The Soft Parade
| The Soft Parade | ||||
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| Studio album by the Doors | ||||
| Released | July 18, 1969 | |||
| Recorded | July 1968 – May 1969 | |||
| Studio | Elektra Sound Recorders, Los Angeles, California | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 35:06 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Producer | Paul A. Rothchild | |||
| the Doors chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Soft Parade | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    |
| Robert Christgau | B– |
| MusicHound | 3.5/5 |
| Rolling Stone | (unfavorable) |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
| Slant Magazine | |
The Soft Parade is the fourth studio album by the American rock band the Doors, and was released on July 18, 1969, on Elektra Records (see 1969 in music). It saw the group departing from the material that encompassed their past three albums. The Doors incorporated brass and string arrangements into their compositions at a point in which the group was experiencing personal issues, particularly related to Jim Morrison. In addition, the album fulfilled the band's desire to feature more jazz and blues influences in their work.
Upon release, the album peaked at number six on the Billboard Top LPs chart. It was preceded by the single "Touch Me" in December 1968, which awarded the Doors an unexpected top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and several other accolades, including a number-one listing in the Cashbox charts. Three additional singles, "Wishful Sinful", "Tell All the People", and "Runnin' Blue", also became moderate hits on the Billboard singles charts.
The Doors, on the tail-end of their lengthy recording period, initiated a national tour that abruptly ended in disaster. On March 1, 1969, Morrison allegedly performed while intoxicated, and exposed himself in front of a crowd of nearly 12,000 in Miami, Florida, which Morrison's bandmates deny actually occurred. A month later, on April 4, Morrison was charged with indecent exposure, and paid a $5,000 bail, after Morrison had turned himself in to the authorities. The incident negatively reflected on the band's publicity, sparking a "March for Decency" at the Orange Bowl. Consequently, 25 dates on the Doors next tour were cancelled, and their records were blacklisted from radio airplay, resulting in the band abandoning the rest of their potential tour.
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