Saturday August 31, 1968
Convention Hall, Asbury Park, New Jersey, USA
Mini Northeast tour - August 30, 1968 - September 1, 1968
7:00 p.m. Early Show
9:45 p.m. Late Show
1. Back Door Man 2:45
2. Five To One 5:51
3. Break On Through 3:40
4. Love Me Two Times 3:34
5. When The Music's Over 13:34
6. Spanish Caravan 2:55
7. Soul Kitchen > Pray The Lord 8:14
8. Wake Up! 2:20
9. Light My Fire 9:45
The End
Total running time: 52:39
SOURCE: Audience recording (remastered)
Lineage: Aud > 1st gen copy > WAV > Flac
The original source runs 52:56 in 8 tracks (the first two being in one).
Recently discovered uncirculating show previously only available to selected traders. Still not confirmed whether it is the early or the late show but reviews and certain accounts suggest it's likely the latter one. Quality of this 1st generation recording is way above medium, similar to other recordings from the 1968 US summer tour.
Original notes: "Here it is. The show I suspect many of you have been waiting for -- the first completely new Doors audience recording to turn up in years. For collectors, finding a new tape is a lot like getting tickets to a Doors show in 1968. You can't believe your luck and you don't know what to expect. I'm releasing this on what would have been Jim Morrison's 66th birthday this year so please spare him a thought and toast something to his memory.
Technical Notes: The original transfer wasn't very good. One channel suffers from
distortion throughout and the other has some clipped audio. For this copy, I simply
copied over the cleaner channel, restored the clipped portions, and removed a few
clicks/pops. I didn't EQ or make any other major changes." Porsche, December 8, 2009
NOTES "The Doors were on tour full-time in 1968, roaring generally to all major cities in the US and due to their already earned notoriety in the media, the word of their coming has preceded the band, causing high anticipation and sold-out venues all across the country. During this summer tour, a tour that US has never seen before for all its near-riot gigs along with the singer's controversial theatrics, the band have reached the pinnacle of their live performances. These were musically and artistically the most blazing times of their carrier with Jim being the guiding light, now perfectly in command with his act, if he wants to, with his fascinating stage persona often full of unexpectedness and drama backed by a loyal band very much in tune with him.
After they finished off their hefty East Coast tour on August 4 in Philadelphia, and basicly six months of constant touring, they took a three week long rest to be fit for the coming European tour. Still, in order not to lose focus, they got back on the road on August 30, 1968 with a short but rather effective warm-up tour on the North East coast before taking Europe in their stride in September.
These were not sold-out shows but none of them was short in attendance and sold quite well despite the fact they were late additions and there was no time for advertising. The first of the four shows they were scheduled to play in three days was an outdoor concert in Columbia, Maryland at Merriweather Post Pavilion where the band performed to several thousands under the trees of Symphony Woods.
On the following day, Frank Lisciandro photographed Jim and his entourage, including Bill Siddons, Babe Hill and Paul Ferrara, as they were taking their plane to Asbury, New Jersey. There, they pulled off two sets at the Convention Hall, located on the boardwalk and on the beach in Asbury Park, in front of an appreciative crowd which filled two thirds of the 3600 capacity arena. Opening act were Earth Opera which Bruce, a then 15 year old kid remembers "did great until they performed the Great
American Eagle Tragedy, when the greasers took exception to Peter Rowan's classic anti-war song and flung garbage at the stage until the band fled and the stage was surrounded by regular and rent-a-cops, on hand to deal with a George Wallace rally taking place outside. This is how the Doors landed on stage."
As usual, they kicked off the late show with 'Back Door Man' but Jim was not yet in the mood, resulting a laid back opener. He began seemingly incurious; there were no moans or shouts nor any of his routines to set the mood, only plain but resolute singing. Right before Robbie started his guitar solo, which gave back the performance its edge, did Jim finally let a scream out. As soon as Robbie finished his part, Jim began to sing 'Five To One' straight off, drawing wild applause and forcing his mates to change the melody in the spur of the moment. Jim is appearently much more into performing this tune and with his vocal chords warmed up, he brings his finest form to the performance, profundly emphasizing certain parts of the lyrics, shouting "We're gonna take it over! COME ON!!" in the midst of wild cheers to which Robbie delivers a spectacular guitar solo. Evidently in the mood by now, he decides to play with the audience during the end of the song, singing "get together for just one more..." repeatedly, over and over for minutes until the crowd grew impatient enough for Jim to finally exclaim "I mean EVERYBODY gotta get together just one more TIME!!" The band responds with an ear-shattering sounds of noise closing the 14 minute long spellbinding performance.
The act, which is rarely pulled off puts the audience in awe and receives an enormous applause.
After the boistorous performance Jim addressed the crowd: "Yeah! We definetly wanna have fun tonight, okay? Anything goes!" He's putting on a bold front in the following 'Break On Through' and he's in complete contrast to his opening: he's engaged and performs the song at an overwhelming pace, setting the tone for Robby as well. 'Love Me Two Times' countinues with the same commitment and Jim finishes off the tune singing from full throat. 'When The Music's Over' starts with Jim remarking "beautiful" while Ray plays the intro. The performance is dominated by Robbie's very own, extraterrestrial guitar solo with ear-tearing licks. During the long silent part a heckler unexpectedly lets out an "aSShole!" to which Jim
responds after a few seconds: "Come up here and I'll show you something." This earns a big laughter from the crowd which is appearently fond of witnessing such uncontrolled interaction between singer and attendant.
As Jim countinues to tease the crowd along to Ray's monotone play in the back, they became more and more reckless, stirring up other members of the audience as well, who suddenly scream as one, shouting "What are you waiting for?!" "F- You!" In return Jim answers patiently: "I wonder if you wanna.. you wanna hear it?"
But his remark arose another wave of hecklers screaming, shouting requests which Jim laughs off scornfully.
Suddenly he bursts out in anger: "OH COME ON LITTLE F-CKER, SHUT UP AND LISTEN!! ... We Want the world and we want it NOW!" He finshes the song being just as restless as his audience while the band gives the song the grand finale with all its glory and thundering sounds featuring Ray's extraordinary improvisation after the climaxing part - similarly compelling as Robbie's licks before. Spanish Caravan follows, an ever-present tune in these summer setlists, and tonight an engaging rendition with Jim's and Robbie's great duet which receives an adoring applause.
A remarkably extended 'Soul Kitchen' follows with Robby's excellent guitar solo, featuring Jim inserting improvised lyrics "Something wrong, something not quite right" lifted from 'When The Music's Over' where it's usually sang live. Clearly inspired, later Jim also adlibs the closing lines of 'Summers Almost Gone'
to the tune: "We gotta go now, we gotta go now, We had a good time, but they're gone." After the performance people started shouting requests again, including 'Light My Fire' and 'The End' and surprisingly enough, they did receive both. Jim bursts into 'Wake Up!' and led the audience casually through the performance.
Then everyone went wild and cheered enthusiastically when the band kicked off 'Light My Fire,' - probably the most cheered song all night - and get what they came for in an excessive performance. Greg Shaw in "The Doors On The Road" reports: "After The Doors’ finale of “Light My Fire”, the audience is well on their way to the exits when Morrison unexpectedly reappears onstage. Somewhat shyly he announces, “Hey! The show was supposed to end with that number, but [pause] I don’t see why we can’t go on!” All at once, the entire crowd reverses in a huge surge, cheering, shouting, scaling chairs, and prompting the hall’s security forces to encircle the stage. The mesmerizing opening chords of “The End” serve to induce a calm trance throughout the scores of people crushed against the stage, and The Doors conclude the show with a terrific version of the song."
Vince Treanor, the Doors' road manager recollections of the night: "The show, fueled by excitement and Jim's moderate drinking, was another success. There were no riots, no excitement. Just another good show. When it was all over, the crowds still loud with excitement and the experience went out peacefully. Again, it might not have been one of the best but compared to the performances after Amsterdam, it was magnificent.""
Reviewed by Buda, 2010
"The Story Behind the Autograph" by photographer Cal Deal, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, January 15, 1999;
"HOURS BEFORE The Doors were to appear at the Asbury Park in 1968, a film crew was packing up on the boardwalk outside Convention Hall.
"Are you guys with The Doors?" I said.
"Yes."
I reached into a pile of photographs I was carrying. They were pictures I had taken of Morrison at the Fillmore East, screaming into a microphone. I brought about 30 prints along to sell for $1.50 each. I pulled out a print and asked them to give it to Morrison. They said they would. After the concert, Convention Hall was emptying. I had been sitting near the front and was nearing the rear exits. I heard a voice on the loudspeaker. It was Morrison.
"Hey, where ya goin'? C'mon back!" he said.
Surprised, I turned and looked across the half-empty hall to see The Doors back on stage! The shocked crowd ran toward them; it was every man for himself. I wound up at stage center, just feet from Morrison.
I was carrying the last remaining unsold photograph. I yelled "Jim!" to get his attention. He turned toward me, and I reached up to hand him the envelope. He came over, took it, opened it and looked at the photo right there on stage. Morrison held up his index finger and said "wait a minute." He started walking toward the back of the stage. Suddenly I realized he was going to autograph it.
"No, I want you to have it!" I yelled. Morrison went behind the amplifiers and came back with a pen. He stood on the edge of the stage, towering over me.
"What's your name?" he said.
"Cal."
"With a C?"
"Yeah."
He wrote something and turned the picture over to take another look.
"Where'd you take it?" he asked.
"At the Fillmore East!" I shouted.
He leaned toward me and gave it back.
"Pretty neat," he said.
I grabbed it and looked to see what he had written. It said:
Cal J Morrison
MONTHS LATER I got a call from an editor at Teen Scoop magazine in New York City. Someone in The Doors' management had told them about the picture. The magazine wanted to use it. We made a deal and it appeared across pages 20 and 21 of the September 1968 issue. I think I got $35. The headline: "JIM MORRISON, rebel
with a cause." Looking back, I think he signed the photo because the film crew had gotten the other copy to him. Occasionally I'll tell people about the autograph incident. Once a couple of Doors fans from Europe asked if they could see the picture. They wanted to touch the photo that had been touched by Morrison. I let them. (This 1968 photo of Jim Morrison at the Fillmore East in New York City is from the only known surviving print. The negative has been lost.)"
Review taken from the book "The Doors On The Road", by Greg Shaw, 1997, p. 125-126;
"The Doors perform two shows this evening, and the second is reportedly the more powerful. As the late show opens, Morrison slowly saunters up to his microphone, closes his eyes, throws his head back, and stands motionless for a long time with the exception of one hand that almost imperceptibly caresses the mike during the silence. The tension continues to build throughout the hushed auditorium until, as if on some transcendental cue, Densmore kicks off the introductory beat to “Break On Through”, and the band is off to a phenomenal show.
After The Doors’ finale of “Light My Fire”, the audience is well on their way to the exits when Morrison unexpectedly reappears onstage. Somewhat shyly he announces, “Hey! The show was supposed to end with that number, but [pause] I don’t see why we can’t go on!” All at once, the entire crowd reverses in a huge surge,
cheering, shouting, scaling chairs, and prompting the hall’s security forces to encircle the stage. The mesmerizing opening chords of “The End” serve to induce a calm trance throughout the scores of people crushed against the stage, and The Doors conclude the show with a terrific version of the song.
*There are about 3X this much of notes in the download!
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