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  • Ray Manzarek - Bassman

    Raymond Daniel Manczarek Jr. (February 12, 1939 – May 20, 2013) was an American musician, singer, producer, film director, and author, best known as a founding member and keyboardist of The Doors from 1965 to 1973. He was a co-founding member of Nite City from 1977 to 1978, and of Manzarek–Krieger from 2001 to his death.

    Manzarek was of Polish descent, born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, as were his parents, Helena and Raymond Manczarek.[1] Growing up, he took private piano lessons from Bruno Michelotti and others. He originally wanted to play basketball, but he only wanted to play power forward or center. When he was sixteen his coach insisted either he play guard or not at all and he quit the team. Manzarek said later if it was not for that ultimatum, he might never have been with the Doors. He went to Everett Elementary School on South Bell Street and attended St. Rita High School in Chicago.[2] He graduated from DePaul University with a degree in economics and played in many shows at the school.

    Read the full bio on Wikipedia!



    I didn't say too much when Ray died because - though a renowned keyboardist - Ray was never really thought of as a bass player. The Doors had no bass player, per se, but Ray's use of the Rhodes piano, and his ability to play the songs' basslines with his left hand, made him, for all intents and purposes, the band's bass player.

    When I watched him play, it would completely confound me how he was able to differentiate the music in his left hand from that in his right. The Rhodes sat on top of his regular keyboard, and I always watched that left hand with tremendous interest. I became hooked on that Rhodes piano. As most of you know, before I played bass guitar, I played keyboard bass. I coulda been another Ray... well, maybe. Or maybe not.

    They often used session bassists during studio recordings, but on stage, Ray was da man.

    Here are a couple of old TR posts relating to my love of Ray's keyboard bass.

    http://www.thunderrow.com/entry.php?...ss-Experiences

    http://www.thunderrow.com/showthread...80-Ack-Ack-Ack

    Anyway, hats off to you, Ray! A bassman at heart.



    Check out this video of Ray talking about Riders On The Storm. Though he doesn't use the Rhodes, watch him lay down the bassline on his keyboard.



    On this last one, watch at about 08:00 in - Ray's just playing bass. He shoulda had an ax in his hands.

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