Published in the Zigzag, autumn 1970
Interview carried out by John Tobler

John Tobler, one of the most prolific writers English rock'n'roll, went to interview Jim with the Festival of the island of Wight. It was the second time that Doors came in England. They benefitted this time from an interruption in the lawsuit of Miami. This interview one of shortest is presented here, and yet, it reveals clearly the doubts which Jim when with the idea of possible could nourish << révolution>> in America.

I discovered a book on sale in this festival entitled the book of the songs of Doors, which seems to be a pirate version of the words of all albums, including the last. What do you think of that?

Jim Morrison : Eh well, that is equal for me if the texts were reproduced correctly. But, most of the time, they botch really the smell, it is enough sometimes to one word, or of a point, so that any card the camp.

Be you for the fact that the words appear in the back of the album or on the interior small pocket, because, in England, two of your albums only have the texts, the others not. Do you believe that that makes a difference? We do not have the words of The Unknow Soldier (It unknown soldier), for example.

Jim Morrison : Ouais, they bâclent really all. I do not think that it is important. I do not believe that it is necessary, but...

Doesn't that make you only somebody is done a little money with the words of your songs?

Jim Morrison : Not, which evil has there T-it with that?

Is this the first festival in which you take part?

Jim Morrison : Yes.

How do you find it? I want to say, ambient chaos, the atmospère of devastation and... you know, that goes still here, but you went to throw a glance in the surroundings?

Jim Morrison : Eh well, it is rather hard to go in the corner. I went to make a small turn on the side of the camp-sites, and this festival seems rather well organized for such a gigantic event. I did not spend such a good moment yesterday evening, because I had to sing and I left the plane just. But, this evening, I am income, and I could see why people liked so much to be here. Those which say that the great festivals do not have any more future mislead, I believe. I think that they go to show all their potential from here three, four or five years.

I spoke with types which returned from Wood-stock, as Clive Selwood (the person in charge for Elektra in London), and he said that it was terrible. You know, the incapacity pure and simple to face the multitude, and now, they make of it a film and everyone exclaims: << ouah ! une belle révolution.>>

Jim Morrison : I am sure that all these things are much fictionalized, I did not have a very favourable opinion either when I saw film. One would have been said horde of young parasites with which one would have chewed work during three or four days of... you see what I want to say. They rather had the air of victims or of easily deceived of the culture that of another thing. I think that it must y have spite, but I was not there, not even like spectator, also I believe even if they are planted, even if they are not what they claim to be, a free celebration of the young culture, it is always better than anything. And I am certain that there are people who, in regaining the city, carried myth with them a little, and that they will keep the traces a long time of them.

I deduce from it that you do not believe in this sudden and miraculous revolution about of which everyone speaks...

Jim Morrison : It would be unreal in my eyes. But I do not want to say too much of it because the policy is not my field, really. I believe only that it is necessary that you are in a constant state of revolution, or you died. There must always be revolution, constancy is necessary, not something which goes to change the things, you know, and that is there, the revolution all will solve. The stake is daily.

If I include/understand well, you want to convince people to gradually change, not to say << pan, on arrive !>> like Blacks Panthers.

Jim Morrison : They must be of Blacks Panthers them too. They must change, to become in their turn of the leopards one day, of agreement?

You especially played of the songs of your first album yesterday evening. Why? You thought that these better were known?

Jim Morrison : Not, us, they better were known.

You often do not have the occasion of an engagement like that one...

Jim Morrison : One had of it, but never like that one, not. I do not believe that our style of music is appropriate well for such a gigantic event into full air. I am persuaded that the species of magic which we can bring while playing, when it goes, has more chance to appear in a small room.

As the last time that you came to England?

Jim Morrison : Ouais, it was splendid, I believe. Undoubtedly one in the best concerts than one ever gave.

I spoke this morning with the type which made film, and I said...

Jim Morrison : Which?

Geoffrey Gun. It writes for Guardian, and it said to me that it tried to communicate the urgency of the rock'n'roll, rather than that of Doors, and I have known as, eh well, I believe that you should have tried to make pass one can more that of Doors, because the sound recording was merdic, you know.

Jim Morrison : However, I believe that this film was enthralling. To pass on a national chain, I find that incredible. The problem, in fact that the types have fact the film knew which kind of film they wanted to make before even as we do not arrive. One was going to play the part of the political rock'n'roll group, and that gave them one chance to stimulate their feelings anti-American. They thought that one was going to give the opportunity of it to them, and thus, their film was buckled before our arrival. But I continuous to think that it is an enthralling film.

You know, when you were in Roundhouse, it did something... It was amazing, all these genss there sitted. There was so much of world, it was even still worse than here, because it was a closed space, and that there were two thousand people who waited to enter at two hours of morning. It was almost ridiculous. Why aren't you turned over over there since?

Jim Morrison : I imagine that one had too much thing to make, and in fact, there was not such a request apparement. I want to say, one could not return to Roundhouse; that would have been to go into reverse. And it did not seem, once again, y to have true, euh...

Not. Eh well, Roundhouse is not any more the same auditorium today.

Jim Morrison : Do Calcutta play over there, not?

It is exact.

Jim Morrison : That parrait curious.

Can of time after your passage, they put species of steps.

Jim Morrison : In any case, two years ago, Roundhouse had a splendid scene, one would have said small a théatre to two pennies, you see.

It is true... It is the kind of things which one remembers during years, this is why I would hope for your return earlier.

Jim Morrison : I include/understand. But we had much work, and then nobody beckoned to us either to return. Which is the name of the magazine for which you work?

Zigzag.

Jim Morrison : I have laminated it. I would like to launch a magazine, or a newspaper in Los Angeles one day. The problem, it is that if you try to sell it, to have publicity and all that, you cannot any more, euh...

Eh well, you will lose surely much of your enthusiasm when you start to be confronted with the system. However, this is what Los Angeles doesn't represent a rather risky market with all the publications which exist already over there?

Jim Morrison : It is certain. But would launch me in this adventure only if I could finance myself the publication, in order not to have to make publicities. You know, these small magazines, these publications which have only one number, that the surrealist ones and the dadaïsts published formerly? Proclamations, and all that?

Ouais, I see.

Jim Morrison : Hé, look at. Here is a true film.

[ One sees Jimi Hendrix filmed while it leaves the slides and goes up on scene, follow-up of a cameraman who seems to have not badly difficulties with his camera.]

Jim Morrison : Hé, it is superb. A priest would be said...

Do you think, at the point where you are, that you will make a new round soon?

Jim Morrison : Eh well, one has one in project of them... who should follow this one, eight or nine towns of Europe, to Italy, to Switzerland and in Paris, of the countries like that, but I must initially set out again for the continuation of my lawsuit in Miami. I am hardly with half, it is that which wastes all.

The torments easily are imagined that that can represent...

Jim Morrison : It is what I believed in the beginning, but it is in fact something of fascinating to live. One can place oneself in observer.

I spoke in Jac Holzman (about Elektra), and he said that one had gone already so much far in this lawsuit that he would probably not leave anything there, that one would go from call in call and so on. The problem obviously, it is that if you find yourselves in a position where it is impossible for you of to leave the United States too a long time, one is not likely to as soon as re-examine you, here.

Jim Morrison : I believe that one will return next spring, March or April. It is a good period in the year.

It would be well. Be you content with the album << live>> ?

Jim Morrison : Ouais, really.

We did not have the occcasion to still hear it.

Jim Morrison : It is about to leave here. I believe that it is a true document of one in our good concerts. It is not madly good, but it is a faithful portrait the EC what we usually do the best evenings. I believe that you will like it.

In fact, all the others connect me already much. I intended to say that your preferred album was The Soft Parades. Is it true?

Jim Morrison : Oh! I do not know! I believe that there is of it none which I prefer. But, let us see seeing, apart from the album << live>>, I believe that that which I like more is Morrison Hotel.

It is a good choice. It seems to to me that there is, perhaps, like a return to the first two albums. This was...

Jim Morrison : Then, in this direction only that we worked with no musician, except for the bass player.

Lonnie Mack.

Jim Morrison : But there was no attempt conscious of returning to anything.

Not, but it is that it was heard here, which is perhaps unjust, but it is true that the first album was truly epic. I have some literally worn two copies already, and I have just bought a third of it.

Jim Morrison : Ouais? You know, it is terrible. it is like the first novel of a writer, nobody does not enable him to forget it. There is a nostalgic side in all that, not?

Not, you progress certainly. I want to say, I think that Morrison Hotel drives you K.O., whereas The Soft Parades disappointed me in part.

Jim Morrison : The album has us one can escaped, the realization took too much time, almost nine months, and it slipped to us between the hands. There was no, euh... an album must be like a collection of news, all must hold together, there must be a unit of style and feeling, and it is what misses with this album.

Are you happy with Elektra?

Jim Morrison : Ouais, one has a super relation.

I am a fan of Elektra. I have approximately seventy album produced by the company.

Jim Morrison : Eh well, it is a large company now, and it will be interesting to see whether the mark will still progress, or if it will be, of some manner, comparable. Let us hope that they will be likely to avoid the pitfall of the popular one, and that they will do what they can do best, i.e. the traditional one, tricks electronics experimental, which they will give a new chance to those which precisely one be likely to succeed commercially at their time. Perhaps that they will return to that.

What made known them in fact.

Jim Morrison : I believe that with us it is really exceptional. They will not remake that twice.

Did Jac Holzman see you one evening that it had gone to see playing to them Love some share, not? It is the history which one tells.

Jim Morrison : It is true. They had to them Love, and somebody who was close to the group brought somebody of other to see us playing, and it is... ouais, it is exactly what occurred. Coil was at the time the most popular the underground group, and we thought that, eh well, if they were at Elektra, it is that it was surely a good mark.

And you became famous, contrary to Love.

Jim Morrison : Ouais. In a direction, it is true. I think that it is sad for Love, because it was an incredible group... eh well, it is really Arthur Lee, I imagine, because... although the first Love group was one very, very great group. I do not believe that they were ready to travel, and to make all these numbers that you should make if you want touch a greater number of people. If they had played the game, I believe that they would have the scale of largest. It will be moreover surely the case one day.

Well. Thank you to have granted one to me can of your time.

Jim Morrison : Good luck.

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