The Doors to release ‘Strange Days’ 50th anniversary deluxe edition

The Doors had one of the most extraordinary debut years in music history in 1967, releasing a string of hit singles and two platinum albums, beginning in January with the band’s self-titled debut, followed by Strange Days in September. The latter peaked at #3 on the Billboard album chart and featured classics like Love Me Two Times, When The Music’s Over, and the title track Strange Days.

For the album’s 50^th anniversary, Rhino will release STRANGE DAYS (50^TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION). This double-CD features stereo and original mono mixes and will be available on November 17. Available to pre-order now, the music will also be available via download and streaming services. At the same time, the original mono mix of Strange Days will be released on vinyl.

STRANGE DAYS (50^TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION) was produced by the album’s original engineer Bruce Botnick. It includes the original stereo mix of the album on CD for the first time in a decade, with sound that’s been remastered for the first time in 30 years. The second disc features the album’s original mono mix, which has been remastered for this set and is making its CD debut. Accompanying the set are liner notes by music journalist David Fricke, as well as a selection of rare and previously unseen photographs.

The success of The Doors’ debut album –  including the #1 smash Light My Fire – kept the band in-demand and on the road in early 1967. When Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Robby Krieger, and Ray Manzarek weren’t playing live, they recorded songs for Strange Days at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, the same studio they used to record their debut.

Having a larger budget for Strange Days allowed the band to spend more time experimenting in the studio. They used an eight-track recorder for the first time, which resulted in some memorable overdubs like Krieger’s double-tracked guitar on When The Music’s Over. Surprisingly, the trippy keyboard sound heard on the album’s title track is actually one of the earliest appearances of a Moog synthesizer in a rock song.

Strange Days mixed new songs written on the road with some written before the band’s 1967 debut. In fact, the band performed Strange Days during its 1966 residency at the London Fog in L.A., while My Eyes Have Seen You dates back to 1965. Another early track is Moonlight Drive, which was one of the very first songs that the band practiced together, and where the band heard Krieger’s haunting bottleneck guitar playing for the first time. It’s also the song Morrison sang to Manzarek at Venice Beach in 1965 when the two former UCLA film students reconnected and decided to start the Doors.

STRANGE DAYS (50^TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION)

Track Listing

Disc One: Original Stereo Mix

Disc Two: Original Mono Mix

1. “Strange Days”
2. “You’re Lost Little Girl”
3. “Love Me Two Times”
4. “Unhappy Girl”
5. “Horse Latitudes”
6. “Moonlight Drive”
7. “People Are Strange”
8. “My Eyes Have Seen You”
9. “I Can’t See Your Face In My Mind”
10. “When The Music’s Over”

LP: Original Mono Mix

Side One

1. “Strange Days”
2. “You’re Lost Little Girl”
3. “Love Me Two Times”
4. “Unhappy Girl”
5. “Horse Latitudes”
6. “Moonlight Drive”

Side Two

1. “People Are Strange”
2. “My Eyes Have Seen You”
3. “I Can’t See Your Face In My Mind”
4. “When The Music’s Over”