The Magnificent Others with Billy Corgan
Episode: Robby Krieger | June 4, 2025
Episode Overview
In this wide-ranging and heartfelt conversation, Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan sits down with legendary Doors guitarist Robby Krieger. The episode explores Krieger's career post-Doors, the realities behind the band’s breakup, the development and legacy of Doors mythology, the enduring power of their music, and Krieger's ongoing journey as a musician. With humor, candor, and mutual admiration, Corgan and Krieger strip away the myths to reveal the humanity at the heart of the Doors’ story—making the episode a fascinating listen for fans of music history and creative process alike.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Reviving the Doors & The Role of Mythology
- Doors' resurgence: The episode opens with talk about the revival of interest spurred by the Oliver Stone movie and the classic biography No One Here Gets Out Alive (00:00, 38:03).
- Robby Krieger: “The movie really is what revamped the interest in the Doors.” (00:00)
- Billy Corgan: “Here I am at 14 and I’m caring about the Doors in a way that goes beyond Light My Fire and Break on Through.” (40:44)
- Band mythology: They discuss how the band’s real-life dynamics differ from the public myth, and how band members’ books contributed to (sometimes conflicting) mythmaking (07:02, 08:21, 43:39).
- Billy Corgan: “Your band particularly probably has more mythology around it than just about any other band ever.” (07:51)
- Robby Krieger: “Both of their books… they each put each other down for various reasons.” (08:21)
- Robby Krieger on Ray: “He was really just trying to keep it all going…he wanted people to know.” (44:18)
2. Krieger’s Post-Doors Career: Instrumental Bands and Personal Growth
- New project: Discussion about Krieger’s current instrumental band, Robbie Krieger and the Soul Savages, and the challenge/blessing of instrumental hits (00:44).
- Robby Krieger: “My hope is to have an instrumental hit like Booker T…to bring back that…instrumental hit record type of deal.” (00:57)
- Naming woes: Amusing anecdotes about band names, from the Doors (which Krieger claims was “a stupid name”) to the Butts Band (02:03, 19:41).
- Robby Krieger: “The Doors was a stupid name, too… and so was the Butts Band.” (02:03)
- Instrumental albums and influences: Krieger’s lifelong goal to “always get better…as a guitar player.” (32:41)
- Robby Krieger: “My idea was to always get better…as a guitar player. And, you know, sometimes it took a wrong turn here and there, I would say. But I think if you get this album, you’ll see where I’m at now.” (32:41)
3. The Aftermath of Jim Morrison’s Death
- Immediate aftermath: Detailed recollection of disbelief, sending a manager to Paris, and the subsequent period of denial and grief (09:03).
- Robby Krieger: “When we heard that he was gone…we didn’t believe it…there was always rumors…so we sent our manager…to check it out…Unfortunately, he never saw the body… Maybe he’s really just trying to fool everybody.” (09:03)
- Life after Morrison: Electra wanted them to continue, and the Doors made two albums without Morrison, experimenting with new singers and even considered searching in Europe (10:05, 15:31).
- Robby Krieger: “We did have reservations…like the Stones going on without Mick Jagger…Maybe it was a stupid idea. I don’t know.” (11:33)
- Transition to new projects: Krieger and drummer John Densmore formed the Butts Band, incorporating newer influences like reggae via UK session ace Phil Chen (18:18, 19:41).
4. The Realities of Post-Stardom: Relationships, Reinvention, and LA
- Social fallout: Krieger says he didn’t experience the “cold shoulder” from friends after the Doors, in part thanks to interests outside of music, like golf (29:19).
- Struggles with new bands: Persistent challenges with launching new material post-Doors, and tales of lost/stolen guitars (05:01).
- Band-member relationships: Lighthearted and honest commentary on post-Doors pursuits—Ray Manzarek’s avant-garde efforts, Densmore’s attempt at acting, Krieger’s own instrumental albums (27:25).
5. On Being in a Band: The Artistic Glue
- Chemistry: Corgan and Krieger agree the Doors had a uniquely irreplaceable dynamic, with each member critical to the overall sound (13:35, 58:14).
- Billy Corgan: “You're one of those rare bands where the four elements together…something magical happens.” (13:35)
- Robby Krieger: “When I was added, it really helped… the song.” (59:50)
- Writing process: Many songs grew out of jam sessions, “all different kinds of ways.” Jim Morrison’s early material arrived with melodies in his head (59:10).
6. Drugs, Spirituality, and Performance
- 60s context: Drugs were entwined with spiritual searching, but the practice shifted as the decade went on (12:11, 62:19).
- Robby Krieger: “In the 60s, drugs were spirituality. You know, that's what we use them for.” (00:09, 62:19)
- Band on LSD: Stories about performing under the influence, including Ray quitting acid after a disastrous gig at Hughes Aircraft (64:01, 65:06).
- Audience and mystique: Krieger reflects on the crowd’s reaction to Morrison’s provocations, notably the infamous Miami concert (68:51), and how the fallout led to increased recording.
7. On Influence and Legacy
- Enduring impact: Corgan credits the Doors' blend of literature and music with launching his own artistic journey (38:49, 81:46).
- Billy Corgan: “That’s why I started reading Kerouac and Jean Paul Sartre…Jim’s interest in those writers…and the musical influences set me off on this very particular path.” (38:49)
- Signature style: The show ends with Corgan describing his personal, musical debt to the Doors and a touching reading of “Crystal Ship” lyrics as tribute (81:46, 84:19).
- Billy Corgan: “There’s a lot of Doors in the Pumpkins’ DNA…literally from the first gigs of my band, I was singing these lyrics.” (82:36)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On band names:
- Robby Krieger: “The Doors was a stupid name, too… and so was the Butts Band.” (02:03)
- Billy Corgan: “They hated my band name…They tried to get us to change our band name 50 times. It's not that bad. It worked out.” (25:09)
- On the end of the Doors and moving on:
- Robby Krieger: “I just kind of shut off the Doors. I said, okay, that's over. I’m never, never going to have that type of thing again.” (29:49)
- On the Doors' unique chemistry:
- Billy Corgan: “There’s only a few bands where it’s like the Beatles come to mind, Led Zeppelin comes to mind where it’s like without one of you, I wouldn’t be into the band. It’s the communication between the four of you.” (58:14)
- Robby Krieger: “Every blues song we ever did was not just a blues.” (72:58)
- On Jim Morrison:
- Robby Krieger: “Jim didn’t really have his parents in his life…I think he kind of…liked hanging around my house because it was something he didn’t have.” (45:05, 47:00)
- Billy Corgan: “My real connection with [Jim Morrison] is he introduced me to something very personal.” (39:15)
- Robby Krieger, on Morrison’s death rumors: “We sent our manager…to check it out. And unfortunately, he never saw the body. So, you know, we were still thinking, gee, maybe he’s...trying to fool everybody.” (09:03)
- On American Prayer and the lost poetry tapes:
- Robby Krieger: “Luckily Jim had put the poetry down on tape. And about 10 years later…I said, hey, whatever happened with that poetry thing?…So he plays it for me and I just said, wow, we could put music to this and it would be cool.” (34:01, 34:40)
- On legacy and why the band endures:
- Billy Corgan: “You can build your own world. And the Doors did that because the Doors sound like the Doors…it’s like the spooky mystery, little bit Kurt Vile, mixed with Chicago Blues.” (41:41)
- Robby Krieger: “There’s so many Doors cover bands…none of them really [get the vibe].” (42:14)
Important Timestamps
- 00:44: Discussion of Krieger's new instrumental album, referencing Booker T. & the MGs
- 02:03: Origins of band names and the Butts Band
- 09:03: Krieger on the immediate aftermath of Jim Morrison’s death
- 15:31: The Doors’ quest for a new singer in Europe
- 18:18 – 19:41: Birth and adventures of the Butts Band
- 29:19: Adjusting to post-fame life and friendships
- 32:41: Krieger’s ethos of constant self-improvement
- 38:03: The legacy of No One Here Gets Out Alive and the start of Doors revival
- 43:39: Ray Manzarek leaning into "Jim the Shaman" and keeping the Doors’ story alive
- 62:19: Drugs as spirituality in the 60s
- 72:58: The signature of Doors’ blues songs
- 81:46 & 84:19: Corgan closes with a tribute to "Crystal Ship" and musical influence
Tone & Language
The episode is colored by mutual respect, understated humor, and a thoughtful, reflective tone. Billy Corgan mixes fan enthusiasm with musician-to-musician insight, frequently referencing his own artistic journey and using it as a bridge for deeper questions. Robby Krieger, ever soft-spoken and self-effacing, provides intimate recollections and personal admissions, often downplaying the band’s mythic stature and refocusing the story on the craft and relational realities at the heart of the Doors’ journey.
Conclusion
Robby Krieger offers a rare, candid look at life during and after the Doors, demystifying both the band's meteoric rise and the mythos that followed. Billy Corgan, as both interviewer and admirer, draws out stories, emotions, and wisdom that connect the past to the present, making this episode invaluable for musicians and fans seeking to understand how great art endures, evolves, and continues to inspire across generations.
