Posted on 07/23/2005 7:31:33 AM PDT by Drew68
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The former drummer for The Doors won a permanent injunction on Friday preventing his bandmates from using the rock group's name while touring with a revamped version of the legendary 1960s act.
The Los Angeles Superior Court order also requires keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger, who have been touring as The Doors of the 21st Century, to turn over all the profits earned by the new combo to the original Doors partnership.
The decision represents a major victory for Doors drummer John Densmore, who told Reuters he was concerned that the band's legacy was being tarnished by its reincarnation as an oldies act.
Manzarek and Krieger, along with British singer Ian Astbury subbing for the late Jim Morrison, are touring Canada as headliners of the "Strange Days" festival, which also features such bands as Steppenwolf, the Yardbirds and Vanilla Fudge.
"They're playing Doors songs and calling themselves the Doors of the 21st Century. I kinda think it's the 19th century, it's looking back," said Densmore, who plays original music with his own band Tribal Jazz.
He teamed up with Morrison's estate -- represented by the parents of both Morrison and Morrison's late wife, Pamela Courson -- to sue Krieger and Manzarek in early 2003.
Under an agreement struck in 1971, the year Morrison died in Paris, all three surviving members as well as the Morrison estate must sign off on any use of the Doors name and logo.
"I'm very pleased that, in my opinion, the legacy is preserved," added Densmore. "I never intended for Ray and Robby to stop playing -- they're great musicians. I hope Doors fans keep going to see them -- it's just the name is owned by me and them and the estate of Jim Morrison, and they kinda ran off with stolen property."
Densmore estimated that Manzarek and Krieger have earned "millions and millions of dollars" on the road in recent years, more than the original band ever made.
A management representative for Krieger and Manzarek in Los Angeles did not return a call.
The Doors rose to fame in the late 1960s with such songs as "Light My Fire" and "Touch Me." After Morrison, their provocative frontman and self-styled "lizard king," died of a heart attack, the band eventually folded.
Its mythology exploded with the 1980 publication of the Doors biography "No One Here Gets Out Alive" and then with Oliver Stone's 1991 movie "The Doors." The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, with the three members reuniting for a few songs behind Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder.
I find this fact surprising that a nostalgia tour could generate more money than the band made in the past nearly 40 years as Doors' albums have always been consistent sellers with new generations of kids.
I'm also surprised to learn that Morrison's parents are still alive. They must be quite elderly. His father, I believe, was an admiral in the US Navy. Either an admiral or a captain. I know he was high-ranking.
He was in fact an Admiral .
I'm sure he meant just the time while the original band was still in operation.
This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend
The end
It hurts to set you free
But you'll never follow me
The end of laughter and soft lies
The end of nights we tried to die
This is the end
Many years ago I read a biography on Morrison. I believe the best-selling "No One Here Gets Out Alive" and it mentioned that Morrison's father had talked his son into spending some time at sea on a carrier so that he could detox and escape the rock & roll lifestyle that was taking its toll. Morrison died in Paris before he could take his father up on the offer.
I don't know why he didn't just join the new band on tour and actually earn the money he is now suing for? Now he will have to split it all with the lawyers. Morrisons parents probably would have signed off on letting them use the Doors name as long as they recieved a deserved piece of the pie. It was their son afterall, who wrote the lyrics. Densmore is an ingrate in my opinion.
Nostalgia bands are making tons of money these days because new rock bands are few and far between and just plain suck. Kids don't know how to rock anymore, so the oldsters are stepping up to the plate to fill the void. They're charging an arm and a leg for tickets, too. Journey is Mrs. randog's favorite band and they're going to be in town next month, so I sucked it up and paid ~$70/ticket.
Did the father even have the authority to make that offer? A carrier's government property, and I don't think using it as a detox unit for a stoned out hippie would have gone over well in Washington.
Yes, Jim Morrison's father was in the Navy as an admiral. In fact, he was the youngest person to ever make admiral (at least, at the time). I know that because I read an interesting biography of Jim Morrison. When he died in Paris, Jim's death certificate was sent to his father and his address used was the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.
At least these nostalgia bands have more than one hit to their name. Seeing Journey perform 20 or so "hits" is better than seeing one hit from a new band.
I have read of this case for some time. My opinion of Densmore is that he is a nut.
He is trying to preserve some sort of myth that never was.
The other guys gave him every opportunity to be involved but he wasn't interested.
I am at a loss as to why he wants to stop the others from touring and using the Doors name.
Also it is interesting that he found a way in the lawsuit to make sure all the profits go to the original Doors so he in fact profits himself without having to do anything.
Depends on the terms of the contract with their record label.
The Doors were BIG, but they really weren't around all that long.
They very well could've been fleeced by the contract they had signed as unknown newbies.
Other groups, who remained intact longer, were eventually able to break those shackles and negotiate (or even dictate) more lucrative terms.
I think it's more because boomers have a lot of money to blow and they also like to reminisce.
Agreed.
Bump
I just saw Tribal Jazz a week ago at the LA County Museum of Art- very enjoyable world jazz music and certainly a departure fom the Doors.
Back in my day it was all about Arena Rock, where they would find the biggest venue in town and pack as many people as possible into it. It was a gold mine, and whoever screwed up that business model should be shot.
He had absolute authority. An admiral commands a carrier battle group. The skipper (a captain in rank) commands a carrier. Both men may invite any guest they like on the ship. I've spent plenty of time on carriers are there are always civilian guests and other assorted VIPs roaming the passageways and enjoying the comforts of the officers' staterooms.
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