Live At TV Studios Copenhagen 1968

Live At TV Studios Copenhagen 1968, pressed on black vinyl and issued in the US in 1987 on the 12 Tracks Rec. label (catalog number 12TRO5), captures five tracks from The Doors' 1968 Danish television appearance. This is a domestic US pressing, not a European import, and collectors should be clear on that distinction when searching for this specific release. The catalog number 12TRO5 is your primary identifier here, separating it from the various European and bootleg variants of this same Copenhagen source recording that circulated during the same era.

The packaging is stark and minimal in a way that actually works. The front cover is black and white throughout, dominated by a close-up photograph of Jim Morrison's face, shot with enough contrast to give it a raw, almost confrontational quality. His expression is serious, unsmiling, and the framing is tight enough that the image commands attention without any supporting text cluttering the composition. The Doors logo sits prominently above the photograph in bold, stylized lettering, rendered cleanly against the dark background. There is no mistaking what you are holding. The overall graphic design aesthetic is blunt and functional, which suits a live bootleg-era release of this kind well enough. The back cover continues the monochrome theme: straight black background with the track listing printed in white, followed by credits also in white below. No photographs, no liner notes, no additional artwork. The spine carries the necessary identification text. The record labels themselves are plain white stock with the track titles printed in black, which is about as unadorned as label design gets. The pressing quality on black vinyl is consistent with what 12 Tracks Rec. was producing at this period, though it is not a high-grade audiophile pressing. Surface noise levels vary across copies in circulation, so condition grading matters significantly when buying used. Inner sleeve is plain, no printed insert or insert of any kind was included with this release. What you get is the record and its jacket, nothing more. For collectors accustomed to the more elaborate packaging found on official Elektra releases or even some of the more ambitious bootleg LPs of the period, this one is utilitarian. That said, the Morrison portrait cover has a certain directness to it that holds up visually, even if the production materials are basic.

The Copenhagen television performance has been a documented and sought-after source among serious collectors for decades, capturing the band during a significant stretch of their touring activity in 1968. This 12TRO5 pressing presents five tracks spread across two sides: Alabama Song and Backdoor Man on Side One, with Love Me Two Times, The Unknown Soldier, and When The Music Is Over filling Side Two. The set is not lengthy, but the performances are representative of what The Doors were doing in a European television context at that point in their career. One detail worth flagging for collectors cross-referencing their holdings: the version of Love Me Two Times included here also appears on the official Elektra release Strange Days, which gives you an easy reference point for audio comparison if you already have that single in your collection. Similarly, collectors building out their live LP holdings might want to compare programming choices against Live at The Matrix Part 2, San Francisco, which draws from a very different period and venue but represents a comparable format of document. On Discogs, 12TRO5 currently shows 48 collectors reporting ownership and 43 with it on their want list, which indicates a reasonably active secondary market without suggesting extreme scarcity. This is not a pressing that commands the kind of frantic bidding you might see on a truly rare Jim Morrison rare vinyl find, but it moves consistently enough that clean copies at fair prices do not sit unsold for long. No official release history connects this pressing directly to the band or Elektra; it is an unauthorized release operating in the grey area that characterized a great deal of live Doors material pressed during the 1980s. Regional US variants or alternate label configurations of 12TRO5 have not been widely documented, so if you encounter a copy with unusual label stock or different credit text, that would be worth examining more closely.

For collectors specifically chasing the Copenhagen television source on domestic US wax, 12TRO5 is the variant to know. It is not rare enough to treat as a white whale, but it is not so common that you should pass on a clean copy when one surfaces at a reasonable price. The no-frills packaging and plain label design are not going to win any awards, but the historical document is solid and the secondary market activity on Discogs confirms ongoing collector interest. If your focus is live documentation from this period rather than shelf presentation, this one earns its place.