Ray Manzarek 1998 Interview Fresh Air NPR Radio

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  • Опубликовано: 6 июн 2013
  • Ray gives a spirited discussion of the formation of The Doors, the infamous Dinner Key Auditorium incident, the bass player Lefty, and the writing of Light My Fire.
    Recorded with my Tascam DR05s audio input, off a Sony Boombox i got in 1997, broadcast radio 89.1FM. This is a rebroadcast of an interview from 1998, aired on 2013.05.20. Edited, noise reduction and normalization in Audacity. RIP Ray. Please like and subscribe if you enjoy!!!
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Комментарии • 173

  • @J.R.65
    @J.R.65 5 лет назад +113

    Ray is sitting with Jim among the gods, and Ray has the opportunity to tell Jim, I love you man🎹🎼🎵🎶❤. R.I.P. They will never die, they will live forever🎤🎹

    • @techtipsuk
      @techtipsuk 5 лет назад +2

      Nice thought how ever unlikely it is.

    • @joaquindelarosa1215
      @joaquindelarosa1215 5 лет назад +1

      @@techtipsuk You never know. NDEs are similar to that scenerio.

    • @El_Hicks
      @El_Hicks 4 года назад +1

      Wrong. He's already been born in a new body, just like Jim did long ago.

    • @donenglish9540
      @donenglish9540 3 года назад

      Very, very true. God love them both. RIP

    • @michaelfrawley171
      @michaelfrawley171 3 года назад

      Wrong!!!....the gods are sitting amongst Jim & Ray

  • @theguy81642
    @theguy81642 5 лет назад +94

    Who needs actual video when you have Ray Maz telling you a story, a freaking brilliant man.

  • @elizabethlee339
    @elizabethlee339 5 лет назад +67

    My hero. He passed away before I could even appreciate him😔.

    • @kelvinlewis4065
      @kelvinlewis4065 4 года назад +2

      @Funk Enstein The one of the sounds of my life .. I,m from UK ..The background music through my life ...Love this band !! so much

    • @kimberlyhollingsworth7983
      @kimberlyhollingsworth7983 4 года назад +1

      So many is us were born too late, yet we are so fortunate he left us so many of his interviews and philosophy and history stories. He is a like a spiritual guide as well as any other role. I miss him so much, yet I do feel his energy here still.❤️

  • @shapursasan9019
    @shapursasan9019 Год назад +5

    "There was no keyboard player on the planet more appropriate to support Jim Morrison's words. Ray, I felt totally in sync with you musically. It was like we were of one mind, holding down the foundation for Robby and Jim to float on top of. I will miss my musical brother." - John Densmore

    • @listercat1
      @listercat1 5 дней назад +1

      This makes me happy...in a sad way. Densmore and Ray had a choppy relationship; hopefully they were able to mend fences in time

  • @zyrrhos
    @zyrrhos 4 года назад +61

    I live in Los Angeles and ran into Ray at a DVD store on Pico Blvd. called Laser Blazer in the early 2000s. I would go there every Tuesday to load up on new releases. I saw someone with their back to me with a stack of DVDs that matched mine and made some offhanded comment that I can't exactly remember. He turned around and we started talking about film and the whole time I was thinking _"Oh my God, I'm talking to a legend."_ I finally worked up the nerve and casually said, _"I'm a big fan of your music."_ He was very gracious and we continued to talk about film and "Jimbo" and Ray's refusal to watch _The Doors_ by Oliver Stone because he felt like it didn't honor the memory of Jim. I countered that the movie had its merits and turned on a lot of young people to their music, which he appreciated. We talked about when he knew it was over, when the spirit had left Jim. He seemed very protective of him, like an older brother. Anyway, his wife Dorothy finally walked up, he introduced her and they left. Sweet guy.

    • @thereisnosanctuary6184
      @thereisnosanctuary6184 4 года назад +2

      Stan Stedanko
      Youre a small man

    • @kimberlyhollingsworth7983
      @kimberlyhollingsworth7983 4 года назад +8

      What a beautiful magical gift from the Universe!! Thank you for sharing that gracious moment in history!... so sweet to hear how protective he was about Jim.

    • @cherylnewland6538
      @cherylnewland6538 3 года назад +5

      What A Moment that must've been! Ray was A Genius And Created History with his Musical Talent and Talents of Jim Morrison, Robbie Krueger and John Densmore!! This Band shaped my Childhood, along with the rest of my Life!
      You Are A LUCKY MAN DUDE!!

    • @zyrrhos
      @zyrrhos 3 года назад +1

      @Stan Stedanko Oh Stan... who hurt you as a child?

    • @BeatlesCentricUniverse
      @BeatlesCentricUniverse 3 года назад

      I've seen this exact comment somewhere else on RUclips.

  • @pikespeak81
    @pikespeak81 9 лет назад +75

    What a great soul. RIP Ray Manzarek.

  • @MarkTitus420
    @MarkTitus420 2 года назад +8

    He writes exactly how he speaks! His book 'Light My Fire' is an awesome book about Ray and Ray's life with The Doors. I love how he has nothing but love and positivity to say about everything and everyone - God rest his soul.

    • @radiodlowam
      @radiodlowam Год назад +1

      He was so positive that he couldnt notice Jim's problems and help him. When Jim wanted to quit because he couldnt take it anymore he pushed him to record another album, thats when it went so much worse. He was thinking a lot about his career, but not so much about his friend.

  • @spacealienjesus709
    @spacealienjesus709 4 года назад +11

    Ray was the heart and soul of The Doors. RIP

    • @fotis1964
      @fotis1964 Год назад

      Jim Morrison was. Ray was the heart of music section.

  • @jeanettewaverly2590
    @jeanettewaverly2590 6 лет назад +87

    My god that guy was brilliant!

  • @danesteviz
    @danesteviz 5 лет назад +36

    My God what a lesson in the origins and formation of the chord structures of Light My Fire. I've heard the song my whole life (60 yrs) but to have it described the way only Ray can just made my night R.I.P. Ray.

    • @dbutterfly1980
      @dbutterfly1980 5 лет назад +5

      He is amazing!

    • @jac2623
      @jac2623 3 года назад +2

      Agree. Who knew he came up with the intro from Bach and the long solo from Coltrane? A fantastic explanation of putting a song together. They were one of the best from the 60's and their music still reverberates.

    • @junny3000
      @junny3000 Год назад

      that turn around !

  • @captainbeyond165
    @captainbeyond165 3 года назад +9

    Ray is what you call a musician. My god he’s a genius.

  • @aussiecoastie72
    @aussiecoastie72 4 года назад +10

    Ray was a wonderful story teller 😉 ... and an amazing 😉 musician .

  • @paradise8876
    @paradise8876 4 года назад +7

    It's 20 may 2020, 7yrs ago today we lost Ray .... god bless him.

  • @johntillson619
    @johntillson619 4 года назад +6

    I still remember (and will always remember) this interview when it was on Fresh Air. By far the coolest rocker ever interviewed. You can just feel his love for music and creative process. Can you imagine Ray being a music teacher available to the world? There would be 6 billion musicians on earth...

  • @scorsese1
    @scorsese1 5 лет назад +25

    The Doors were great. How a great song comes too life. Genius.

  • @Poetikaliz
    @Poetikaliz 5 лет назад +13

    Ray's the best! When he passed away I was at a Poetry reading in Glasgow and felt something happening. I met a lovely English poet at the time also called Ray, coincidence, later I found out after the poetry reading that Ray died. What a band! Best band on this planet by far!

    • @thereisnosanctuary6184
      @thereisnosanctuary6184 4 года назад

      Elizabeth Faitarone
      I want you

    • @Poetikaliz
      @Poetikaliz 4 года назад

      @@thereisnosanctuary6184 Thank you for your comment. You are very welcome to subscribe to my channel and check my videos. Hava nice time!

  • @austindarling9595
    @austindarling9595 5 лет назад +10

    God I love Ray, a music genuis! He's so great and funny rip man ♥️

  • @techtipsuk
    @techtipsuk 5 лет назад +13

    What a fantastic story teller.

  • @michaelsix9684
    @michaelsix9684 5 лет назад +13

    such an awesome band--Ray is a brilliant raconteur--his book is excellent-read it

  • @caesarvalentin7155
    @caesarvalentin7155 5 лет назад +24

    What a voice like a radio broadcaster

    • @erinhand
      @erinhand 4 года назад +4

      Very similar to howard sterns voice

  • @audiophileman7047
    @audiophileman7047 4 года назад +8

    This is great! Ray was so articulate. It was such a treat to hear how Light My Fire was composed and how Ray gave a lot of credit to Robbie. The Doors were truly one of the greatest bands of all time!

  • @rockguitarist931
    @rockguitarist931 4 года назад +4

    I loved the bit where he talked about writing songs. For the most part, they only had Jim's poetry and melodies, but they were still able to figure out what chords worked with them. I think they are undoubtedly the best American band of the 20th Century. Jim never told anyone what he was going to do on stage, yet they still managed to put on great shows and kept it together like it had been rehearsed. This interview is a real gem and I'm glad we have RUclips to preserve these moments for those of us who were too young to experience it for ourselves.

  • @davidroy6973
    @davidroy6973 5 лет назад +45

    I wish Ray was still with us.....wait ...he still is....

  • @dualityofman1253
    @dualityofman1253 5 лет назад +16

    What an amazing human being.

  • @berry1057
    @berry1057 5 лет назад +19

    My grandma was with one of The Doors members when they were on tour in California in the 60's and had my dad, for some reason she would never tell us which one but I really think it's Ray. My dad looks so much like him, and by hearing Ray's voice I can hear so much of me and my dads in it. The way we put an emphasis on certain words than others and talk with drama / life is completely shown here it's crazy how similar it is

    • @yankeeapple5615
      @yankeeapple5615 4 года назад +2

      A lot of people claim to be the love children of rock stars but when confronted with a dna test they always chicken out for some reason..... If you really think your the grandson of Manzarek I suggest you pursue it.

  • @joemomma7069
    @joemomma7069 4 года назад +5

    Iv listen to this so many times. You gotta love him. RIP Ray❤️

  • @fransnagel
    @fransnagel 6 лет назад +22

    "that little turnaround thing". Such humility, the most inspired and defining riff in R&R history

    • @NosferatusCoffin
      @NosferatusCoffin 4 года назад

      That and even more so, Dave Davies' riff for "You Really Got Me", "All Day And All Of The Night". etc. The most copied riff ever.
      BTW, listen to the opening riffs for "All Day And All Of The Night" and "Hello, I Love You." They are exactly the same. Not surprising since Morrison was a very big admirer of The Kinks.

    • @kimberlyhollingsworth7983
      @kimberlyhollingsworth7983 4 года назад

      I so loved how he explained that step by step!!! Such a gift to all of us who listened!! Thank you Ray! ❤️

  • @DarkSkies72
    @DarkSkies72 3 года назад +3

    Such a humble good man. Ray and Jim together again, rocking in Heaven.
    #RockGods
    #RIPRayManzarek
    #RIPJimMorrison 🙏🏼

  • @mckessa17
    @mckessa17 5 лет назад +25

    Ray was a genius, the whole band way ahead of their time.

    • @cherylnewland6538
      @cherylnewland6538 3 года назад +4

      There's an interview with The Doors where Jim talks about how he could See the onset of Electronic Music and how he could see just One Person could sit in a studio and play Everything through an Electronic Keyboard. This was a few years before the creation of Synthesizers. Prophetic, A Poet and as Ray would say, "A Renaissance Man"!!

    • @mckessa17
      @mckessa17 3 года назад +3

      @@cherylnewland6538 Got a chance to see the surviving Doors play in Canada 2010. Ray was the greatest story teller of his past experiences with the band. I loved the guy.

    • @cherylnewland6538
      @cherylnewland6538 3 года назад +1

      @@mckessa17 Big Envy!! Yes Indeed, Ray Manzarek was an Amazing Storyteller! Also, such a Gentle Soul filled with Musical Genius and Love! I only had 1 chance to see the Amazing remaining musicians and my vehicle decided to drop. I cried on that one!! You, my Friend, were Lucky!

    • @Greyswyndir
      @Greyswyndir 3 года назад +1

      @@mckessa17 - The music the Doors put together to enhance Jim's poetry on "An American Prayer" was mindblowingly awesome. It's such a shame Jim had to go and die on us. We lost him before he really got the chance to grow into a mature, wiser man.

    • @fotis1964
      @fotis1964 Год назад

      Indeed. Actually it was an ancient greek theater with sacred ceremonies of Dionysos (in greek) and shaman spirituals of indians.
      I wonder how come so far haven't been made a theatrical presentation of The Doors.

  • @robert.m4676
    @robert.m4676 5 лет назад +10

    Ray was one fourth of my favorite band! Sad he passed at74! At least he didn’t go in his prime and got to enjoy the fruits of his labor! He did more to promote the Doors than anyone! No other keyboard player enhanced their band except maybe lynyrd skynyrd, yes, Deep purple and a few others ! But to hold the bass as well is quite remarkable!!

  • @domfarrell9073
    @domfarrell9073 2 года назад +1

    Love hearing Ray speak, hes the master voice. No better.

  • @KillerMcDiller
    @KillerMcDiller 4 года назад +3

    Love the Doors, Ray is pure genius. Was lucky enough to see The Doors 21st Century in 2002 and was invited onto the stage by the band during the last song, got to touch Robby & Ray will never forget it. RIP Ray.

  • @djembelife
    @djembelife 4 года назад +3

    I remember hearing this Terry Gross interview for the first time. I was in my car but when I got to my destination, I couldn't get out. It was Ray Manzarek giving a history lesson in the process of making one the greatest songs ever made. I'm so glad this interview has been preserved. I keep coming back to it over and over again.

  • @tomc642
    @tomc642 11 месяцев назад +1

    I recorded this on cassette years ago. What a fantastic story teller and musician. Ray was pure genius,

  • @pb12661
    @pb12661 4 года назад +6

    Manzarek was definitely "the musical director" of The Doors.

  • @StephenDoty84
    @StephenDoty84 3 года назад +4

    The first song Robby ever wrote was "Light my Fire." Imagine that. Of course, Ray and Jim helped it along. But still...

  • @AdamPlex
    @AdamPlex 8 лет назад +32

    they actually had good interviews back in these days, they asked good questions, touching questions

  • @jamesanthony5681
    @jamesanthony5681 5 лет назад +5

    Always loved listening to Ray.

  • @denisethetford9178
    @denisethetford9178 Год назад +1

    Every Doors fan needs to make a pilgrimage to the beach. I walked it in '89 and felt Jim walking with me. I need to go back and walk with Ray.

  • @caesarvalentin7155
    @caesarvalentin7155 5 лет назад +6

    I wish I could retire, live in Pacific island, and to listen to The Door all the way

  • @pikespeak81
    @pikespeak81 9 лет назад +21

    This is so good. Thanks for posting.

  • @reddragon3733
    @reddragon3733 3 года назад +3

    A motivational speaker once told me, "Whatever the mind of Man can Conceive and Believe, He can Achieve." Listening to Ray tell the story of how it all came together. Their creative process. Rare joining of great and Talented Musicians. They Conceived, Believed and Achieved! Sometimes I listen to song after song while relaxing on a Sunday morning! Just great music from a Group that has stood The Test of Time. I can only Imagine how much more we would have gotten if Jim came back to the guys from Paris? In a short 4 years not a bad song written. Amazing group of men. Destined to meet and give the World their gifts of Lasting Music. Amen.

  • @712345abcde
    @712345abcde 4 года назад +3

    I could listen to him speak for eternity

  • @Baritone45
    @Baritone45 5 лет назад +6

    RIP Ray Manzarek

  • @szqsk8
    @szqsk8 5 лет назад +16

    Two Guys from Venice Beach sounds like a surf band. It would have been a terrible band name for the kind of music the Doors eventually made. The Doors was the perfect name.

  • @jensvitus
    @jensvitus 5 лет назад +8

    Beautiful guy...

  • @tremelo8508
    @tremelo8508 4 года назад +5

    Jim seems to have Strange Days (second album) written before the band even began.

  • @tees926
    @tees926 6 лет назад +15

    a true and brilliant gentleman

  • @gabriellimalopes6790
    @gabriellimalopes6790 Год назад +1

    Holy shit, this guy knew how to tell a story, i could listen to this for hours non-stop

  • @embelslishments
    @embelslishments 5 лет назад +70

    "The band that backed Jim Morrison" No, you can't say something like that and claim to know about The Doors.

    • @TheMegaGamingWizard
      @TheMegaGamingWizard 4 года назад +12

      Exactly, my opinion is they all backed each other up to make magic in music. Unfortunately Jim got most of the fame while the band is always 2nd, i love jim but ray was low key the leader of the group.

    • @chuckchesser8540
      @chuckchesser8540 4 года назад +7

      Everyone always says Jim got all the attention and he did get the most attention. Its not hard to figure out why. Jim always tried to give the band members equal credit. Ray definately did his share, they all did.

    • @bongodave13
      @bongodave13 3 года назад +6

      Music industry people tried to get Jim to go solo, but he wouldn't do it. The Doors were a real group, not a bunch of personalities competing for attention.

    • @StephenDoty84
      @StephenDoty84 3 года назад +7

      @@bongodave13 Yeah, Jim even asked the band to be reintroduced, I heard, when the announcer said "Here's Jim Morrison and the Doors."

    • @Greyswyndir
      @Greyswyndir 3 года назад +3

      @@StephenDoty84 - He dragged the guy back on stage and made him introduce them as the Doors, not "Jim Morrison" AND The Doors.

  • @hughmanatee7657
    @hughmanatee7657 Год назад +1

    What a musicien.
    WHAT A MUSICIAN!

  • @Kelsy27
    @Kelsy27 2 года назад +1

    He was so handsome. RIP ❤

  • @MemphiStig
    @MemphiStig 3 года назад +1

    Ray was great, and Terry's an awesome interviewer. And this recording sounds really good. Well done and thanks.

  • @carolelinda6476
    @carolelinda6476 2 месяца назад

    He was such a great talent as well as a terrific story teller.

  • @ProfessorTime
    @ProfessorTime 4 года назад +18

    The hand of the cosmic gods was all over the formation of The Doors. Jim and Ray meet on the beach by "accident." Ray meets John and Robbie in a meditation class by "accident." Jim didn't sing and Robbie had never written a song before.

  • @Yakman18
    @Yakman18 3 года назад +1

    Wow. My favorite things.

  • @errorsofmodernism9715
    @errorsofmodernism9715 4 года назад +1

    I love listening to Ray talk, I was in 3rd grade when they wrote this, still remember the times.....

  • @JamZorro
    @JamZorro 4 года назад +4

    These guys were the life of the party... A kickass band that pushed the boundaries of art and music

  • @andrewmcgregor9691
    @andrewmcgregor9691 4 года назад

    Thanks for uploading and very cool story of recording onto your Sony Boombox :). God bless ✌️♥️✌️

  • @RusstafaB
    @RusstafaB 4 года назад +1

    Genius my Mum (RIP) who won a scholarship went to the Guildhall school of music sane year as George Martin was a great admirer of Ray's skill as a musician

  • @dougpeters1625
    @dougpeters1625 4 года назад +2

    This is magnificent.

  • @billm7035
    @billm7035 4 года назад +1

    So many iconic bands seem to be a random union of genius.

  • @seashift4743
    @seashift4743 5 лет назад +1

    I love Ray
    Thank you 🙏

  • @patrickdelzell4477
    @patrickdelzell4477 3 года назад

    Awesome Interview Thank You

  • @caesarvalentin7155
    @caesarvalentin7155 5 лет назад +6

    Poetic

  • @duckbrew
    @duckbrew 7 лет назад +25

    Ray must have told the story at least a million times in the last 47 yrs...lol

  • @forty_two42
    @forty_two42 2 года назад +1

    "Sure enough that's what they wanted to see" I'm cracking up. That's mad funny

  • @christofficewizard6406
    @christofficewizard6406 5 лет назад +1

    In some Doors gigs, because Morrison was pissed up, Ray played keyboard bass with one hand, keyboards with the other, and sang as well!!!
    FUCK ME I struggle to even play a song on the guitar!!!
    FUCKING GENIUS!!!

  • @darrendouglas3704
    @darrendouglas3704 5 лет назад +2

    RIP Genuis ,prime example were two minds joined & made music thats up there with other legend duos Paul & John ,Mick & Keith Everyone young & old knows The Doors esp Light my Fire is Doors Satisfaction song

  • @caesarvalentin7155
    @caesarvalentin7155 5 лет назад +8

    Jim was the muse Ray the electronic engineer.

  • @ladyjane8985
    @ladyjane8985 2 месяца назад

    Ray Manzarek was Made for Fresh Air!

  • @harrydeanbentzel
    @harrydeanbentzel 5 лет назад +1

    Love me some Ray

  • @leetattoo1976
    @leetattoo1976 5 лет назад +1

    GENIUS!

  • @buffalobigfoot7982
    @buffalobigfoot7982 4 года назад +1

    Who plans to go listen to Light My Fire after this😀

  • @tombaker8045
    @tombaker8045 5 лет назад +3

    and, he walked on down the hall.

  • @Hyporama
    @Hyporama 2 года назад

    "you know how that goes, you've heard it a million times"

  • @RobertSlover
    @RobertSlover 8 лет назад +11

    william blake was a big influence.

  • @retrodealer6495
    @retrodealer6495 4 года назад +1

    Now jim & Ray are writing new music. And playing on the other side.

  • @andrewwilson3365
    @andrewwilson3365 3 года назад

    This was great

  • @jamesdoyle3885
    @jamesdoyle3885 3 года назад

    That was awesome

  • @CreatingExcellence
    @CreatingExcellence 7 месяцев назад +1

    When NPR used to be great! It’s been horrible for years now.

  • @boobtuber06
    @boobtuber06 3 года назад

    Everyone extolling Jim all the time, it was Ray who was my favorite

  • @chadpittman2262
    @chadpittman2262 4 года назад

    The heart of the doors

  • @robinjohnson8149
    @robinjohnson8149 4 года назад

    Ray was the brains of the group. Like he said, "I was the Polock of the group."

  • @dariusdribbles.3981
    @dariusdribbles.3981 3 года назад

    A band of genius.

  • @torstenlandsson9757
    @torstenlandsson9757 5 лет назад

    Robby actually has another story about the intro of light my fire!

  • @atomicplaygirl66
    @atomicplaygirl66 3 года назад

    Looking at this thumbnail photo it hit me how much Jani Lane resembled Manzarek.

  • @OlymPigs2010
    @OlymPigs2010 3 года назад +3

    ...William Blake inspired Neville Goddard who expanded on Blake's Philosophy that "Imagination Creates Reality" !

  • @warmblood58
    @warmblood58 3 года назад +1

    You gotta wonder had Jim remained alive what might have happened to The Doors as a band . . . would they have survived and evolved onward to even more great songs?

  • @janebraun4482
    @janebraun4482 2 года назад

    I like Ray telling about how they met on the beach. I also respect and am saddened about the Miami incident. Jim the shaman, I believe Jim was trying to have fun and let the audience 'imagine' things. I believe Ray that nothing obscene ever happened. So wrong they convicted Jim.

  • @sofialukac5283
    @sofialukac5283 4 года назад

    Did he ever make an audiobook?

  • @kikiu2619
    @kikiu2619 4 года назад

    The joke of Miami was on Jim...

  • @StephenDoty84
    @StephenDoty84 3 года назад

    Cathy Young: "So what you are saying is, Jim tried to pull down his pants and expose himself while you played your organ?"

  • @7beers
    @7beers 3 года назад

    This is not the whole interview.

  • @mrsbluesky8415
    @mrsbluesky8415 Год назад +1

    Hearing from the actual musician is gold. Usually the closest we’ll get to truth over cynical “journalists.”

  • @tubemoog
    @tubemoog 5 лет назад +3

    good - no bass players,,,,,, haha

  • @dariusdribbles.3981
    @dariusdribbles.3981 3 года назад

    "M&M* lol

  • @bullfrogdaddy
    @bullfrogdaddy Год назад +1

    moonlite drive is probably my least favourite doors song. but they are probably the #1 american band ever!

    • @wildmercuryfilms
      @wildmercuryfilms Год назад

      Velvet Underground? Talking Heads? The Stooges? Ramones? Pavement?

  • @lawsonlawson9806
    @lawsonlawson9806 2 года назад +1

    Space out nut ...booze , drugs, and occult

  • @Rocks_Dad
    @Rocks_Dad Месяц назад

    Sometimes I wonder if Ray didn't have a crush on Morrison. 6ft 135 lbs sounds like a cancer patient to me - I once was that whe I smoked 3 packs of Camels a day