- Release Date: 1993
- Genre: Home
- Style: Reference
The Animals
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| Artist: The Animals |
Group Members:
John Steel,
Chas Chandler,
Eric Burdon,
Hilton Valentine,
Alan Price,
Zoot Money,
Dave Rowberry,
Barry Jenkins,
Vic Briggs,
Danny McCulloch,
John Weider,
Andy Summers
Similar Artists:
The Pretty Things,
The Yardbirds,
The Who,
Them,
The Rolling Stones,
The Kinks,
The Dave Clark Five,
The Small Faces,
Cyril Davies,
The V.I.P.s ,
Animals II,
Bob Seger,
Jimi Hendrix,
Eric Clapton,
Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders,
Q 65,
The Troggs,
New York Dolls,
Manfred Mann,
John Lennon,
David Johansen,
The Honeydrippers,
Georgie Fame,
The Byrds,
Brownsville Station,
Alexis Korner,
Jefferson Airplane
Influenced By:
Sonny Boy Williamson,
Muddy Waters,
Bo Diddley,
Chuck Berry,
Jimmy Reed,
John Lee Hooker,
Sonny Boy Williamson,
Bob Dylan,
Sam Cooke,
The Beatles,
Ray Charles
Followers:
Hammond Gamble,
John Mellencamp,
David Johansen,
Joe Cocker,
The Chocolate Watchband,
Canned Heat,
Big Brother & the Holding Company,
The Lost Souls,
The Shams,
The Greenhornes,
The Minders,
Hittsville House Band ,
The Shambles,
Steppenwolf,
Frijid Pink,
The Fuzztones,
The Del Fuegos,
Gringo Star,
Mondo Topless,
Mudcrutch,
Medicine Head,
Mystic Eyes ,
Black Mountain,
Mando Diao,
American Nightmare
Performed Songs By:
Formal Connection With:
- Formed: 1964, Newcastle-on-Tyne, England
- Disbanded: 1968
- Genres: Rock
- Representative Albums: "Absolute Animals 1964-1968," "The Complete Animals," "Best of the Animals"
- Representative Songs: "The House of the Rising Sun," "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," "We Gotta Get Out of This Plac"
Biography
One of the most important bands originating from England's R&B scene during the early '60s, the Animals were second only to the Rolling Stones in influence among R&B-based bands in the first wave of the British Invasion. The Animals had their origins in a Newcastle-based group called the Kansas City Five, whose membership included pianist Alan Price, drummer John Steel, and vocalist Eric Burdon. Price exited to join the Kontours in 1962, while Burdon went off to London. The Kontours, whose membership included Bryan "Chas" Chandler, eventually were transmuted into the Alan Price R&B Combo, with John Steel joining on drums. Burdon's return to Newcastle in early 1963 heralded his return to the lineup. The final member of the combo, guitarist Hilton Valentine, joined just in time for the recording of a self-produced EP under the band's new name, the Animals. That record alerted Graham Bond to the Animals; he was likely responsible for pointing impresario Giorgio Gomelsky to the group.Gomelsky booked the band into his Crawdaddy Club in London, and they were subsequently signed by Mickie Most, an independent producer who secured a contract with EMI's Columbia imprint. A studio session in February 1964 yielded their Columbia debut single, "Baby Let Me Take You Home" (adapted from "Baby Let Me Follow You Down"), which rose to number 21 on the British charts. For years, it was rumored incorrectly that the Animals got their next single, "House of the Rising Sun," from Bob Dylan's first album, but it has been revealed that, like "Baby Let Me Take You Home," the song came to them courtesy of Josh White. In any event, the song -- given a new guitar riff by Valentine and a soulful organ accompaniment devised by Price -- shot to the top of the U.K. and U.S. charts early that summer. This success led to a follow-up session that summer, yielding their first long-playing record, The Animals. Their third single, "I'm Crying," rose to number eight on the British charts. The group compiled an enviable record of Top Ten successes, including "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" and "We've Gotta Get Out of This Place," along with a second album, Animal Tracks.
In May of 1965, immediately after recording "We've Gotta Get Out of This Place," Alan Price left the band, citing fear of flying as the reason; subsequent biographies of the band have indicated that the reasons were less psychological. When "House of the Rising Sun" was recorded, using what was essentially a group arrangement, the management persuaded the band to put one person's name down as arranger. Price came up the lucky one, supposedly with the intention that the money from the arranger credit would be divided later on. The money was never divided, however, and as soon as it began rolling in, Price suddenly developed his fear of flying and exited the band. Others cite the increasing contentiousness between Burdon and Price over leadership of the group as the latter's reason for leaving. In any case, a replacement was recruited in the person of Dave Rowberry.
In the meantime, the group was growing increasingly unhappy with the material they were being given to record by manager Mickie Most. Not only were the majority of these songs much too commercial for their taste, but they represented a false image of the band, even if many were successful. "It's My Life," a number seven British hit and a similar smash in America, caused the Animals to terminate their association with Most and with EMI Records. They moved over to Decca/London Records and came up with a more forceful, powerful sound on their first album for the new label, Animalisms. The lineup shifts continued, however: Steel exited in 1966, after recording Animalisms, and was replaced by Barry Jenkins, formerly of the Nashville Teens. Chandler left in mid-1966 after recording "Don't Bring Me Down" and Valentine remained until the end of 1966, but essentially "Don't Bring Me Down" marked the end of the original Animals.
Burdon re-formed the group under the aegis of Eric Burdon and the New Animals, with Jenkins on drums, John Weider on guitar and violin, Danny McCulloch on bass, and Vic Briggs on guitar. He remained officially a solo act for a time, releasing a collection of material called Eric Is Here in 1967. As soon as the contract with English Decca was up, Burdon signed with MGM directly for worldwide distribution, and the new lineup made their debut in mid-1967. Eric Burdon and the New Animals embraced psychedelica to the hilt amid the full bloom of the Summer of Love. By the end of 1968, Briggs and McCulloch were gone, to be replaced by Burdon's old friend, keyboard player/vocalist Zoot Money, and his longtime stablemate, guitarist Andy Summers, while Weider switched to bass. Finally, in 1969, Burdon pulled the plug on what was left of the Animals. He hooked up with a Los Angeles-based group called War, and started a subsequent solo career.
The original Animals reunited in 1976 for a superb album called Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted, which picked up right where Animalisms had left off a decade earlier and which was well-received critically but failed to capture the public's attention. In 1983, a somewhat longer-lasting reunion came about between the original members, augmented with the presence of Zoot Money on keyboards. The resulting album, Ark, consisting of entirely new material, was well received by critics and charted surprisingly high, and a world tour followed. By the end of the year and the heavy touring schedule, however, it was clear that this reunion was not going to be a lasting event. The quintet split up again, having finally let the other shoe drop on their careers and history, and walked away with some financial rewards, along with memories of two generations of rock fans cheering their every note. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
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| The Animals | |
|---|---|
 Eric Burdon & The Animals in 1967
Foreground: Eric Burdon Background (L-R): Danny McCulloch, John Weider (in striped shirt), Vic Briggs, and Barry Jenkins. |
|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England |
| Genres | Blues-rock, British blues, Psychedelic rock, Rock and roll, R&B, Soul |
| Years active | 1962–1969 1977 1983–1984 |
| Labels | UK Columbia, UK Decca, MGM |
| Former members | |
| Eric Burdon Hilton Valentine Alan Price Chas Chandler John Steel Dave Rowberry Barry Jenkins John Weider Vic Briggs Zoot Money Andy Summers Danny McCulloch |
|
The Animals were an English music group of the 1960s known in the United States as part of the British Invasion. Known for their gritty, bluesy sound and deep-voiced frontman Eric Burdon, as exemplified by their signature songs "The House of the Rising Sun" and "We Gotta Get Out of This Place", the band balanced tough, rock-edged pop singles against rhythm and blues-oriented album material. The Animals underwent numerous personnel changes and emerged as an exponent of psychedelic rock before dissolving at the end of the decade. They had a comeback in 1983 and started a world tour. In early 1984 the band disbanded. There have been several reunions of the original group and in recent times Burdon and original drummer John Steel have been touring with new versions of the Animals as Eric Burdon & the Animals and Animals & Friends respectively.
Contents |
History
First incarnation
Formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during 1962 and 1963 when Burdon joined the Alan Price Rhythm and Blues Combo, the original line-up comprised Eric Burdon (vocals), Alan Price (organ and keyboards), Hilton Valentine (guitar), John Steel (drums), and Bryan "Chas" Chandler (bass).
They were dubbed "animals" because of their wild stage act and the name stuck.[1] The Animals' moderate success in their hometown and a connection with Yardbirds manager Giorgio Gomelsky motivated them to move to London in 1964, in time to be grouped with the British Invasion. They performed fiery versions of the staple rhythm and blues repertoire (Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker, Nina Simone, etc). Signed to the UK Columbia subsidiary of EMI, a rocking version of the standard "Baby Let Me Follow You Down" (retitled "Baby Let Me Take You Home") was their first single. It was followed in June 1964 by the transatlantic number one hit "House of the Rising Sun". Burdon's howling vocals and the dramatic arrangement created arguably the first folk rock hit. Whether the arrangement was inspired by Bob Dylan's version of the song (which in turn was inspired by folk singer Dave Van Ronk) or by blues singer Josh White's (who recorded it twice in 1944 and 1949) or by singer/pianist Nina Simone (who recorded it in 1962 on Nina at the Village Gate, predating Dylan's interpretation) remains a dispute, as does whether all five Animals deserved credit for the arrangement and not just Price.
The Animals' two-year chart career, masterminded by producer Mickie Most, featured intense gritty pop-music covers such as Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home To Me" and the Nina Simone number "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood". In contrast, their album tracks stayed with rhythm and blues, with Hooker's "Boom Boom" and Ray Charles' "I Believe to My Soul" as notable examples. Burdon's powerful, deep voice and use of keyboards as much as or more than guitars were two elements that made The Animals' sound stand out from the rest.
In November 1964, the group was poised to make their American debut on The Ed Sullivan Show and began a short residency performing everyday in theatres across New York City. The group arrived at New York City's Kennedy Airport in a motorcade which featured each member of the band riding in the back seat of a Cadillac with a model. The group drove to their hotel with the occasional shriek of girls who realised who they were. The Animals sang "I'm Crying" and "The House of The Rising Sun" to a packed audience of hysterical girls screaming throughout both performances.
By May 1965 the group was starting to feel internal pressures. Price left due to personal and musical differences as well as a fear of flying on tour;[1] he went on to a successful career as a solo artist and with the Alan Price Set. Mick Gallagher filled in for him on keyboards for a short time until Dave Rowberry replaced him and was on hand for the hit working-class anthems "We Gotta Get out of This Place"[2] and "It's My Life". Around that time, an Animals Big Band made a one-time appearance.[3]
Many of The Animals' hits had come from Brill Building songwriters recruited by Most; the group, and Burdon in particular, felt this too restrictive. As 1965 ended, the group switched to Decca Records and producer Tom Wilson, who gave them more artistic freedom. In early 1966 MGM Records, their American label, collected their hits on The Best of The Animals; it became their best-selling album in the US. In February 1966 Steel left and was replaced by Barry Jenkins; a leftover cover of Goffin-King's "Don't Bring Me Down" was the last hit as The Animals. For the single "See See Rider" they changed the name into Eric Burdon & The Animals. In September they disbanded and Burdon recorded a solo album, called Eric Is Here.
By this time their business affairs "were in a total shambles" according to Chandler (who went on to manage Jimi Hendrix) and the group disbanded. Even by the standards of the day when artists tended to be financially naïve the Animals made very little money, eventually claiming mismanagement and theft on the part of their manager Michael Jeffery.
Second incarnation
A group with Burdon, Jenkins, and new sidemen John Weider (guitar/violin/bass), Vic Briggs (guitar/piano), and Danny McCulloch (bass) were formed under the name Eric Burdon and the Animals (or sometimes Eric Burdon and the New Animals) in December 1966 and changed direction. The hard driving blues was transformed into Burdon's version of psychedelia as the former heavy drinking Geordie (who later said he could never get used to Newcastle "where the rain comes at you sideways") relocated to California and became a spokesman for the Love Generation.
Some of this group's hits included "San Franciscan Nights",[4] "Monterey" (a tribute to the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival), and "Sky Pilot".
Their sound was much heavier than the original group. Burdon screamed more and louder on live versions of "Paint it Black" and "Hey Gyp". In 1968 they had a more experimental sound on songs like "We Love You Lil" and the 19 minute record "New York 1963 - America 1968". The songs had a style of being silent at the beginning and then becoming psychedelic and raw straight to the end with screaming, strange lyrics and 'scrubbing' instruments.
There were further changes to this lineup: George Bruno (also known as Zoot Money, keyboards) was added in April 1968, and in July 1968 Andy Summers (guitar) - later of The Police - replaced Briggs and McCulloch.
By February 1969 these Animals had dissolved and the singles "Ring of Fire" and "River Deep Mountain High" were internationally released.
Burdon joined forces with a Latin group from Long Beach, California, called War.
Reunions of first incarnation
The original Animals line-up of Burdon, Price, Valentine, Chandler, and Steel reunited for a benefit concert in Newcastle in 1968.
Between 1970 and 1972 several bands toured under the name "The Animals". So they reformed in late 1975 to record again. Burdon later said, nobody understood why they did this short reunion. While the album was recorded at his house, Chandler did not play bass for years. They did a mini-tour in 1976 and shot a few videos of their new songs like "Lonely Avenue" and "Please send me someone to Love". They released the album in 1977 aptly called Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted. The album received critical praise and Burdon and Valentine also recorded some demos at that time, which were, however, never released.
1983 reunion
On December 12 1982, Burdon performed together with Alan Price and a complete line-up. They reunited again in 1983 for the album Ark and a world tour, supplemented by Zoot Money on keyboards, Nippy Noya on percussion, Steve Gregory on saxophone and Steve Grant on guitar.
On September 9 they had their first gig in New York with a sold-out audience at the Mid Hudson Civic Center. The following tour included also a Wembley Stadium concert on December 31 which was released on the "Rip it To Shreds" live album in 1984 when they disbanded. The last concert at the Royal Oak Theatre in April 1984 was released on February 27 2008 as "Last Live Show". They also shot a rare video of the reunion.
The first single "The Night" reached #48 at the US Pop Singles and #34 at the Mainstream Rock Charts. It was also a big hit in Greece. They released a second single called "Love Is For All Time". Their tour included also songs like "Heart Attack", "No More Elmore" (both released a year earlier by Burdon), "Oh Lucky Man" (from the 1973 album by Price), "It's Too Late", "Tango " and "Young Girls" (later released on Burdon's compilation, The Night). A film about the reunion tour was shot, but never released.
Chandler died in 1996, putting an end to the full original line-up.
Later incarnations
During the 1990s and 2000s there have been several groups calling themselves Animals in part:
- In 1993 Hilton Valentine formed the Animals II and was joined by John Steel in 1994 and Dave Rowberry in 1999. Other members of this version of the band include Steve Hutchinson, Steve Dawson and Martin Bland. From 1999 until Valentine's departure in 2001 the band toured as The Animals.
- After Valentine left these Animals in 2001, Steel and Rowberry continued on as Animals and Friends with Peter Barton, Jim Rodford and John Williamson. When Rowberry died in 2003, he was replaced by Mickey Gallagher (who had briefly replaced Alan Price in 1965). Animals and Friends is still around and frequently plays gigs on a Color Line ship that travels between Scandinavia and Germany.
- In the 1990s Danny McCulloch, from the later-1960s Animals released several albums as The Animals, with a great deal of acceptance. The albums contained covers of some original Animals songs as well as new ones written by McCulloch.
- Eric Burdon reformed the Animals with a new backing band in 1998 as Eric Burdon and the New Animals. This was actually just a rename of an existing band he had been touring with in various forms since 1990. Members of this new group included Dean Restum, Dave Meros, Neal Morse and Aynsley Dunbar. Martin Gerschwitz replaced Morse in 1999 and Dunbar was replaced by Bernie Pershey in 2001. In 2003 the band started touring as Eric Burdon and the Animals. After the line-up changed in 2006 original guitarist Hilton Valentine reunited with the group for its 2008 tours. The group also included Red Young, Paula O'Rourke and Tony Braunagle. After Burdon lost the rights to the name, he formed a new band with completely different musicians.
Dispute as to Ownership of Band Name
In 2008, an adjudicator determined that original Animals drummer John Steel owned "The Animals" name in England, by virtue of a trademark registration Steel had made in relation to the name. Eric Burdon had objected to the trademark registration, arguing that Burdon personally embodied any goodwill associated with "The Animals" name. Burdon's argument was rejected, in part based on the fact that he had billed himself as "Eric Burdon and The Animals" as early as 1967, thus separating the goodwill associated with his own name from that of the band.[5][6]
Legacy
The original Animals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Their influence can be heard in artists as varied as The Doors, The White Stripes, Joe Cocker, The Cult, Frijid Pink, The Chocolate Watchband, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Janis Joplin, David Johansen, and Fine Young Cannibals. In 2003, the band's version of "House of the Rising Sun" ranked number 122 on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. Their 1965 hit single "We Gotta Get out of This Place" was ranked number 233 on Rolling Stone's The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list that was compiled in 2004. Both songs are included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
Discography
Main article: The Animals discography
Member history
| The Animals (1962-1965) |
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|---|---|
| The Animals (1965) |
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| The Animals (1965-1966) |
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| The Animals (1966) |
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| Eric Burdon and the Animals (December 1966-1968) |
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| Eric Burdon and the Animals (1968) |
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| Eric Burdon and the Animals (April 1968- February 1969) |
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| Eric Burdon and the Animals (February 1969 - 1975) |
Split |
| The Animals (Reunion :1975 -1976) |
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| The Animals (Reunion : September 1983-April 1984) |
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| The Animals (1984-1992) |
Split |
| Valentine's Animals (1992) |
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| Animals II (1992-1994) |
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| Animals II (1994-1999) |
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| The Animals (1999-2001) |
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| The Animals (2001) |
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| Animals and friends (2001-2003) |
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| Animals and friends (2003-present) |
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Songs in film
- 1965: The Wednesday Play (Episode: Stand Up, Nigel Barton), "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place"
- 1965: Pop Gear "House of the Rising Sun", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" (lip-sync)
- 1983: Purple Haze, "When I Was Young"
- 1985: Men, "When I Was Young"
- 1986: The A-Team (Episode: Beneath The Surface), "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place"
- 1987: Hamburger Hill, "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place"
- 1988: 1969, "When I Was Young"
- 1992: American Me, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"
- 1995: Casino, "House Of The Rising Sun"
- 1998: The Waterboy, "House Of The Rising Sun"
- 1999: The Sopranos (Episode: Down Neck), "Don't Bring Me Down"
- 2000: Angels of the Universe, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"
- 2000: Piso Porta, "Squeeze Her, Tease Her", "That's All I Am To You"
- 2001: 15 Minutes, "House Of The Rising Sun"
- 2001: Blow Dry, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"
- 2002: The West Wing (Episode: Process Stories), "House Of The Rising Sun"
- 2004: Layer Cake, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"
- 2004: The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, "It's My Life"
- 2004: Fahrenheit 9/11, "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place"
- 2007: Music Within, "We Gotta Get out of This Place"
- 2007: Zodiac, "Sky Pilot"
- 2007: Supernatural (Episode: Roadkill), "House Of The Rising Sun"
- 2007: My Name Is Earl (Episode: The Trial), "House Of The Rising Sun"
- 2009: Heroes (Season 3, Episode 21), "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place"
- 2009: Eastbound & Down (Season 1, Episode 6), "Sky Pilot (song)"
See also
References
- ^ a b Making Time The Animals, accessed 02/11/07
- ^ An iconic song which was used in Dennis Potter's Stand Up, Nigel Barton and in Our Friends in the North, adopted as an anthem by American troops in Vietnam, and later used, applied to the Iraq War, in Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11
- ^ The Animals put together a big band to play at the 5th Annual British Jazz & Blues Festival in Richmond. The Animals Big Band made their one public appearance on August 5, 1965. As well as Burdon, Rowberry, Valentine, Chandler, and Steel, they featured a brass/horn section of Ian Carr, Kenny Wheeler and Greg Bown on trumpets, and Stan Robinson, Al Gay, Dick Morrissey and Paul Carroll on saxes.
- ^ Which, as writer Lester Bangs wrote in 1980, Burdon "inexplicably thought were warm". Nighttime weather in San Francisco - even in mid-summer - seldom exceeds 60 °F (16 °C) or 15 degrees Celsius[citation needed].
- ^ Daniel Boffey, Eric Burdon loses battle to be the only Animal, The Daily Mail, December 14, 2008; www.dailymail.co.uk.
- ^ An analogous situation occurred around the same period, when Diana Ross separated herself from The Supremes and the act was billed as "Diana Ross and The Supremes". The Supremes later continued as a separate entity, without Ross, in the same way that several versions of The Animals existed without Eric Burdon. See The Supremes.
External links
- Soul of a Man: The Story of Eric Burdon - January 2009 interview with Eric Burdon
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