LA Woman

The release under review is the original 1971 US pressing of LA Woman on Elektra, catalog number EKS-75011, a standard commercial LP. This is the Terre Haute pressing carrying the Columbus Circle address on both the sleeve back and the butterfly labels, and it does not bear the Warner Bros. 'W' imprint. Those three details, taken together, are the key identifiers that place this copy firmly in the earliest domestic run. Collectors chasing the most desirable first-issue version of this record need to verify all three before committing to a purchase. There are several other pressings cataloged here on DoorsInfo.com, including on 8-track and cassette, so cross-referencing label details is essential.

The sleeve construction on this pressing is genuinely distinctive and unlike most standard Elektra LP jackets of the period. It is a two-color burgundy and black varnish-print sleeve with radius corners and embossed 'Doors' text across the top, that embossing being immediately tactile when you handle the cover. The front features a cut-out window with a sheet of clear acetate on which the band photo is printed in black halftone. When the yellow radius-corner inner liner is inserted correctly, it provides a solid yellow background behind the acetate, creating the warm, amber-tinged band image that the cover is known for. The photo itself shows all four members, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, John Densmore, and Jim Morrison, against that yellow field. The group is shot from the chest up, informal and slightly grainy in the halftone process, with 'DOORS' embossed at the top of the burgundy surround and 'L.A. WOMAN' printed in large black serif text across the lower third. The overall palette of deep burgundy, black, and yellow gives the sleeve an immediate visual weight that reproductions and later reissues rarely capture convincingly. The back of the inner liner carries a black-print crucifix image, a detail that often goes unremarked but is specific to this configuration. The sleeve back also shows the Columbus Circle, New York address for Elektra, which is one of the primary dating markers for this pressing generation. The butterfly labels themselves are clean Elektra stock without the Warner Bros. 'W', confirming this sits before the label transition. In the attached photo, you can see the burgundy sleeve with the acetate window clearly, the halftone band image sitting against the yellow liner below, and the bold yellow 'L.A. WOMAN' title text. The condition of the cover stock on original copies varies considerably at this point; look for clean corners on the radius edges and minimal sleeve splits, as the construction is more vulnerable than a standard square-corner jacket.

LA Woman was the sixth and final studio album recorded with Jim Morrison, released on April 19, 1971. What makes this specific pressing historically significant beyond its role as the band's farewell record is the production backstory: Paul Rothchild, who had produced every prior Doors studio album, declined to continue after hearing the early sessions, characterizing the direction as too loose. The band proceeded without him, self-producing alongside engineer Bruce Botnick, tracking the sessions in a rehearsal space set up in their own office on Santa Monica Boulevard. That context is audible in the record's feel, the blues structures are more open, Morrison's vocals sit differently in the mix, and the whole thing carries a lived-in quality that the earlier Rothchild productions do not. The ten tracks across the two sides range from the organ-and-guitar directness of 'Love Her Madly' and the slow blues of 'Cars Hiss By My Window' to the sprawling title track and the closing 'Riders On The Storm', which remains one of the most atmospheric recordings in the band's catalog. 'Crawling King Snake' is a traditional blues cover that fits naturally into the album's mood rather than feeling like a detour. On Discogs, this release has accumulated over 20,000 collectors marking it in their collections, with more than 6,700 want-listed copies, figures that reflect both the title's enduring demand and the volume of copies that have circulated over the decades. The market for clean originals with matching Columbus Circle labels and no WB imprint remains steady. If you are comparing formats or variants, the Strange Days and LA Woman pairing and the HMV Collection edition serve different collecting purposes entirely. For the definitive domestic artifact, the Terre Haute pressing described here is the target. Also worth reviewing alongside this additional pressing variant to confirm label differences before buying.

This is a straightforward recommendation for any serious Doors collection. The EKS-75011 Terre Haute pressing with Columbus Circle address and no WB butterfly imprint is the most desirable original US configuration of this title. It is not rare in absolute terms given how many were pressed, but finding a clean copy with a solid sleeve, intact acetate window, and undamaged yellow liner takes patience. Keep one sealed away and play another. That advice holds.