ManRay001 : Hello everyone this is Ray. Shmogger : Has everyone entered the Doors Trivia Contest? Shmogger : You can win a Pioneer Laserdisc player Shmogger : to watch Ray Manzarek's new videodisc history of The Doors! Talk2ABC : It's worth $900. Talk2ABC : You also win an autographed copy of the disc. Shmogger : Alriight! Let's get underway with Ray!! OnlineHost : Ray Manzarek is a rock hero. As keyboard player in : The Doors, he etched a place for himself among the : most influential jazz/rock artists of the 60s and : 70s. His supple, colorful musicianship yielded : flowers from the complicated but fertile bed of : Jim Morrison's dark poetry. The Doors turned on : millions of young people with a succession of heady : albums. We all have our favorite Doors songs! OnlineHost : Manzarek recently collaborated on a video laser- : disc set which tells the Doors' story, and : compiles old home videos and live footage, much : of it never before released. The double-disc set : also features interviews, an archive of photos, : some of Manzarek's student films, and a play by : John Densmore. OnlineHost : To promote the release, Rock & Road is pleased : to award a Pioneer Laserdisc Player to the ultimate : winner of our Doors Trivia Contest. Do you know : the name of the L.A. club where The Doors got their : start? Then you could be sittin' pretty with a brand : new Laserdisc Player, friend! OnlineHost : We are honored to present this live conference with : Ray Manzarek, who for thirty years has electrified : the world with his cerebral keys and funky eye- : shades. Manzarek shares an enthusiasm for online : contact, and he will be fielding your questions from : his home in Southern California. Send in your : questions and comments for Ray Manzarek now! Shmogger : Ray Manzarek, We're really pleasd to be chatting with you! ManRay001 : good to be here Shmogger : Here's our first question, from the Rock & Road message board... Shmogger : It's from GMattle... Shmogger : How did you feel about the portrayal of yourself, and the Doors as a group, in the movie? ManRay001 : the movie was a gross over the top goofy thing ManRay001 : but jim was well portrayed by val kilmer. Kyle was ok as me. but Oliver stone got it wrong. ManRay001 : Jim was not a crazy lunatic Shmogger : DA BILLS 1 asks.. Shmogger : Ray, man it was pretty neat to see you in the control room in the movie...... Shmogger : Was it weird to act like you were talking to Jim? ManRay001 : I was not in the control room that was John Densmore. I play the keyboards, he plays the drums. Shmogger : CMPLANTE asks... Comment : ray....when are you going to put out a Doors cd-rom? ManRay001 : cd rom is coming in the relative future ManRay001 : but then we may all be COMING in the relative future RnRLive : good answer! :) Shmogger : Interesting comment, there! MRitter77 wonders Question : Ray, did it bother you or the other Doors that Jim got so much attention? ManRay001 : No Jim was the front man and the lead singer always gets all the attention. Shmogger : A question from Coolbeans... Question : Are there any plans to release the complete studio version of "The Celebration Of The Lizard'? ManRay001 : Lizard may come out as a stage musical production Shmogger : Psyrk says: Comment : Ray, I'm curious about what role you played in the band X. ManRay001 : I produced the band X. We did four albums together. OnlineHost : Manzarek recently collaborated on a video laser- : disc set which tells the Doors' story, and : compiles old home videos and live footage, much : of it never before released. The double-disc set : also features interviews, an archive of photos, : some of Manzarek's student films, and a play by : John Densmore. Shmogger : Ray, Please tell us about this new release! Shmogger : What does it offer that we haven't yet seen? ManRay001 : the disc is called THE DOORS COLLECTION ManRay001 : its on MCA Universal home video and sells for about 69 bucks ManRay001 : it's a double disk set and it looks and sounds great Shmogger : Very Cool! I want it! :-) Our next question is from MrGoodTrip... Shmogger : I heard about the Kinks suing the Doors because they thought that Shmogger : you ripped Hello I love you off them. Is this true? Shmogger : ...and if so what happened? ManRay001 : NO I talked to Ray Davies and he said cool mate ManRay001 : It sounds sort of like us but go ahead and use it, said ray davies Shmogger : TRICOLORSR: Shmogger : Do you feel Danny Sugarman's `No One Gets Out of Here Alive'represented the band well? Shmogger : And how about John Densmore's book Riders on the Storm? ManRay001 : I like the book and I like John Densmore's book ManRay001 : both of them give a good portrait of Jim and of the Doors. Shmogger : Zoner69 says.... Comment : I would like to ask Ray if he has any solo material coming out? Shmogger : musical material, that is. ManRay001 : Yes look for The Golden Scarab in the record store. it's on Mercury records Shmogger : This is from RUKINDMAN: Question : what was it like working with jim back during the drug induced days? ManRay001 : Jim was great. A real intellectual, a poet, an artist, and a very funny dude. ManRay001 : it's too bad the movie made him look like a jerk. Shmogger : Here's a good one from C1ndyh: Question : Do you still have those enormous sideburns? ManRay001 : no sideburns that's an old photo. I"m a little older now. Talk2ABC : haven't you checked out the recent photo of ray in the Doors collection in R&R? ManRay001 : exactly. Shmogger : A specific question about the music.... Shmogger : from R Rock23: Question : Ray, At the end of Shaman's Blues on the Soft Parade Album Jim says some kinda strange Question : stuff... like"You'll be dead and in Hell before I'm born" and "Sure Thing", "Bridesmaid" and "Isn't Question : it Amazing". What exactly is he referring to? ManRay001 : perhaps the Inferno perhaps Bliss perhaps Satori perhaps heaven perhapsYOU ManRay001 : its for you to decide ManRay001 : that's the point of poetry Shmogger : WoW! 8-) Talk2ABC : Ray's a deep dude. Shmogger : I like this next question, from Dana7677: Question : do you feel you were a father figure for the band? ManRay001 : well, I was the oldest so I had to kind of keep things under control. Question : ray--just wonderin-what kind of music did you listen to years ago, and now? (nice to see ya) Shmogger : that's from COSMICRLY ManRay001 : I listen to ethnic music today ManRay001 : I listened to a lot of Jazz, Blues and Classical music as a kid. ManRay001 : John Coltrane and Miles Davis Shmogger : Mojo RISl wants to get down to the nitty gritty! Comment : I don't know if I did this right, but Ray or other people in the band are the only ones Comment : who could answer this based on any evidence. ONLY Jim knows the truth. After he ventured to the Comment : desert looking for Peyote and came back, what did he say happened? ManRay001 : Peyote opens the Doors of Perception . It takes you to states beyond yourself and your narrow little ManRay001 : way of looking at the Universe ManRay001 : Jim was a seeier after wisdom and a shaman ManRay001 : We were all seeking enlightenment. Aren' you? Talk2ABC : What happened in Europe in 68 when Jim was too drunk to play and you had to sing like him? ManRay001 : Jim got too drunk to sing and passed out five min. before curtain time. ManRay001 : I had to sing the whole set. Me and Robby singing like a couple of caterwauling fools. ManRay001 : It was a GREAT concert in Holland. ManRay001 : We asked the audience before we went on if they wanted ManRay001 : their money back ManRay001 : The said SING SING SING DOORS WE LOVE DOORS ManRay001 : Ahh those Dutch Shmogger : That is excellent. They definitely got the show to remember! Shmogger : A classic concert! RicGraham wonders..... Question : What music software does Ray like? Shmogger : do you have any, Ray? ManRay001 : We use op code and digidesign ManRay001 : we Me and Pablo like it just fine Talk2ABC : Can you tell us how you put together "American Prayer"? How long after Jim died did you go to studio? ManRay001 : Jim left 3 hours of poetry on tape. Just his voice. John, Robby and I listened to the tapes ManRay001 : and started putting music to what we thought was the best poetry. ManRay001 : we started in 1976 and it turned out very well. I think. Shmogger : In your concerts, did you play one set or two? How long was the show & how many songs would you play? ManRay001 : most concerts were one set. ManRay001 : Early club dates were three or four sets a night ManRay001 : that's how we got tight ManRay001 : Whiskey a gogo two sets a night Shmogger : how long were The Doors playing clubs before you hit big? ManRay001 : Concerts were about two hours long Talk2ABC : Hey!! no hints!!! ManRay001 : Except in NY City. ManRay001 : we tried to play all night in NY City. Shmogger : Is that the show that Linda McCartney photographed? Talk2ABC : Got any good bootlegs for our Tape Traders' Central?? Talk2ABC : We want bootlegs!!!! ManRay001 : Of Doors? Talk2ABC : Do you have any? ManRay001 : We got hot Doors boots coming in the box set! Shmogger : here's another from Dana7677: Question : do you ever get together with the remaining doors? Talk2ABC : I'm watching you now on the "Europe 1968" video. Nice sideburns!! ManRay001 : I got together with John and Robbie to do the Doors Laser disc Collection for MCA home video. Shmogger : Here's an interesting question from L8TravLer: Question : Where do you stand on the legalization of marijuana issue? If you have lived for any Question : amount of time, overseas and been to Amsterdam, you may see things differantly. ManRay001 : You spell like yer on pot, dude. But I'm for the decriminalization of pot Talk2ABC : YEAH!!!!!! Talk2ABC : Ray for President Shmogger : A followup question from Ronkarate: How did your relationship with the band X begin and develop? ManRay001 : I saw X in LA and I thought they were the tightest, loudest, hardest, ManRay001 : fastest ManRay001 : hippest ManRay001 : band I had seen in years ManRay001 : I went up to John Doe and said YOU ARE great! I'd like to produce your record, and John said COOL Shmogger : Holysmoke wonders: Question : What is a typical day like for Ray Manzarek? ManRay001 : Wake up ManRay001 : peepee ManRay001 : wash the face Shmogger : Ha! ManRay001 : eat breakfast with Dorothy ManRay001 : Wake up Pablo make music with him ManRay001 : Go to the gym ManRay001 : work put ManRay001 : eat good healthy food ManRay001 : read books ManRay001 : listen to ethnic music from around the world ManRay001 : Pablo and I are working on a techno- ambient -almost jungel album Shmogger : That sounds just like me! Except I eat breakfast with Trey Anastasio. Talk2ABC : Turn us on to some titles!! ManRay001 : Go to the ethnic and World music ManRay001 : section of your local record store ManRay001 : Get any record that looks good to you ManRay001 : Get music from India Shmogger : Not too many keyboards in world music are there? ManRay001 : Ravi Shankar Shmogger : George Harrison's mentor! ManRay001 : also get John Coltrane and Miles Davis ManRay001 : American jazz musicians. ManRay001 : they will open your mind. Shmogger : WiReD hAc says: Question : What does your current tour consist of? I know you are presently touring with poet Michael McClure. ManRay001 : Yes I work with McClure. We will be in Washington on Sunday at the U of W up north. Ballard I think. Shmogger : Makij wants to know.... Question : When is the box set coming? ManRay001 : Box Set in Year or two if we are lucky. ManRay001 : lots of stuff to listen to before we can bring it out... ManRay001 : unreleased and never befor heard kind of stuff ManRay001 : rarities and live concert out takes ManRay001 : its going to take some time to do that ManRay001 : we want to give you the best f**kin box set we can!!!! Talk2ABC : go Ray!!! Shmogger : Excellent! Talk2ABC : wait, you can's say that' Talk2ABC : this is Walt Disney speaking now. Talk2ABC : from my freeze dried grave. Talk2ABC : no swear words on my network ManRay001 : I didn't use the g so it's not a dirty word Shmogger : can you remember any of the dates of those shows? ManRay001 : All Doors shows were between 1967 and july 3 1971. Right? Shmogger : Ray, before we wrap this up, I'd like to ask a question that some people take seriously, some don't... Shmogger : But I'd definitely like to get Shmogger : your opinion on the record here... Shmogger : Do you give any credence to the notion that Morrison is still alive? Shmogger : credance? ManRay001 : I dont think he is . BUT if one dude could pull off staging his own death and splitting to Africa or ManRay001 : Sri Lanka or some little island in the Indian Ocean ManRay001 : it was my pal JAMES DOUGLAS MORRISON! Shmogger : Oh!! I SEEEEeeeEEEEEeeeeeee!!! Talk2ABC : Have you ever been to his grave sight in Paris? ManRay001 : yes been to his grave ManRay001 : this year is the 25th anv. of Jim's death or whatever he did ManRay001 : but I haven't seen hin in 25 years ManRay001 : have you seen him by any chance? Shmogger : DO you ever dream that he shows up at your house asking for a cup of zen or something? ManRay001 : He shows up at rehersals of the Doors and we all start playing again. ManRay001 : that's the most ZEN thing we can do ManRay001 : and you guys should LOVE each other and we can ManRay001 : save the world. Talk2ABC : Thanx everyone for coming!!!! Talk2ABC : We now must say goodbye. Comment : Ray, sorry I have no intelligent questions to ask. But I'm still grooving on your music in Comment : 1996. Don't stop. Talk2ABC : Show me the way to the next Whiskey bar Shmogger : Ray, we want to thank you most heartily! Shmogger : This has been a terrific hour!! ManRay001 : thank you all Talk2ABC : AMEN! Shmogger : Yes Indeed! So Sayeth Manzarek, the prince of pschedelicatessenland! Talk2ABC : Ray for President!!!!! Shmogger : Everyone please check for the transcript of this conference in a couple days. Shmogger : Thanks very veryy much Ray! Everyone go out and buy the new Laserdisc set Shmogger : from MCA Universal! ManRay001 : Buy the Laser-Disc! Comment : Mr. Manzarek, You are one of the most underratted geniuses of Rock and Roll. Without your Comment : brilliant Keyboard wizardry, The Doors would just be another band. May you see the day that you Comment : get the respect you deserve. Shmogger : I think that day has come! And on that note, we bid you goodnight! Shmogger : BYE! ***************************** Stay solid! --Shmogger c 1996 ABC Online/Dan Skolnik Transmitted: 2/2/96 10:16 AM (manzarek)