# In 1967, The Doors helped define psychedelia. Their most famous opening owed a debt to Bach

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1967-the-doors-helped-define-psychedelia-their-most-famous-opening-owed-a-debt-to-bach/
- Published: 2026-11-06T22:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T23:36:08+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/song-the-doors-couldnt-have-made-without-johann-sebastian-bach/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Ray Manzarek linked ‘Light My Fire’s’ organ intro to Bach.
- He used a circle of fifths to shape the opening.
- The song also draws on jazz, blues and psychedelic sounds.

## Summary

The Doors blended jazz, blues rock and psychedelic influences into a sound that resisted easy categorisation. Ray Manzarek said the famous organ introduction to ‘Light My Fire’ drew on Johann Sebastian Bach, helping the 1967 song begin with a distinctive flourish rather than a simple vamp.

In a 1998 interview, Manzarek described the song’s main structure as a jazz pattern of verses, choruses and an extended solo. The band debated how to open it, and he turned to Bach for inspiration, using a circle of fifths, a chord progression associated with Baroque music. The article also notes the band’s interest in theatrical arrangements, including ‘Alabama Song’ and ‘Touch Me’.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.