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"Light My Fire" is a song by the American rock band the Doors. It was recorded in August 1966 and released in January 1967 on their eponymous debut album. Released as an edited single on April 24, 1967, it spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (in July 29, August 5 and August 12, 1967), and one week on the Cash Box Top 100, nearly a year after its recording.
A year later, it re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968 following the success of José Feliciano's cover version of the song (which peaked at number three on the Billboard chart), peaking at number 87. The song was principally written by the band's guitarist, Robby Krieger, but was credited to the entire band.
History
Jim had been writing all the songs and then one day we realized we didn't have enough tunes, so he said, "Hey, why don't you guys try and write songs?" I wrote "Light My Fire" that night and brought it to the next rehearsal ... It's always kind of bugged me that so many people don't know I was the composer.
– Robby Krieger discussing the song's writing during an interview.
"Light My Fire" originated in early 1966 as a composition by Robby Krieger, who said that he was inspired by the melody of "Hey Joe" and the lyrics of the Rolling Stones' "Play with Fire". On taking his initial composition to the band, John Densmore suggested that it should have more of a Latin rhythm, Jim Morrison wrote the second verse and part of the chorus ("Try to set the night on fire"), while Ray Manzarek added the Bach-influenced introductory organ motif; Densmore also suggested that it should open with a single snare drum hit.
The band started playing the song in performances in April 1966, and extended it with a jazzy improvisation. When the Doors performed the song at live concerts, Manzarek played the song's bass line with his left hand on a Fender Rhodes Piano Bass, while performing the main keyboard lines on a Vox Continental using his right hand. When they came to record the song later in the year, producer Paul A. Rothchild brought in session musician Larry Knechtel to overdub a Fender Precision Bass guitar to double the keyboard bass line. Rothchild also suggested that the recording repeat the introductory motif at the end of the track.
Although the album version was just over seven minutes long, it was widely requested for radio play, notably by Los Angeles DJ Dave Diamond, and Elektra Records owner Jac Holzman asked that a shorter version be released as a single. The group initially disagreed to the subtraction, due to their preference of the uncut take. However despite their reluctance, Rothchild edited a single version, cut down to under three minutes with nearly all the instrumental break removed for airplay on AM radio.
File Hashes
HASH1: 55C2C3BCDE41E423
HASH2: 9AAE8070D834815E (MP3)
HASH1: D35595177A31B305 HASH2: 304596E1C2572134 (MP3)
HASH1: 2809918A89B5549D HASH2: 304596E1C2572134 (MP3)
HASH1: DB378EEEDC1B2191 HASH2: AD060600E1B38B72 (FLAC)
Available in:
"Light My Fire" is a song by the American rock band the Doors. It was recorded in August 1966 and released in January 1967 on their eponymous debut album. Released as an edited single on April 24, 1967, it spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (in July 29, August 5 and August 12, 1967), and one week on the Cash Box Top 100, nearly a year after its recording.
A year later, it re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968 following the success of José Feliciano's cover version of the song (which peaked at number three on the Billboard chart), peaking at number 87. The song was principally written by the band's guitarist, Robby Krieger, but was credited to the entire band.
History
Jim had been writing all the songs and then one day we realized we didn't have enough tunes, so he said, "Hey, why don't you guys try and write songs?" I wrote "Light My Fire" that night and brought it to the next rehearsal ... It's always kind of bugged me that so many people don't know I was the composer.
– Robby Krieger discussing the song's writing during an interview.
"Light My Fire" originated in early 1966 as a composition by Robby Krieger, who said that he was inspired by the melody of "Hey Joe" and the lyrics of the Rolling Stones' "Play with Fire". On taking his initial composition to the band, John Densmore suggested that it should have more of a Latin rhythm, Jim Morrison wrote the second verse and part of the chorus ("Try to set the night on fire"), while Ray Manzarek added the Bach-influenced introductory organ motif; Densmore also suggested that it should open with a single snare drum hit.
The band started playing the song in performances in April 1966, and extended it with a jazzy improvisation. When the Doors performed the song at live concerts, Manzarek played the song's bass line with his left hand on a Fender Rhodes Piano Bass, while performing the main keyboard lines on a Vox Continental using his right hand. When they came to record the song later in the year, producer Paul A. Rothchild brought in session musician Larry Knechtel to overdub a Fender Precision Bass guitar to double the keyboard bass line. Rothchild also suggested that the recording repeat the introductory motif at the end of the track.
Although the album version was just over seven minutes long, it was widely requested for radio play, notably by Los Angeles DJ Dave Diamond, and Elektra Records owner Jac Holzman asked that a shorter version be released as a single. The group initially disagreed to the subtraction, due to their preference of the uncut take. However despite their reluctance, Rothchild edited a single version, cut down to under three minutes with nearly all the instrumental break removed for airplay on AM radio.
File Hashes
HASH1: 55C2C3BCDE41E423 HASH2: 9AAE8070D834815E (MP3) HASH1: D35595177A31B305 HASH2: 304596E1C2572134 (MP3) HASH1: 2809918A89B5549D HASH2: 304596E1C2572134 (MP3) HASH1: DB378EEEDC1B2191 HASH2: AD060600E1B38B72 (FLAC) 
Psychedelic Rock 
Dreamy 
Rock/Pop 
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