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The Animals
Of the original British Invasion bands, The Animals were second only to The Rolling Stones as the the most clearly influenced by black American R&B. Originally the Alan Price Combo (formed in 1958), they became the Animals shortly after the addition of lead vocalist Eric Burdon in 1962. According to Price, the idea for the new name came about during their early residency at the Club A-Go-Go in their native Newcastle. One night between sets he overheard some fans saying “the animals are playing tonight,” not realizing they were referring to his band and their all-out wild way of performing their music. Having made their name in Tyneside and the Northeast, they moved to London and quickly made promoters and agents take notice. Fledgling indie record producer Mickie Most came to see them at Eel Pie Island and promptly offered to record them. He set up a licensing deal with EMI and began ‘sweetening up’ their raw, raucous R&B for public consumption. The band themselves never cared for their debut single, a commercial arrangement of a traditional folk song off Bob Dylan’s first LP, nonetheless Baby Let Me Take You Home charted, boosted by a couple of memorable appearance on Ready, Steady, Go!
They capitalized on the success of the House of the Rising Sun with a series of hit singles: I'm Crying (#8, 1964), Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood (#3, 1965), Bring It On Home to Me (#7. 1965) We Gotta Get Out of This Place (#2, 1965), and It's My (7, 1965). In May 1965, immediately after recording We Gotta Get Out of This Place Alan Price left the band (the result of tension between him and Burdon) for a solo career. The official line given for his abrupt departure was his fear of flying, which was (and still is) essentially true: tours of the US, Australia and the Far East had taken their toll on him. Price was replaced by Dave
Rowberry, and the Animals had a hit with Inside-Looking Out, (#12 1966)
before John Steel left and was replaced by arry Jenkins (formerly of the Nashville Teens).
The band were growing increasingly unhappy however with the material they were
being given to record by manager Mickie Most. Its My Life 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 group had
a top ten hit with Don't Bring Me Down (#6, 1966) but in marked the end
of the original band. Chas Chandler left to become a successful
manager and producer of The Jimi Hendrix, Experience and Slade and Hilton
Valentine left shortly afterwards to pursue a solo career. Now billed Eric Burdon and the Animals, the band endorsed psychedelia with
“San Franciscan Nights” (#7, 1967) the last single that made the UK top
ten. Although they continued to have hits in the USA, the band fell apart, but a year and a half later Burdon
formed Eric Burdon and the New Animals, with a lineup that briefly included
future Police guitarist Andy Summers, before embarking on an intermittently
successful solo career. See The Animals perform 'The House of the Rising Sun'
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The
next single The House of the Rising Sun was recorded in just one take on
18 May 1964 and topped the charts on both the UK and US during that
summer. Within a few days of the release of the House of the
Rising Sun, the name of The Animals were well on their way to becoming
household names. Despite its length, at hour and a half minutes it was
almost twice the length of the average single, it rose quickly to the top of the
chart on both sides of the Atlantic and became an instant classic. 'It's
the greatest feeling in the world', declared lead singer Eric Burdon.
'After not making the scene in a big way we were absolutely stunned. Mind
you, I will be fair. We were a bit cocky when the disc did hit the charts
because so many different TV producers had said that they wouldn't play it
because it was too long'.