Tightrope Ride / Variety Is The Spice Of Life

The single under review is the Japanese pressing of Tightrope Ride / Variety Is The Spice Of Life, released on Elektra Japan under catalog number JET-2097 in 1971. This is a standard 7-inch 45 RPM single, pressed and distributed exclusively for the Japanese domestic market. It places "Tightrope Ride" on the A-side and "Variety Is The Spice Of Life" on the B-side, both drawn from the band's 1971 LP Other Voices, the first album recorded without Jim Morrison following his death in July of that year.

Japanese pressings from this era are typically distinguished by their superior quality control relative to many contemporary US and European issues. The vinyl itself, manufactured by Japanese pressing plants in the early 1970s, tends to be noticeably quieter and more consistent than its Elektra US counterparts from the same period. The label design on JET-2097 follows the Elektra Japan convention of the time, which adapted the butterfly Elektra logo common to the period alongside Japanese text identifying the tracks and catalog information. The label typography mixes Roman characters for the artist name and song titles with kanji and katakana for the regional distribution and pricing information, which is characteristic of Japanese domestic singles from this era. The center spindle hole is the standard large-hole format common to Japanese 7-inch pressings of the period rather than the small hole found on many UK and European singles. The sleeve, as with most Japanese singles of 1971, would have been a paper company sleeve or a simple picture sleeve; without a confirmed picture sleeve documented for JET-2097 specifically, collectors should note this distinction when evaluating any copy that surfaces. The vinyl weight and pressing clarity on Japanese Elektra issues from this period consistently draw favorable comments from collectors who compare them directly against US originals, and this single would be no exception to that general standard.

"Tightrope Ride" was released as a single in multiple markets during 1971 to support Other Voices, and several pressing variants exist internationally. Collectors researching this title will find related pressings cataloged separately on DoorsInfo.com, including another variant of Tightrope Ride / Variety Is The Spice Of Life and an additional pressing, as well as a further regional version. Each of these carries different catalog numbers and country-specific identifiers, so cross-referencing is essential before purchasing. The JET prefix in the catalog number JET-2097 is the key marker that places this squarely as a Japanese domestic Elektra release. The song itself, written by Robby Krieger, was the lead promotional track from Other Voices and represents the post-Morrison Doors at their most commercially oriented. "Variety Is The Spice Of Life," the B-side, is a Ray Manzarek composition that appeared on the same LP and was less frequently excerpted for single release outside the US, which adds a modest degree of regional interest to this pairing. For context on the full studio output these tracks belong to, The Doors Complete Studio Recordings box set is the most comprehensive official source for the album versions. On Discogs, JET-2097 currently shows only 5 collectors reporting ownership against 15 who have it on their want list, a ratio that signals genuine scarcity in the current market. That 3-to-1 want-to-have ratio is meaningful for a single of this type and suggests copies surface infrequently. Japanese pressings of post-Morrison Doors material in general circulate less commonly than US issues of the same singles, partly because the Japanese domestic market for Western rock singles in 1971 was smaller than the American one, and partly because fewer Japanese copies made their way into Western collector networks over the decades. For anyone building a comprehensive collection of Doors international pressings, this single fills a specific and not easily duplicated slot.

The Discogs want-to-have ratio for JET-2097 makes a straightforward case: this Japanese pressing of "Tightrope Ride" is genuinely hard to find. It is not a landmark release in terms of content, but as a Japan-only Elektra 45 from 1971 with documented scarcity, it belongs in any serious international singles collection. Condition will be everything when a copy surfaces; prioritize VG+ or better on both vinyl and sleeve.