The Soft Parade as a hybrid multichannel SACD from Analogue Productions’ Doors series: Doug Sax mastered it under the supervision of Bruce Botnick, and the surround programme comes from Botnick’s own 96 kHz/24-bit mixes. All nine tracks play in one sequence – from “Tell All The People” to the title suite.
The Doors open the studio door
On The Soft Parade, released in 1969, the Doors widened their palette with strings and horns; producer Paul A. Rothchild brought in Paul Harris to arrange them. For Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore this raised an exciting question: how does a band keep its character inside a larger ensemble? That question is still a wonderful way into the album – the extra instruments were a bold, deliberate musical choice.
The recordings stretch across 1968 and 1969, and “Easy Ride” comes from the work on the preceding album. Much of the album was recorded in Elektra’s new Hollywood studio with Bruce Botnick engineering, so the nine tracks gather ideas developed over a longer period rather than in one concentrated session.
Curtis Amy and the sound of the horns
“Touch Me” leads straight to one of the album’s important guests: Curtis Amy plays the saxophone solo. The song is a Robby Krieger composition, as are “Tell All The People” and “Wishful Sinful” – this was the first Doors album to give individual songwriting credits, and listening with Krieger’s contribution in mind opens another perspective on its direction.
The expanded personnel reaches well beyond the saxophone. Harvey Brooks and Doug Lubahn share the bass duties across different tracks, and George Bohanon, Champ Webb and other guests are documented, even if not every orchestral player is named. The personnel list below shows who is documented where.
From “Runnin’ Blue” to the title suite
The extra colours go beyond strings and horns: Jesse McReynolds plays mandolin on “Runnin’ Blue”, with Krieger singing its chorus. Details like these invite you to listen from the supporting players’ point of view – which colour comes from the band, and which arrives with a guest? The changes from song to song become part of the album’s story.
The extended title track returns to Morrison and a form built from his text fragments – a completely different setting from the shorter songs before it. As the closing piece, it gives you room to follow its course without interruption: a fitting finale for an album that explores so many directions.
The hybrid multichannel SACD from Analogue Productions
CAPP 75005 SA is a hybrid multichannel SACD from Analogue Productions’ Doors reissue series. According to the publisher, Doug Sax mastered it, overseen by the Doors’ producer and engineer Bruce Botnick. The surround programme comes from the original 96 kHz/24-bit files that Botnick mixed and mastered for the DVD-Audio release Doors/Perception, made from the original eight-track analogue master tapes; for the SACD, those mixes were up-sampled without filters to DSD with the Weiss Saracon converter and authored by Gus Skinas at the Super Audio Center. For the surround programme you need a multichannel-capable SACD player and a matching setup; the CD layer plays on any conventional CD player. The disc contains the nine tracks of the original album.
You order from Michael 45 in Germany. We arrange the US import and ship from Hilden.
Also in another edition: The Soft Parade
More SACDs by The Doors: Strange Days · Waiting For The Sun · Morrison Hotel · L.A. Woman
Artist page: All titles by The Doors
Customer question: Buying Analogue Productions records in Europe
Musicians
Participants and documented credit status. Track references correspond to the tracklist.
- Jim MorrisonvocalsParticipation: Album personnel
- Ray ManzarekkeyboardsParticipation: Album personnel
- Robby Kriegerguitar, vocals (chorus track 7)Participation: Guitar: album · vocals: chorus track 7
- John DensmoredrumsParticipation: Album personnel
- Harvey Brookselectric bassParticipation: tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9
- Doug Lubahnelectric bassParticipation: tracks 5, 6, 8
- Paul Harrisorchestral/horn arrangementsParticipation: Orchestral and horn arrangements
- Curtis Amysaxophone solosParticipation: track 2
- George Bohanontrombone soloParticipation: Track assignments unconfirmed
- Champ WebbEnglish horn soloParticipation: Track assignments unconfirmed
- Jesse McReynoldsmandolinParticipation: track 7
- Jim BuchananfiddleParticipation: Track assignments unconfirmed
- Reinol AndinocongasParticipation: Track assignments unconfirmed
Harvey Brooks: tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9. Doug Lubahn: tracks 5, 6, 8. Krieger sings the chorus of Runnin’ Blue (track 7). Not all orchestral players are documented by name; uncertain track assignments remain unconfirmed.
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