WCSX Classic Cuts : Riders on the Storm
WCSX Classic Cuts
The Doors: “Riders on the Storm”
The Hook: They were fooling around in the studio with the cowboy song “Ghost Riders in the Sky” and got inspired by it.
Album: L.A. Woman
Year: 1971
Writers: Jim Morrison, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek and John Densmore
Stats: Peaked at number-14 on the Billboard Hot 100
Background: “Riders on the Storm” was The Doors’ final single with Jim Morrison. Guitarist Robby Krieger recalls what inspired it.
Doors guitarist Robby Krieger on what inspired them to write “Riders on the Storm.” OC:…Fender tremolo. :25
“Actually, the way that one started was one day we were just fooling around, we were playing ‘Ghost Riders in the Sky,’ right? And so Jim started thinking, ‘Oh, OK, ghost riders.– ‘Riders on the Storm.’ That’s how that came. And you know there is a few licks in that song from ‘Ghost Riders…’ [sings] Right? I wanted to get sort of a Duane Eddy-ish type of feel on it, so I used the old Fender tremolo.”
