Forgotten Jam Session Unearthed: Jim Morrison and Van Morrison’s Electrifying “Gloria” Duet at Whisky a Go Go Lives On in Rock History
In the swirling haze of the 1960s rock scene, certain moments were destined to become legends—some through commercial fame, others through whispered tales and rare recordings. One such moment occurred at the iconic Whisky a Go Go club in Los Angeles, where two titans of music, Jim Morrison of The Doors and Van Morrison of Them, shared a stage in a fiery, impromptu jam session that would ripple through rock history for decades.
The event took place in 1966, during a residency by Van Morrison’s then-band Them at the Whisky. At the time, The Doors were a promising local act, often serving as openers for established touring bands. The synergy between the two acts was magnetic—both led by charismatic frontmen who embraced raw emotion, lyrical mysticism, and unfiltered stage presence.
During one of Them‘s final nights at the club, Jim Morrison joined Van Morrison on stage for an explosive rendition of “Gloria,” a track originally penned by Van and already a staple of garage rock. What followed was not a polished duet, but a raw, unrepeatable burst of musical energy. The two Morrisons fed off each other’s intensity—Van’s bluesy grit and Jim’s psychedelic theatrics intertwining in a hypnotic call-and-response.
The performance wasn’t formally recorded for commercial release, but a bootleg recording of the session has circulated among collectors and rock historians. Though rough and grainy in sound, the tape captures the electric atmosphere and the rare, serendipitous meeting of two of rock’s most enigmatic figures.
Though they shared a surname, Jim and Van Morrison were not related, yet they shared a creative kinship rooted in their mutual love for rhythm and blues, improvisation, and poetic expression. Jim was reportedly influenced by Van’s impassioned performance style—some even say Van’s unpredictable stage persona helped inspire Jim’s own on-stage mystique.
Despite the lack of a studio collaboration or further joint performances, this fleeting moment at the Whisky a Go Go remains a cherished piece of rock folklore. It offers a glimpse into the unfiltered, experimental spirit of the 1960s—a time when legendary figures crossed paths not in corporate boardrooms, but on dimly lit stages fueled by passion and spontaneity.
In a world of carefully curated collaborations, this unrehearsed jam between Jim and Van Morrison stands as a testament to the magic that can happen when true artists meet in the wild.
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