The Doors – The Soft Parade (1969)
Release Date: July 18, 1969
Label: Elektra Records
Producer: Paul A. Rothchild
Genre: Psychedelic rock, pop rock, jazz-rock fusion
Length: 38:55
Album Credits
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Jim Morrison – Vocals, lyrics
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Ray Manzarek – Keyboards, organ, piano, backing vocals
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Robby Krieger – Guitar, backing vocals
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John Densmore – Drums, percussion
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Paul A. Rothchild – Producer
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Bruce Botnick – Engineer
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William S. Harvey – Art direction, design
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Joel Brodsky – Photography
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Additional Musicians: Session string and horn players contributed to many tracks, arranged by Paul Harris
Cover Art Design
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The cover features a vibrant, painted illustration of the band riding in a fantastical parade-like vehicle, reflecting the album’s title and theatrical, experimental feel.
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Joel Brodsky photographed the band, while William S. Harvey oversaw the elaborate, colorful design and artwork, giving it a surreal, carnival-like aesthetic.
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The cover symbolizes the album’s experimentation with orchestration, brass, and string arrangements, marking a departure from the raw psychedelic sound of earlier albums.
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The imagery conveys a sense of movement, showmanship, and psychedelic theater, matching the album’s blend of rock, pop, and orchestral elements.
Tracklist
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Tell All the People – 3:21
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Touch Me – 3:11
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Shaman’s Blues – 4:35
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Do It – 2:25
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Easy Ride – 2:38
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Wild Child – 2:39
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Runnin’ Blue – 3:04
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Wishful Sinful – 2:55
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The Soft Parade – 8:37
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What Have They Done to the Rain – 3:20
Grossing and Ratings
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US Billboard 200 Peak: #6
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UK Albums Chart Peak: #23
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Certifications: Platinum (RIAA, US)
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Critical Reception: Mixed initially; AllMusic later rated 4/5 stars for ambition and experimentation
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Legacy Rating: Viewed as controversial in the band’s discography—admired for orchestration but debated by fans of their raw psychedelic sound
Fun Facts
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Touch Me became one of The Doors’ biggest hits, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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The album incorporates brass, strings, and horn arrangements—a first for the band, reflecting their desire to experiment beyond guitar-organ-drums trio sound.
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Jim Morrison reportedly had a strained relationship with the orchestral direction, preferring raw, darker psychedelia.
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The Soft Parade is the first Doors album to feature multiple session musicians on nearly every track, giving it a more polished, pop-oriented sound.
Trivia
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Runnin’ Blue features guest vocals from blues singer Rita Coolidge.
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The album’s title track, The Soft Parade, is a multi-part suite blending spoken word, jazz, rock, and orchestral arrangements.
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Morrison’s lyrics explore a mix of societal critique, romanticism, and surreal imagery, showing his growing literary influences.
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Despite initial fan skepticism, the album has been re-evaluated as an ambitious, experimental work that pushed the band’s musical boundaries.
Did You Know?
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Touch Me’s horn and string arrangements were composed by Paul Harris, giving the song a distinct pop and jazz flair.
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The album’s experimentation with orchestration influenced other late-1960s rock acts to blend classical instruments with psychedelic rock.
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Jim Morrison was increasingly exploring literary and poetic techniques, reflected in tracks like Shaman’s Blues and the suite The Soft Parade.
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The album cover’s parade imagery was meant to visually echo the “soft” but theatrical, colorful, and experimental sound of the music.
Cover Art Design
-
The cover features the band in a colorful, surreal parade, reflecting the album’s theatrical and experimental feel.
-
Joel Brodsky photographed the band, while William S. Harvey oversaw the vibrant, carnival-like design.
-
The imagery mirrors the album’s orchestral arrangements and psychedelic pop style, emphasizing movement, spectacle, and the “soft parade” concept.
