Riders On The Storm
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"Riders on the Storm" is a popular 1971 song by The Doors from the L.A. Woman album. Reaching number 14 on the charts, it still receives considerable radio air play, especially when the weather forecast calls for rain or a storm. The song was inspired by the song "Ghostriders in the sky." Notable for its thunder and rain sound effects and Ray Manzarek's Fender Rhodes electric piano playing which emulated the sound of rain, the song is also the title of an autobiographical book written by Doors member John Densmore, and a movie planned for 2005 by Ray Manzarek. "Riders on the Storm" is loosely based on the notorious spree killer Billy Cook who posed as a hitchhiker and murdered an entire family. The song was recorded at the Doors Workshop in December 1970 with the assistance of Bruce Botnick, their longtime engineer who was coproducing the recording sessions. Jim Morrison recorded his main vocals and then whispered the lyrics over it to create the haunting effect.
The whispered version of the lyrics are the last recordings Jim Morrison would make.
Early in Jim Morrison's life, he encountered a traffic accident in the American southwest involving a truckload of Native Americans, many of whom were injured or killed. That childhood memory helped to inspire this song.
In 2001 Nils Landgren's Funk Unit released a Funk version on their album "Fonk da World". The song was remixed with Snoop Dogg's vocals for the soundtrack of the Electronic Arts game . Also, a song was made circa 2005 combining this and Blondie's Rapture, called Rapture Riders. Nigel Kennedy and Nightmares On Wax have recorded covers.
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