Rick & The Ravens - Transformation To The Doors

Transformation To The Doors

The band that recorded the demo was not the Doors, however, but Rick & the Ravens. The 1965 demo features Jim Morrison on vocals, Ray Manzarek on piano and background vocals, John Densmore on drums, Rick Manzarek on guitar, Jim Manzarek on harmonica and Patricia "Pat" Hansen (née Sullivan) from Patty and the Esquires—the band she had with Chuck Hansen, whom she later married -- on bass guitar. After the demo was recorded, the band tried to pass it around. Both Jim and Rick Manzarek were disappointed in the response to the demo—additionally both of the Manzareks, along Sullivan, were not impressed by the new Morrison songs -- and subsequently the Manzarek brothers, sans Ray, quit the band, stating they felt the band was "going nowhere fast".

In other words, the songs were cut before both of Ray's brothers left the band and Robby Krieger joined from the Psychedelic Rangers in October 1965. Psychedelic Rangers drummer John Densmore had joined Rick & the Ravens earlier the same year, in August. Krieger never played in Rick & the Ravens, though. At Morrison's suggestion the band changed its name to The Doors a month after they had recorded the demo, shortly prior to Krieger joining the line-up. The Doors was thus initially a quintet, but when Manzarek decided to handle the bass duties with the newly introduced Fender Rhodes PianoBass, Pat Sullivan was dropped from the line-up in December 1965, ultimately ending up with the "classic" quartet.