Source:Ed Sullivan Show- Jim Morrison & The Doors, on The Ed Sullivan Show, in 1967. |
Source:The New Democrat
"On this day in 1967, The Doors were banned from The Ed Sullivan Show for breaking an agreement with the show’s producers...
From The Mad Music Asylum
"The Doors Light My Fire Ed Sullivan 1967. I do not own this video."
From Kill Matic
The Lizard King (or The Leather King) Jim Morrison and The Doors, on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1967. This performance is memorable for a couple of reasons: Jim Morrison standing up for the First Amendment and refusing to be censored and leaving in the lyric higher. But also because he really put out there, stuck it out there really, with the big boner sticking out of his skin-tight leather jeans. I guess he was just too excited to be on Ed Sullivan. There was a rumor that the producers stuck the camera on Morrison so people could see his erection, just to embarrass him. I can believe that.
Source:Ed Sullivan- The Lizard King Jim Morrison and The Doors, on The Ed Sullivan Show, in 1967. |
"In July 1967, The Doors scored their first No. 1 on the US singles chart with an edited version of Light My Fire, which spent three weeks in the top spot. The country loved the song so much that even the full six-minute and fifty-second album cut eventually made its way to the radio airwaves.
As a testament to their success, a few months later the psychedelic rockers were invited to perform the single live on The Ed Sullivan Show – a right of passage for any up-and-coming artist of the era. It would be a legendary appearance, and their only appearance when it ended with the Doors’ infamous banning from The Ed Sullivan.
The incident was ignited by Jim Morrison’s refusal to change the lyric “Girl we couldn't get much higher” despite producers’ requests due to the word “higher” being deemed inappropriate for a family show. Forever the rebel poet, Morrison defied the advice, concluding, “we’re not changing a word.”
Just 22 seconds into the performance, Morrison delivered the offending lyric without hesitation, eliciting a telling smirk from guitarist Robby Krieger. But Sullivan wasn’t smiling. The show’s stoic host was equally unwavering in his post, with a producer delivering the news directly after the band’s performance that “Mr Sullivan wanted you for six more shows, but you’ll never work The Ed Sullivan Show again.” To which Morrison famously replied, “Hey, man. We just did the Sullivan show.”
Source:Ed Sullivan Show- Jim Morrison and The Doors, on Ed Sullivan in 1967 |
"Up Close and Personal With The Lizard King Jim Morrison, on Ed Sullivan in 1967", is what the title of these photos should be. I guess The Leather King was simply too excited before he went out on stage that night and The Ed Sullivan Show made sure the world got to see that up close on national TV.
Before I make Jim Morrison look real bad here I'll say that this was one of The Doors best performances ever even as short as it was. The Lizard King (and I say that for a reason) was at the top of his game with the vocals and everyone played very well.
But if you watch the video (and you are not blind) you see something real obvious and may get to thinking: "What the hell" (Or something stronger than that) Because you see Morrison in his classic black leather suit. Nothing strange there from him, but with a big fact erection sticking out of his leather jeans.
I don't know how you go out on stage with that sticking out and that is assuming you are sober. And perhaps The Lizard King wasn't and this was one of the reasons why he was The Lizard King because he was so out there and not just wore the black leather jeans at most of his performances, but his leathers were so skin-tight and revealing that anything that got him excited sexually was going to be seen by a lot of people and this case being on Sullivan by millions of people.
And this happened to The Lizard King in one of the most public places possible on Ed Sullivan on national TV on Sunday night in 1967.