LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Bright Midnight Records, a label formed by The Doors Music Company will make available from The Doors’ archives nearly 30 hours of mostly live, unreleased material as well as some rare studio-recorded gems. 

The initial CD release, due out this week, is The Doors’ The Bright Midnight Sampler: 14 Songs/8 Concerts, which features eight Doors concert highlights from 1970 recorded at a variety of venues throughout the U.S. In addition, the second release, The Doors Live in Detroit, is now available to order and the third release, No One Here Gets Out Alive, is set to go on sale the week of November 27. All Bright Midnight Records releases are manufactured and distributed by Rhino Handmade, Rhino Entertainment’s Internet-only label. They are available exclusively at http://www.thedoors.com and will not be sold in stores. 

Recently discovered when consolidating the band’s audio and film works which were scattered around the world in various record company storage facilities, this material completes the full archive of Doors’ sound and film recordings which is now secured in West Hollywood, Calif.

As a result, dozens of hours of never before released performance recordings have come to light and the highlights will be released in the
years to come. 

The process of sifting through the treasure trove of Doors live masters began during the production of The Doors Box Set (Elektra, 1997) which included a disc, Live in New York. The disc featured the best of the material recorded by the band during four concerts at New York’s Felt Forum. In all, The Doors recorded approximately 14 concerts in nine cities, with some tracks having been released in Absolutely Live (Elektra, 1970.)  For nearly three decades, additional concert recordings sat on the storage shelves undiscovered. Following the overwhelmingly positive response to the Live in New York disc, savvy Doors fans became aware that over a dozen concerts had been professionally recorded and demanded to know what had become of those tracks. 

Subsequently the three Doors—John Densmore, Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek—and their manager Danny Sugerman, began the task of reviewing every live tape and were impressed with what they heard. These concert recordings, while not altogether perfect by today’s commercial standards, successfully capture a wide range of exciting Doors music live-from a drunken over-the-top Boston concerts, to an intense, bluesy show in Detroit, to a stunning performances in Hollywood. Bright Midnight’s aim is to make available all of these concerts ? More than 30 hours of live Doors music, 90 per cent of which has never been heard before.  All releases will be produced by original Doors engineer Bruce Botnick. 

The new live Doors releases will be presented in their entirety and unedited, culled primarily from the tours that was recorded in 1969 to produce Absolutely Live. The label has also procured additional concert tapes recorded directly from the sound board. The primary goal is to release the best sounding recording and the highest quality artwork at the lowest possible price. The Doors commitment to high standards and excellence will not be compromised. 

Bright Midnight Records will release three titles every six months for a period of six years. The first three releases slated are: 

The Bright Midnight Sampler: 14 Songs/ 8 Concerts 

A sampler of live recordings, highlighting performances from almost every city The Doors visited on their 1970 tour. This volume, released this week, will give fans a taste of what is to come on Bright Midnight Records. 

The Doors Live in Detroit 

A double CD capturing The Doors in a mesmerizing performance lasting over two hours before a packed house at Detroit’s Cobo Hall. 

No One Here Gets Out Alive 

The first syndicated Doors radio special where all three Doors were interviewed regarding Jim Morrison’s death and legacy. Originally released to 135 radio stations in 1980, the show appears in four 45 minute segments. On the bootleg market, third and fourth generation copies go for up to $500. It is regarded as the definitive Doors radio production, hosted by Jim Ladd, who also wrote and produced the presentation. These four vinyl discs are reissued on three CD’s. 

According to Densmore, Krieger and Manzarek, “Our goal is to give serious Doors fans the material they want, including eight-track recordings of concerts, some previously available only as overpriced, inferior sounding recordings.” 

Doors manager Danny Sugerman added, “From 1969, when the Doors recorded their last album (Morrison Hotel) with producer Paul
Rothchild, any unreleased audio material was literally untouchable. Paul controlled the audio archive. No one, not even The Doors, knew what was stored or where. When Rothchild passed away and The Doors, along with longtime engineer Bruce Botnick, began production for what would become The Doors’ box set (1997), the archive was opened and we were all blown away by the plethora of Doors material which had been, for the most part forgotten. ‘Should this be released or not?’ was the question. Commercially we decided no. However, for the real Doors fans, this music deserved to be heard, and the Internet provided the ideal outlet.” 

The Doors Official Web Site (http://www.thedoors.com) provides news on upcoming releases and interviews with the band members, as well as the only place where each release will feature songs for streaming. It is their hope that this material will surprise, shock, amaze and delight Doors fans.

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