 75 grand to use "Light My Fire" in a Buick commercial. The three other Doors agreed to the deal, but when Morrison found out about it, he vetoed the arrangement and offered to to demolish a Buick on TV. The contract was cancelled.
Howlin' Wolf and Hank Williams came from a different culture, a different time, a different economic class. I have no quarrel with their decisions, but applaud Morrison's integrity. Punk Rock Revisionist History has been nothing but self-defeating. The Ramones and the other condescending anti-hippies served as the soundtrack for the Reagan Regression, Bonzo Goes To Bitburg notwithstanding.
As for Touch Me, Jim dug Sinatra, as do I, and was not averse to a little schmaltz now and then.
Munz is right. Morrison didn't sell out while he was alive, and there's no reason to think he would have had he lived. The horns and strings may not have been the greatest idea, but I don't think they were any kind of commecial compromise.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the article, Mick. Really funny one.
ReplyDeleteThe ultimate proof that Ray Manzarek is full of shit.
I remember him in those Doors documentary saying shit like: "Jim Morrison is not dead, man. He lives in the ether, he's among us."
and then reading in Densmore's article:
"I still don't think the Polish member of our band has learned the lesson of the Opel, but I am now adamant that three commercials and we're out of our singer's respect. "Jim's dead!" our piano player responds to this line of thought."
I missed this article too when it came out. A good read. Densmore sounds like a really sound guy. I always had the inkling that Manzarek was a huge cheeseball (if only from hearing his solo albums).
ReplyDeleteCheck out this great scene from the Adam and Joe show for heinous cheese-ballery: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFsBNg_ujXg
hahaha, thanks for the video link. somebody has to stop that man.
ReplyDeleteand regarding the schmaltz debacle, I think Touch Me is a Great song. That clymatic crescendo ending with the sax solo sounds like an epic satyr orgy. naked women running through the forest at night...
I get more disturbed with something like "Tell All The People." That one crosses the schmaltz line into messianic easy-listening territory.
And even though some parts of Soft Parade sound like they are making a few too many concessions, they still went on to make Morrison Hotel and LA Woman after that.
It all ended beautifully with those last keyboard notes and rain sound on Riders on the Storm.
And then Manzarek had to screw it all up.