Jim Morrison & Ben-Fong Torres 1971 Interview
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- Опубликовано: 28 сен 2024
- Recording Date: February 1971
Interview Location: Diane Gardiner's Apartment - Los Angeles, CA
Publication: Rolling Stone # 77 - March 4th - 1971
Length: 73:43
Info:
Jim Morrison's last known recorded interview is conducted by Rolling Stone journalist Ben Fong-Torres and features Pamela Courson. This tape was made unintentionally after a chance meeting at Diane Gardiner's apartment in Los Angeles. The interview is later used in the March 3rd, 1971 issue of Rolling Stone (Ben-Fong Torres "Jim Morrison's Got The Blues" © Straight Arrow Publishers Inc.1996)
Ben Fong-Torres: - "Working for Rolling Stone, I used to pop into Hollywood on a regular basis. Sometimes I stayed at the apartment of a rock publicist friend, Diane. One of her neighbors was Pamela Courson - Jim Morrison's old lady. One February afternoon in 1971, Jim came around, looking for Pamela. She wasn't there, so he decided to hang out & wait. When Diane introduced us, I asked for an interview. He and I hit it off right away, and got into doing this parody of a TV talk show. I played Dick Cavett; he was a rock star. He told a couple of jokes so risque that they would have gotten Cavett canned, and then, with my cheap cassette recorder running, we settled into a pretty serious chat about the Doors and the blues; the future of rock, and his own future. Despite his reputation as a wild man; despite his busts for obscenity and for exposing himself on stage, Morrison had struck me, in published interviews, as a smart, thoughtful guy. Maybe he wasn't quite the poet and artiste he fancied himself to be, but at least he was playing with the conventions of rock, performance, and theater. He was at home on the edge. Jim was planning to move to Paris within weeks, and this turned out to be his last interview before his departure in March. In July, I was in Hollywood again - visiting with his friends and associates, and writing his obitu."
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JIM MORRISON-By Ben Fong-Torres.
When I bumped into Jim Morrison in West Hollywood in early 1971, I had no idea that we'd wind up doing the last interview he'd ever give to an American publication.
The bump-in took place at an apartment building where a publicist friend, Diane Gardiner, lived. One of her neighbors was Pamela Courson, who, despite Morrison's liaisons with various other women, considered herself his main companion. One February afternoon, Jim came by, looking for Pamela. She wasn't home, so he came downstairs to Gardiner's apartment, where I was visiting.
I hadn't met Morrison before, and soon after Diane introduced us, I asked for an interview. He had nothing better to do, he said, and I grabbed my cassette recorder.
And then things got weird. For some reason, he was feeling playful. Having done no research, and with no questions in mind, I was happy to play along. We decided to pretend as though we were doing a talk show on TV, and he kicked things off with a decidedly lewd riddle or two.
While he joked, I searched through my memory for the latest news on Morrison's never-dull life, and we settled into a pretty serious interview. He got into it enough that when Pamela showed up, he continued with our conversation, one that turned out to be his last with the press before he left, in March, for Paris.
Four months after settling into Paris with Pamela, Jim Morrison died, and I was dispatched to Hollywood to write his obituary. A few non-stop days and nights later, the article was complete, except for a headline. Jim had considered himself as serious a poet as he was a rock musician and stage performer. By and large, his poetic interests had been dismissed. In fact, one reason Morrison gave for going to France was that the people there would give him his poetic due.
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Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for fair use & for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. Copyrighted materials contained herein belong to their respective copyright holders, I do not claim ownership over any of these videos.
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Something strange about the fact that Morrison's calm, thoughtfulness and at some points astute anticipation of the culture to come, completely contrasts the story we are told about his 'demise'. Some of the concerts The Doors did in 70 also put the lie on the 'downfall' narrative. It's sad that he drank so much and it probably took him out, but he was not the crazed buffoon the film and the press-cutting say he was. Just a mercurial artist who should have stayed off the drink a little bit, but in his everyday life was a smart, self-deprecating and inventive human being Sad loss for the culture. We could do with him now, with all the phony sarcastic, sneering hipsters thinking are the new counterculture. He would have put them all to rights, I reckon.
He died from heroin OD, no?
The truth is he was suffering from aids thats why Pam died after she seemed annoying it wasn't discovered in 71 2 of his friemds past a few years after u gotta understand
I'm less concerned about sneering hipsters when the bigger problem are the far right with their stupid conspiracies about covid and the election and everything else. Starting that war in Iraq. Etc.
@Richard Milliken Jim Snorted very pure Heroin and died in a Rock n Roll Circus club bathroom. .On the toilet. He was then carried to Pam's apt room and placed into a hot bath tub in order to fool the doctor about the actual time of his passing. The doctor that checked his body was shocked that Jim was only 27... He thought he looked to be in his 40's.
So we'll said
Jim is the man. He wasn’t just a rock star but poet and philosopher. Most importantly despite his antics and demons he was a good and gentle soul. His voice was so soothing and warm. I truly believe he is one of the greatest frontmen ever and an underrated and under appreciated singer.
The Doors may well be America’s greatest rock band too. Zeppelin, The Beatles, Stones and Floyd are all British. There is not a bad Doors song and they cranked out several albums during the Morrison years which amounted to about 6 years. The amount of songs and good songs they produced some bands can’t even do in 20 years. Look at Guns N Roses and how many albums they have.
Jim’s lyrics were sublime but his melodies and song writing was genius. Who else has more quoted lyrics? Same with Ray, Robby and John. The sound they created is so unique and timeless. They still have impact today nearly 50 years after Jim’s death.
RIP Jim and Ray. You were true icons and John and Robby are living legends.
I agree and I really don't think he asked him any questions where Jim could have showed how intelligent that he really was I saw another interview with rolling stone where Jim talks about computers taking over about people turning into vegetables sitting in their house and watching TV where they should be out trying to make a difference a much better interview in 17 minutes than this one in an hour and some. He puts him down saying Jim wasn't the artist or poet he thinks he is Ben fong-torres said and Jim says I don't even think my poetry career has even started yet.
Ray Stevens , Robbie Williams, and John Lennon? THEY aren't american.
They cranked out all those albums in 4 years, counting from the first album. The reason it only took them about two or three weeks to record the first album was because they had been playing the music every night for about a year. They were tight. I often think about how Jim would be if he had lived to see the new millennium. I don't think he would have liked the way that people have turned out, but he would have dug the technology.
Amen and double amen to that. Gym’s definitely 1 of the influences on how I sing, right along with Buddy Holly and Hank Williams Sr.
You said everything I've thought since first hearing/seeing the b&w concert that woke me up one Summer night, age 10, when my sibling left the TV on and didn't wake me up. I awoke to the Doors entering the venue, stating their names...
Jim Morrison was a great man don't let society fool you into thinking otherwise
I was 12 when i got into them and my dad liked them when he was a teenager,unfortunately through the doors film I got into them ,older people used to say come on ! Their way before your time.
This is true. The media have portrayed only his crazy side. This interview is the real him. Listen, then you get an educated source. Him. Peace.
@@waynesilverman3048 The Doors are timeless... We got to know about them,and that's all that counts!💯🤙👍🌌☘️🕊️
I remember seeing a commercial in the 80s that showed a glimpse of Jim and telling us to say no to drugs.... You're exactly right
Well I always thought he was a great man. Even Before my recent resurgent interest in him. I guess I must not be a fool to society 😂😅😂❤
This interview is a real peak into the world of Jim Morrison. He's calm, composed, polite, articulate, broad minded on and on...The movie The Doors does no justice to this man. Jim the poet, the musician, the kind soul.
Agree 💯
The film was awful
at 1:00:38 "poets usually become heroes after they're long gone" ...If only Jim could see all that he's inspired and how we still speak of him regularly 50 years after his passing
He's been so wrong with this one. Only about 1% shoot to the stars five years after their death, with 100%'s value going down by 25% by that year. For 99%, it'll go down further.
Stats from Deloitte
People only really admire you when you're dead. I have no doubt, Jim has changed his mind.
@@eddieorfield Nope they don't. People forget 99% of great artists once they're dead.
@@GEMSofGOD_com
It helps to have a major motion picture made by Oliver Stone
It’s sad to think that in less than 7 months after this interview was given, Morrison will have left this mortal coil. This is a lucid, intelligent, charming and thoughtful young man. To think he was only 27 years of age.
This was the Jim that wrote all those timeless lyrics, that had the conviction to see through on his personal visions/dreams and touched the world through his talent. This man and his impact will never be forgotten. R.I.P JDM.🙏♥️🎼.x
He was young... but reminds me of some 65 year old trapped in a 27 year old body! lol if anybody does... it's him.
When Jim says in the next 5 or 6 months we'll know what the future will be.😢
I think about Jim here and he’s what, 27? It’s 2020 and I don’t know many 27 yr olds that sound like this guy. Jim is/was exactly my dads age. Class of 61’. Amazing how much wisdom he has at this age compared to millennials now. My mom is 72 and had me at 22. I think people were more mature at this age back then. Weird times we live in....
Thanks for sharing this and I agree with you. God bless you and all ✌️♥️
I think it's more or less about how you are raised, not necessarily which generation you were born into. I'm turning 22 in about a week, and my mother raised me to be respectful to your elders, enjoy the little things, and have a sense of nostalgia. I know I'm not a very smart person, but I enjoy writing scripts to share my creativity, and I love old movies and music.
Jason Q vaccines
Im not sure its people were more mature back then , i think Jims mind was like a sponge that soaked up knowledge . The books he read were very real , he was very real . A lot of people fear knowledge or indeed like to be told how to think . Every now and then someone comes along ahead of their time , jim was one of those .
Jason Q I know what you mean but there are smart young people today as well. My stepson is 20 and he’s extremely knowledgeable on many subjects and quite intelligent. He’s well spoken and can hold a conversation with people many years his senior. Yes, he still has a lot more growing up to do and his university studies will develop his critical thinking skills further, but he’s already way more intellectually developed than I was at that age (I’m turning 60). His closest friends that he’s known since childhood are similarly astute. So, it reminds me that there’s always hope for the future!
At 54:30 Jim shows his real intelligence. He steers the conversation into an area which forces the interviewer to level with him to some degree. Not so much to appease him, but to express what in the hell the media is really about in 1971. Anyone who listens to this and can't get past the beer and chips is missing the real show. Jim took in more in his 27 years than most people take in in 70 or 80! And Jim wherever you are now, thanks for reminding me to think. It's a great life!
I find it funny when people say jim did more at 27. He did not get famous until he was 24. died 3 years later. The majority of the things he did were done at blackout drunk. So you think 3 years of performing and boozing/drugging make up more life than 60 years of adult life? 60 years of friend, family, etc...? I think not. No doubt he got his kicks, but in no way shape or form did his life end up fuller than anyone else.
youlikethisusername I said he took in, as in def- to UNDERSTAND and REMEMBER something that you hear or read. Not ' build family, change diapers, put kid through beauty school, " and my other son is a lawyer...". Although commendable, it was not the comparison. Unfortunately judgmental fucks like yourself think life is a contest and that apparently this /rock star's/ life was only measured by his 3 years of fame.
+youlikethisusername Will people in the general public still be listing to and talking about you in 50 years?
The Doors and Morrison have always been some of my favorites, but listening to these old interviews the last few days have gotten me to believe that he was truly a genius on every level, far beyond any of his contemporaries
@@paulj0557tonehead 👊 😹 👊
Blows me away. I personally have been a doors fan for over thirty years and I am just now getting to hear this much of Jim talk. Love it.
Jim seemed to be comfortable and happy during this interview.
Karla Ruthford never honestly heard him give a bad interview! He has had a few where with the other Doors was a bit more subdued but still waiting his turn!
I see what you mean
He was very comfortable its true . The trouble is , no one knows how youre feeling inside , jim hid it very well , Something john densmore said years ago and stuck with me ,' you never knew what jim was going to do , theres so much i couldnt find out about jim and i was as close as anybody '. Some people find it hard to express feelings . That tells you he didnt trust anyone , i think distancing himself from his parents at an early age made him feel lonely . I think ' People Are Strange' was super significant as to the make up of Jim Morrison. To think he died 5 months after this is unbelievable . I believe Jim was bipolar he had bouts of depression as we all know but i think Grace Slik sums it up perfectly . He was a roulette wheel , he span it and span it until his number came up . July 3rd it come up.
I noticed that as well, but just a few months later, he would no longer exist.
He was not comfortable on stage I guess. Hated fame.
This certainly shows what a respectful and patient guy he could be when not messed up.
So nice to hear the sober Jim Morrison and to get a taste of what he was really like.
when I saw the band here in Philadelphia may 1 1970 Jim was sober..I was right up front....you can here us on Absolutely Live.....he was fucking great.
spyneyes1 mate he was drinking during the interview
+Steven Rose well you can drink and not be drunk....
you can be very high and appear sober if you are doing it all day every day. heroin addicts, stoners and alcoholics do it all the time.
Dude your a sicko who acts like liquor dehumanizes you.
this is amazing. Not the Hollywood myth, just a very focused, sober ordinary guy with a soft voice, proud of his album
Such intelligence and perspective and to think he was only in his twenties...Oh what the future could have held for Mr. Morrison.
His insights and voice were way beyond his age, indeed.
It's crazy, Jim reminds me of an old soul trapped in a young man's body. He was very intelligent. It sucks he went out like he did.. but it's really not a huge shock. a lot of people experimented and pushed the bounds back then.. I think he knew he would die young. he was fascinated with death. and it just made him an instant legend.
Thanks to whoever uploaded this. Wow. First time hearing this. Who here saw ‘Almost Famous’? This interviewer is legendary. Ben inspired me to become a writer and Jim is such an icon. It’s really a trip hearing this. I’m curious about the music playing in the background. This was 8 years before I was born… RIP Jim. He died so young. Think of all the music and poetry he would’ve continued to write had he lived to be an old man. He was an old soul for sure.
🌹
When sober, he seemed like a really nice, kind, thoughtful guy - very tolerant of inteviewers - I have never heard him get upset in an interview. He jokes in his Irish way.
He was. Every story - aside from the hyped-up bs and the times that he actually was 'out of it' - confirms that he was a really considerate, gentle, easy-going and intelligent person. That's one of the reasons why he wanted to get away from the public image that had grown around him.
Pam and Jim at their finest! The way they were, none other, and what do we expect? This is the way they lived and spoke. Love them both :)
I was thinking the same thing ❤️
She killed jim with her crappy life.
Fuck Pam she killed him.
@@rev.jimjonesandthekool-aid4488 Stop bagging on Pamela... We all have problems... She paid for her choices severely.. It was not a good death.
many felt she was a bad influence....i remember the clothing shop Themis he bought for her, my buddy Ned worked there. stoned times....awesome times.
I would have given anything to listen in on a conversation between Jim Morrison and Marshall McLuhan talk about media, art, audiences, religion, language & society....Such a thoughtful, perceptive guy on so many levels. Thanks for this interview.
I have a question for you.
Love this. Jim is so interesting; so intelligent . His voice so soothing, so mesmerizing. My dogs started barking when they heard his dog bark .
I woke up this morning & I got myself a beer
the futures uncertain & the end is always near
This is my first time hearing Pam speak. I think her voice is really sweet.
Yes! She seemed really nice and positive ❤
@@muscovy5000 And smart and pretty. It's easy to see why Jim loved her.
Btw, when Jim says, "excuse me for not getting up, I've got a bad leg", this is in reference to the fall he took at the Chateau Marmont a month earlier, where he was doing a Tarzan act and landed on a shed 2 stories down.
Crimson King Amazing
Where can I read these facts ,please let me know
Bad move on Jim's part.
"that one hurt me"
Hhhhhhaaaaaaahh gotta love jim
59:46
To be able to feel we're participating somehow within this talk as an attentive audience just because this gentleman Fong recorded it as what seems to be an informal interview unfolding into a rather friendly atmosphere is such a precious gift for whoever like The Doors but in truth most specially to us the Jim Morrison's tribe. It does take Jim with his relaxed soft voice & Pamela's cheerful giggling and her feed-back to this conversation, very very close to our very heart, thanks so much for this treasure of gold. Here's 5:36 a.m. in Mexico City about to be dawning on this 2016, July the third in which we his admirers have him & her very very present always but today as another year passes by, we keep the vigil, we do recall upon this very nefarious date ...
I thank YOU so much for having uploaded all these wondrous materials on Jim and The Doors but most specially for this specific time-capsule ( thanks to Mr. Fong for the Rolling Stone Magazine ) in which Jim's keen view into the future was very clear, very pertinent, very visionary indeed and I can only smile in thinking what wonders would have he done to expand his poetics and cinematic art if he had lived long enough and had counted with all of these cybernetic tools and instruments that most of us seem to take for granted, thank you and once more: "Salve poeta de la lira y el neón/ Salve James Douglas Morrison" (bad rhyme I wrote as an early teenager, the final couplet of a sonnet I composed to him as soon as the news of his death broke through in the media on those awful weary early days of July 1971) namaste, July the 3rd, 2016
PS: Kiss to Pamela x .. x & Jim x .. x plus Ray x .. x huge hugs to The Doorsians
It was nice to hear Pamelas' voice. Never heard her voice much at all in most video/ audio recordings with Jim. Rare perhaps?
Hope you and yours are well,and happy!🕊️☘️💕🐦☘️
Jim will forever be my guru, my spiritual teacher. Listening to him speak in that soft, beautiful voice of his, I want to believe he is still alive. At least he is alive in my heart, our hearts. His spirit lives on in his music, his poetry.
I love the music but spiritual teacher????? So you want to end up a fat alcoholic with a serious cocaine problem. Knock yourself out sunshine but I tell ya what, he was just a kid when he died, he wasted it all for what he thought was a line of coke. He had destroyed his body and alcohol and cocaine, it a Masha ya Brain. I barely survived that life but I'm glad I did.
so rude of them to mention weight gain, this is the second conversation with jim that they've mentioned it (in an interview on the other - howard). kudos to him for being diplomatic about it.
it's a laid back old school recording review bitch of the modern world he did gain weight....jim was cool he answered today assholes will get upset or question not ask!...
Very fucked up lol...but, people were also buzzing that he was a drunk which sadly he was. He also didnt care either and let it go, even though he wasnt even really fat. Fat in 1969 was 175/180.
Gore Elohim he wasn't fat it is called beer fuckin belly kid!!....wow....
John Deathspell LMAO
It was 1971. People didn't get butt-hurt like they do today.
I love every second of this interview. It brings Morrison back to life and makes me miss him even more. He seems to be a very thoughtful and intelligent human being. So sad that he died at the age of 27 almost exactly 50 years ago.
I like to think that this is something like the real Morrison---not drugged or liquored up. He seems like a decent guy.
I find many of his interviews to be very intelligible and insightful. I think 'some' of what people say about him 'may' be true, but there is a lot of myth out there also, I feel.
CJ Curtis there was a lot more to Jim than drinkin and drugs.He was also a genius with a 158 IQ.He could be a warm and funny individual.
Jim Morrison sober is The Myth .
I bet Jim had a couple drinks in him at the time. He knew how to hold his liquor, & it's possible to be thoughtful & have a buzz at the same time. Alcohol only impairs social skills when consumed heavily or by the inexperienced drinker. And you don't have to be straight-edge to be a decent guy.
Jim Morrison was a decent guy. He just over indulged in alcohol. "The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom", William Blake. Jim lived and breathed that famous line. Sure doesn't sound like a guy thats about to die in a few months. I think he was so drunk on July 3rd that he ended up doin' heroin. His girlfriend Pam was a heroin addict. RIP Jim!
"The new kids will come along and swarm together in a few years and they'll have a new name for it."....Yep. Punk.
They'll have music to get it on too.
It's hip hop now
Heavy metal, new age, pop, rap, and whatever else he’s right about that for sure
Rave
He called it amongst other things lol
It really blows my mind how Jim had the future of home movies figured out with movies straight to video, shooting 16mm and smaller budgets, etc The interviewer, also, doubts that people will ever put a movie on like an album, but that is exactly what people do now. I put a movie on for ambience at times -- Rumble Fish, Blade Runner, or older stuff like Casablanca or Metropolis. There is no difference between putting on a CD or DVD -- or, for that matter -- watching or listening to a file. I was born in 1972 and these guys knew what my future would be in the 80s and onward.
It reminds me of another interview of Jim where he talks about the future of music, basically describing what DJs essentially would be doing with sampling and using mostly electronic devices. Jim, himself, has been sampled into other people's music. Kind'a came full circle.
....i don't want THIS 2 end. ❄😶❄
He was such a prophetic visionary
Yes! I just came across that interview yesterday! I was blown away. He clearly described DJs making music live on stage with machines and tapes. That interview was from 69, I believe. Just an unbelievable grasp of culture and an a remarkable ability to visualize outcomes
So vintage man!!! I feel like I went back in time to 1971 and eavesdropped on my neighbors, one who happened to be Jim Morrison.
You were really Morrison's neighbor? Any good stories?
Are you serious man?
jokerswildio hhh so true
Agreed, I felt the same especially when he ordered food / those people arrived, the background music too
Love the background music too - sounds a little like Bob Dylan
A piece of life bottled in time. Amazing little document. Like spending an hour in 1971. It's like Jim is from the future. Utterly ahead of his contemporaries in every way. His observations are so completely on the money. The shit music on the radio makes it almost surreal. Contrary to comments on here, I think the journalist did an excellent job of improvising, and just as hard, staying calm and letting Jim speak. We get a real sense of Jim Morrison's true self here. A very bright, thoughtful person and also a gentleman. Note his politeness to everyone. I was struck by how bored they all sounded with the hippie scene. Like it had already ended a few years previously and they'd already grown up. He does NOT sound depressed about the pending criminal charges in Florida -- contrary to the accepted mythology. He just sounds like he's grown up and the scene has moved on, anyway. You can actually understand why it makes sense to think about doing something else. Is this Pamela or Diane talking? BFT says it's Pamela. She seems quite smart for a 24 year old. Doesn't sound like a dark junkie. What shocked me most was him getting booze delivered. That's a weird thing to do in someone else's home. He's clearly an alcoholic and we can easily imagine the lucidity and warmth we're hearing, vanishing through the day as he got more and more drunk. Booze killed him. Addiction is addiction. And BOTH he and Pam were addicts -- in their own different ways. I guess that's why he stayed with her. He's clearly got a problem himself. RIP, Jim. Pity you didn't have better friends. Must have been lonely, wherever you were.
I always thought that Jim Morrison gave the most brilliant interviews. His leadership skills were extremely important and he was very informative in the way he was seen as the leader of the doors. Too bad the sex, drugs and alcohol led to his demise and he is still the undisputed best rock star frontman America has ever produced
This is great! Thanks for this, it shows Jim the way he really was.
I love Jim's voice. "I drink a lot of beer, especially when I'm recording." Pam's voice is so girlish. They did stick together no matter what happened-too bad it wasn't for longer..............
She was only like 24 here
They should've homesteaded
My favorite part about all these interviews is all like Jim doesn't realize at all like how important his music will be in how important he was
peace my friend-miss ya, even though I was not born then and never met you. feel like I knew you.
Jim was more than a rocker. He was so much more...........
This is really special in that it’s inside a home with 1971 life going on in the background.
Wow, I've been a Doors fan for almost 20 years. I thought I knew and heard it all. Never knew Jim took up scuba diving. Just awesome!!
and water skiing.
There's some footage of Jim at some watering hole swimming and he's diving off a cliff nude.
Welcome to the human race
@@AbbyNormal777 is another ab-normal. It learned NOTHING from Jim.
Have you noticed how well spoken and articulate and tactful the rock stars of that era were as opposed to today? Even Morrison who was on cloud nine most of the time, Such talent from that era and the Doors legacy will live forever!
There’s plenty of smart musicians today. Most successful musicians are smart.
why don't we have people like this in music anymore? Oh yeah, Miley Cyrus great inspiration, WTF?
***** nah you just old, ignorant or both : )
***** Look at the musicians in the Black Metal genre...
Hahahahahahahaha
+Robert Bermudez He may be old but he knows what good music is.Or was.
Robert Bermudez he’s not the least bit ignorant you would have to understand that the times were much different back then! Many a late teen early 20 something was worried about going to Vietnam back then and so few wanted a war we couldn’t win! Civil rights and many other things were prevalent and today there is no draft! People are trying to put shock each other! Back then they may have seemed to be similar but now it’s full on!
Thanks for loading and sharing this. Its great to hear Jim and company having a very relaxed conversation. I've always thought of Jim as very coherent, precoscious, intelligent, smart, talented, enlightened and good listener all of this is evident here. Pity he didn't live to fulfill some of his ideas and plans, I think he would have written, directed and produced some amazing movies amongst his other creative endeavours.
One of the experiences that Morrison had where it was said that he was influenced by the blues happened when he was living in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC in the early 60's. It was said that he would go hang out at blues clubs that were located on U.S. Route 1 in Alexandria, VA and a little further south on Route 1.
This audio clip is the first time that I have heard this side of Jim Morrison and it's a shame that he wasn't presented this way more often.
Because of their greedy owners, the worthless mainstream media will present people in ways that will give itself the most attention and make the most money and ignore moments like this where a completely different side of a person is presented.
There's an interesting book by Mark Opsasnik called "The Lizard King Was Here - The Life & Times of Jim Morrison In Alexandria". It worth it...
rutazzurra
Thanks, I'll have to check it out.
I currently live in Arlington, VA and have lived in Washington, DC and in the surrounding metro area in Maryland and Virginia my whole life.
+rutazzurra I have that book...good read.
I just finished reading "The Lizard King Was Here" and really liked it.
It was about when Jim Morrison was going to high school in Alexandria, VA from 1959 to 1961. Since I have lived in the Washington, DC area my whole life, I was familiar with a lot of the places talked about in the book. Morrison also lived in Falls Church, VA from 1950 to 53 and in the Maryland suburbs for a couple of years in the 40's, so he actually spent about 7 years of his 27 years in the Washington, DC area. His dad was in the Navy and was sent to the DC area several times.
I recently read the Morrisons lived in Philadelphia PA (my town) when Jim was very, very young. We have a shipyard here so it must be true.
"We'll know within the next 5 or 6 months what the future holds" He was absolutely right! 💜
I picked up on that too. February 1971… five months later is July.
I've seen numerous interviews of all the band members of The Doors together and let me tell you something. They sound a HELL of a lot more intelligent than many of the younger generation of today. Even when they were stoned, especially Jim, sounded far more intelligible than a lot of people in general today, not just the youth. I guess the GMO's have really reeked havoc on people's brains today or something. In this interview, he's being deep, poetic and philosophical and he's in his mid-twenties in this interview. I know of forty year old people today that couldn't think as deeply as Jim is doing in this video. Pretty sad where thinking ability in our society has gone...
Ppl don’t want to think for themselves these days they are told what to think
@@intoxicatedmooneyes not necessarily true ,we are being condition to not think anymore since jfk in my opinion & im a 90s kid.
True , i have anxiety about future generations & the void that use to be this beautiful world & what we have braught upon it & im a 90s kid.Sad that many in my generation & others ahead or behind dont care for deep thoughtful subjects with great conversations on mutual ground anymore & also how theres this acceptance of psudo intellectualism from anyone whos claimed the title of success by todays social standards.breaks my soul honestly & makes the call of the end more tempting as i suspect to many in my age group or like minded people of which we seem few & far between.i cant express the alienation i have felt talking to others older then me on an equal ground than among my peers/friends who would come to despise/resent me for it.I mean ask a 20 something right now to explain or define" then to than" & youll get a confused answer.
@@Edward-6909 Yours is also a confused answer so what do you think I feel like ?
Double the vocabulary, double the experience and what have I got around me? A world full of idiots, few of whom are expressing what they feel. Terance Mckenna is the last American I know who was articulate. Even this micky mouse android crap that constantly misspells what I write is yet ANOTHER barrier to getting this trivial comment across.
But as long as I live, there is hope that some will waken up. Start with Geoffrey chaucer (see, unknown name in android, never heard of that in yankland).
Plus education was better then, both in the schools and via access to and use of real books...yes today we have access to all kinds of knowledge at our fingertips but the great irony is not enough people are using it properly
Shame on Oliver Stone, for not portraying the deeper side of this artist.
I was extremely disappointed in that movie. Only saw it once. Horrible
That 1991 film should be superceded & replaced in it's "forever" status by a NEW biopic take., a more realistic or gritty affair .
"When You're Strange" (2009) was a documentary, but I'm talking about a new scripted movie, one that shows the poet at work creating, the thinker hard at work concentrating, & the scholar...erudite, articulate, busy accumulating little jewels of cosmic insight.
Cool interview no-one gives interviews like this anymore
True. Both because of how the interviewer and the artist approach interviews, nowadays, unfortunately.
Jim was super sharp for a 27 year old he was truly and intellectual. The pictures that accompany this audio are great too btw nice job.
I got the feeling that Jim Morrison was a serious, very thoughtful person.
He was.
Excellent! It's like you are part of the group just casually sitting around the table chatting.
I could listen to Jim's voice for hrs..for being so calming and soothing, it is just so powerful, so hypnotic..LOVE IT and him. I can never say RIP when it comes to Jim Morrison or put him in the past tense, because I am one of the many, that believe he NEVER died. People will comment to others and say GET OVER IT...JIM'S DEAD, JIM'S GONE...he died, sad to think he died just 5 months after this video, etc. NO ONE will EVER really know..IF Jim passed or not. None of us were there, so no one can say with 100% certainty, that he is gone. A lot of people live the lifestyle Jim did, with drugs and drinking and they defy/cheat death. You think their life will be cut short, but, it is not always the case. I wholeheartedly believe that Jim is still very much alive, pushing 80 yrs. old, but, he is out there, and has lived his life the way he wanted to..away from everything and everyone. He didn't care about notoriety or material things, so, he could very easily live his life off the radar. So many will comment on wondering what Jim would think of the world today, if he was still here, well, as I said, to me and many, he is still very much alive and he has known all along, with each passing era, what the world has evolved into. I wish he could make himself visible to all of us and show everyone, that he indeed NEVER died and is still very much among the living, but, we have to respect his wishes and the Jim Morrison world goes on either believing, like me that he is alive or going along with history and thinking he is gone and has been gone, so, no one will ever know, but, God and Jim and maybe a very few people sworn to absolute secrecy. LOVE YOU, JIM and will continue to listen to your music, watch any and all videos, documentaries...whatever is Jim Morrison related...I will be tuned into. I am sure you are living your best life, enjoying the freedom and privacy you always wanted, but, never got and I also believe, that you would NOT care for the world and how it is today or all this technology and machines, that you once predicted. I often wonder what you think of, when you see how many of your predictions came to be.
We’re so lucky to have this recording; it’s more than whatever article could be written up afterwards listening to the tapes. To hear him ordering food, describing the apartment, being courteous to the delivery man, not to mention just having a good conversation. Every conversation changes a person and how they perceive the world. We’re in the room for that. Did Jim know he would be a representative of his era, and his group of thought?
Bella Curcio Jim was pretty self aware ..and a good observer of society. By his answer of what a band should represent...or perceived as..being of the people ...but the people wanting them to drive a big car ...I think he knew exactly what the Doors and his music represented. You are right ...we are really lucky to have this recording. I have listened to it a few times and keep coming away with something more each time. It does change you.
James Bond truly
Bella Curcio Who is around these days that is this intelligent ..well read observant and not self absorbed?
Bella Curcio I've just listened to this and I've been thinking about that also.
I came to the conclusion that while we recognize that he was a person, some of us admire (worship?) His talent and image so much that he becomes sort of a religious icon to us, and we forget that he was just a person, albeit with extraordinary abilities.
This problem happens with Jim more than any other rock story from the 60s with the possible exception of John Lennon. It was the case during his life that he was singled out as the star of The Doors. Since his death, he's been made into a mythic statue.
Grant Boughamer the moment I saw him as slightly more than human was when I watched a recording of live Doors performance. I don’t subscribe to this image the world likes to give him. I just acknowledge that his singing changed me and his writing/philosophy lead me to a new path of thought. He’s not jesus or God. He’s a cultural leader.
I went to Paris in 2005 when I was in the military but didn't get to check out Jim's grave. I was with a group but I will my next trip. I can see why Jim liked it because it was a truly breath taking place.
Jim and Pamela both seemed like nice, decent young people. Pam had such a pretty, little girl voice. Jim had his beautiful baritone voice. And he clearly was so thoughtful and extremely intelligent! It's so sad the the usual demons of the entertainment business got to each of them. 😢💔💔
I was just about to say who’s the girl? Of course it’s Pam. Thank you.
I have mixed feelings about her voice.. annoying at times and she interrupted Jim a few times when it’s his interview. Sure she seemed bright but.. idk 🤷♀️ she needed to back off a bit imo.
i truly love JMs speaking voice,i could listen to him speak for a long time.Many thanks,how i wish we could also see him (speaking i mean).
Jim's voice sounds like his Dad in the interview I heard with his Dad speaking about Jim. Deep and very thoughtful in his comments. Also interesting Jim states their music will be forgotten in a short time. He was dead wrong on that! Generation after generation re-found him/them.
Bill Astell I like how you said that “generation after generation re-found him/ them.”
They vanished for much of the 70s but the 1979 trifecta - Apocolypse, No One Here Gets Out Alive, and greatest hits, brought them back strong. (1980 sales outpacing 1968, I believe.) Five years later Miami Vice, at the height of the show's popularity, featured Strange Days in a vietnam flashback episode. This probably turned on a whole new generation, as you say
I love how they are listening to loud music during this interview. Nice touch! ❤️
It means the editor has a difficult task to string together unconnected parts. (in order to create the illusion that editors do enjoy indulging in)
Hoyt Axton Griffon album
L.A. Woman is an amazing album. My favorite Doors album. Great conversation between Torres, Morrison and Courson (saw your comment below lol. You can tell by listening it's a conversation not an interview. Especially not in the traditional question and answer interview format.).
SuperStrik9 Diane Garner is the one doing the talking not pam
I really enjoyed all of their albums yes it did take them back to their first the album. I enjoyed them all and still do Robbie's guitar is awesome both their writings Ray manzarek talented man from a very talented family I like to spit in John Densmore face but just one man's opinion
LA Woman is the DOORS true masterpiece. One of the great albums ever made. The DOORS were always at their best as an innovative blues band.
@jessicamartin787 wrong.Pamela is speaking.
I noticed after the 50 minute or so mark both Pam and Diane are in the interview/conversation with Jim and Ben lol.
he nailed it when he said the preceding generation would change the name of rock = heavy metal , grunge so and an so on
Punk, Alternative, Pop
Too bad.
Unfortunately we have have been stuck in this corporate pop crap since the early 2000s; thanks to reality tv contest shows. "This town needs an enema"!
He had such a high IQ. He read a lot of philosophy and philosophers . He'd have to be amazingly smart with a high vocabulary to write the songs he did. If you listen to most of his songs he had an amazing gift for word pairs that rhyme.
Robbie wrote a lot of the lyrics
@@rrrrdavid1 a few songs…
@@lianalobos9 he wrote quite a few actually. There’s a top 10 list of his best songs online.
@@MrBRAUNSBREWCREW he wrote the lyrics for a few songs. The music for the rest. Indian summer for example. Robby wrote the music, Jim wrote the lyrics and grabbed title from Kerouacs on the road.
Look what he did to his poor parents. His dad’s interview was really sad and you could just see that the man was full of a lot of pain, talking about his son and his son’s death. A real tragedy all the way around for the whole family.
Always gets me at the end when his dad says he would have liked to know him
Ya know what.. He deserved it. Remember, this is the same guy who said about his OWN SON, "“give up any idea of singing or any connection with a music group because of what I consider to be a complete lack of talent in this direction.” You aren't there for your kid when he starts, you certainly don't get to be there for the success. MAYBE if Jim hadn't died, he could have reconnected with his son on his own terms. But George was in the wrong here. THAT is the tragedy. What you see is REGRET for not believing in his son. THAT is the point.
Thank you Mr. Morrison, you brought me a lot of magic!
This is his most candid and unpretentious interview. So down to earth here. Ironically it would be his last.
Fascinating. A true visionary and savant of the arts. rip
Funny listening to him calling for take-out.
messysnacks No kidding. Makes you realize that he's just a human.
messysnacks I wonder what the reaction of the delivery person was when he pulled up and Jim Morrison came out
OMG For real!
+messysnacks I want to know what brand of potato chips they got. I love potato chips too!
I love that he ordered a half pint of Beefeater too, LMFAO!!! Oh Jim!!
Fascinating. Did not expect him to be so serious and articulate.
Jim by the way he talks you can tell he’s a very bright and intelligent guy. He is really knowledgeable about the court system . He takes notes and does quite a bit of Analysis of the Situation he is in. Interesting guy to interview or just hang out with and talk Pam seems cool and nice too and very knowledgeable about music also.
Jim and others seem way more intelligent and in tune more than youth today. They had so much substance about them I can't explain. It's quite sad now. I wish more kids were like Jim now in terms of spirituality and art form.
Jim is very forward thinking and insightful! damn! It would of been so cool to live in that area at that time.
You don't say.
It was.. until it wasn’t.. all the early deaths!!
A highly intelligent and well read man.. substance abuse both brought him up, and took him down
Good Nite Jim, sweet dreams for you & Pam, Ray included x x x July 3rd, 2016
On this anniversary of this fellas death, Jim Morrison all the qualities of a legend love the music love his ability to discuss even the easiest topic at depth , I find the saddest thing is there was no one really there for him and ultimately over did it and well we all know the story sad loss of a true thinker RIP !
How ich of a coincidence is it, that Ben also taped ray's last interview in December 2012, and this was Jim's last??? I find that quite amazing.
This reminds me of how back in tge 70s we would just hang out and have these deep conversations about everything and not worry about being canceled!
Absolutely amazing interview. R.I.P Jim and Pam.
An intelligent and very present man, Morrison I feel has been portrayed or stereotyped to be lurid and vain in the rock star sense. This he was not, far from it. Here is a man pontificating about a wide range of topics with insight and intelligence inflected with a certain inquisitiveness which has changed my impression of him. One might say that his lyrics reflect this side of him, yes, in a poetic sense although this interview shows his humanity while showcasing the breadth of his intellectual scope. Great vibe and mood set by Ben Fong-Torres. His conversational cues were superb as well. TY for this, very interesting listen.
and at a young age its incredible how deep and isightful he really is
@@aryalogo6624 Jim took an early liking to literature and poetry as a kid which led him into areas of philosophy, politics, the arts, and eventually music. Some are born with old souls already in them. Jim was one of those 'old' souls nesting inside of a youngish physical body.
Rest in powerful Jim Morrison
✌💖⚘⚘🎶
I had enormous pleasure of front row seat @ concert of The Doors
Such a visionary mind. He saw the future 😎
Remarkable interview. Can't help but wonder how he would have thrived or dived in the late 70s and 80s.
Musically speaking,He was already out of gas by L.A. Woman.Many of the songs were very old.Hyacinth House and Texas Radio and the big beat were played live way back in 67-68. They were scraping the barrel for material by this point.Jim would have continued with his poetry,but The Doors were done either way.L.A Woman and Riders on the storm were the last embers of creativity from Jim.He was a spent force,both physically and musically.When you have the pedal to the floor,you cannot expect to last very long.I don't think Jim did,either.
That's a good question but I can't fever picture Morrison in the mid '70s disco era. Can you picture the Doors singing disco songs like the Hustle ? It's sad to see him gone in '71. But it may be fitting that he passed in '71. I could never see Morrison not being true to his own sound and accepting disco. It just wouldn't be him.
@@neilpeartspurplenose8739 totally disagree.. js
@@michaelsemmijr2095 disco was short lived and might have never taken off if Jim was pumping out more of his incredible sound. More rock and blues would have been inspired. The soul of America died after so many good souls kept dyin!!!
@@neilpeartspurplenose8739
No, no the Doors would’ve rolled with it and passed it like it never happened. Jim just happened to meet his maker after snorting heroin in the rock ‘n’ roll circus bars’ bathroom.
Back in time! Interesting. As a kid, early '71, heard Jim on am radio on going to Paris in 1-2 wks. Jim was intelligent.
pam covered up his death! it was her heroin! jim did coke by that time thought that powder was coke did a huge hit and died pam covered it up with her drug dealer/friend put him in the bath, cleaned up then called EMS medics, so sad!!! pam then became not a worthy muse but fucking his death sadly!!! jim didn't do fucking heroin!! and he didn't know shit about powdered heroin which does look like cocaine!! which during his last album he got heavy into when he got into the more blues stuff that is why he never did laid back songs like the end ever again sadly, pam is a murderer jim did the drugs before pam could say what the drug was but she poured it on the table jim thought it was coke, i do blame pam wish jim had asked what it was i bet he'd still be alive!!! and a more known poet!!
Tragic
John Deathspell you're seriously mistaken.
@@thanosdarkseid8695 I read he wasn’t even with her when he went to a rock circus club bathroom and died on the toilet then the dealers covered it up and brought him home to Pam and they put him in the tub to try to revive him. Idk 🤷♀️ all sounds mighty suspicious to me. And she was the only one who knew what really happened then a year later she OD’s. And their child gets shipped off to Madagascar?? Crazy stuff if you ask me! 27 club. Gotta watch your back if you are an influencer. Hope the truth comes out one day! RIP Jim & Pamala🙏🙏
It's not just Morrison. A lot of people back in the 60s and early 70s were far more well-read than today. Maybe not that they read more but what they read was of a higher quality, which makes it more thought provoking. Watch the Dick Cavett Show or almost any other talk show 'way back when.' What Grace Slick, already old, said in an interview, is probably true: "We were the best educated generation of Americans..." She was referencing before and after....
Right... the boomers.... Then what happened to them?
@@erich3570 They are fine but you aren't so pick up a book!
Many thanks for this rutazzurra
that's Pam in the background and the record playing is Hoyt Axton's My Griffin is Gone.
At 22:52 jim says hon any wine or beer he is talking to Pam. The girl we hear all through out is not Pam.
@@adrienneschwartz1760 When he asks for wine or beer, he is speaking to the occupant of the apartment, Diane Gardiner. There are 3 women present during the interview: Pam, Diane, and Suzie.
@@adrienneschwartz1760 she could be as annoying as hell.......
Thanks I'm always trying to recognize or guess background music in old interviews. It all forms a time capsule.
I found her voice somewhat annoying and if you are doing an interview, why have background music playing? I enjoy the beer and liquor purchase background sounds: The credit card swipe, opening the chips, beer tabs popped.
I like when he talks about his bandmates. Wish I could smoke weed with him and just chill out.
Must we always pick Jim & Pam apart to pieces
Children
Wonderful interview, lovely to see the Jim Morrison the stupid movie failed to show. Checkout a great book call Friends gathered together. It really shows this side of Jim told by the real people who knew him best.
Such a fascinating guy, he talks like this in many interviews, thoughtful, interesting wise, way beyond his years. Drunk or not, he was captivating. I stop every 15 mins to watch the doors on RUclips jut to be reminded of that incredible voice and style, the honey tone comes out equally well when he speaks like this. He's like another Elvis, Sinatra, a loose cannon for a Sixties generation of rock with another name.
I think Jim Morrison was a really nice guy , when the alcohol and drugs took over that wasn't Jim . May Jim rest in peace. His soul and music touched the world.
Yeah..he was till he became mean drinking Jimbo!...
Michelle Baker, I agree 🙏
Intelligent no batteries included.
Something for fans to realize. The fame that we give these artists makes them want to hide, but they can't just turn off the attention we give them so they turn to drugs and alcohol to escape and keep the ride going. Sadly for many addiction or death is part of their journey, and we end up wondering what if.
I agree, but he wasn't a drug addict or real conasour of drugs. He did take his share of lsd in the days when it wasn't exactly legal, it just wasn't illegal.
Lsd however, as well as other psychedelic elements aren't exactly drugs. They're in a very different category of their own.
Jim was a functional alcoholic.
He wasn't much of a doper in his own words. He made a bad decision to take some heroin for reasons that only Jim and God knew for sure although I have my theories being a long time addict alcoholic, and musician myself.
That fateful decision was tragic.
Because he wasn't accustomed to heroin and had absolutely no tolerance along with being intoxicated with alcohol, it killed him in his prime.
Perhaps that's how it all worked out in the mystery of the universe and life itself. He had accomplished more, and contributed more to the universe than a thousand lifetimes could afford. Perhaps it was his moment to bow out until we meet again.
The imprint this soul made will continue on into eternity. Jim is actually a great role model because he presents an amazing example of what's possible.
One can still pursue their dreams and enrich the world with their expression of soul. Do it without compromise. Do it with grace. Do it with style. Do it for yourself .do it for the moment
Do it as if your life depends on it
Did you have a good world when you died? Enough to base a movie on?
As a concept HWY had potential. A movie about a drifter serial killer following his exploits around the country is a solid premise to base a movie around. Especially for it's time. This is decades before movies like Natural Born Killers.
SuperStrik9 and the Hitcher
the closest to HWY would be The Hitcher 1986...
@@jamesbackhurst7177 @juancarlosguanipalopez4999 Agreed. The Hitcher is the best comparison.
Imagine what Jim would think about 2021 - he already saw movie houses as an “anachronism” in 1971 - wow! He was 100 steps ahead
At the end talking about a practicing band given everything Jim kind of predicted somewhat of a reality show.I loved listening to this was so natural
This interview is epic
I'm a reporter... and wish I could be in those times to interview the great musicians. But I thank God for the invention of the recorder! Is the best friend of any reporter. Thanks to it, we have such historic sounds...
Its wild to get a glimpse into a moment in time all the back ground noise and the thoughts in Jim's head and in a few months later he gone it shows how fast time moves and how fragile life is.
Jim was a very intelligent and thoughtful guy.LOve him,the DooRs and their families forever.
Isn't it amazing how correct he was at able to call the new music about to come out? At 11:00 (called punk rock) on the tape. Its also funny I was listening to Howard stern and he was saying it was crazy that a DJ can fill up a stadium and most bands can't today. I was listening to another doors interview where he was saying he sees the future of music as one man standing on the stage with electronics and tapes and does his thing.(called rap) its crazy
True, and anotherone me says in the future people will admire computer genius, falso true
+Dante Petrucelli Ive seen that interview as well, he was quite aware of the so called death of rock and roll and the computer age coming ahead. There is a good 1970s interview you would appreciate out there, check it out.
yeah,except if he was a stooge as some people seem to think,he was simply controlled and giving little bits of what was known to come,as nothing in the world of music is ever organic or accidental,it is all scripted and pre-ordained.One theory/possibility.
I heard that clip too. Ahead of his time and just a smart guy.
He said the future of “music” so he obviously wasn’t talking about rap
Love the discussion at the end regarding media, etc. Torres is very astute. Jim is the best.
RIP Jim & Ray. We miss you both.
Morrison sounds shockingly coherent.
I think he was more than we think he was. Jim was the type to test our perception and our thought process. I think he wanted to see how gullible people really were. He laughed at the notion of the "Lizard King," so much so that he indulged the idea to show people how ridiculous they really were. The man was a genius, with the soul of a clown......dangerous combination.
***** Maybe he did
It's cool he is listening to Hoyt Axton in the background. The Griffin is Gone is a great album. That album has some good songs on it.
From what i heard, that was in Diane Gardiner's record collection at the time.