Doors' Ray Manzarek toasted by Smithsonian Channel

 Commemorating the passing of music legend Ray Manzarek, keyboardist for The Doors, Smithsonian Channel will air encore presentations of THE DOORS: MR. MOJO RISIN’ - THE STORY OF L.A. WOMANthroughout the next week. One of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s, the Los Angeles group The Doors personified the turbulent era in America at the time with its raw form of rhythm-and-blues-inspired rock and its charismatic, poetic and unpredictable front man Jim Morrison. 

THE DOORS: MR. MOJO RISIN’ - THE STORY OF L.A. WOMAN will air on:

Thursday, May 23 at 8pm and 11pm ET/PT

Sunday, May 26 at 10pm and 1am ET/PT

Tuesday, May 28 at 9pm and 12am ET/PT

The one-hour documentary is an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the making of what would be the iconic rock band’s final album together. Released in 1971, L.A. Woman represented a return to the band’s roots. Considered one of the group’s finest achievements, the album reached #9 on the Billboard Chart and yielded several popular hits, including two Top 20 singles—“Love Her Madly" and "Riders On The Storm"—and the popular classic “L.A. Woman,” lauded as a masterful composition and centerpiece of the album. The LP went on to be one of The Doors’ best-selling studio albums. 

Exclusive interviews with Manzarek, drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger give viewers candid new insights into the band and its creative arc. 

The film also taps Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman, Bill Siddons, the band’s manager at the time, as well as some of the group’s closest colleagues and collaborators and other industry insiders, who make trenchant observations on the making of the final album. Woven throughout the narrative are exclusive performances and studio sessions, archival footage, gritty L.A. scenes and other compelling visuals. Commentary by producer Bruce Botnick and an examination of the original multi-track master recordings help to deconstruct the music—from the first song, which beckons listeners to “get loose” (“The Changeling”), to “L.A. Woman,” the noir anthem to the City of Angels, the song that introduces Mr. Mojo Risin’—the character who emerges by scrambling the letters in Jim Morrison’s name. Together, these elements help to tell a fascinating story of the landmark record by one of rock history’s most influential and infamous groups.

THE DOORS: MR. MOJO RISIN’ - THE STORY OF L.A. WOMAN was produced by Jeffrey Jampol for Eagle Rock Entertainment. Executive Producers for Smithsonian Channel are David Royle and Charles Poe.

www.smithsonianchannel.com