A Kool Day for Music

A number one song from the summer of 1967 that would launch the band into international stardom.

The Doors

Light My Fire

Released as a single from the debut album of Jim Morison, Ray Manzarek, Bobby Krieger and John Densmore. Jim and Ray met while attending UCLA in 1965.

The song came out of one of their song-writing sessions and were all contemplating on themes for those new songs. Jim told his bandmates that he was looking for something different and new than what was being heard on the radio at the time. He said “I want something that will still be around longer than two years, something that people will remember.” The guitarist, Robby Krieger, picked universal elements like, earth, fire, air and water as a starting point. When they had finished, they had something that would become one of the groups signature songs.

The song had to be edited from its original seven minutes to a more radio friendly version which the band was very reluctant to do.

Light My Fire would top the American music charts for three weeks and would hit number three with a cover version from Jose Feliciano in 1968.