Ray Manzarek on Producing X

They believe in their music. They believe that what they say matters. They believe that it isn’t just entertainment. It is entertaining, but it isn’t just entertainment. What they are saying the way they’re playing means something to them and they want it to mean something to the audience. They’re talking about life. They’re talking about feeling alive. They’re talking about exactly the same thing that the monks were talking about, that Carmina Burana is talking about, and what Morrison was talking about. We’re all talking about the same thing – about being alive.

I’m just sort of quality control in the studio. I make sure that everything runs right and smoothly. I just try to get the best performance out of them that I can. They’re really a wonderfully self-contained group and have it all together. As a matter of fact, as much as I enjoy working with them, they’ve got it down so well that they could produce their next album themselves. Billy Zoom is going to be a big producer some day. He’s really wonderful in the studio and knows what he’s doing. I can see him taking the reins. Billy is also totally on top of his instrument. I don’t really have that much to do. I just get the best possible sound. X pretty much knows what they want to do. I’m just their ultimate cheerleader.

Archivist Notes

Ray also produced the follow up X releases, “Wild Gift”, “Under The Big Black Sun” and “More Fun in the New World”. In the 2001 reissue of “Under The Big Black Sun”, a bonus track was released, “Riding with Mary” (Single version), which featured Ray on keyboard.