Light My Fire

The Doors, 1967. Solo by Robby Krieger.

An extended jam with Manzarek's organ.

Robby Krieger follows Ray Manzarek's organ solo with a long, exploratory improvisation over an alternating A minor to B minor vamp, the same harmonic bed John Coltrane used on 'My Favorite Things'. His lines avoid stock blues licks in favour of modal, jazz-inflected phrasing shaped by his flamenco background. He played a Gibson SG through a Fender Twin with no effects, picking with his fingers. The studio take was assembled from two performances. Listen for the flowing, modal lines that seem to drift rather than resolve; Krieger is exploring a mood rather than building to a single climax.

Light My Fire by The Doors is ranked #86 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Robby Krieger and the song was released in 1967. It appears on 8 lists, placing as high as #38 (Classic Rock (Louder)).

The story of Light My Fire

Robby Krieger wrote the bulk of Light My Fire in early 1966, and it was the first complete song he ever finished. Jim Morrison had urged the band's members to write about one of the classical elements, and Krieger picked fire partly because he loved the Rolling Stones' Play with Fire; he has also said he borrowed melodic ideas from Hey Joe. He deliberately packed in more chords than a typical three-chord rocker of the day, hoping to write something timeless rather than topical.

The rest of the group shaped it into a Doors piece. Morrison supplied the second verse, with its funeral-pyre image, plus part of the chorus. John Densmore pushed for a Latin feel and the single snare crack that opens the track, while Ray Manzarek devised the baroque-sounding organ introduction. By April 1966 the band was stretching the song out on stage with long improvised passages, and all four members received equal songwriting credit under their shared policy.

Paul Rothchild recorded the band at Sunset Sound in Hollywood in August 1966 on a four-track machine, with engineer Bruce Botnick noting the result was essentially the band's live arrangement; two takes were spliced together. Session player Larry Knechtel overdubbed bass guitar to reinforce Manzarek's keyboard bass. The seven-minute album cut was too long for AM radio, so Rothchild trimmed it to under three minutes for an April 1967 single, cutting nearly all of the instrumental break. The edit reached No. 1 that July and became Elektra's first chart-topper.

The solo

Robby Krieger follows Ray Manzarek's organ solo with a long, exploratory guitar improvisation over an alternating A minor to B minor vamp, the same harmonic bed John Coltrane used on his version of My Favorite Things. Manzarek called the instrumental section a tribute to Coltrane, and Krieger's line avoids stock blues-box licks in favour of modal, jazz-inflected phrasing shaped by his flamenco background. According to Guitar World, he played a 1964 Gibson SG Special on its neck P-90 pickup straight into a Fender Twin Reverb with no effects, picking with his fingers rather than a plectrum and favouring old, dead-sounding strings. The studio take was recorded largely live on four-track tape and assembled from two performances. On stage Krieger never played it the same way twice.

Legacy

Light My Fire became the Doors' signature song and a defining anthem of 1967's psychedelic summer. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998, placed No. 35 on Rolling Stone's 2004 list of the 500 greatest songs, and appeared at No. 52 on the RIAA's Songs of the Century. Its long album version is often credited with helping push listeners toward album-oriented FM radio. José Feliciano's 1968 remake won Grammys and, Krieger said, sparked the flood of later covers.

Top 10 facts about Light My Fire

Light My Fire was the first complete song Robby Krieger wrote; he chose fire as a subject after Morrison suggested writing about the elements.
Songfacts
The stereo album version runs roughly 3.5% slow, so it sounds nearer A-flat than the A used live; only the original 45 rpm singles played at correct speed until the 2006 remasters.
Wikipedia
Session bassist Larry Knechtel overdubbed a Fender Precision Bass to double Manzarek's keyboard bass line.
Wikipedia
Krieger played a 1964 Gibson SG Special through a Fender Twin Reverb with no pedals, using his fingers instead of a pick.
Guitar World
Krieger has said he deliberately left his strings unchanged because he liked the dull tone of old strings.
Guitar World
The single debuted at No. 98 in May 1967 and held No. 1 on the Hot 100 for three weeks, Elektra's first chart-topper.
Songfacts
On The Ed Sullivan Show on September 17, 1967, Morrison sang the line about getting higher despite agreeing to change it, and the band was never invited back.
Wikipedia
In 1968 Buick offered $75,000 to turn the song into a car jingle; Morrison killed the deal and threatened to smash a Buick on TV.
Wikipedia
The Doors' debut album was recorded on a four-track machine at Sunset Sound, and the Light My Fire master was edited together from two takes.
Wikipedia: The Doors (album)
A 1991 reissue of the single topped the Irish chart for two weeks and reached No. 7 in the UK, far above its original UK peak of No. 49.
Wikipedia

Live versions

The Ed Sullivan Show (1967) Morrison sang the forbidden 'higher' line on live TV, getting the band banned from the show.
Live at the Hollywood Bowl (1968) July 5 hometown concert filmed in colour and taped from the soundboard; released in 1987 and in full in 2012.
The Warehouse, New Orleans (1970) Morrison's last concert with the Doors, on December 12; he smashed his microphone during the song.

Notable covers

José Feliciano (1968) Latin-tinged acoustic version reached No. 3 in the US and won a Grammy.
Minnie Riperton with José Feliciano (1979) Duet recorded for Riperton's album Minnie.
Amii Stewart (1979) Disco medley with 137 Disco Heaven reached No. 5 in the UK.
Train (2000) Recorded for the Doors tribute album Stoned Immaculate.
Will Young (2002) Pop Idol winner's version topped the UK chart for two weeks.

In our lists

Deep Cuts — #45
One and Only — #10
The 25 Greatest Psychedelic Guitar Solos — #9
The Pioneers: 1950s & 60s — #14
Epic-Length Solos — #20
SGs & Telecasters — #11
Most Divisive — #6

Sources

Who played the guitar solo on Light My Fire?

Robby Krieger played the solo on The Doors's Light My Fire (1967).

What guitar was used on the Light My Fire solo?

A gibson sg, according to widely reported accounts.

Where does Light My Fire rank among the greatest guitar solos?

#86 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 8 of them.

Who wrote Light My Fire?

Robby Krieger wrote most of it, with Jim Morrison adding the second verse; all four Doors share the credit.

What guitar did Robby Krieger use on Light My Fire?

Guitar World reports a 1964 Gibson SG Special played fingerstyle through a Fender Twin Reverb with no effects.

Why are there two versions of Light My Fire?

The album take runs about seven minutes; producer Paul Rothchild cut it to under three minutes for AM radio, dropping most of the solos.

What happened when the Doors played Light My Fire on Ed Sullivan?

Producers asked Morrison to change 'couldn't get much higher'; he sang it unchanged and the band was never booked again.

What inspired the Light My Fire solos?

Ray Manzarek said the instrumental section honoured John Coltrane, borrowing the modal feel of his My Favorite Things.