Nearly 50 years ago, in July 1968, The Doors released their third studio album on Elektra Records.  Waiting for the Sun yielded the chart-topping hit “Hello, I Love You” and became the band’s first album to top the album chart (not to mention a third platinum certification in under two years’ time).  On September 14, Rhino will reissue Waiting for the Sun in a 2-CD/1-LP book-style box set, including previously unreleased material, following the label’s anniversary reissues of The Doors and Strange Days.

The 2-CD/1-LP box features Bruce Botnick’s remastered version of the original stereo mix on both CD and 180-gram vinyl, plus a disc of 14 previously unreleased tracks including nine rough mixes and five live performances from Copenhagen on September 17, 1968.  Botnick is quoted in the press release, “I prefer some of these rough mixes to the finals, as they represent all of the elements and additional background vocals, different sensibilities on balances, and some intangible roughness, all of which are quite attractive and refreshing.”  The complete audio will also be available on digital download and streaming services.

The press release also notes that, “When the Doors recorded Waiting for the Sun in 1968, they were among the first bands to use Dolby A301 noise reduction processors, which was cutting-edge recording tech at the time. Similarly, the most advanced sound recording innovations were used to make the anniversary edition of Waiting for the Sun. The new release has been encoded with the MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) process. An MQA disc plays back on all CD players as standard CD quality. But if a conventional CD player is connected to an MQA-enabled device, it can play the same disc back at its original sample rate.”

Prior to the box set, however, Rhino will also mark the anniversary of “Hello, I Love You.”  The Doors’ second No. 1, it topped the Billboard pop singles chart for two weeks beginning on August 3, 1968.  On August 3 of this year, Rhino will release a 7-inch single of “Hello I Love You” and its original B-side, “Love Street,” with the exclusive mono promotional mixes sent out to radio stations.  This version of “Hello, I Love You” was released last year on CD as part of The Singles, while the mix of “Love Street” is being issued on this single commercially for the first time.

That’s not all.  The Doors only produced one official tour program in the band’s original lifespan, and now that 1968 program is being reprinted.  The 24-page booklet designed by Paul Ferrara includes photos of each band member, astrology charts, and more.  It’s exclusively available now for order at The Doors’ official webstore.

Waiting for the Sun: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition arrives from Rhino/Elektra on September 14, while the Hello, I Love You/Love Street single hits stores on August 3.  Currently, only an Amazon MP3 link is available for pre-order in the U.S., but we will update as soon as all links go live!

The Doors, Waiting for the Sun: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Rhino/Elektra, 2018) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1

Original Album (Elektra LP EKS 74024, 1968)

1. “Hello, I Love You”
2. “Love Street”
3. “Not To Touch The Earth”
4. “Summer’s Almost Gone”
5. “Wintertime Love”
6. “The Unknown Soldier”
7. “Spanish Caravan”
8. “My Wild Love”
9. “We Could Be So Good Together”
10. “Yes, The River Knows”
11. “Five To One”

CD 2 (all tracks previously unreleased)

Rough Mixes

1. “Hello, I Love You”
2. “Summer’s Almost Gone”
3. “Yes, The River Knows”
4. “Spanish Caravan”
5. “Love Street”
6. “Wintertime Love”
7. “Not To Touch The Earth”
8. “Five To One”
9. “My Wild Love”

Live In Copenhagen

10. “The WASP (Texas Radio And The Big Beat)”
11. “Hello, I Love You”
12. “Back Door Man”
13. “Five To One”
14. “The Unknown Soldier”

The Doors, Hello, I Love You/Love Street (Elektra promo single EK-45635, 1968 – reissued Rhino/Elektra, 2018) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

1. Hello, I Love You
2. Love Street

Both sides mono.