Tell All the People

"Tell All the People" is a song by American rock band the Doors and was written by Doors' guitarist Robby Krieger. It was the A-side backed with "Easy Ride" - an outtake from Waiting for the Sun recorded in March 1968 - and was released in June 1969. It was the third single from the Doors' album The Soft Parade. It is also known as "Follow Me Down" due to the use of the phrase in the song. In the US, "Tell All the People" reached No. 57 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, in August 1969.[3] The US single release of the song contains a longer fade-out and runs approximately 12 seconds longer than the album version as a result.

"Tell All the People"
Single by the Doors
from the album The Soft Parade
B-side"Easy Ride"
ReleasedJune 1969 (1969-06)
RecordedNovember 12 & 20, 1968
GenreSymphonic rock
Length
  • 3:25 (single version)[1]
  • 3:24 (album version)[2]
LabelElektra
Songwriter(s)Robby Krieger
Producer(s)Paul A. Rothchild
The Doors singles chronology
"Wishful Sinful"
(1969)		 "Tell All the People"
(1969)		 "Runnin' Blue"
(1969)

Album credits

All songs on The Soft Parade album displayed individual song writer credits, whereas previously these were shared by the entire group. The change was made by lead singer Jim Morrison who didn't want people to think that he had written the lyrics to "Tell All the People" which encourages listeners to "...get your guns."[4] As a result, The Soft Parade was the first Doors album to list band members.[5]

Reception

Ultimate Classic Rock critic Nick DeRiso claims that "'Tell All the People' tries for a (previous Doors hit single) "Touch Me" kind of alchemy, but instead comes off as strangely morose.[6] In an AllMusic review, critic Richie Unterberger described it as an "uncharacteristically wistful" tune that was "not all that good, and not sung very convincingly by Morrison."[7]

Rolling Stone critic Alec Dubro also related "Tell All the People" with "Touch Me" as "horn-string showpieces" for lead vocalist Jim Morrison which "stick that idiocy (of the Doors' typical reductio-ad-absurdum poetry) right up front and surround it with the most cliche-ridden sounds this side of the 101 Strings."[8]

References
  1. Tell All the People (Single notes). The Doors. New York City: Elektra Records. 1969. Side A label. EK-45663-A.CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. The Soft Parade (Album notes). The Doors. New York City: Elektra Records. 1969. Back cover. EKS-75005.CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. "The Doors Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard.com. 2019. Archived from the original on May 7, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  4. Gillian G, Gaar (Oct 28, 2019). "The Doors' challenging year: 1969". goldminemag.
  5. Hopkins, Jerry (1980). No One Here Gets Out Alive. Grand Central Publishing. pp. 226–227. ISBN 978-0-446-69733-0.
  6. DeRiso, Nick (July 18, 2016). "50 Years Ago: The Doors Stumble Through the Experimental The Soft Parade". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  7. Unterberger, Richie. "The Soft Parade – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  8. Dubro, Alec (August 23, 1969). "The Doors: The Soft Parade". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
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