Every incoming first-year student hears it at orientation: the legend of Jim Morrison, front man of 1960s psychedelic rock band The Doors and a former UCLA film student.
Now, with the release of “You Make Me Real,” a biography of The Doors by Portuguese historian Rui Silva, students can read a newly enriched history of the band ““ one that includes UCLA roots. The book earned an Honorable Mention Award at the 2009 London Book Festival, where it competed with thousands of other works.
Monday night in Royce Hall, Silva spoke about the release of his recently translated book, which was originally written in his native language of Portuguese. Silva’s presentation was accompanied by a performance by The Doors tribute band, Peace Frog.
Silva spent the last year researching The Doors at UCLA as a visiting scholar, where he delved into the university archives for information about Morrison’s time as a student. Silva includes the controversial screening of Morrison’s senior student film. Morrison was asked to take his experimental film back to the editing room after its short screening jammed the projector.
The book also includes previously unpublished materials, including an interview with Morrison’s fellow film student David Thompson, who recounted short snapshots of Morrison’s time at the film school.
According to Thompson’s interview, UCLA film students frequented the Turkey Joint West nightclub in Santa Monica to watch fellow film student and future Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek perform with his band Rick and the Ravens. It was here that Morrison would join Manzarek on stage for the first time.
Taylor Tirona, a fourth-year international development studies student, said that he believes much of the interest in Morrison and The Doors stems from the fact that their roots are at UCLA.
The book also mentions Morrison’s life shortly following graduation, when he was living in a rented Venice bungalow above an empty laundromat. Morrison wrote poetry from his apartment balcony and first conceived his idea for The Doors ““ a singing duo called “The Doors: Open and Close.”
Also attracting students to the event was the sense of mystique that surrounds Morrison’s life, his music and his mysterious death in 1971 at the age of 27.
“I’m interested in (the band’s music), poetry and the mythos of the end of Jim Morrison’s life,” said Blaine Fuller, a third-year English student who attended the event.
Both Fuller and Tirona said that they were intrigued by Morrison’s notoriously odd personality.
Silva said that a large part of Morrison’s personality that receives little attention is his generosity. For example, Morrison once allowed a close friend to release select music by The Doors through the publication Poppin in order to save the magazine from bankruptcy. According to Silva, however, this side of Morrison was rarely seen because his dark persona was so heavily projected to the public.
Even long since Morrison’s death, The Doors still exercise influence over the contemporary music world. Tirona said that he thinks music enthusiasts can find something interesting in The Doors because of the band’s widespread influence on rock music.
“They’re just a great band.” Tirona said.