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Coverage Vol. 2
1/25/24
BY: IAN SHERRY
I shouldn’t have done this one, it's too hard.
One challenge of any cover is to maintain everything that makes the original great. This can be difficult considering you have to put your own twist on it and inject your own stylings, while attempting to replicate the personality and strengths of the original artist can interfere with that process. It’s a delicate balance, and that’s why covers are one of my favorite music industry phenomena. Today the point of emphasis is feel, and few artists benefit more from the feel of their music than The Doors. Let’s talk about one of their best.
Jim Morrison’s band charted its first #1 hit in 1967 with “Light My Fire”. It was clear from the very beginning of the legendary LA band’s discography that they had something special. Relying on keys and rolling guitars on top of steady drums, they were able to captivate a certain easily distinguishable sound, capable of bridging the gap between legendary groups like The Zombies and Grateful Dead. 1967 was a big year for music, with The Beatles changing direction on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Band, Eric Burdon taking control of The Animals, and Motown and Frank Sinatra sharing the top of the charts. Perhaps most significantly, some of the most influential acts of the next decade began to emerge including Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Velvet Underground, and of course, The Doors. The latter announced themselves in a historically and contemporarily unprecedented fashion. The 60s was a decade in which the average length of a hit song was just 2:59, yet somehow, Jim Morrison and co. took over the number one slot with a song just over 7 minutes in length (and a decade later people thought “Bohemian Rhapsody” was long at 2 minutes above average). It was a new era in music, and The Doors arrived right on time.
Naturally, other artists took notice. A hit song with its own feel, simple arrangement, instrumental solo, and a runtime waiting to be shortened, sounds like a challenge. Sounds like the perfect opportunity for a cover.
Welcome to Coverage Vol. 2
Honorable Mentions
The Goldfinger Singer took the big band approach in her 1970 cover. While the vocal performance is strong and the band is impressive, it lacks the meticulous groove of the original and falls short of replicating or otherwise matching The Doors' signature feel.
I’m stunned, dumbfounded, floored, flabbergasted to see Stevie Wonder sitting in the honorable mentions, but here we are. Stevie performs it like he does any other song of his late 60s era, and drops a harmonica solo in place of the original keyboard. To me, although he is the king of that instrument, it is too thin in comparison to the show of force by Ray Manzarek on the original. It’s as good as any other Stevie song from that time, and that’s a strong category, just not as strong as this particular competition I’ve thrust him into.
While he supplied the most energetic vocal performance and perhaps the cleanest instrumentals, Wilson was overshadowed in other categories. The horn solo is great, but other forthcoming artists took an equally aggressive angle on the horns. On top of that, he misses the intended vibe of the song without inserting a formidable alternative. However, this is a fantastic rendition that narrowly missed out on a top four mention. You can’t go wrong on this list, I promise.
NUMBER FOUR
On a list where cultivating your own feel is essential, Feliciano will always excel. I’d qualify his rendition as the anti-Doorsian approach. While his methodical delivery and gradual song structure are most similar to the original, Feliciano conveys a level of warmth strong enough to rival that legendary Morrison brooding. That’s very hard to do. His performance is laid back for much of the song, as he paints it with nimble and complimentary play on his guitar. It is a pleasant invitation with just the right amount of emotion and an exciting freestyle finish. His choice to build performative energy more gradually than any other version of “Light My Fire” really reflects the message of the song. As his excitement and passion for the fire-lighter picks up the warmth and positivity is infectious, yet his original mellow vibe remains present. It's simple, but intentional, and perfectly executed.
NUMBER THREE
My favorite vocal performance on this list, Al Green’s swagger is undeniable. While you can argue amongst any of the covers yet to be named, he may have done the best job of making it his own. Green’s legendary career is partially owed to his unwavering status as the smoothest vocalist around, but what makes his 1971 record unique is its rough edges. Gets Next To You saw hits like “I Can’t Get Next To You”, “Tired of Being Alone” and “I’m a Ram”, all of which have sharp drums and horns. At times, Green doubles down on that ever-so-slightly abrasive sound by matching it with some of his raspiest performances ever, while still providing a healthy dose of his signature smoothness, to create an incredibly satisfying contrast. Sitting perfectly between upbeat blues and soul, it's my pick for the strongest album in his catalog, and he masterfully pulls “Light My Fire” into that fold. By speaking the first few lines, he opens a dialogue with his audience, pulls us in by delicately delivering the initial hook, and maintains total control as his intensity, volume, and confidence grow throughout the track. Once you’re hooked, Green doesn’t let you off the mat, but you wouldn’t want to get up anyway.
NUMBER TWO
The original “Light My Fire” is one of the greatest coming-out-parties in all of music. The Doors introduce themselves to the charts with unwavering pace, seven minutes of it. As I mentioned briefly, the length was unprecedented, to say the least. So, in order to captivate this endurance deprived audience for the entirety of their chart-topper, they had to do something special. I think the key to The Doors’ chart-topping accomplishment is the balance they struck. It pushed the envelope in more ways than length; a relentless keyboard solo and dynamic yet restrained vocal performance set it apart from its contemporary hits. It isn’t the best version but it has by far the greatest legacy. “Light My Fire” is one of the most important songs of its era, because it stretched a formulaic performance to its stylistic capacity and opened the charts up to the fast-moving, incredibly impactful, and ultimately self-destructive force of nature that was Jim Morrison.
NUMBER ONE
Every other artist that covered “Light My Fire” avoided The Doors' murkiness in favor of their own sound and vibe. Their decisions are likely all based on the fact that beating a band like that at their own sonic game is risky to say the least. Etta James was not, could not have been, intimidated. So, she leads in with a heavy bass guitar that pushes the limit of the lower portion of the mix. To balance it out, she stays in the upper half of her vocal range, providing a clear and clean balance. The drums hold pace and the occasional guitar painted overtop fills out the sound. It’s simple and slow, like the original, but by cutting the instrumental solo, which every other artist attempted to replicate in some way, she brought it completely into her wheelhouse. Much like Aretha’s “Respect”, her revision is hardly recognizable, and that is due to one crucial factor: Etta James herself. Yes, the instrumental adjustments are masterful, and cutting the solo does have an impact, but her vocal delivery is the biggest gamechanger. She pours every bit of swagger available into this song, much like Al Green, but her intentionally measured cadence shift makes a massive, albeit subtle, difference. She improvises her way through the song, delivering all of the written lyrics in quicker succession than the original. James’ slight alteration of every single line is largely responsible for over four minutes of difference, as she yanks the song back into contemporary song-length standards. The moral of the story: Etta James is untouchable, and if she covers your song, kiss it goodbye.