Origins:House of the rising sun - Doors recording?

Subject: RE: Origins:House of the rising sun - Doors recording?
From: PoppaGator
Date: 13 Jan 09 - 02:23 PM

"I only like The Doors version due to the amazing spanish guitar of Jim Morrison."

While Jim probably knew how to play the guitar, if only a bit, he was strictly a vocalist in concert and on recordings with The Doors. The guitar player in The Doors was Robby Krieger.

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The well-known "pop" chord progression for "House of the Rising Sun" is indeed the work of Dave Van Ronk. It was "stolen" by Bob Dylan ~ that is, recorded on Bob's first eponymous album before Dave had a chance to record it. Dave soon had to quit playing it when audiences constantly referred to it as "that Bob Dylan song." Later, Bob quit playing it when an even larger public had begun to recognize it as "that Eric Burden and the Animals song."

Like it or not, that version gave the song a whole different (and more dramatic) feeling than any traditional arrangement, and it has stood the test of time as a widely, and wildly, popular piece of music. The originator/creator, the late Mr Van Ronk, never got much recognition or any remuneration for it.

Now, for those who do NOT like that version (including the more-or-less unavoidable heavy emphasis on the first syllable of each measure at a chord change) you can blame DVR and rest assured that he was never rewarded for his work.

Subject: RE: Origins:House of the rising sun - Doors record
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Jan 09 - 05:54 PM

Poppagator,

Thanks for your take on Nwa-lins. That's a good way of spelling it!

Jelly Roll Morton, a Nwa-lins native, clearly said New Or-LEENS, whether he was singing or speaking. I can't say for sure that he ALWAYS said it that way, but during the Lomax interviews he said it that way quite frequently; I've heard them many times. Could this either be an older pronunciation or an ethnic one? He was from a (black) creole family. You'd think that would make his accent more French rather than less...

Subject: RE: Origins:House of the rising sun - Doors record
From: Nerd
Date: 13 Jan 09 - 05:59 PM

Oops--that last GUEST was me (cookie reset!)

Subject: RE: Origins:House of the rising sun - Doors recording?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 13 Jan 09 - 08:22 PM

Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans...

Subject: RE: Origins:House of the rising sun - Doors recording?
From: Mark Ross
Date: 13 Jan 09 - 08:47 PM

Van Ronk told me he learned the tune from Hally Wood. In his memoirs he says that he added the decending bass line, which he says was a pretty common device in jazz, which is where he started. Dave used that he always wanted to play the jazz in the worst way, and he did.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Origins:House of the rising sun - Doors recording?
From: GUEST,rock_kandi
Date: 21 Apr 11 - 04:00 AM

I think this song is being over analyzed. There are many songs that have been re-recorded and changed from the original versions. Take for example The Righteous Brothers "Unchained Melody" versus the original by Todd Duncan in 1955. Some may prefer the originality of a classic version while others prefer the added melodies, passion or flare that a remake can bring.