Break On Through

This is the Japanese CD single release of Break On Through on Elektra, catalog number WMC5-351, pressed and distributed in Japan and dated April 10, 1991. It is tied directly to the Oliver Stone film soundtrack rather than to any standalone Doors compilation or studio reissue. There is a companion Japanese single release from the same period, so collectors should confirm the catalog number before purchasing, as the two are easily confused in marketplace listings.

The cover art is immediately striking and well-suited to the film's visual language. The front panel features a close-up portrait of Jim Morrison rendered in warm, fiery tones: orange, red, and yellow flames or flame-like brushwork surround his face, giving the whole image an almost painterly, psychedelic quality. Morrison is shown young, with his characteristic curly dark hair, looking slightly downward with a brooding expression. His face occupies most of the frame, and the flames bleed into the background so thoroughly that it is difficult to tell where the portrait ends and the abstraction begins. The effect is intense without being garish. At the top left, the band name "the Doors" appears in a clean white serif font. At the bottom of the cover, the title "BREAK ON THROUGH" is printed in white, followed by smaller text crediting The Doors as the performers. The overall color palette, dominated by that burnt orange and gold, clearly echoes the theatrical poster aesthetic of the Stone film and differentiates this single from earlier Elektra single packaging. The format is a standard Japanese CD single jewel case. Japanese pressings from this era typically include an obi strip, and while the provided image shows only the front cover, collectors acquiring this in the wild should look for that obi intact, as it carries the catalog number and pricing information critical to confirming the variant. The disc itself would carry standard Elektra label printing, and the rear tray card or insert would list track sources and copyright information consistent with what is documented in the Discogs notes.

What makes WMC5-351 specific and worth cataloging separately is its function as a soundtrack-adjacent promotional piece for the 1991 Oliver Stone film. The four tracks here are not newly recorded or remixed; they are sourced directly from original Elektra studio albums. "Break On Through" and "Love Street" are drawn from the soundtrack LP 7559-61085-1 and its associated formats, which pulled from the debut album and Waiting For The Sun respectively. "Hello, I Love You" also originates from Waiting for the Sun, while "Touch Me" comes from The Soft Parade. The original copyright years, 1967, 1968, and 1969, are preserved in the notes, with the 1991 Elektra Entertainment and Carolco Pictures copyright applied to the packaging and compilation itself. Carolco's dual copyright, U.S. and Canada under Carolco Pictures Inc., all other territories under Carolco International N.V., reflects the complex international licensing structure that governed the film's rollout. For Japanese market releases specifically, that distinction matters to collectors tracking regional rights. The track selection is interesting: four well-known singles rather than deeper cuts, which positions this clearly as a commercial introduction to the band for listeners drawn in by the film rather than as a release targeting existing fans. That said, it functions well as a snapshot of the Doors' chart-facing catalog. Collectors interested in the broader soundtrack context may also want to consider related Japanese pressings documented elsewhere on this site. Discogs shows 21 collectors currently holding WMC5-351 and 19 with it on their want list, figures that suggest moderate scarcity rather than true rarity. It is not a pressing that turns up constantly, but it is not unobtainable either. For context on how the Doors' catalog was packaged for Japan across different eras, the Best of the Doors and The Doors Complete Studio Recordings entries here offer useful comparison points. The film tie-in also makes this a crossover interest item for collectors who track soundtrack releases alongside band-specific material, similar in that respect to the Lost Boys soundtrack which carried a Doors track in a similar commercial context.

WMC5-351 is a legitimate official Elektra release for the Japanese market, worth picking up if you are building a complete picture of the Doors' 1991 film-era output or specifically collecting Japanese single pressings from this campaign. The obi strip is essential for full collectibility; a copy without it is considerably less desirable. At current Discogs want-list levels, pricing should remain reasonable, but copies with intact obi and clean jewel cases are the ones worth holding.

", "summary": "The Japanese CD single Break On Through (Elektra WMC5-351, Japan, 1991) is a four-track soundtrack-tied release with moderate scarcity and 21 Discogs collectors holding it." }