When it came out and I was 14 and life was never quite the same again . . . . . . break on through to the other side

On this day in music history: January 4, 1967 - “The Doors”, the debut album by The Doors is released. Produced by Paul A. Rothchild, it is recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood, CA from August 24 - 31, 1966. The L.A. based rock band are signed to a contract by Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman after seeing them perform at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood, CA. The album is recorded on a four track multi-track tape machine in only six days of studio time. Consisting of mostly original material (and two covers from their live act), the album initially gets off to a slow start, when the first single “Break On Through (To The Other Side)” does not chart, but the bands’ fortunes change dramatically with the release of the second single “Light My Fire” (#1 Pop). In time it is regarded as one of the most important and influential rock albums of the era. It is inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 2002, and is selected for preservation by the National Recording Registry of the Library Of Congress in 2015. Originally issued both in mono and stereo, the mono version of the album differs significantly from its stereo counterpart. The mono LP version of “Light My Fire” appears in its original recorded speed, while the more common stereo mix is slightly slower. The mono mix of the final track “The End” features Jim Morrison saying the words “f***, f***, f***” during his extended monologue, while the original stereo version have the expletives mixed out (though a later stereo remix restores them to the track). In April of 2008, the mono version of the album is remastered and reissued on vinyl as part of “The Doors -Vinyl Box” set for Record Store Day. Limited to 12,500 copies, it sells out of its pressing soon after its release. It is the first time this version of the album has been available since being deleted in 1968. In November of 2010, Rhino Records reissues the mono LP individually (limited to 3,000 copies) on Black Friday Record Store Day. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the album in 2017, it is reissued as an individually numbered 3 CD/ vinyl LP set. The package includes original mono and stereo mixes of the eleven song album on the first two discs. The third CD features eight tracks recorded live at The Matrix in San Francisco, CA on March 7, 1967. The anniversary set also includes a 180 gram vinyl pressing of the mono mix, previously reissued in 2008 and 2010. It comes packaged in a 12" x 12" hardbound book jacket, and contains a twelve page booklet with photos and with liner notes written by Rolling Stone magazine journalist David Fricke. “The Doors” spends two weeks at number two on the Billboard Top 200, and is certified 4x Platinum in the US by the RIAA.