The Doors Unreleased Song To Premiere This Week

AXS TV (Submitted) | 11-14-2022

Video still from preview clip

(AXS TV) The EXCLUSIVE world premiere of the all-new music video for “Paris Blues,” the last-known unreleased studio recording by The Doors—will air on AXS TV on Thursday, November 17 at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. The video will also be available for 24 hours exclusively on the AXS TV website and the AXS TV Now FAST Channel immediately following the world premiere.

“Paris Blues” will be released by Rhino Records as a digital single the following day on November 18 and will also be available as part of a new limited edition vinyl compilation of The Doors’ rare blues recordings that will be released for Record Store Day’s Black Friday event on November 25.

Though the exact timeframe has been lost to history, “Paris Blues” is thought to have been recorded during one of the band’s sessions for either The Soft Parade or L.A. Woman. Over the years, the famed studio outtake has achieved an almost-mythic quality among fans and experts alike, with The Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek being the sole possessor of the only surviving copy of the original blues single.

While that copy was partially damaged by Manzarek’s son, Pablo, who accidentally recorded over a few short segments as a toddler, “Paris Blues” has finally been rescued from the edges of musical eternity thanks to some creative editing and careful reconstruction. The single is a testament to The Doors’ deep love and respect for the uniquely American medium of the blues, which so heavily influenced some of their most enduring works and cemented them as a seminal outfit that continues to influence and inspire generations of fans and artists today. Now, for the first time ever, AXS TV viewers will be able to experience this legendary song in its entirety, when the “Paris Blues” music video premieres on November 17.

The single is also featured on the upcoming vinyl release of the same name, which will be available as a limited edition of 10,000 numbered copies on translucent blue vinyl at select independent music stores on November 25 as a part of Record Store Day’s Black Friday event. The Blues-themed collection also includes two other previously unreleased live recordings from May 31, 1969 (“I Will Never Be Untrue” and “Me And The Devil Blues”) that feature singer Jim Morrison and guitarist Robby Krieger performing as a duo. Rounding out the collection are five additional Blues jams from the band, three of which come from a fabled live performance from 1970 featuring legendary bluesman Albert King.

“AXS TV is honored to serve as the exclusive home for the world premiere of this music video. The release of ‘Paris Blues’ truly is a monumental moment that generations of music connoisseurs have been clamoring for,” said Katie Daryl, AXS TV’s Vice President of Programming. “The Doors were such an integral part of rock music, and their fingerprints are still very much evident in the industry today. Thanks to Rhino Records, we finally have a chance to experience their last-known unreleased studio recording in its entirety, along with an all-new music video capturing the sheer vibrance and magnetism that could only be achieved by this iconic band. We cannot wait to share the ‘Paris Blues’ music video with fans around the world when it launches on November 17.” Watch the promo below: