Recorded - Between late March and May 17, 1968
Released - June 1968
#1 for weeks of August 3 and 10, 1968.
The Doors ended 1967 with two classic albums under their belt, and much critical acclaim. By 1968, they were as big as The Beatles had been back in 1964. Naturally, the pressure was on to make their third album surpass their early work. Their self-titled debut ended with the spine chilling eleven minute "The End", and Strange Days ended with the reflective ten minute "When The Music's Over". The Doors' next album was to feature a seventeen minute long composition called "The Celebration Of The Lizard", and it would occupy the entire side of the record.
As it turned out, the recording for their third album was full of turmoil. The sessions dragged on for a span of about five months, and after a month's time, the group had decided to scrap "Celebration Of The Lizard", much to Jim's extreme dismay. To make up for the void seventeen minutes of space, The Doors were forced to write and record some new material. A few of these songs such as "My Wild Love" were written a few years prior. Another song, which was part of The Doors' September 1965 demo tape, was "Hello, I Love You". It was released a single a month ahead of the albums' release, and by the mid summer, it became The Doors' second and last US #1.
When you compare "Hello, I Love You" to some of their darker work like "The Unknown Soldier", the former is quite a departure. With a primary theme of love, it's the closest The Doors ever got to pop. With that being said, no standard poppy love song could ever have lyrics as complex as those in "Hello, I Love You", and no pop song would rock this hard. All in all, it just proves that The Doors really could do anything and it would sound amazing.
John Densmore does quite a few drum fills in the song, and since he opens the song, the listener is already fixated on his playing. Ray Manzarek and Robbie Krieger play the choruses in unison, which creates a really unique sound. Finally, Jim Morrison delivers another classic vocal performance by gradually building up into a screaming climax. If you ever get a chance to hear a version with a longer fadeout, Jim's screaming is even more intense. Really, just the fact that a hard rock song reached #1 on the pop charts in '68 is a welcomed sight.
The Doors would go on to release three more albums with their classic lineup. By the time of the last, L.A Woman, their sound had become far more bluesy and less psychedelic. Unfortunately, the possibility of more classic Doors albums, and Jim Morrison's life, were cut short on July 3, 1971. Although The Doors soldiered on for one more year, and released two albums as a trio, it just wasn't the same without Jim. Every song on their primary six albums is worth checking out, and it is this sheer lack of filler or bad songs that make The Doors my favorite American band from the 1960's.
Final Verdict - "Hello, I Love You" shows just how to take a love song, and make it an intriguing listen. With a strong hook, great instrumentation, complex lyrics, and a spirited Jim Morrison vocal, it remains one of the best hits of the 1960's.
Coming Up Next - "People Got To Be Free" by The Rascals.
Until Next Time, I'm Dr. Rock and I am the lizard king -
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