TITLE: JOHN DENSMORE: EXCLUSIVE MODERNDRUMMER.COM INTERVIEW
AUTHOR: MICHAEL PARILLO
PUBLISHED: JUNE 2010
AVAILABLE: ModernDrummer.com
AVAILABLE: ModernDrummer.com
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The Doors are the subject of a fascinating new documentary film, When You’re Strange, which premiered last month on PBS’s American Masters after a theatrical run in the spring. The movie was directed by Tom DiCillo (Living In Oblivion) and features plenty of never-before-seen shots of the band and drummer John Densmore. All of the footage stems from the Doors’ active period of 1965–71, save some photos and film from the band members’ earlier days, and includes studio and live scenes plus brief interview segments.
“You get to see me a little more, huh?” Densmore says in a phone interview with moderndrummer.com. Indeed, though this is not strictly a concert film, it includes priceless images of all four members of the Doors—Densmore, singer Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, and guitarist Robby Krieger. In one brief but indelible shot, Densmore pummels his ride cymbal as Morrison dances mesmerized behind him, egging him on.
When You’re Strange is being released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 29. To view extras from the movie, visit www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters. And read on for our chat with Densmore, where we talk about the film, John’s melting-pot drumming style, and the Doors’ getting back to being a garage band for L.A. Woman.
Modern Drummer: The movie really reveals the Doors as an improvising unit, as does the new Live In New York CD box set recorded in 1970. Was improvising part of the plan from the outset, or did it just turn out that way?
The Doors are the subject of a fascinating new documentary film, When You’re Strange, which premiered last month on PBS’s American Masters after a theatrical run in the spring. The movie was directed by Tom DiCillo (Living In Oblivion) and features plenty of never-before-seen shots of the band and drummer John Densmore. All of the footage stems from the Doors’ active period of 1965–71, save some photos and film from the band members’ earlier days, and includes studio and live scenes plus brief interview segments.
“You get to see me a little more, huh?” Densmore says in a phone interview with moderndrummer.com. Indeed, though this is not strictly a concert film, it includes priceless images of all four members of the Doors—Densmore, singer Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, and guitarist Robby Krieger. In one brief but indelible shot, Densmore pummels his ride cymbal as Morrison dances mesmerized behind him, egging him on.
When You’re Strange is being released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 29. To view extras from the movie, visit www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters. And read on for our chat with Densmore, where we talk about the film, John’s melting-pot drumming style, and the Doors’ getting back to being a garage band for L.A. Woman.
Modern Drummer: The movie really reveals the Doors as an improvising unit, as does the new Live In New York CD box set recorded in 1970. Was improvising part of the plan from the outset, or did it just turn out that way?
