13 (The Doors album)

June 2025 13 compilation the Doors 13 (The Doors album - cover art).jpg 1970 11 30 1966–1969 Rock 43:59 Elektra Paul A. Rothchild Absolutely Live 1970 L.A. Woman 1971 13 is the first compilation album by American rock band the Doors, released by Elektra Records on November 30, 1970. The title refers to the thirteen tracks included, which feature a variety of songs from their five studio albums released 1967 through 1970. It includes all six songs by the band that had reached the American Top 40 to this point, although not necessarily in their single release version. The cover shrink wrap featured a clear sticker that read: "A Collection of Thirteen Classic Doors Songs". It is the band's only compilation album released while lead singer Jim Morrison was alive. The album reached No. 25 on the Billboard 200. It has been superseded by later Doors compilations, such as the highly successful The Best of the Doors (1985). While it has not been reissued on CD, it was reissued on vinyl in 2020 for its 50th anniversary. Background 13 was a project instigated by Elektra Records, who wanted product from the band for the Christmas season, to which the band reluctantly agreed. Morrison agreed to shave off his beard for the album cover's photo shoot, but the label opted for a younger photo of the singer, which they had also done for the group's live album Absolutely Live, released in July of that year. Author Danny Sugerman commented in his memoir of the band, No One Here Gets Out Alive, "Elektra obviously wanted the 'pretty' Jim Morrison."Hopkins Sugerman 1980 318 Morrison's image is also much larger than those of guitarist Robby Krieger, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, and drummer John Densmore, and Sugerman said that, "Although Ray, Robby, and John had become accustomed to the attention directed towards their lead singer, it upset Jim." The album's back cover features the band posing with a small bust of Ludwig van BeethovenThe Doors (Getty Museum) http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/129110/ The J. Paul Getty in Los Angeles April 30, 2020Jim Morrison & The Doors, in garage with automobile, hand held cloth backdrop. John Densmore looking at Beethoven bust. Hollywood, California by Edmund Teske on artnet Auctions https://www.artnet.com/auctions/artists/edmund-teske/jim-morrison-the-doors-in-garage-with-automobile-hand-held-cloth-backdrop-john-densmore-looking-at-beethoven-bust-hollywood-california-3 Artnet.com April 30, 2020 (some have mistakenly claimed it is of occultist Aleister Crowley).Occultist Aleister Crowley's Influence on Popular Music https://louderthanwar.com/aleister-crowley-influence-on-popular-music/ Brett Rachel November 17, 2017 April 30, 2020 Critical reception AllMusic 4 5Eder Bruce 13 — The Doors https://www.allmusic.com/album/r6215/review AllMusic May 7, 2011 Christgau's Record Guide A−Christgau Robert Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies Ticknor & Fields 1981 089919026X Consumer Guide '70s: D Robert Christgau February 24, 2019 https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=D&bk=70 robertchristgau.com MusicHound 3.5/5https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781578590612/page/358 MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide Visible Ink Press 1999 1-57859-061-2 Graff Gary Farmington Hills, Michigan 358 Durchholz Daniel registration The Rolling Stone Album Guide 3.5 5The Doors: Album Guide https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/the-doors/albumguide Rollingstone.com https://web.archive.org/web/20130106033635/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/the-doors/albumguide January 6, 2013 dead August 31, 2015 In a contemporary review in 1971, music critic Dave Marsh wrote that although the album does indeed contain "thirteen classic songs," it fails to deliver on any purpose other than compiling the most radio-friendly hits in one place. Marsh added that "no magnum opuses" were included in the collection. "No 'The End', no 'When the Music's Over', no 'Soft Parade'... [it] would have been decidedly uncommercial to have them included here... Of course 'Five to One' isn't here; funny thing, outside of 'Unknown Soldier' none of the Doors' more controversial subject matter is included."Marsh Dave Dave Marsh March 1971 The Doors: 'Thirteen' https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/the-doors-thirteen Creem June 22, 2018 Rock's Backpages subscription Bruce Eder, in his retrospective review for Allmusic, likewise observed that 13 focuses strictly on the pop rock side of The Doors, and argued that the approach of marketing this side of the Doors separately from their more serious, adventurous, and coarse side was part of what made the band a success with such a range of listeners. Noting that 13 had continuously sold well for nearly two decades, whereas Doors compilations and live albums which freely mixed the band's two sides were much less popular, he saw 13 and the Doors' self-titled debut album as the two main gateways to their work, serving to draw interested listeners in and ultimately lead them to explore the Doors' deeper album cuts. Track listing Details are taken from the 1970 U.S. Elektra album, which lists different songwriter credits than other Doors albums; other releases may show different information. 1970 13 Album notes The Doors New York City Elektra Records EKS 74079 Back cover Original album (year) Side one Light My Fire Robby Krieger, Jim Morrison The Doors (1967) 6:50 People Are Strange Morrison, Krieger Strange Days (1967) 2:10 Back Door Man Willie Dixon, Chester Burnett The Doors 3:30 Moonlight Drive Morrison Strange Days 3:00 The Crystal Ship Morrison The Doors 2:30 Roadhouse Blues Morrison, Doors Morrison Hotel (1970) 4:04 Side two Original album Touch Me Krieger The Soft Parade (1969) 3:15 Love Me Two Times Krieger Strange Days 3:23 You're Lost Little Girl Krieger Strange Days 3:01 Hello, I Love You Morrison Waiting for the Sun (1968) 2:22 Land Ho Morrison, Krieger Morrison Hotel 4:08 Wild Child Morrison The Soft Parade 2:36 The Unknown Soldier Morrison, Doors Waiting for the Sun 3:10 Personnel From the 1970 Elektra release: The Doors Jim Morrison – vocals Ray Manzarek – piano, organ; keyboard bass ("Light My Fire" and "The Crystal Ship"), 1967 The Doors The Doors (album) Album notes The Doors New York City Elektra Records ELK-4007 Back cover celesta ("Touch Me"),Gerstenmeyer 2001 97 harpsichord ("Love Me Two Times")Gerstenmeyer 2001 49 Robby Krieger – guitar, bass guitar ("Back Door Man")Krieger 2021 261 John Densmore – drums Additional musicians Harvey Brooksbass guitar ("Touch Me")The Soft Parade The Doors 50th Anniversary edition CD booklet 2019 Rhino Records & Elektra Records Botnick Bruce Fricke David R2-596001, 603497851324 Larry Knechtel – bass guitar ("Light My Fire")http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/robby-krieger-talks-guitars-and-the-doors-212284/ Burrluck Dave Robby Krieger Talks Guitars and the Doors July 8, 2009 Music Radar November 23, 2019 Doug Lubahnbass guitar ("People Are Strange", "Moonlight Drive", "Love Me Two Times", "You're Lost Little Girl", "Wild Child")Gerstenmeyer 2001 49 Lonnie Mackbass guitar ("Roadhouse Blues")Morrison Hotel The Doors liner notes 1970 Kerry Magnessbass guitar ("The Unknown Soldier")Waiting for the Sun The Doors liner notes 1968 John Sebastian (credited as "G. Puglese")harmonica ("Roadhouse Blues") Production Paul A. Rothchild – producer Jac Holzman – production supervisor Bruce Botnick – engineer Charts ChartYearPositionBillboard 200197125The Doors Chart History: Billboard 200 https://www.billboard.com/artist/the-doors/chart-history/tlp/ 2019 Billboard.com live https://web.archive.org/web/20190920192612/https://www.billboard.com/music/the-doors/chart-history/billboard-200 September 20, 2019 Certifications Canada The Doors 13 album Platinum 1971 United States The Doors 13 album Platinum 1971 yes References Sources Hopkins Jerry Jerry Hopkins (author) Sugerman Danny Danny Sugerman No One Here Gets Out Alive 1980 978-0-446-60228-0 No One Here Gets Out Alive Heinz Gerstenmeyer The Doors – Sounds for Your Soul – Die Musik Der Doors https://books.google.com/books?id=8xk-cOcPH4C 2001 978-3-8311-2057-4 de Krieger Robby Robby Krieger 2021 Set the Night on Fire: Living, Dying, and Playing Guitar with the Doors Hachette Books 978-0316243544 https://books.google.com/books?id=e4EeEAAAQBAJ External links 45395 13 Category:Albums produced by Paul A. Rothchild Category:The Doors compilation albums Category:1970 compilation albums Category:Elektra Records compilation albums Category:Albums recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders