The Doors are set to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their 1970 LP Morrison Hotel with a reissue packed with unreleased takes from the album’s studio sessions.
The two-CD/LP deluxe edition of the Morrison Hotel: 50th Anniversary reissue, due out October 9th, will feature the original album newly remastered by the Doors’ longtime engineer and mixer Bruce Botnick on both CD and vinyl, plus a bonus disc containing 19 studio outtakes.
Botnick said in a statement: “There are many takes, different arrangements, false starts and insightful studio conversations between the band — who were in the studio — and producer Paul Rothchild – who was in the control room. It’s like being a fly on the wall.”
Those unreleased recordings include a series of takes that capture the evolution of Morrison Hotel’s “Queen of the Highway,” “Roadhouse Blues” and “Peace Frog”; as a preview, the band have shared the work-in-progress “Take 4” of the album tandem “Peace Frog” and “Blue Sunday.”
In the case of “Roadhouse Blues,” early versions include Harvey Brooks, who played on the band’s The Soft Parade. Later takes feature guitarist Lonnie Mack on bass along with the Lovin’ Spoonful’s John Sebastian on harmonica; for contractual reasons, Sebastian was credited as “G. Puglese” upon Morrison Hotel’s release.
The bonus disc is rounded out by the Doors rarity “I Will Never Be Untrue” and their impromptu cover versions of “Money (That’s What I Want)” and B.B. King’s “Rock Me.”
The reissue, and a new series of Morrison Hotel merchandise, is available to preorder now in a variety of formats at the Doors’ website or on Amazon.com.
Morrison Hotel: 50th Anniversary Tracklist
The Original Album
1. “Roadhouse Blues”
2. “Waiting for the Sun”
3. “You Make Me Real”
4. “Peace Frog”
5. “Blue Sunday”
6. “Ship of Fools”
7. “Land Ho!”
8. “The Spy”
9. “Queen of the Highway”
10. “Indian Summer”
11. “Maggie M’Gill”
Disc Two: Mysterious Union
Black Dressed In Leather (Queen of the Highway Sessions)
First Session (11/15/68)
1. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 1, She Was a Princess) *
2. “Queen of the Highway” (Various Takes) *
3. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 44, He Was A Monster) *
Second Session (1/16/69)
4. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 12, No One Could Save Her) *
5. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 14, Save the Blind Tiger) *
Third Session (Date Unknown)
6. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 1, American Boy – American Girl) *
7. “Queen of the Highway” (Takes 5, 6 & 9, Dancing Through The Midnight Whirlpool) *
8. “Queen of the Highway” (Take 14, Start It All Over) *
9. “I Will Never Be Untrue” *
10. “Queen of the Highway” (Take Unknown) *
Money Beats Soul (Roadhouse Blues Sessions)
First Session
11. “Roadhouse Blues” (Take 14, Keep Your Eyes On The Road) *
12. “Money (That’s What I Want)” *
13. “Rock Me Baby” *
Second Session
14. “Roadhouse Blues” (Takes 6 & 7, Your Hands Upon The Wheel) *
15. “Roadhouse Blues” (Take 8, We’re Goin’ to the Roadhouse) *
Third Session
16. “Roadhouse Blues” (Takes 1 & 2, We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time) *
17. “Roadhouse Blues” (Takes 5, 6 & 14, Let It Roll Baby Roll) *
Dawn’s Highway (Peace Frog/Blue Sunday Session)
18. “Peace Frog/Blue Sunday” (Take 4) *
19. “Peace Frog” (Take 12) *
* previously unreleased
