Image via flickr
Former location –
The second floor once housed the business offices for the Doors which has come to be known as “The Doors Workshop”. The group recorded their “L.A. Woman
” album in the recording studio located in the space downstairs.
The lower level bathroom served as the vocal booth for Morrison to lay down his vocals for the album as Jim liked the way his voice sounded in it.
A plaque in front of the building still commemorates the former site.
Doors Discography
1967 – The Doors
1967 – Strange Days
1968 – Waiting for the Sun
1969 – The Soft Parade
1970 – Morrison Hotel
1971 – L.A. Woman
1971 – Other Voices
1972 – Full Circle
1978 – An American Prayer
The Doors Office and Recording Studio
8512 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood CA 90069
It should be noted that the Doors had another ” office ” ( earlier than the 1970 Santa Monica Blvd address )
The location was almost just across the street from Elektra Records on La Cienega.
As I remember, there was a desk, large leather couch and a chair or two. and the interior walls were yellow.
The locale may have a space for their manage (or?) but I was told it was where the group often hung out and this would have been late 1968 or early 1969.
There were several posters, photos and record awards on the walls.
Perhaps someone could contact any remaining group members in order to verify this entry.
Hi, I have a 1969 Doors poster currently on Ebay and someone contacted me and told me that he remembers that same poster on the wall at “The workshop” when he and his mother would visit the office onLa Cienega.
I am the guy, now 63, who remembers The Doors Workshop. I was 9 years-old in 1970. My mom had just gone back down to Hollywood. She used to work for Bob McLaughlin & Gene Norman “Just Jazz” show on KLAC radio. She had been an early Sinatra fan as a kid & in her late 30s was a Doors/Jim fan. She went looking for Jim’s new poetry book & ended up at The Workshop. She met Danny Sugarman, who said, Jim said if anyone wanted his book to just give them one. She asked if Jim could sign it & Jim came driving up in his dark blue/black Shelby. They hung out a bit & he signed her book. She asked if The Doors would be playing anywhere? He invited her back that evening to listen to the playback of LA Woman they were still recording. An acquaintance tagged along, & she went back with only the band, Rothschild, & the band’s girlfriends. We both moved down around the corner from the workshop about 2 weeks later in early Jan. We lived on Westmount Drive, just up from Santa Monica Blvd, past the Tropicana Hotel & Duke’s coffee shop. Mom visited the Workshop regularly & got to know Danny, who always had the latest Doors scoop. On my first trip with mom to the liquor store, I looked across the street at The Workshop. Jim & the other bandmembers were hanging out near the top of the stairs drinking beers. Mom said wave hello to them. I reluctantly did, & Jim, who was turned around talking spun around & looked at me. When he saw it was a kid, he gave me a huge smile & waved emphatically. The Doors were always friendly whenever we waved or said hello. One of the guy’s cats had kittens, so one day I went with mom to the Workshop to get one. Bill Siddons took me upstairs to the offices to pick one out for myself. I remember a big cardboard box just sitting on the floor with copies of Jim’s, An American Prayer inside. I got a kitty & Bill asked, what are you gonna name it? I proudly said, LA Woman “La-La” He laughed, Oh, poor kitty! I remember well, the day Jim left for Paris. It took everyone by surprise & they were kind of bummed out. The weekend news came of Jim’s death was a bad time. Mom made 2 trips to the liquor store that day. The Doors played louder than I’d ever heard them. There’s a lot more to the story but I’ll leave it at that.