Dionne WordPress Banner

The Second Disc

Expanded and Remastered Music News

  • Home
  • News
    • Classic Rock
    • Rock
    • Pop
    • Jazz
    • Popular Standards/Vocal
    • R&B/Soul
    • Country
    • Folk
    • Cast Recordings
    • Soundtracks
    • Everything Else
      • Classical/Opera
      • Disco/Dance
      • Funk
      • Gospel
      • Rap/Hip-Hop
  • Features
    • Release Round-Up
    • The Weekend Stream
    • Giveaways!
    • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Classic Rock
    • Rock
    • Pop
    • Jazz
    • Popular Standards/Vocal
    • R&B/Soul
    • Country
    • Folk
    • Cast Recordings
    • Soundtracks
    • Everything Else
      • Classical/Opera
      • Disco/Dance
      • Funk
      • Gospel
      • Rap/Hip-Hop
  • Release Calendar
    • Coming Soon
    • Now Available
  • About
  • Second Disc Records
    • Full Catalog
  • Contact

/ News

Waiting for the Sun: The Doors' "Morrison Hotel" Goes Deluxe in October

August 20, 2020 By Joe Marchese 3 Comments

The Doors Morrison Hotel 50th

BUY NOW FROM AMAZON.COM

The Doors went back to basics when they checked into Morrison Hotel for their 1970 studio album.  The band's fifth LP, it's now being reissued by Rhino on October 9 as a 2-CD/1-LP 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition.  This release follows the label's similar reissues for The Doors' first four albums including The Soft Parade which expanded their sound to include orchestration.  Morrison Hotel got them back to blues-rock in striking fashion.

The box set features original engineer Bruce Botnick's remastered version of the 1970 album produced by Paul Rothschild on both CD and vinyl.  While Morrison Hotel didn't yield any major chart hits - "You Make Me Real" b/w "Roadhouse Blues" only made it to No. 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 - it's since been recognized as a powerful full-length album statement.  Henry Diltz's cover photography has since become one of rock's most familiar images.  The LP made it to No. 4 on the albums chart, and became the band's highest-charting album in the United Kingdom with its No. 12 berth.

The new box set expands the original album with a second disc of 19 outtakes - totaling more than one hour's worth of session material.  Botnick states in the press release, "There are many takes, different arrangements, false starts, and insightful studio conversations between the band - who were in the studio - and producer Paul Rothchild - who was in the control room. It's like being a fly on the wall."

Disc Two kicks off with three sessions for "Queen of the Highway" and continues with another three for "Roadhouse Blues," arguably the album's most beloved track.  The latter song evolved with different bass players including Soft Parade veteran Harvey Brooks and Lonnie Mack.  The pseudonymous John Sebastian (appearing as "G. Puglese") appeared on the final take with Mack on bass.  The disc concludes with the "Peace Frog"/"Blue Sunday" session.  Along the way, the set presents the previously released outtake "I Will Never Be Untrue" (indicated here as in an unissued version or mix) and outtake jams on Barrett Strong's Motown classic "Money (That's What I Want)" and B.B. King's "Rock Me Baby."

David Fricke has penned the liner notes which place the album in the context of its creation, when legal troubles plagued Jim Morrison and threatened to curtail the band's activity.  The Morrison Hotel: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition is due from Rhino on October 9.  You'll find pre-order links and the track listing below!

The Doors, Morrison Hotel: Deluxe Edition (Elektra/Rhino, 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1: The Original Album (Elektra EKS-75007, 1970)

Side One: Hard Rock Cafe

  1. "Roadhouse Blues"
  2. "Waiting For The Sun"
  3. "You Make Me Real"
  4. "Peace Frog"
  5. "Blue Sunday"
  6. "Ship Of Fools"

Side Two: Morrison Hotel

  1. "Land Ho!"
  2. "The Spy"
  3. "Queen Of The Highway"
  4. "Indian Summer"
  5. "Maggie M'Gill"

CD 2: Mysterious Union

Black Dressed In Leather ("Queen Of The Highway" Sessions)

First Session (11/15/68)

  1. "Queen Of The Highway" (Take 1, She Was A Princess) *
  2. "Queen Of The Highway" (Various Takes) *
  3. "Queen Of The Highway" (Take 44, He Was A Monster) *

Second Session (1/16/69)

  1. "Queen Of The Highway" (Take 12, No One Could Save Her) *
  2. "Queen Of The Highway" (Take 14, Save The Blind Tiger) *

Third Session (Date Unknown)

  1. "Queen Of The Highway" (Take 1, American Boy - American Girl) *
  2. "Queen Of The Highway" (Takes 5, 6 & 9, Dancing Through The Midnight Whirlpool) *
  3. "Queen Of The Highway" (Take 14, Start It All Over) *
  4. "I Will Never Be Untrue" *
  5. "Queen Of The Highway" (Take Unknown) *

Money Beats Soul ("Roadhouse Blues" Sessions)

First Session

  1. "Roadhouse Blues" (Take 14, Keep Your Eyes On The Road) *
  2. "Money (That's What I Want)" *
  3. "Rock Me Baby" *

Second Session

  1. "Roadhouse Blues" (Takes 6 & 7, Your Hands Upon The Wheel) *
  2. "Roadhouse Blues" (Take 8, We're Goin' To The Roadhouse) *

Third Session

  1. "Roadhouse Blues" (Takes 1 & 2, We're Gonna Have A Real Good Time) *
  2. "Roadhouse Blues" (Takes 5, 6 & 14, Let It Roll Baby Roll) *

Dawn's Highway (Peace Frog/Blue Sunday Session)

  1. "Peace Frog/Blue Sunday" (Take 4) *
  2. "Peace Frog" (Take 12) *

LP Track Listing

Side One: Hard Rock Cafe

  1. "Roadhouse Blues"
  2. "Waiting For The Sun"
  3. "You Make Me Real"
  4. "Peace Frog"
  5. "Blue Sunday"
  6. "Ship Of Fools"

Side Two: Morrison Hotel

  1. "Land Ho!"
  2. "The Spy"
  3. "Queen Of The Highway"
  4. "Indian Summer"
  5. "Maggie M'Gill"

(*) previously unreleased

Categories: News Formats: Box Sets, CD, Vinyl Genre: Classic Rock Tags: The Doors

Avatar photo

Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with Real Gone Music, has released newly-curated collections produced by Joe from iconic artists such as Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Chet Atkins, and many others. He has contributed liner notes to reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, B.J. Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, and Andy Williams, and has compiled releases for talents including Robert Goulet and Keith Allison of Paul Revere and the Raiders. Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray. Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.

Connect With Joe: FacebookTwitter

You Might Also Like

  • The Feelies RewindDancing Barefoot: The Feelies Collect Old Covers for New Album
  • Stream 2025The Weekend Stream: May 10, 2025
  • Rhino RSD 25Rhino Readies Nearly 50 Titles for Record Store Day Including Titles from Fleetwood Mac, The Doors, Joni Mitchell, More
  • Stream 2025The Weekend Stream: January 18, 2025

Comments

  1. Bill says

    August 20, 2020 at 1:28 pm

    No sale for me if it is only available with the vinyl edition. What's with the record companies and this vinyl & CD type release. I might be interested in a double or single CD release. But even then the most recent CD releases sound pretty good already. I was fooled once by The Eagles 25th Anniversary "Hell Freezes Over" CD release. The liner notes and all the graphics are exactly the same as the 1994 version.

    Reply
    • Iain Carmichael says

      August 21, 2020 at 6:39 am

      It’s The Doors, Bill .
      Just get your hands on it . You know as well as I do, you won’t have any regrets.

      Reply
  2. Demetrio says

    August 21, 2020 at 8:03 pm

    I have never bought a cd/vinyl combo and never will. Worst marketing move by the greedy record companies. Thank god for streaming!!!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Upcoming Releases

  • Version 1.0.0
    Natural Gas: Original Master Edition
    Natural Gas
    May 30, 2025
    US UK
  • Grateful Dead The Music Never Stopped
    The Music Never Stopped
    Grateful Dead
    May 30, 2025
    US UK
  • TMBG Spine Surfs Alone CD
    The Spine Surfs Alone: Rarities 1998-2005
    They Might Be Giants
    May 30, 2025
    US UK
See Full Calendar

Connect

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 4,673 other subscribers

Popular Posts

  • Most Commented
  • Most Viewed
  • Dionne Warwick Make It Easy on Yourself(Don't) Walk On By: Dionne Warwick's "Make It Easy on Yourself: The Scepter Recordings 1962-1971" Due in June on 12...
  • Tracks II CD packshot no disc artShut Out the Light: Bruce Springsteen Offers Seven Unheard Albums on 'Tracks II'
  • Rod Stewart Ultimate Hits Amazon exclusiveHe Wears It Well: Rod Stewart's 'Ultimate Hits' Due in June
  • RSD 2025 best of restRecord Store Day 2025: The Best of the Rest
  • record store day logoThe Second Disc's Guide to Record Store Day 2025: Our Favorite Picks
  • John Williams Anthology 1Mondo Maestro: New John Williams Box Set Series Announced, Plus 'Star Wars' Re-Recordings on Vinyl

Music Resources

  • Addicted to Vinyl
  • Crap from the Past
  • Discogs
  • Film Score Monthly
  • IMWAN Forum – From the Vaults
  • MusicTAP
  • Musoscribe
  • Pause & Play
  • Popdose
  • Slicing Up Eyeballs
  • Steve Hoffman Music Forums
  • Ultimate Classic Rock
  • Vintage Vinyl News
  • Wolfgang's Vault

Labels of Note

  • Ace Records
  • Analog Spark
  • Bear Family
  • BGO Records
  • Big Break Records
  • Blixa Sounds
  • Cherry Red Label Group
  • Craft Recordings
  • Demon Music Group
  • Friday Music
  • Funky Town Grooves
  • Iconoclassic Records
  • Intervention Records
  • Intrada
  • Kritzerland
  • La La Land Records
  • Legacy Recordings
  • Light in the Attic
  • Masterworks Broadway
  • Now Sounds
  • Omnivore Recordings
  • Real Gone Music
  • Rhino Entertainment
  • Rock Candy Records
  • SoulMusic Records
  • Sunset Blvd. Records
  • Supermegabot
  • Varese Sarabande
  • Vinyl Me, Please
  • Wounded Bird
Copyright © 2025 The Second Disc. All rights reserved. · Site by Metaglyphics

The Second Disc is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk.

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy