The Doors Invade San Francisco: The Human "Be-In" Kicks Off the Summer of Love

Part of the education of The Doors in the City by the Bay took place at The Human Be-In, a festival featuring music, activists, and spirituality in Golden Gate Park. Twenty thousand or more people had gathered to protest a California law banning LSD that had passed the previous fall. The Doors played elsewhere throughout the weekend but weren’t established enough to play the festival. The experienced the hippie vibe, firsthand, though as part of the throngs of people that descended on San Francisco, ultimately launching the “Summer of Love.”

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The Sound of the Sixties -- The Doors "Electric Eclectic"

What fans around the world were hearing, according to Ray Manzarek, was “electric eclectic,” a mix of jazz, blues, and hard rock — all infused with a mix of American grit and psychedelic vibes that the band brought to life. That combination came from the gifts of each band member, from Ray’s intensity and grace, Robby’s charging guitar, John’s jazzy beat and musical spirit, and Jim’s “literary side.”

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