The Doors’ John Densmore & Robby Krieger team with Playing for Change for new take on ‘Riders on the Storm’

January 9, 2026

Robby Krieger and John Densmore attend Reel To Reel: The Doors: Break On Thru – A Celebration Of Ray Manzarek at the GRAMMY Museum on February 06, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for The Recording Academy )

The Doors’ John Densmore and Robby Krieger have teamed with Playing For Change, a multimedia project that aims to connect the world through music, to release a reimagined take on the Doors’ 1971 classic “Riders on the Storm.”

The new recording, part of Playing For Change’s Song Around The World project, is noted as a tribute to the late Doors band members Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek. It has Densmore and Krieger joined by Lukas Nelson and Micah Nelson, Foo Fighters’ keyboardist Rami Jaffee, Sierra Ferrell, Don Was and over 20 international artists across eight countries.

“Vocally, Lukas Nelson filled Jim Morrison’s leather pants quite well!” Densmore says. “Ray would be proud of the way Rami Jaffee ‘channeled’ the piano solo.”

“Anytime Densmore and I get together with our instruments, it always works out well. I loved the final cut … seeing all the players on screen,” adds Krieger. “I’d like to thank everyone for their participation for such a special cause. Luckily, it’s never difficult to find great players to play Doors songs.”

The just-released video for the song first premiered in December at the rerelease of the Doors’ 2009 documentary, When You’re Strange, directed by Tom DiCillo and narrated by Johnny Depp.

In addition to the song, a special limited-edition “Riders on the Storm” Song Around The World T-shirt and hat are now available. Proceeds benefit the Wicahpi Olowan Music Program, which was the first Playing For Change Foundation music program established in America serving Indigenous youth and communities.