A Marriage of Rock and Poetry

Michael McClure, Ray Manzarek collaborate on stage, reflecting a new trend in poetry. 

Oakland poet and playwright Michael McClure first met pianist Ray Manzarek in 1968, during a recording session for the Doors’ classic album “Waiting for the Sun.” Doors lead singer Jim Morrison introduced the two, starting a friendship and creative association that has lasted three decades.
Their latest collaboration, “The Third Mind,” is a performance video-documentary featuring live concert footage of McClure reading his poems to the mostly improvised rhythms of Manzarek’s piano. The film, with narration by Peter Coyote, was just released by Mystic Fire Video and is available at Tower Records and at www.mysticfire.com.

The documentary segments trace the beginning of the poetry renaissance through 1950s San Francisco, setting McClure and Manzarek’s memories against the grandeur of the city. Viewers are taken on a tour of the place that for nearly two centuries has drawn writers like a magnet

McClure is one of the original Beat writers belonging to the movement that included Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs and Gregory Corso. These modern descendants of Arthur Rimbaud and William Blake became united in a common cause, dedicating themselves to freedom of thought and expression.

“What I remember most about San Francisco in the ’50s is the tremendous sense of brotherhood and community that existed between the poets,” McClure says. “There was a definite competition between us, but there was also a tremendous belief in what we were saying, in what we were trying to do. We looked out for each other and protected each other. And that feeling’s at the core of what Ray and I do in concert: feeding back and forth off of each other, interacting onstage spontaneously, instinctively.”

Jim Morrison had always considered himself a poet in the tradition of the Beat generation. However, he took it one step further, using rock ‘n’ roll as a tool to bring poetry to people. Morrison read with passion and depth — in a matter of seconds he shed his public face and invited viewers into a world of perpetual motion, mysticism and mystery.

“I first discovered Morrison’s poetry in London in 1968,” McClure says. “It was so perfect and pristine, startling in its uniqueness, in the condensation of imagery. And he kept it so completely hidden. Other than himself and his wife, Pamela, I think I was the only one who really knew that side of Jim.”

Manzarek says, “We started the Doors because of Jim’s writing and my music. It was a marriage of rock ‘n’ roll to poetry, just as the beatniks had married jazz to poetry in San Francisco in the 1950s. What I do with Michael now is equal to what I did with Jim, except that Michael and I work on an intimate acoustic level. That electric sound isn’t there, but the passion and intensity remind me of what the Doors were doing.”

Manzarek met Morrison in the early 1960s, while they were film students at the University of California at Los Angeles. At the time, America was divided, reeling through the war in Vietnam. Caught up in that fury, feeling alienated, the two decided to set some of Morrison’s words to music. The connection was immediate, the songs raw and powerful, brimming with primal rage.

“In the late ’60s I turned away from rock ‘n’ roll because it was being swallowed up by the corporations,” McClure says. “Then I heard the Doors, and I was astounded by their sound. You only had to hear Morrison’s vocal and Manzarek’s organ one time to know that America wasn’t going to buy out the Doors.”

The collaboration of Manzarek and McClure is intriguing, with McClure’s lyrics framed by the haunting lilt of Manzarek’s music. Poet and musician become one, words driving music, music driving a hot- white rhythm.

“One of the pieces I enjoy performing most now is a series of haiku from my last book, `Rain Mirror,’ ” McClure says. “Instead of the words being painted with sumi ink on silk, they’re being painted with the voice on a continuous sheaf of music flowing in the air above Ray’s piano. Like what Kerouac was doing with David Amram in jazz clubs in the ’50s, marrying poetry to music.”

Manzarek says. “Poetry is a very dynamic and very exciting art form. It actually touches the soul. Hopefully Michael and I can help young people come to this realization.”

A Tribute to Jim Morrison by Michael McClure
accompanied by Ray Manzarek of The Doors   

In Memoriam Jim Morrison

By Michael McClure

“If my poetry aims to achieve anything, it’s to deliver people from the limited ways in which they see and feel.”

~ Jim Morrison (1943-1971)

Click here to return toSans Souci, that poetess, hostess with the mostess , will light your fire !

delete reply millimusings wrote on Jun 10, ’08 Well if nothing else he sure wass a sexy poet…Actually the Doors lyrics are amazing and light your fire goes down so well with my fire theme this week. Interesting post and here is mine Poetry Wednesday: Fire Oh one more thing I found this to be comforting…and interesting. “One of the pieces I enjoy performing most now is a series of haiku from my last book, `Rain Mirror,’ ” McClure says. “Instead of the words being painted with sumi ink on silk, they’re being painted with the voice on a continuous sheaf of music flowing in the air above Ray’s piano. Like what Kerouac was doing with David Amram in jazz clubs in the ’50s, marrying poetry to music.” Manzarek says. “Poetry is a very dynamic and very exciting art form. It actually touches the soul. Hopefully Michael and I can help young people come to this realization.”

delete reply brian51 wrote on Jun 10, ’08, edited on Jun 10, ’08 Interesting about the beats, and the influence they had. I’m not sure I prefer McLure’s direction to that of Cohen, maybe because Cohen is more deceptively simple. I do remember some of the beats reciting in “The Last Waltz”, and how those readings fitted seamlessly with the music. Here is me!! http://brian51.multiply.com/journal/item/153/Songbird

delete reply starfishred wrote on Jun 10, ’08 love it great poetry song et all

delete reply sanssouciblogs wrote on Jun 10, ’08 I like the music rendition and recitation–enjoyed it more than reading it; Morrison was probably on peyote when he wrote this! Interesting about the beat generation, which preceded many great songsters–they probably were deeply influenced.

edit delete reply lauritasita wrote on Jun 10, ’08 Jim Morrison did not actually write Light My Fire. It was Robby Krieger. Anyway, I thought this was a very interesting and exciting style to bring to Poetry Wednesday this week.

delete reply bostonsdandd wrote on Jun 10, ’08 Very interesting. I didn’t find the Doors until after he died, I think. I love their music. Thanks for bringing this tribute to our attention. Wonderful as usual :oD!

edit delete reply lauritasita wrote on Jun 10, ’08 Thanks Lori ! Jim Morrison also wrote at least two volumns of poetry.

delete reply jayaramanms wrote on Jun 10, ’08 Awesome. Great poetry, beautiful video clip, wonderful writeup and excellent presentation. All makes your entry for Poetry Wednesday simply GREAT. Thank you for sharing. Mine is at – http://jayaramanms.multiply.com/journal/item/196 .

edit delete reply lauritasita wrote on Jun 10, ’08 Thanks for your visit, Jay. I’ll be over to see your post.

delete reply kwika wrote on Jun 10, ’08 A really interesting post.  Full of interest.  It must have taken ages to compile well done.

edit delete reply lauritasita wrote on Jun 11, ’08, edited on Jun 11, ’08 Hi kwika, thanks for your comment. Actually, the hardest part of compiling this post was getting the words to the poem in the video. THAT TOOK DAYS. I finally found one site on the web. I was trying to locate the book in my local library, but I’m not sure if they found one yet. Sometimes the fastest way is just by listening to the video and typing the words into the post as I think I hear them, which is not always accurate, but I only do that if the poetry book is out of print.

delete reply sweetpotatoqueen wrote on Jun 11, ’08 Wow..the piano is divine. I am absolutely convinced that music is just poetry set to musical notes…the Doors music certainly proves this. Great post!

edit delete reply lauritasita wrote on Jun 11, ’08 Correct. Their music basically consisted of Jim Morrison’s poetry set to the musical improvisations of The Doors’, which was sometimes blues or rock.

delete reply philsgal7759 wrote on Jun 11, ’08 Another brilliant artist with a tragic life.

edit delete reply lauritasita wrote on Jun 11, ’08 Hi Narice, thanks for your comment. Yes Jim Morrison was a brilliant artist. Even though he died tragically, you can truly say he lived for his art.

delete reply danceinsilence wrote on Jun 12, ’08, edited on Jun 12, ’08 You always manage each week to bring something to the table that begins so simple, yet digs inside at the heart of the poetry. This post was exceptional on all counts. I applaud your tenacity and time in bringing this, as well as others to us. Thanks for dropping by and commenting, as always, greatly appreciated …,thanks 8=) http://danceinsilence.multiply.com/journal/item/365/Poetry_Wednesday_In_Days_Gone_By

edit delete reply lauritasita wrote on Jun 12, ’08 Thanks Bill. It’s always a pleasure to hear from you ! Some of these posts I do are not always easy to do because there is research involved, but I’m glad you appreciate them. Thanks so much for stopping by.

delete reply zafreud wrote on Jun 12, ’08 Wow, Laurita, how interesting!!! Although I’ve read it slowly, in detail, I feel I’ve still to read it once again, so I believe I’ll come back! Such a post induces – and needs – contemplation…

edit delete reply lauritasita wrote on Jun 12, ’08 Hi zafreud, thanks for coming by. Take as much time as you need to absorb all this, LOL! I know it’s a lot.