IdeaWazaWiki

Spanish Caravan: Difference between revisions

← Older edit

Waza (talk | contribs)

1 user group
1,042 edits
No edit summary
m 1 revision imported: Apply cleanup edits
 
(48 intermediate revisions by 13 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
<!-- Please do not remove or change this AfD message until the discussion has been closed. -->
{{Infobox song
{{Article for deletion/dated|page=Spanish Caravan|timestamp=20191103085240|year=2019|month=November|day=3|substed=yes|help=off}}
| name          = Spanish Caravan
<!-- Once discussion is closed, please place on talk page: {{Old AfD multi|page=Spanish Caravan|date=3 November 2019|result='''keep'''}} -->
| artist        = [[the Doors]]
<!-- End of AfD message, feel free to edit beyond this point -->
| album        = [[Waiting for the Sun]]
{{Multiple issues|
| released      = July 3, 1968
{{Notability|Music|date=November 2019}}
| recorded      = January 15, 1968 <ref>{{Cite web |title=The Doors Studio Dates & Info |url=https://mildequator.com/recordinghistory/studioinfo.html |access-date=2026-11-08 |website=mildequator.com}}</ref>
{{Unreferenced|date=November 2019}}
| genre        = [[Flamenco]] • [[acid rock]]
{{Orphan|date=November 2019}}
| length        = 2:58
| label        = [[Elektra Records|Elektra]]
| writer        = The Doors
| producer      = [[Paul A. Rothchild]]
}}
}}
{{Infobox song
| name      = Spanish Caravan
| type      = Song
| artist    = [[the Doors]]
| album    = [[Waiting for the Sun]]
| cover      =
| alt        =
| released  = July 13, 1968
| recorded  = January–May 1968
| venue      =
| studio    = [[TTG Studios]], Hollywood, California
| genre      = [[Psychedelic rock]], [[acid rock]]
| length    = 3:03
| label      = [[Elektra Records|Elektra]]
| producer  =
| writer  = [[The Doors]]}}


"'''Spanish Caravan'''" is a song by american rock band [[The Doors]] from their album ''[[Waiting for the Sun|Waiting for the Sun<nowiki>''</nowiki>.]]''
"'''Spanish Caravan'''" is a 1968 song written by [[Robby Krieger]], and credited to [[Jim Morrison]], [[Ray Manzarek]], [[Robby Krieger]] and [[John Densmore]] that was released on [[The Doors]]' 1968 album ''[[Waiting for the Sun|Waiting For The Sun]]''.
 
== Background and recording ==
"Spanish Caravan" was written by Robby Krieger around late 1966.<ref name="mildequator.com-1">{{Cite web |title=The Doors Studio Dates & Info |url=https://mildequator.com/recordinghistory/studioinfo.html |access-date=2026-11-08 |website=mildequator.com}}</ref> He was inspired by, and took parts from the songs, "[[Asturias (Leyenda)|Asturias]]" by [[Isaac Albéniz]], and "[[Adiós Granada]]" by Tomas Barrera, and [[Rafael Calleja]].<ref name="Fanelli2018-1">{{Cite web |last=Fanelli |first=Damian |date=January 8, 2018 |title=Watch Robby Krieger Play The Doors' "Spanish Caravan" with a String Quartet |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/watch-robby-krieger-play-doors-spanish-caravan-la-philharmonic-quartet-flamenco |access-date=2026-11-09 |website=Guitar World |language=en}}</ref> The song was written to showcase Krieger's [[flamenco guitar]] skills, which he started learning when he was 17.<ref name="Weidman2011-1">{{Cite book |last=Weidman |first=Rich |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HjPcWkEPSR8C&pg=PT175#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=The Doors FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Kings of Acid Rock |date=2011-10-01 |publisher=Backbeat Books |isbn=978-1-61713-110-3 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Songfacts-1" /> According to John Densmore, "In rehearsal, I always asked Robby to play flamenco so I could watch his picking. His right hand looked like a crab with many legs crawling over the strings."<ref name="Weidman2011-1" /><ref name="Densmore1991-1">{{Cite book |last=Densmore |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Riders_on_the_Storm.html?hl=hy&id=FzSNEAAAQBAJ |title=Riders on the Storm: My Life with Jim Morrison and the Doors |date=1991-09-01 |publisher=National Geographic Books |isbn=978-0-385-30447-4 |language=en}}</ref> The song was recorded on January 15, 1968, from 5:00pm-12:00am.<ref name="mildequator.com-1" /> Mixing was done by May 3, 1968.<ref name="mildequator.com-1" />
 
== Composition ==
The song starts with a [[flamenco]] intro, played by Krieger, and is joined by Harpsichord, played by keyboardist Ray Manzarek, later in the intro. The first verse mentions places like [[Portugal]], [[Spain]], and [[Andalusia]], the southernmost part of Spain. When the chorus ends, the flamenco guitar stops, leading into an [[Acid rock]] instrumental, with use of the fuzz box. The second verse refers to the romanticized, and mythic wealth of the [[Iberian Peninsula]], which attracted many explorers from across [[Europe]].
 
== Release and reception ==
"Spanish Caravan" was released on July 3, 1968, along with the rest of the ''[[Waiting for the Sun|Waiting For The Sun]]'' album.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Music – The Doors |url=https://thedoors.com/music |access-date=2026-11-09 |website=thedoors.com}}</ref><ref name="mildequator.com-1" /> During an interview with Rainier Moddemann of ''The Doors Quarterly,'' Robby Krieger stated that the band was sued for borrowing from "Asturias." The Doors were forced to give up some money, but only a little. Krieger explained, "They didn't get very much, 'cause it's such a widely known thing, but they claimed they owned this little something stupid."<ref name="Songfacts-1">{{Cite web |last=Songfacts |title=Spanish Caravan by The Doors - Songfacts |url=https://www.songfacts.com/facts/the-doors/spanish-caravan |access-date=2026-11-09 |website=www.songfacts.com |language=en}}</ref> The song was later included in the 1972 compilation ''[[Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine|Weird Scenes Inside The Gold Mine]]''.
 
Pitchfork stated that "Spanish Caravan", and the previous song on the album, "[[The Unknown Soldier (song)|The Unknown Soldier]]", felt more meandering than the band's longest pieces. They then called both songs "start/stop multi-sectional three-minute songs".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Berman |first=Stuart |date=December 5, 2006 |title=The Doors: Perception |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/9691-perception/ |access-date=2026-11-09 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Rolling Stone]] called Krieger's flamenco guitar playing "stirring," while [[AllMusic]] called it "interesting."<ref>{{Cite news |title=The Doors: Album Guide {{!}} Rolling Stone Music |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/the-doors/albumguide |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130907072007/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/the-doors/albumguide |archive-date=2013-09-07 |access-date=2026-11-09 |work=rollingstone.com}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=The Doors: Waiting for the Sun Tracks & Reviews {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/waiting-for-the-sun-mw0000193597 |access-date=2026-11-09 |language=en}}</ref> Contrary to the previous 3 opinions, critic Bob Shayne of the L.A. Free Press commented that "Spanish Caravan" included some of the worst lyrics he had ever heard in his life.<ref name="Weidman2011-1" />
 
== Live performances ==
The first live performance of "Spanish Caravan" was on January 6, 1967, at the [[The Fillmore|Fillmore Auditorium]] in [[San Francisco]].<ref name="Weidman2011-1" /> John Densmore mentioned in his autobiography, "Riders On The Storm" that the people in the first few rows stared at the band like they were from another planet. He also stated, "[During] Robby's solo in 'Spanish Caravan," Jim [Morrison] got down on his knees to get a closer look at Robby's fingers."<ref name="Weidman2011-1" /><ref name="Densmore1991-1" />
 
The most famous performance was at the [[Hollywood Bowl]], on [[Live at the Hollywood Bowl (The Doors album)|July 5, 1968]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Doors {{!}} Hollywood Bowl 1968 |url=https://mildequator.com/performancehistory/concertinfo/1968/680705.html |access-date=2026-11-09 |website=mildequator.com}}</ref><ref name="Weidman2011-1" /> Other performances include one at the [[Roundhouse (venue)|Roundhouse]] in September of 1968, and the final performance at [[Madison Square Garden]] on January 24, 1969.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Doors {{!}} Madison Square Garden 1969 |url=https://mildequator.com/performancehistory/concertinfo/1969/690124.html |access-date=2026-11-09 |website=mildequator.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Doors {{!}} London - The Roundhouse 1968 Night #1 |url=https://mildequator.com/performancehistory/concertinfo/1968/680906.html |access-date=2026-11-09 |website=mildequator.com}}</ref> As of 2026, Robby Krieger still performs the song on tour, starting around 2010.<ref name="Fanelli2018-1" />
 
== Personnel ==
Details are taken from the 2019 [[Rhino Records]] reissue liner notes.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |first=Bruce |last=Botnick |author-link=Bruce Botnick |title=Waiting for the Sun |type=liner notes |year=2019 |publisher=[[Rhino Records]] |id=R2-537344}}</ref>
 
'''The Doors'''
 
* [[Jim Morrison]]{{snd}}vocals
* [[Ray Manzarek]]{{snd}}[[harpsichord]] and [[Gibson G-101]]
* [[Robby Krieger]]{{snd}}[[Flamenco guitar|flamenco]] and [[electric guitar]]
* [[John Densmore]]{{snd}}drums


[[Robby Krieger]]'s skills with the [[flamenco guitar]], with [[Granaína|Granainas]] intro and a reworking of the melody from the classical piece [[Asturias (Leyenda)]] composed by [[Isaac Albéniz]].
'''Additional musicians'''


<br />
* [[Doug Lubahn|Douglas Lubahn]] - electric bass
* [[Leroy Vinnegar]] - acoustic bass
'''Technical'''
* [[Paul A. Rothchild]]{{snd}}[[Record producer|production]]
* [[Bruce Botnick]]{{snd}}[[Audio engineer|engineering]]


== References ==
[[Category:The Doors songs]]
[[Category:The Doors songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by Jim Morrison]]
[[Category:Songs written by Robby Krieger]]
[[Category:Songs written by Ray Manzarek]]
[[Category:Songs written by John Densmore]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Paul A. Rothchild]]
<references />{{The Doors}}{{The Doors songs}}
[[Category:1968 songs]]
Retrieved from "https://ideawaza.com/wiki/Spanish_Caravan"