MAR. 4/5/6

KIP AOKI / KAOKI@STARBULLETIN.COM

Light the
fire again

'He was dedicated to the music and dedicated to Jim Morrison." While Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek was quoted about the band's recently deceased manager and biographer Danny Sugerman in a recent issue of Rolling Stone, he could've easily been talking about himself as well.

Ever since Manzarek and Morrison first met as University of California at Los Angeles film students back in 1965, taking the national spotlight with the band's seminal hit "Light My Fire" two years later, and the charismatic frontman's mysterious passing in Paris, France, in 1971, the Doors have consistently mined a repertoire of music now in the "classic rock" category.

In concert The Doors of the 21st Century: Where: Pipeline Cafe, 805 Pohukaina St. When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, 18 and older Tickets: $56 Info: 591-2211 or 877-750-4400, also online at www.ticketmaster.com

But even as Manzarek and guitarist Robbie Krieger continue to carry the torch under the appended moniker of The Doors of the 21st Century, the two carry on without original drummer John Densmore, who sued his bandmates back in February 2003 for breach of contract, trademark infringement and unfair competition.

(Four months later, the band settled a lawsuit out-of-court that was instigated by former Police drummer Stewart Copeland who, during '02, was with the reformed Doors. Copeland left for what he thought was a brief period of time while he recovered from a mountain biking injury, and found out, through a magazine article, that his "temporary replacement," Ty Dennis, was going to be the band's permanent drummer.)

Manzarek offered a quick and firm "no comment" when asked about the still-pending Densmore suit as part of a phone interview from his Northern California home last month, to help publicize the band's Honolulu concert this weekend, on their way back to the States from Australia.

(And, yes, Dennis is still the drummer, joined by bassist and rhythmmate Phil Chen (Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart). Cult singer Ian Astbury has taken care of the band's vocal duties ever since he appeared on a Doors TV reunion special in 2001.)

Apart from the run-in with Densmore, Manzarek speaks with confidence and deliberation about his motivating dedication to the spirit of the Doors and its late singer. He knows his place in the annals of rock history, and he clearly enjoys the stature bestowed upon him and the band.

COURTESY PHOTO Break on through to the other side: Original Doorsmen Ray Manzarek, left, and Robbie Krieger, joined in the 21st Century by Ian Astbury.

IT'S BEEN close to 35 years when the original Doors were last in Hawaii, playing a concert at the-then Honolulu International Center Arena in April of 1970. Manzarek remembers "a great audience at the Hawaiian show," although the specifics are a bit hazy, as he admits being "busy ingesting hallucogenic substances" while in the islands.

"Hawaii is so lush and sensuous and incredibly beautiful," he said with a wistful tone. "It needs no alteration."

And while Manzarek turned 66 on Feb. 12, and Krieger 59 on Jan. 8, the basic modus operandi of the Doors in its present guise has not aged a wit.

Manzarek dispenses his philosophy for a long, healthy life: "Eat food in season -- tomatoes in summer, strawberries in the springtime, squashes in the wintertime -- and, as little as possible, artificial foods. Find someone to love, and love that person completely, that will keep you alive. Lay off the white powder -- no cocaine, heroin, crystal meth -- and stay strictly psychedelic!"

The loquacious keyboard player, before the reformation of the Doors, kept busy musically. He did a solo album in 1975 called "The Golden Scarab" with Doors producer Bruce Botnick, and top-notch jazz-session men Tony Williams on drums, guitarist Larry Carlton and bassist Jerry Scheff.

With Krieger and Densmore working on their own project at that time -- with the "poetic" name of the Butts Band -- Manzarek, too, had his own band (albeit briefly) called Nite City, releasing the 1978 album "Golden Days and Diamond Nights." Over the years, he's regularly worked with veteran beat poet Michael McClure, presenting evenings of duo readings and piano improvisation.

He even had a hand in the burgeoning L.A. punk scene, producing all of X's studio albums, including the classic debut "Los Angeles." "It was definitely exciting, alive and throbbing on the Sunset strip. They made me think of the Doors when we started at the Whisky-A-Go-Go. Ten-12 years later, my wife Dorothy and I went to see them, and read the lyrics that Exene Cervenka and John Doe wrote. I was so inspired that I asked them if they need a producer, they said yeah. They also asked if I could get them a record contract, but I told them heck no!"

Other later creative collaborations included a memorable one with contemporary classical composer Philip Glass on a rock version of Carl Orff's modern cantata "Carmina Burana."

WHILE MANZAREK has dabbled in other creative ventures outside the band -- a film he did five years ago called "Love Her Madly" and, a year later, a novel "The Poet in Exile: A Journey Into the Mystic," which he projects what would've happened if Morrison hadn't died and remained "crazy wild" -- he's spent most of the time on the Doors.

He did a spoken word CD called "Doors: Myth & Reality," as well as a memoir, "Light My Fire: My Life with the Doors."

The Doors of the 21st Century has also started work on their first studio album. "Music and lyrics were submitted by Doe, Jim Carroll, Michael McClure, and Warren Zevon, who gave me two stanzas of a piece titled 'A River of Madness Running Through L.A.' before he died in 2003." Carroll wrote 'Street of Crocodiles' and 'Cops Talk,' and McClure 'The Eagle In the Whirlpool.'

Thinking back on how the original Doors wrote their music, "first, Jim would have the lyrics, then we'd make music to his lyrics. Or we'd have music, and Jim would make the words. Sometimes, Robbie would virtually have complete songs, like 'Love Me Two Times.' He's also the one that initiated 'Light My Fire.' "

And when the 40th anniversary of the band rolls around in 2007 (also for the "Summer of Love" and the flowering of the hippie culture), Manzarek said "we're going to do a documentary, showing the real Jim Morrison ... and filled with archival footage. We're just there to guide it. There's way more work, man!"

Manzarek's expansive musical nature also includes remixes of classic Doors material. He loves how superstar deejay Paul Oakenfold remixed "L.A. Woman" on his recent CD, and Manzarek plans to compile some remixes for a future album. When we spoke to him, he was planning to work with his son Pablo the following week on a remix of "Ship of Fools."

"It's not difficult to do," he said, "and nothing is besmirching to great music. I love to hear other things done to our songs, and Jim would've love it, too -- as elevator music, as big band jazz, as hip ballads by cool jazz girl singers, R&B, hip-hop, electronica, even classical."

THE DOORS of the 21st Century has also broadened their fan base worldwide. "We just recently spent two months in South America -- Argentina, Brazil, Chile -- and Mexico City. The summer before, we were in Europe, and in Paris for Jim's 60th birthday, Dec. 8, 2003. Man, what a show, what a night that was. We went to his grave, burned some poems, the smoke going out into the ether. We first played a little Paris club, packed like the Whiskey, and the next night played before 10,000 people at a festival.

"The plan is to work for two weeks and go home. We don't need to do 60-city tours. We go out to play for fun.

"And keep listening to Morrison, Manzarek's and Krieger's fingers, and Densmore's sticks. However you come to come (our music), it is valid."

But don't bother requesting "The End" at the concert. Manzarek said that song will remain "sacred to Jim Morrison."