THE doors

[Rhythm N. Bliss]

Wait a minute you said to yourself before you clicked on this thread--The doors didn't have a bassplayer!
No~ but they did have a few help out.

Listening to the doors a lot & learning bass parts. Yes, they brought in many bassists!!!!!
Wikipedia states:

The origins of The Doors lay in a chance meeting between acquaintances and fellow UCLA film school alumni Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek on Venice Beach California in July 1965. Morrison told Manzarek he had been writing songs (Morrison said "I was taking notes at a fantastic rock-n-roll concert going on in my head") and, with Manzarek's encouragement, sang "Moonlight Drive". Impressed by Morrison's lyrics, Manzarek suggested they form a band.
Keyboardist Manzarek was in a band called Rick And The Ravens with his brothers Rick & Jim Manzarek, while drummer John Densmore was playing with The Psychedelic Rangers, and knew Manzarek from meditation classes. In August, Densmore joined the group and, along with members of The Ravens and bass player Pat Sullivan (later credited using her married name Patricia Hansen in the 1997 box CD release), recorded a six-song demo in September 1965. This circulated widely as a bootleg recording and appeared in full on the 1997 Doors box set.
That month the group recruited guitarist Robby Krieger, and the final lineup — Morrison, Manzarek, Krieger and Densmore — was complete.

And furthermore:

The Doors were unusual among rock groups because they did not use a bass guitar when playing live. Instead, Manzarek played the bass lines with his left hand on the newly invented Fender Rhodes Piano Bass, an offshoot of the Fender Rhodes electric piano, playing other keyboards with his right hand. On their studio albums (with the notable exception of their eponymous first record), The Doors did use bass players, such as Jerry Scheff, Harvey Brooks, Lonnie Mack, Larry Knechtel and Leroy Vinnegar.

Now I've just gotta keep studying to see which bassplayer played on what songs....

The Doors of the 21st Century & subsequent names of the band from 2002 to 2008 feature Angelo Barbera on bass & now it's Phil Chen on bass as you can see from the Wiki link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Doors

Been lovin' Morrison Hotel the most with cool bass on Indian Summer, Queen of the Highway & Roadhouse Blues.

In other bass news, I'm on a quest for a lefty ESP bass which Musician's Friend now says has been discontinued but at least I know some were made & may find one used.
If it really looks like this that would be ok:



...but it would be HELLA BADASS if it looks more like this ax:



I'm also planning to have a Vampyre style bass Custom Made with a pointy headstock to match the body.
Probly in a transparent blood red with tigerstriped wood showing thru.
Gotta dig up some pics to share here & give to a luthier.

[Pilgrim]

Jerry Scheff was the studio bass player on LA Woman...and there are parts of that lick I will NEVER be fast enough to play.  Incredible work!

[Hornisse]

Lonnie Mack on Roadhouse Blues.  A great tune!

[Rhythm N. Bliss]

Maggie M'Gill from Morrison Hotel is used in the new flick Taking Woodstock.
Cool song & kind of fits but the doors didn't play at Woodstock & neither did LOVE & Blind Faith but they kind of fit the movie too so what the heck.

[SKATE RAT]

has anybody heard the Doors with Ian Astbury? i know they did a tour and i always was curious to hear it 'cause i like the Cult.

[Highlander]

Supposed to have been pretty good, Bryan; I think their are releases... I believe they gigged most of the LA Woman LP, which they never got to do with JM...

I always used to have a problem putting Jim Morrisons face to his voice... such a mature sounding voice... try and listen to "Riders..." and look at his image... such a loss... what would he have been doing had he survived, Jimi H too...?

I distinctly remember hearing so much of their music, first time round; Terr's got a head start on a few of us (not by that much on me, but you're on the "right" coast for a lot of my musical tastes, Terr ), and gotta be honest, he's seen a few bands I'm more than slightly envious of...   

[doombass]

With Ian:

[Rhythm N. Bliss]

I didn't see the doors or LOVE but we sure were proud of them here in the City o' Angels!!
...& we still are!! Jim Morrison & Arthur Lee RIP
Jim loved LOVE!

I'm a Spy in the house of LOVE 

Break On Thru!!! LOVE the bass on that

[Aussie Mark]

There was a doco on TV here last week "The Doors in Europe" - the scene where they are asked their names and ages as they arrived at the airport was priceless - hard to believe they were all just 22 and 23 at the time.  Must have been the facial hair that made them look older (other than Jim). 

Some great footage of one gig where Jim was too stoned to get on stage, so Ray, Robbie and John did the gig without him - Ray sang all the vocals as well as his usual right and left hand dexterity - and he sounded just like Jim.  Amazing!

[Chris P.]

I believe it was a gig in Holland, they did without Jim. We also had the Beatles once over without Ringo.

[Aussie Mark]

I believe it was a gig in Holland, they did without Jim. We also had the Beatles once over without Ringo.

Yes, it was Holland I believe.  Jefferson Airplane did the tour with them, and Grace Slick was being interviewed, saying that everywhere they went they were offered drugs of all types. Grace would put the stuff in her bag for later and maybe have a little toke at the time, but Jim would smoke/swallow everything on the spot.  No wonder he didn't make it to some gigs!

We had the Beatles without Ringo for their tour in 1964 as well.