Poll: Who Do You Think Played The Bass Guitar On The Doors 'Light My Fire'

All of the musicians above claimed to have played bass on the Doors "Light My Fire". Since it was never 100% proven who actually played it for real, it's your opinion that matters here.

 

Always thought it was Bernard Purdie, but I voted for Robbie Krieger since he was the only one I know for sure who was there.

 

Wikipedia says "Larry Knechtel" was brought in to double Manzarek's keyboard bass part and Wiki is always right.

 

Bernard was thought to have played drums.

 

I didn't realize there was a bass guitar on "Light My Fire". Jeez, now I have no heroes...

I exaggerate, but I always thought there was no bass until L.A. Woman when they got Elvis' bass player.

 

Who played bass for The Rascals?

 

Thought it was The Wrecking Crew that played all the instruments but I never believed all the wild claims of Carol Kaye.

 

No way those drums are Hal Blaine either...my opinion.

 

I knew that Doug Lubahn and some others played bass on some of the Doors' records, but I had always thought "Light My Fire" only had Manzarek's keyboard bass. The keyboard bass is definitely in there even if someone doubled it on bass guitar.

 

Paul McCartney, of course.

 

Doesn't just the 45 RPM version have the bass guitar?

 

There is definitely an electric bass guitar doubling the keyboard bass on the original pressing. It sounds to me like whoever played it used a pick.

 

I always thought it was just Ray's foot pedals.

 

I vote for this guy.

 

I didn't know this was a rumor. No, I don't really hear his style on this. However, Hal was pretty free form at the time but I don't recall any Hal sounding fills during this particular track.

 

It was the super talented Wrecking Crew legend, LARRY KNECHTEL who also became a full time member of BREAD.
He also played the famous piano intro to Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubles Water" and he was the "guitar man" on his band's hit single "Guitar Man".

 

Ray didn't use foot pedals. He used a Fender bass keyboard.

 

One of my friends plays keys and is a huge Ray fan. When I said Ray used foot pedals, he scoffed. The bass keyboard was also news to me.

 

Ray
Mr ambidextrous himself.

 

Jack Casady

 

I think it was Larry

 

Larry Knechtel

 

Charles Mingus

 

Yeah. I don't know enough to have an opinion other than "it was anybody except Carol Kaye" based on her history of false claims.

 

I doubt it's Robby. The individual tracks are available (thanks to Rock Band or Guitar Hero) and there is an acoustic guitar playing along with the bass.