The Doors Play “Break On Through” On TV For First Time Ever, And It’s EPIC

Light At The End

In their first ever TV appearance, The Doors performed everlasting and transcendent anthem “Break On Through (To The Other Side” on KTLA-TV Channel 5 news on January 1, 1967 and seriously rocked it. A young, healthy Jim Morrison can be seen in this epic footage with clear vocals accented by the famous piano bass played by bandmate Ray Manzarek.

Interesting Fact: The original line in the chorus was “She gets high.” Elektra records censored “high,” making it sound like, “she get uuggh,” but the “high” line can be heard in live versions.

It was no secret that Jim liked to experiment with hallucinogens and substances similar to that nature, however, Jim’s lyrics were mainly influenced through his intense love of reading by the novel City of Night, by author John Rechy. Being the first single the band ever created, “Break On Through” catapulted The Doors into worldwide fame and fortune that they had only dreamt of at the time.

It is truly amazing that we were able to locate such precious footage, especially with such great sound quality. “Break On Through,” among many others by The Doors, is definitely in the top 5 rock favorites of all time and always will be. Enjoy this iconic performance of magic man in the making, Jim Morrison. RIP.