The Doors’ Robby Krieger, John Densmore Revisit ‘Riders on the Storm’

Fifty-five years after recording the Doors classic “Riders on the Storm,” surviving band members John Densmore and Robby Krieger have come back together to recreate the song with musicians from across the globe, including Lukas Nelson, Micah Nelson, Don Was, Rami Jaffee, Sierra Ferrell, and Aaron White, as part of Playing For Change’s annual Songs Around The World project. Check out the video right here, which was helmed by Playing For Change founder Mark Johnson.

“Vocally, Lukas Nelson filled Jim Morrison’s leather pants quite well!” Densmore says in a statement. “Ray would be proud of the way Rami Jaffee ‘channeled’ the piano solo. Mark Johnson masterminded a beautiful video.”

Adds Krieger: “Seeing musicians from different cultures come together around this song means a lot. Playing For Change is doing important work to unite people across the globe.”

Other artists on the track and video include William Barton (Didgeridoo), Boboulaye Sissokho (Kora), Macarena Montesinos (Cello), Guarani Andeva Group (Percussion), Iron Cult Dancers (Dancers), Izzana Jaa (Vocals), Ezequiel Acosta (Bandoneón), and Erik Prevost David (Trumpet).

“Much has been said about the poetic side of The Doors,” says Don Was, who plays bass on the recording. “However, I can also testify to the depth of their swing and the swagger of their pocket. John and Robby’s groove is the secret sauce of their success.”

Over the past two decades, Playing For Change has teamed up with icons like Keith Richards, Robbie Robertson, Bono, Buddy Guy, David Crosby, Steve Miller, Tom Morello, Ringo Starr, Bunny Wailer, and many others, racking up over two billion YouTube views. Songs to get the Playing For Change Treatment have included “Fly Like An Eagle,” “The Weight,” “No Woman No Cry,” “Peace Train,” and “When The Levee Breaks.”

The Doors, meanwhile, spent the past year celebrating the group’s 60th anniversary. Densmore is largely retired from the road, but Krieger continues to keep the band’s music alive on concert stages. On March 28, he’s holding a special 80th birthday show at the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles.