* En anglais uniquement
Best remembered as the man who helped
the Doors put their violent, dark sound down on tape, producer
Paul Rothchild was a key figure in the coming of age of '60s rock. As the house producer at Elektra Records
Rothchild worked with the likes of
Janis Joplin,
Love, the
Paul Butterfield Blues Band and the above-mentioned
Doors, among others.
The son of an opera singer, Rothchild studied classical conducting before becoming entranced by the early '60s New England folk scene. He began recording Boston folk groups such as
the Charles River Valley Boys and
Tom Rush and releasing the records on his own Mount Auburn Records. Rothchild then moved on to the folk-based Elektra Records in 1963, becoming their house producer. At Elektra he recorded folky singer/songwriters such as
Tim Buckley, but when the label began its foray into the rock world Rothchild quickly adjusted by signing and producing the
Paul Butterfield Blues band and the L.A. band
Love.
In 1967 Rothchild was asked to produce a newly signed Elektra band, the Doors. As the group began laying down the tracks at Sunset Studios that would comprise their first album, Rothchild essentially became the "fifth Door," ushering the group through the album making process and helping them capture their dynamic live sound on wax. He continued producing the band's albums through Morrison Hotel, acting as a calming and solidifying presence to the increasingly disparate group and taking a particular interest in fostering the intellectual leanings of singer
Jim Morrison. Rothchild resigned as the group's producer midway through
L.A. Woman, though, as he had been recently producing
Janis Joplin's
Pearl, a project in which everyone was wholly committed, and had grown tired of the
Doors unprofessionalism and poor attitude.
Rothchild continued producing through the '70s, working on projects such as the soundtrack to the
Bette Midler movie
The Rose as well as albums by
the Outlaws and
Bonnie Raitt. An incredibly versatile producer who was equally at home recording the intimate folk music of
Tim Buckley or the psychedelic experimentation of
Love, Rothchild died in 1994 after a five year battle with lung cancer. ~ Steve Kurutz