End of the Night

"End of the Night" is a song by the American psychedelic rock band the Doors. It was featured on the band's debut album and then released as the B-side to the album's first single, "Break On Through (To the Other Side)" in January 1967.

"End of the Night"
Single by the Doors
from the album The Doors
A-side"Break On Through (To the Other Side)"
ReleasedJanuary 1, 1967 (1967-01-01)
RecordedAugust 1966 (1966-08)
StudioSunset Sound Recorders Hollywood, California
GenrePsychedelia[1]
Length2:49[2]
LabelElektra
Songwriter(s)The Doors[2]
Producer(s)Paul A. Rothchild
The Doors singles chronology
"End of the Night"
(1967)		 "Light My Fire"
(1967)

After the band's rise to fame the song was rarely played live in concert; it has since been included in box sets released over the years by the band.

Composition and lyrics

"End of the Night" is essentially a psychedelic track,[1] notated in the key of E Minor, with Jim Morrison's vocal range spanning from D4 to G5. It is also performed throughout in 4/4 time.[3] The song was written in the band's early days, before guitarist Robby Krieger had joined the group. It was recorded in 1965 by the band in an attempt to land a deal with Aura Records; however the band failed to get signed. In 1966, when they were signed to Elektra Records, the song was recorded for their self-titled debut album.[4] In the album recording, Krieger provided a distinct slide guitar, tuned in a minor tuning.[5][6][7] As Krieger himself explained, "I'd try different tunings until one worked".[8]

Although the songwriting credit was given to all four members of the Doors,[2] the lyrics were written by lead singer Jim Morrison.[9] Its title is derived from the 1932 French novel Journey to the End of the Night by Louis-Ferdinand Celine.[10] The line "Some are born to sweet delight; some are born to endless night" are lifted from a William Blake poem "Auguries of Innocence", written in 1803 and published in 1863.[9]

Release and reception
Chart (1967) Position
US Billboard Hot 100 126[11]

The song was chosen as the B-side to the album's first single, "Break On Through (To the Other Side)" and was released in January 1967. The single, however, failed to become a success and only peaked at number 126 in the U.S.[11] Reviewing the "Break on Through" single, Cash Box said that "End of the Night" is a "bluesy shuffler that also merits watching."[12]

PopMatters critic Andy Hermann declared "End of the Night" as one of the "weirder" and moodier songs in the Doors' catalogue.[13] In an AllMusic album review of The Doors, critic Richie Unterberger described the song's melody as being "mysterious", and noted that it was one of several tunes of the album besides "Light My Fire" that "also had hit potential".[14] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine praised Krieger’s guitar solo, for being "sufficiently trippy," but he wrote that the song was "less ambitious (and less successful)" than the other album tracks.[15] Sputnikmusic reviewer Ian Philips noted that the "dreamy, mysterious 'End of the Night'" highlights "the group's remarkable affinity for shrewd, poetic, profound lyrics."[16]

References
  1. Bamyasi, Eddy (October 7, 2020). "Log #102–4 Doors Albums. Were the Doors Just a Phase One Went". Medium. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  2. The Doors (Album notes). The Doors. New York City: Elektra Records. 1967. Back cover. ELK-4007.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. "Digital Sheet Music – The Doors – End of the Night". Musicnotes.com. Sony/ATV Music Publishing. 9 May 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  4. Swanson, Dave (September 2, 2015). "The Day the Doors Recorded Their First Demo, But Under a Different Name". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  5. The Doors (2008). Classic Albums: The Doors Extras (DVD). Eagle Rock Entertainment.
  6. Burrluck, Dave (July 8, 2009). "Robby Krieger Talks Guitars and the Doors". Music Radar. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  7. Drozdowski, Ted (October 8, 2010). "The Gibson Interview: Doors Legend Robby Krieger". Legacy Gibson. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  8. Rapp, Allison (January 4, 2022). "Doors, THE DOORS: A Track-by-Track Guide". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  9. Kruth, John (January 4, 2017). "The Doors' Debut Is Still One of the Most Dangerous Albums Ever". The Observer. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  10. Densmore, John (1990). Riders on the Storm: My Life with Jim Morrison and the Doors. Random House Publishing Group. p. 286. ISBN 978-0307429025.
  11. Whitburn, Joel. Bubbling Under Singles & Albums (1998): 66.
  12. "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. January 14, 1967. p. 18. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  13. Hermann, Andy (September 18, 2001). "The Very Best of the Doors – Review". PopMatters. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  14. Unterberger, Richie. "The Doors – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  15. Cinquemani, Sal (April 18, 2007). "The Doors: The Doors Album Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  16. Phillips, Ian (October 1, 2015). "Review: The Doors – The Doors". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
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