50 years ago this week, in 1967, The Doors broke through to the other side for the first time with its eponymous debut on Elektra Records. The Doors would go on to sell millions of copies and made stars of John Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, and Jim Morrison. Today, the album is widely considered to be one of the all-time-classic rock and roll debuts.
To celebrate this landmark recording’s 50th anniversary, the band will release The Doors: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition. This 3CD/LP set will be available on March 31. In addition, the music will also be available digitally.
Packaged in a 12 x 12 hardcover book, The Doors: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition includes a remastered version of the album’s original stereo mix, available on CD for the first time in a decade and remastered for the first time in nearly 30 years. The album’s original mono mix was remastered for this set and is making its CD debut here. An LP-version of the mono mix is also included. Music journalist David Fricke provides detailed liner notes for the set, which includes a selection of rare and previously unseen photographs.
The Doors: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition offers a rare opportunity to hear the band on the verge of superstardom with live performances recorded during a March 7, 1967 show at the Matrix in San Francisco. The Matrix recordings heard on this deluxe edition were sourced from the recently discovered original tapes, previously thought to be lost. The Matrix recordings, originally released in 2008, were from a third-generation source, so the sound quality of the versions debuting here is second to none.
Packed with electrifying performances, the disc contains live versions of eight tracks on The Doors, including Twentieth Century Fox, The Crystal Ship and Back Door Man.