Morrison Hotel - the fifth studio album by the Doors was released on February 9, 1970, by Elektra Records.
The band needed an album cover to perfectly match their record. Ray Manzarek set out to find a good location to photograph the group, subsequently discovering Morrison Hotel, which is no longer open. The address is 1246 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, although if you visit, you’ll simply find a boarded-up building covered in posters. The fact that this cheap hotel shared a name with the lead singer seemed perfect. Thus, photographer Henry Diltz and Gary Burden, an art director, they headed over to the building.
Unfortunately, the receptionist wasn’t keen on the band having a photoshoot there, so they had to rub their heads together and find a way around the obstacle. The answer was easy – wait for the receptionist to go for a break and sneak into the window. The Doors were successful, quickly posing in the window behind the words ‘MORRISON HOTEL’, with Diltz standing outside.
The grainy image is the perfect encapsulation of the record, which is about an America that is far from glamorous and polished. The band look contemplative and confronting – neither happy nor sad, seemingly observing the streets in front of them in the same way that Morrison was keen on observing the state of America through his lyrics.
It took Diltz many attempts to take the best shot, trying his best to get the name of the hotel in the frame without capturing the reflection of himself in the window. However, in the chosen image, you can actually see his reflection if you look close enough. Additionally, the back cover of the record features an image of The Hard Rock Cafe, an old bar on Skid Row a few blocks away from Morrison Hotel. According to Diltz, the founders of the popular Hard Rock Cafe chain, which was founded in 1971, were inspired by seeing the name of this old bar, founded in the ‘30s, on the Morrison Hotel album packaging.
Source: Aimee Ferrier / Far Out
The Doors, 'Morrison Hotel' Album Cover Outtake, 1969 by Henry Diltz
The band needed an album cover to perfectly match their record. Ray Manzarek set out to find a good location to photograph the group, subsequently discovering Morrison Hotel, which is no longer open. The address is 1246 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, although if you visit, you’ll simply find a boarded-up building covered in posters. The fact that this cheap hotel shared a name with the lead singer seemed perfect. Thus, photographer Henry Diltz and Gary Burden, an art director, they headed over to the building.
Unfortunately, the receptionist wasn’t keen on the band having a photoshoot there, so they had to rub their heads together and find a way around the obstacle. The answer was easy – wait for the receptionist to go for a break and sneak into the window. The Doors were successful, quickly posing in the window behind the words ‘MORRISON HOTEL’, with Diltz standing outside.
The grainy image is the perfect encapsulation of the record, which is about an America that is far from glamorous and polished. The band look contemplative and confronting – neither happy nor sad, seemingly observing the streets in front of them in the same way that Morrison was keen on observing the state of America through his lyrics.
It took Diltz many attempts to take the best shot, trying his best to get the name of the hotel in the frame without capturing the reflection of himself in the window. However, in the chosen image, you can actually see his reflection if you look close enough. Additionally, the back cover of the record features an image of The Hard Rock Cafe, an old bar on Skid Row a few blocks away from Morrison Hotel. According to Diltz, the founders of the popular Hard Rock Cafe chain, which was founded in 1971, were inspired by seeing the name of this old bar, founded in the ‘30s, on the Morrison Hotel album packaging.
Source: Aimee Ferrier / Far Out
The Doors, 'Morrison Hotel' Album Cover Outtake, 1969 by Henry Diltz
