Wishful Sinful

"Wishful Sinful" is a song by American rock band the Doors. Group guitarist Robby Krieger wrote the tune, which was released in March 1969 on the band's fourth album, The Soft Parade, as well as a single. "Wishful Sinful" follows the general theme of the album by incorporating elements of classical music.

"Wishful Sinful"
Denmark picture sleeve
Single by the Doors
from the album The Soft Parade
B-side"Who Scared You"
ReleasedMarch 1969 (1969-03)
RecordedJuly 26 & November 20–21, 1968
StudioElektra Sound West, Hollywood, California
GenreRomantic ballad
Length2:55
LabelElektra
Songwriter(s)Robby Krieger
Producer(s)Paul A. Rothchild
The Doors singles chronology
"Touch Me"
(1968)		 "Wishful Sinful"
(1969)		 "Tell All the People"
(1969)

In April 1969, the single reached No. 44 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.[1] In Denmark, it peaked at No. 3, where it stayed in the Top 10 for a month.[2]

Background

The Doors FAQ author Rich Weldman describes "Wishful Sinful" as a "crooning Frank Sinatra–type ballad."[3] The music of the song incorporates string instruments and an English horn solo.[4][5] Author Gillian G. Gaar describes the lyrics as being "romantic".[4] According to Krieger, he "tried to get in the subconscious mind" with the lyrics to the song.[3] On the other hand, Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek interpreted the song as just being about "love and sex."[3]

Critical reception

Ultimate Classic Rock critic Nick DeRiso described "Wishful Sinful" as being "entangled in gauzy classical themes," expressing surprise that it nearly made the Top 40 despite that.[6] Fellow Ultimate Classic Rock critic Eduardo Rivadavia ranked it as Krieger's fifth best Doors song.[7] Rivadavia claimed that it came closest of any song on Soft Parade "to capturing the Doors’ vision for densely orchestrated chamber-rock," because the hooks in the refrain work well with both the "ornate" symphonic arrangement and the Doors' own rock music instruments.[7]

In an AllMusic album review of The Soft Parade, critic Richie Unterberger described the song along with "Tell All the People" as an "uncharacteristically wistful" tune that was "not all that good, and not sung very convincingly by [Jim] Morrison."[8]

References
  1. "The Doors Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 7, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  2. "Wishful Sinful: The Doors". Danskehitlister.dk. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  3. Weldman, Rich (2011). The Doors FAQ. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1617131141.
  4. Gaar, Gillian G. (2015). The Doors: The Illustrated History. Voyageur Press. p. 79. ISBN 978-1627887052.
  5. Everett, Walter (2008). The Foundations of Rock: From "Blue Suede Shoes" to "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes". Oxford University Press. p. 95. ISBN 978-0199718702.
  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. Rivadavia, Eduardo (January 8, 2016). "Top 10 Robby Krieger Doors Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  8. Unterberger, Richie. "The Doors: The Soft Parade – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.