(quote below first published by Mild Equator, website of The Doors legacy)
"The only film cameras I saw that day were the Leacock-Pennebaker crew who shot the Sweet Toronto movie. I was riding on the back of one of the Harleys in the opening sequence, with the motorcycle club escort from the airport. In the photo I took my reflection on the Harley is visible on the limo door as Jim turns to look at me. One of his press people in the limo, Leon, gave me his card when we arrived at the venue and asked me to send along some of those shots. I did, but heard nothing further.
That evening I was shooting a few stills on stage left (nothing really usable, soft focus) and during a long organ instrumental Jim wandered over by me, for a break, leaning on an amp. I held out my press card and asked if he would autograph it. "Later, man, later," he mumbled. Never followed up on it. Instead I had to hurry down to the Toronto Star office to get my concert photos processed for deadline. (None made it to publication.)
The Doors concluded that day's 12 hour concert known as The Toronto Rock n' Roll Revival. However, just preceding The Doors was The Plastic Ono Band, featuring the first performance by John Lennon - without the Beatles - which really was THE story of the time."
Godfrey Jordan - Toronto, CA
A few additional thoughts; How it all began (got drive to airport from a guy who whose father was a Toronto Star exec and had borrowed the family car --went to airport to photograph J&Y arrivial)Two limos pulled to a stop off the road to prepare for the motorcycle escort back into downtown Toronto. When we pulled away from that hillside east of the airport runway, I had expected that it was John & Yoko inside one of the vehicles. We rode down Highway 27 and then east along the Gardiner expressway. Somewhere along there, probably between Kipling and Islington, the biker rode up alongside the lead limo. The front seat passenger in the front seat turned and looked directly at me. "That sure isn't John Lennon", I thought, disappointed, but snapped a photo anyways. Our Harley dropped back into its spot in the formation, following behind as the motorcade headed up through Toronto's wide University Avenue. Only when we arrived at the concert site did I find out that it was Jim Morrison.Why the confusion? The guy had just shaved off the bushy beard he had grown over that past year!...
Copyright © 2014 Godfrey Jordan
