"Light My Fire"
Single by The Doors
from the album The Doors
B-side(s)	The Crystal Ship
Released	1967
Recorded	Late August - early September 1966
Genre	Psychedelic rock
Length	7:06 (album version) 4:40 (long radio version) 3:07 (single version)
Label	Elektra
Writer(s)	Robby Krieger
Producer(s)	Paul A. Rothchild
Peak chart positions
#1 (U.S. Hot 100)
The Doors singles chronology
"Break on Through (To the Other Side)" (1967) "Light My Fire" (1967) "People Are Strange" (1967)

"Light My Fire" is a song originally performed by The Doors on their self-titled first album, which was recorded in August 1966 and released in January 1967. It peaked at number one on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in 1967. It was re-released in 1968, peaking at number 87. The song was written by guitarist Robby Krieger although writing credit is given to "The Doors". Image File history File linksMetadata The_Doors_-_Light_My_Fire. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... This page is about the rock band. ... The Doors is the debut album by the band The Doors, released in 1967. ... “B-Sides” redirects here. ... The Crystal Ship is a song by The Doors from their 1967 debut album The Doors. ... The year 1967 was an important year for psychedelic music, with releases from Small Faces Itchycoo Park,The Doors (The Doors, Strange Days), Jefferson Airplane (Surrealistic Pillow, After Bathing at Baxters), the Beatles Sgt. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that attempts to replicate the mind-altering experiences of hallucinogenic drugs; especially LSD.[1] by using lyrics that describe dreams and refer to drug use using bizarre sounds created by altering the instruments and vocals with electronic effects such as heavy distortion... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, and today operates under Atlantic Records Group. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Robby Krieger (born January 8, 1946) is an American rock and roll guitarist and songwriter from Los Angeles, California. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Paul A. Rothchild (d. ... // A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... “Hot 100” redirects here. ... This page is about the rock band. ... Break on Through (To the Other Side) is a song by the The Doors. ... For the album with the same name see People Are Strange (album) People Are Strange is a song by The Doors, released on their second album Strange Days. ... Light My Fire is the second studio album by Spanish duo Baccara, first released on label RCA-Victor in West Germany in August 1978. ... This page is about the rock band. ... The Doors is the debut album by the band The Doors, released in 1967. ... // January 3 - Hullabaloo shows promotional videos of The Beatles songs Day Tripper and We Can Work It Out. January 8 - Shindig! airs for the last time on ABC, with musical guests the Kinks and the Who January 14 - Young singer David Jones changes his last name to Bowie to avoid... The year 1967 was an important year for psychedelic music, with releases from Small Faces Itchycoo Park,The Doors (The Doors, Strange Days), Jefferson Airplane (Surrealistic Pillow, After Bathing at Baxters), the Beatles Sgt. ... Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Robby Krieger (born January 8, 1946) is an American rock and roll guitarist and songwriter from Los Angeles, California. ...

Cover versions were recorded by Astrud Gilberto, Will Young (whose version hit number one in the United Kingdom), Amii Stewart (whose version got to number 6 in the United Kingdom, in 1979, and to number 8 as a remix in 1985) Natalia Oreiro, Jose Feliciano (whose version won a Grammy in 1969 Best Pop song of the year), Nancy Sinatra, Julie London, Friedrich Gulda, Julie Driscoll & the Brian Auger Trinity, Shirley Bassey, Cibo Matto, Divididos, UB40, Massive Attack, Amorphis, Hide, Minnie Riperton, Stevie Wonder, Al Green, Ananda Shankar, Trini Lopez and Train, whose version can be found on the tribute compilation Stoned Immaculate: The Music of The Doors. The Challengers did an instrumental version in 1969, as title track to one of their last albums. Astrud Gilberto Astrud Gilberto (born March 29, 1940) is a Brazilian singer best known for her samba and bossa nova music, most famously as the vocalist on the Grammy Award winning song The Girl from Ipanema. // Astrud Gilberto was born Astrud Weinert the daughter of a Brazilian mother and a... William Robert Young BA (Exon) (born January 20, 1979) is a British singer and actor. ... A 2005 Greatest Hits CD compilation Amy Paulette Stewart (born January 29, 1956, in Washington D.C.) is an American Contemporary R&B/Disco/Dance-pop singer, dancer and actress. ... Natalia Marisa Oreiro Iglesias Poggio Bourié (born May 19, 1977 in Montevideo, Uruguay) is a popular Latin Grammy-nominated Uruguayan singer and actress that developed most of her career in Argentina. ... José Montserrate Feliciano (born September 10, 1945 in Lares, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican singer. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Julie London Julie London (September 26, 1926–October 18, 2000) was an American singer and actress. ... Friedrich Gulda (16 May 1930 - 27 January 2000) was an Austrian pianist. ... Julie Driscoll (born June 8, 1947) is a British singer and actress, best known for her 1960s hit version of Wheels on Fire with the Brian Auger Trinity. ... This article or section reads like an advertisement. ... Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey, DBE (born January 8, 1937 ) in Cardiff, Wales), is a Welsh singer, perhaps best-known for performing the theme songs to the James Bond films Goldfinger (1964), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and Moonraker (1979). ... Cibo Matto was a New York City-based band formed by Miho Hatori and Yuka Honda in 1994. ... Divididos (Divided) is a rock band from Argentina with a significant place in the history of Argentine rock. ... UB40 are a British dub band formed in 1978 in Birmingham. ... Massive Attack are a trip hop band from Bristol, England. ... Amorphis is a Finnish metal band started by Jan Rechberger, Tomi Koivusaari and Esa Holopainen in 1990. ... Hideto Matsumoto , December 13, 1964–May 2, 1998), was a popular Japanese musician. ... Minnie Julia Riperton (November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979) was an American soul singer and songwriter, most noted for her abilities in the whistle register and her 1975 hit single Lovin You. Possessing a rare five-octave vocal range, she displayed the ability to imitate instrumentation and even birds. ... Stevie Wonder (born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950, name later changed to Stevland Hardaway Morris),[1] is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. ... This article is about the singer. ... Ananda Shankar (11 December 1942 - 26 March,1999) was an Indian musician specialising in the fusion of Western and Eastern musical styles. ... Train is a Grammy Award winning rock band formed in San Francisco, California. ... The Challengers were a surf rock group from Southern California. ...

Style

"Light My Fire" is a prime example of psychedelic rock and an early example of jazz-rock, with long, seemingly extemporaneous instrumental solos (though it was shortened from seven to three minutes for the radio version) and some Eastern influences. There was also a radio edit that was shortened to just under 5 minutes with about half the instrumental portion in place released to radio stations only. Stations playing the under 5 minute version tend to be 60's/70's leaning oldies or classic hits stations. Traditional oldies stations as well as some Adult contemporary stations only played the 3 minute version. Classic rock and album rock stations play the long version. Some classic hits stations though play both the long and short versions depending on the time of day. Its harmonic progression and catchy rhythm (particularly Ray Manzarek's swirling, barrel organ-style keyboard motif) lent itself readily to pop or MOR styled cover versions. Interestingly, neither of the single versions has ever been re-released on CD - not even included on any "Greatest Hits" compilations that the group has released while the long verson has been on Greatest Hits Albums. Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that attempts to replicate the mind-altering experiences of hallucinogenic drugs; especially LSD.[1] by using lyrics that describe dreams and refer to drug use using bizarre sounds created by altering the instruments and vocals with electronic effects such as heavy distortion... Jazz fusion (sometimes referred to simply as fusion) is a musical genre that loosely encompasses the merging of jazz with other styles, particularly rock, funk, R&B, and world music. ... A chord progression, as its name implies, is a series of chords played in an order. ... A barrel organ player in Vienna, Austria. ... For other uses, see Pop music (disambiguation). ... Middle of the Road was a Scottish pop group who enjoyed great success across Europe in the early 1970s. ... In pop music a cover version is a new rendition of a previously recorded song. ...

Performance

"Light My Fire" was performed by The Doors on a famous appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show September 17, 1967. In an oft-told legend, The Doors were asked to change the lyrics of the song (specifically, the line "girl, we couldn't get much higher" to "girl, we couldn't get much better") to be more suitable for a coast-to-coast live audience. The band promised to do so, but according to Jim Morrison he forgot to change the lyrics at the last minute and performed the unedited version live on-air, which he attributed to having been nervous. [1]. Years later, Ray Manzarek wrote that even after being told to change the lyrics, the band never even considered changing them. Despite applause from the crowd, Ed Sullivan was so upset that he refused to shake Morrison's hand as he left the stage. Backstage, the band was told that, despite being on the verge of signing a seven-episode deal to continue appearing on the program, they would never be on the Sullivan show again. Reportedly, Morrison's cavalier response was: "Hey, man, so what, we just did the Sullivan show!" The Ed Sullivan Show was an American television variety show that ran from June 20, 1948 to June 6, 1971, and was hosted by former entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. ... is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... James Douglas Morrison (8 December 1943 – 3 July 1971) was an American singer, songwriter, writer, film director, and poet. ... Raymond Daniel Manzarek or Manczarek (b. ... Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American entertainment writer and television host, best known as the emcee of a popular TV variety show called The Ed Sullivan Show that was at its height of popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. ...

Conflict with Buick

John Densmore recalls [2] that when Buick wanted to buy the piece for use in a 1967 TV commercial ("Come on, Buick, light my fire" [3]) and Morrison, who had been out of town, learned that other group members agreed, Morrison called Buick and threatened to have a Buick smashed with a sledgehammer on a TV show should the (presumably ready) commercial be aired. John Densmore (born John Paul Densmore, December 1, 1944, in Los Angeles, California) was the drummer of the rock group The Doors from 1965 to 1973. ... Buick is a brand of automobile built in the United States, Canada, China and in Spain by General Motors Corporation. ...

Acclaim

This song as performed by The Doors is #35 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.^[1]
This article is about the magazine. ... ...

Covers

Jose Feliciano

Vocalist and guitarist José Feliciano experienced significant international success when he released his version of "Light My Fire" in 1968 as a single on the RCA Victor label. It is perhaps the best known cover of this song. Feliciano's remake blended Latin influences, including a mixture of classic Spanish guitar and flamenco, with American pop sounds. The single helped to spur the worldwide success of its album, Feliciano!, which was nominated for multiple Grammy awards in 1969. Feliciano's arrangement of "Light My Fire" has influenced several subsequent versions, including that by Will Young. A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... José Montserrate Feliciano García (born September 10, 1945) is a Puerto Rican singer and guitarist. ... “B-Sides” redirects here. ... California Dreamin is a song by The Mamas & the Papas, first released in 1965. ... // January 4 - Guitarist Jimi Hendrix is jailed by Stockholm police, after trashing a hotel room during a drunken fist fight with bassist Noel Redding. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Soft rock, also referred to as light rock or easy rock, is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock and roll to compose a softer, supposedly more ear-pleasing sound for listening, often at work or when driving. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Sony BMG Music Entertainment is the result of a 50/50 joint venture between Sony Music Entertainment (part of Sony) and BMG Entertainment (part of Bertelsmann AG) completed in August 2004. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... James Douglas Morrison (8 December 1943 – 3 July 1971) was an American singer, songwriter, writer, film director, and poet. ... Robby Krieger (born January 8, 1946) is an American rock and roll guitarist and songwriter from Los Angeles, California. ... Raymond Daniel Manzarek or Manczarek (b. ... John Densmore (born John Paul Densmore, December 1, 1944, in Los Angeles, California) was the drummer of the rock group The Doors from 1965 to 1973. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... “Golden record” redirects here. ... José Montserrate Feliciano García (born September 10, 1945) is a Puerto Rican singer and guitarist. ... For the UK magazine, see Guitarist (magazine). ... José Montserrate Feliciano García (born September 10, 1945) is a Puerto Rican singer and guitarist. ... Sony BMG Music Entertainment is the result of a 50/50 joint venture between Sony Music Entertainment (part of Sony) and BMG Entertainment (part of Bertelsmann AG) completed in August 2004. ... Grammy Award statuette The Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in the recording industry, is one of four major music awards shows held annually in the United States (the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music... William Robert Young BA (Exon) (born January 20, 1979) is a British singer and actor. ...

Chart performance

Will Young

"Light My Fire"
Single by Will Young
from the album From Now On
B-side(s)	"Ain't No Sunshine" "Beyond the Sea"
Released	27 May 2002
Format	CD
Recorded	2002
Genre	Pop
Label	BMG
Writer(s)	Jim Morrison Robby Krieger Ray Manzarek John Densmore
Producer(s)	Absolute
Peak chart positions
#1 (United Kingdom) #4 (Italy) #5 (Republic of Ireland)
Will Young singles chronology
"Anything Is Possible" / "Evergreen" (2002) "Light My Fire" (2002) "The Long and Winding Road" / "Suspicious Minds" (2002)

Pop Idol UK series 1 winner Will Young covered the song in 2002. Young originally performed a piano version the song in the final 50 of Pop Idol, and again, with a backing track, in the final 10. It was later released as his second single. It went straight to the number one spot in the UK Singles Chart, selling 177,000 copies in its first week of release. The single stayed at number one for two weeks. The cover version was recorded in the style of José Feliciano's version. Image File history File links WY_LMF.jpg‎ single cover, scanned by me This image is subject to copyright. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... William Robert Young BA (Exon) (born January 20, 1979) is a British singer and actor. ... From Now On is the debut album from original Pop Idol winner Will Young. ... “B-Sides” redirects here. ... Aint No Sunshine is a song by Bill Withers from his 1971 album Just As I Am. ... Beyond the Sea is the English language version of the song La Mer by Charles Trenet. ... is the 147th day of the year (148th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... A compact disc or CD is an optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Pop music (disambiguation). ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... BMG (Bertelsmann Music Group) is one of the six divisions of Bertelsmann. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... James Douglas Morrison (8 December 1943 – 3 July 1971) was an American singer, songwriter, writer, film director, and poet. ... Robby Krieger (born January 8, 1946) is an American rock and roll guitarist and songwriter from Los Angeles, California. ... Raymond Daniel Manzarek or Manczarek (b. ... John Densmore (born John Paul Densmore, December 1, 1944, in Los Angeles, California) was the drummer of the rock group The Doors from 1965 to 1973. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... // A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... William Robert Young BA (Exon) (born January 20, 1979) is a British singer and actor. ... Anything Is Possible is a popular song, co-written by Cathy Dennis and Chris Braide for the winner of the first series of Pop Idol in the UK. The song was recorded by the final three acts in the show, Will Young, Gareth Gates and Darius Danesh. ... Evergreen is a popular song, co-written by Jörgen Elofsson, Per Magnusson and David Kreugar, and originally recorded by Westlife. ... The Long and Winding Road is a pop ballad written by Paul McCartney that originally appeared on The Beatles album Let It Be. ... This article is about the song. ... This article is about the British television series. ... William Robert Young BA (Exon) (born January 20, 1979) is a British singer and actor. ... “British Hit Singles” redirects here. ...

Young also performed the song on World Idol, where he came in fifth place. World Idol (Germany: SuperStar Weltweit, Middle East: SuperStar El Alaam) was the title of a one-off international version of the television show Pop Idol, featuring winners of the various national Idol shows around the world competing against each other. ...

Chart performance

Amii Stewart

The song was also covered by disco artist Amii Stewart in 1979 as "Light My Fire/137 Disco Heaven". This article is about the music genre. ... A 2005 Greatest Hits CD compilation Amy Paulette Stewart (born January 29, 1956, in Washington D.C.) is an American Contemporary R&B/Disco/Dance-pop singer, dancer and actress. ...

Peter Steele

Peter Steele of Type O Negative has performed the song live, although no recordings other than bootleg versions are available. Peter Steele (born Peter Ratajczyk on January 4, 1962 in Brooklyn, New York) is the lead singer, bassist, and composer for the gothic-doom band Type O Negative. ... This article is about the band. ... For other uses, see Bootleg. ...

Scott Stapp

The song was also covered by Scott Stapp with the rest of The Doors on VH1's Storytellers, as well as on a recorded version. Scott Stapp (born Anthony Scott Flippen, August 8, 1973, in Orlando, Florida) is an American singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the post-grunge band Creed. ... This page is about the rock band. ... VH1 (VH-1: Video Hits One until 1994) is an American cable television channel that was created in January 1985 by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Communications and owners of MTV. VH1 and sister channel MTV are currently part of the MTV Networks division...

Notes

1. ^ The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. RollingStone.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-02.

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ... is the 153rd day of the year (154th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• 1998 Fresh Air with Terry Gross interview of Ray Manzarek with detailed segment about the creation of the song Light My Fire