On the Beat with John Densmore, tours the old Doors sites

[TheJameswalsh1]

I met John once on a movie set in Burbank. I didn't know it was him, he just looked vaguely familiar. He didn't introduce himself. Looking back, he is a very kind and caring fellow. He was even concerned for Axl Rose being on the wrong path!

[kloudzjia]

i m a 60 year old grandmother. i highly recommend people any age to read john densmore s "riders on the storm". a fan since 1967.

[stalbansrecords]

nobody plays drums like densmore anymore, i think bonzo of led zep ruined drumming forever!

[DoorsOfConniption]

@stalbansrecords

Lep Zed ruined rock music forever.

[Dropz4u]

Do the funky chicken.

[andreasglumm]

I was surprised, when I read John Densmores book Riders on the storm. The best Book of all Doors-Books.

[DoorsOfConniption]

@andreasglumm

I think there's a part in the book where his dad unknowingly ate John's acid and after that started wearing the top button on his shirt open and grew his hair longer.

[01Erlck01]

What a cool guy!! :D

John is the best drumer of all time!!!!

[szqsk8]

The Whisky used to be such a great place. Its not even open now. Me and my friends used to drive all the way up to LA from the OC on Saturday nights (back in the late 70s) to go there for the Battle of the Bands and punk stuff. Such a great time in LA back in the 70s.

[szqsk8]

.."cops in cars, the topless bars...."

[JmoRee7]

Of all the books written about Jim Morrison that I have read, which are alot, I believe John Densmore's "Riders On a Storm is one of the best insights on their charismatic front man. It is informative, real, perceptive, and funny. John had a head on his shoulders & told it in a way that we could know Jim as he did. I think some people that write about Jim get caught up in the legend & myth just like Jim's poetry said. He was Raw, and very Real-&John wrote it as he lived it!

[MrGhost321]

Jim Morrison actually wanted to kick John out of the band because he said he was uptight. Ray convinced him to keep John.

[DoorsOfConniption]

@MrGhost321

John wasn't into drugs. And didn't approve of Jim's sleazy entourage. John wasn't about to let a drunken singer spoil his fun. Plus, they were two warring Scots.

[MrGhost321]

@DoorsOfConniption No, even ray described john as being uptight. he didnt want to help pay rent, and would alwas kind of challenge jim

[DoorsOfConniption]

@MrGhost321

What do you call a guy who hangs around musicians? The drummer. :D

[JmoRee7]

@DoorsOfConniption You must not know much about the Doors because Jim would disagree with your assumption and would correct your ridiculous thought. John was just as important as Robby, as Ray, and without any one of those 3 Jim would not have been as huge as he was, and the Doors would not have been Iconic Legends that they are. Jim would smirk at your elementary assumptions. Take out the drums on any one of the Doors songs if you need further convincing.

[DoorsOfConniption]

@JmoRee7

How many joints did you smoke to write this? The world is burning down and you're assuming you know what Jim would think of my joke? Get a life. Jim Cherry told me that joke.

[JmoRee7]

@DoorsOfConniption Seriously, if you can't stand Jim or the Doors take your jokes over to the kiddie corner -- and you make the assumtion that the Doors drummer, John Densmore wasn't relavant, or that he was just "hanging around" if you knew anything about the group you would know how everyone of them felt when other monkeys said things like you just said. Go save the world from burning with your jokes.

[DoorsOfConniption]

@JmoRee7

You're not blocked. OK. you win. Hope you like the background pic.

[szqsk8]

I loved The Whiskey-A-Go-Go back in the late 70s! I lived in the OC and me and my friends would drive all the way up there to the Valley every weekend. Not sure if its even open now.

[kookieduck61]

I love this guy. I loved his book Riders On The Storm. I'm also happy to see that he is smiling - he seemed kinda down in his book. Go John!!!! The Greatest Drummer EVER!

[monkey5000]

pony

[szqsk8]

The Alta Cienega Motel is still there and you can request the Jim Morrison room. The inside if the room is filled with writing on all the walls and most other surfaces. There's video of it on YouTube, it's amazing. The Doors rule!!

[xterra43]

fascinating tour, I will have to see these places when I go to LA again. Some of them like their offices where they recorded LA Woman should be protected and enshrined somehow.

[Aliendear]

Pretty awesome clip.

[TheCerealkiller1]

It's not so much that John and Jim didn't like each other, yes, there were beef's between them, what the real issue was is that Jim was being just that, Jim and that got him into alot of trouble, legally. John was looking out for the best interest of the band, and the music. Jim didn't like the idea of someone controlling his actions, not letting him do as he pleased, regardless of what other people thought. Even if it ment bringing the people down along with him. Not intentionally. Thats Jim.

[wisesatyr72]

a true american legend..Densmore is one of the best rock/jazz drummer

[JoAqUiNBandit]

"this used to be a topless bar. now its...the fat burger. yeeeeeah..." LMAO!

[aarfeld]

Having long heard of these places it was fun to be escorted on this video tour by John. I wish that I had known where to find these sites when I lived out in LA a number of years ago.

[aarfeld]

TERMINA: who could fog get he for whom we pine? ;-)

[LizardKing2727]

Being fans of robbie and ray i always use to think john densmore was an asshole but now that i actually watch videos of him he is now my favorite band member, other than Jim

[DarkprinceCs]

rofl 2:40

[Alithecomedian]

@DarkprinceCs kik

[Alithecomedian]

lol

[Snotra]

Jim was like a Charles Bukowski at heart! Deep down, he was just a wino.... Who wanted to drink with Los Angeles bums.

[Mysterymusicgirl]

i remember seeing this as a teenager about 13 yr old. i didnt get to see it cause my grandma change the channel lol. Well now i get to watch it and she cant change the channel this time. lol 5*

[xxmudvaynexx525]

John Densmore and Jim Morrison never liked each other. Jim Morrison's story is sad. Jim always wanted to open new doors. I believe that he was always curious about death and seen it as a beautiful thing and honestly, death was the last door he had'nt been threw until he died.

[violentblossom]

i wouldn't say they didn't like each other.. John just got pretty angry at Jim when he was screwing up, but i'd say they loved and respected one another. John was the last person to speak to Jim.. Jim called him 3 weeks before his death.

[xxmudvaynexx525]

That is true. I think as they grew up they were more mature about one another. There has been many times Jim wanted John out of the band. But, they did respect one another after time, or else The Doors would have never lasted as long as they did.

=]]

[violentblossom]

i totally agree. :D

if you read John's book Riders on the Storm, you can see that John felt a lot of guilt after Jim's death.

[xxmudvaynexx525]

Yeah, I have, but the recent trials against Ray and Robby kind of made me mad. I know Jim would have wanted them to continue playing for people without him. Jim would have wanted the Doors to continue and would have not been angry that another person would be singing and not him. I think John was trying to do the right thing though. In the classic albums DVD- The Doors, I think John expressed how he really felt about Jim in it. If you havent seen it, i definetly encourage you to. =] its good!!

[violentblossom]

Jim would have wanted them to continue to be original, for sure. I think, though, that the surviving Doors are being smart in not continuing with another singer, because eiether way they go, people are going to get pissed.

Fans aren't going to like someone who tries to be Jim, and yet, if they find someone totally different, people will gripe that they aren't keeping the spirit of the original band.

The splitting of the band is a sad sight. :(

Thanks for the recommendation, btw. :D

[hondared88]

just another drummer..maybe like steven adler?...DUMBASS

[gaddjodilo]

John is not idealizing Jim,just showing is point of view,it's better than worshiping Jim

[jlp58mjp]

amen.......

[TomTIGER69]

Jim either fake his death or THE IGNORANT PEOPLE he was surrounded with drove him to death. THEN AGAIN it COULD HAVE BEEN CIA.MAYBE HE FAKED HIS DEATH OR COMMITTED SUICIDE because he faced jail time but that was lite duty compared to the dumb dead people he was surrounded BY As a truly awake alive enlightened being SURROUNDED BY morons JIM COULD have been driven to do something drastic to escape.Jim I still feel your presence. YOU WOKE me up but i feel your pain of being stuck on planet retard.

[papakeetee]

does anyone else get the impression that john was bashing jim a little or does he seem a little jealous,somthing strange with him>

[vinnyhoags]

Mabe they didn't like each other. It happens in the best of families.

[RedEye42zero]

The end was pretty lame, but whatever..

[xxmudvaynexx525]

Well, your pretty damn lame yourself if you can't see the poetic travel The End gives you. TRY OPENING YOUR MIND. I swear theres so many damn close minded people around these days, its disgusting.

Go watch New Age music videos since saying things EXACTLY how they seem to people is now the "in" thing. Douchebag.

[RedEye42zero]

Fuck todays plasticity!! meaningless garbage.. I MEANT THE END OF THE VIDEO!!!!! I FUCKING LOVE THE DOORS, EVERY FUCKING PART OF EM...I'M OBSESSED!!!! haha, now that we better understand each other, peace my friend..

[dexterlowlife2008]

@RedEye42zero  right on my man greetz from amsterdam....

[MSK2232]

fuck you redEye42zero you dont know the meaning of music and awesome lyrics.

[jimmorrisonrebel]

Great!Thank you!

[taxism1]

i think its a real pity that with all the money the doors made surely they would've // could've bought them places cash hands down at the time

[electrochubb]

Genius also comes with madness...desire to swim in intoxification & comfort oneself.Jim was manic depressive,delusional,bright & creative...sadly,those traits don't stay in this world for long.

[denisebarlow1]

its so sad how jims places arnt preserved at all. this is history and should be kept safe. it makes me so sad

[PearlJammer07]

Intresting how Jim checked into a motel after hitting it big. Also cool that he lived in and out of old dingy hotels in Paris and LA. I would probably not do the same, but i guess he stayed in places like that so he wouldn't be noticed as much.

[DoorsOfConniption]

Jim was probably in shock and maybe felt the money wasn't real and would dry up overnight.

[papertigerlove00]

AGREED, also the lord teaches you not to worship money

[ph03n1xamb1t]

@DoorsOfConniption

Maybe he just wanted to keep things interesting and real. Have you not got an artistic bone at all?

[Bob6stringer]

@PearlJammer07 -- With respect, I think you and "DoorsOf Conniption" both miss the mark. I think Jim was so much more wasted than the other three guys, he had no conception of how to organize his life. It's a damn shame in light of the business head his contemporary, Mick Jagger, had, which kept him sane. I grew up with my DNA wired to rock in that era, and I think it's time for a Doors re-resurgence.

[pamelamorrisonc]

thank you so much for this :)