Roadhouse Blues - Sessions

Sessions

The song took two days to record (November 4–5, 1969) with the producer Paul A. Rothchild striving for perfection. Several takes from these sessions were included on the new 2006 remastered album. Rothchild can be heard instructing the band members on their musicianship, notably when he exclaims to Robby Krieger about his introductory guitar riff that "we're going to the roadhouse, Robby, not the bathroom!" Surprisingly, he does not comment on Morrison, who is apparently intoxicated, "going into full blues singer mode" in the words of engineer Bruce Botnick, improvising and simultaneously flubbing several lyrics and repeating the blues phrase "Money beats soul every time". The phrase can be found on the When You're Strange: Music from the Motion Picture soundtrack, with the next track being a live version of "Roadhouse Blues".

The sessions only took off on the second day, when resident Elektra guitarist Lonnie Mack joined in on bass and harmonicist John Sebastian (appearing under the pseudonym G. Puglese out of loyalty to his recording contract or to avoid affiliation with The Doors after the Miami controversy) joined in on the sessions and Manzarek switched from his Wurlitzer electric piano to a tack piano (the same used on The Beach Boys "Good Vibrations"). Morrison's shout of "Do it, Lonnie! Do it!" just before the guitar solo is often misquoted as "Do it, Robby! Do it!" (Robby Krieger).

A studio version of the song with John Lee Hooker sharing vocals with Jim can be found on the Stoned Immaculate: The Music of The Doors album.

Mack had borrowed Krieger's guitar to develop some blues guitar lines. Mack also played the lead guitar solo on the track, but was only credited as bassist, so as to not embarrass Krieger. Krieger copied some of Mack's lines in later takes. It is unknown which take of "Roadhouse" made the final cut.