An hour of magic with Jim Morrison’s friend Frank Lisciandro
A very special interview / Part THREE
Question # 7
Can you tell us about any film footage, besides the “FEAST OF FRIENDS” stuff, that you know exists? I have heard that there is the complete Doors’ concert performance from Toronto 09/13/1969 out there. There are mainly rumours about two shows: the Rock n’ Roll Revival show (not the Canadian TV, where they only performed The End) and one other Doors concert in Boston 1970. Reliable sources told us, these both shows are complete filmed performance.
Answer # 7
It would be lovely to be able to view a complete Doors performance with great audio on a DVD. I would be the first to buy it. I am sorry to say that I don’t know a thing about any Doors shows that were filmed, except for those that have already been released. I have heard the rumours like everyone else but I have no reliable information nor have I ever seen any of this film material. My question is: if there are any great filmed performances out there, why haven’t they come out? Why hasn’t anyone seen them? If anyone reading this has information about any footage with Jim Morrison (performance or not), I wish they would let me know about it. We are looking for rare film or video of Jim for use in future projects. So please, dear fans and friends, share your knowledge of these lost rarities with us so that we can all enjoy them.
Question # 8
I have also heard rumours of filming during the L.A. Woman sessions, which wouldn’t surprise me. You did some great photo shots during the recordings. Were you also able to film some parts of these record sessions?
The Doors 1970
© Photo by Frank Lisciandro
Answer # 8
I didn’t film anything during the LA Woman sessions, but I haven’t published all of the photos I took during those sessions.
Question # 9
You wrote two books where you talked very sincerely about Jim Morrison; do you have plans to write a new one, maybe about your life with Jim Morrison? We all did enjoy your books with all these great pictures of Jim, we hope you will start someday a project for a further book with rare photos, do you think this dream can become true?
Jim Morrison
© Photo by Frank Lisciandro
Answer # 9
Thanks for the kind and generous words about my books. I wrote them in response to what I considered unfair attacks on Jim. I wrote “An Hour for Magic” because I was angry about the way Jim was presented in the Hopkins/Sugarman book, “No One Here...”, which as many of you know, Jim’s friends call, “Nothing Here But Lots of Lies”. This book started out with misinformation about Jim as a kid and got progressively worse. The book is so badly distorted that a close friend of Jim’s cried after reading only 20 pages and threw the damn book away. My reaction to what I read was one of anger and disbelief. Here were two people who claimed to be Morrison admirers retelling bullshit lies about him. I wanted to slam the authors’ heads together.... HARD!
But I’m a peaceful person and not much into violence, so I decided that as an antidote to the poison of “Nothing Here...” I would try to write about my experiences hanging and working with Jim. I wanted to describe him as I knew him: funny, generous, very smart, gentle, creative and always considerate.
My goal was to relate only events in which I was a participant, so that the reader has my point of view (my eye and ears) about what went down. I was the witness and here is what I saw, heard and felt. I had taken many photos so I used them in the book for people who don’t like to read but would rather look at images.
I did the interviews with Jim’s close friends that are gathered in my second book, “A Feast of Friends” because of the Stone movie which was supposed to be about Jim, but contained not a shred of truth about any Jim Morrison I ever knew. Although the film was made with all the technical skill that Hollywood is famous for, it was an endless series of lies not only about Jim but also about the times in which we lived. The film presented an image of this era (the mid to late 1960’s) that was gloomy and drug infested; while the truth (at least from my perspective) was that the era was very much alive with hope for a better future. It was an exciting and vibrant time that pulsed to the beat of great music, that grew an intelligent, confident and active opposition to the war-machine in Washington, and birthed a genuine search for spiritual awakening. All this while the arts were experiencing a renascence-like renewal.
Stone’s view of the 60’s is not recognizable to anyone who lived through and was even partially conscious during those years. Yes, the costumes and the sets in the movie looked real, but Stone missed the energy and life force fuelling our lives. He missed the attitude of defiance and rebellion; he missed the essence of what created our era. He didn’t get it because he wasn ‘t a part of it; he was a soldier in Viet Nam.
To counter the effect of that horrific film and to once again try ‘set the record straight’ I asked Jim’s friends (all of them hated the film) to give their views about Morrison the man and the creative artist. Warner published the book in 1991. I called it “A Feast of Friends” because... it was exactly that. I put lots of photos in the book (mine and those of other photographers) once again for those of us who love looking at pictures.
Here’s something to note: not one of the remaining members of the original Doors, not Ray, not Robby, not John ever once (that I can remember) said a complementary word about either of my books. Why is that? Are the books so bad that they wanted to spare my feelings? I don’t think so; too many fans have told me how much they like the books. Are the three remaining Doors afraid of the truth about Jim Morrison? Afraid the fans will see Jim as the central creative force in the band, as the intellect and soul of the group? Why don’t they want the world to see Jim as a complete human being? Guess what guys? Almost all the people I meet have already figured out that Jim Morrison was an extraordinary individual, and not the asshole that Hopkins/Sugarman/Stone would have us believe.
Am I going to write another book about Jim? I don’t think so, but you never know. Right now I’m very much occupied with doing my own work; and I’m interested in getting all of Jim’s work ready to release.
The Doors 1969
© Photo by Frank Lisciandro
But I do have a few unpublished photos of Jim that I hope to include with the DVD of HWY, and even a few others for future projects.
END OF PART THREE