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The Animals Biography
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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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Classic Bands Biography
The Animals were part of the English blues scene of the early Sixties and one of the most noteworthy bands of the original British Invasion. Formed in Newcastle-on-Tyne, a port city and coal-mining hub in northeast England, the Animals reflected their earthy upbringing with blues-based rock and roll. The group derived its inspiration - and much of its early repertoire - from American blues and R&B sources, adapting them to a British working-class sensibility. Gruff-voiced Eric Burdon was a commanding blues singer, imparting rage and anguish to such anthems as "It's My Life" and "We Gotta Get Out of This Place." The band's sound was also heavily defined by Alan Price's organ playing, which provided dramatic accents and a blues-jazz atmosphere. The other founding members were guitarist Hilton Valentine, bassist Chas Chandler and drummer John Steel.
Originally known as the Alan Price Combo, the group changed its name to "the Animals" when Burdon joined in 1962. With the release of "House of the Rising Sun" in mid-1964, the Animals became the first British group after the Beatles to chart a Number One single in America. Their dark, brooding arrangement of "House of the Rising Sun" - a traditional folk song recorded by earlier by Bob Dylan, became an early milestone in the British Invasion. The Animals followed that single with R&B-based rock songs like "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" and "Don't Let Me Down".
The original membership lasted only until 1966, their disintegration commencing with Price's 1965 departure due to his fear of flying. Burdon continued with new recruits, and the band - now billed as "Eric Burdon and the Animals", enjoyed several more hits in a more psychedelic vein, such as "Monterey" and "San Franciscan Nights."
After breaking up the Animals at the end of the decade, Burdon entered the Seventies as front man with a black funk group from the streets of Los Angeles known as "War". Eric Burdon and War recorded a hit single ("Spill the Wine") and two albums. When Burdon became discouraged and quit the music business because of what he said was "too much competition", "War" graduated to a successful career without him. Burdon eventually changed his mind and continued as a solo artist, recording intermittently throughout the Seventies and Eighties.
As for the other early Animals, Alan Price enjoyed a highly successful solo career in Britain, and bassist Chas Chandler discovered and managed Jimi Hendrix. The original Animals subsequently reunited in 1977 to record and tour. Eric Burdon and The Animals got together to record their reunion album "Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted", after which Burdon ventured into new territory by appearing in several European films and eventually starred in and composed the soundtrack for the German film," Comeback". Burdon reunited with The Animals once again for more world touring in 1983. He also recorded a song called "Sixteen Tons" for the soundtrack to Tom Hanks' feature film, "Joe Versus the Volcano".
In 1990 Burdon toured with Robbie Krieger (formerly with "The Doors"), did a cameo roll in Oliver Stones' picture, "The Doors", studied acting at The Actor's Studio in Los Angeles, did more professional acting by doing a cameo role in the feature film "The Eleventh Victim", and appeared as featured artist in television shows such as "China Beach".
In 1991 Burdon collaborated with follow Englishman and keyboard player Brian Auger to form the "Eric Burdon/Brian Auger Band" and continued to tour the world, primarily in Europe, performing for his many loyal fans. From this collaboration came the live, double album, "Access All Areas". In 1994, Eric Burdon and The Animals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.
Chas Chandler died of a heart attack in 1996.
Burdon's great voice can be heard on national television commercials and he has appeared in several documentary specials on the history of rock n' roll including a series by Time/Life in the States and Granada TV and BBC TV in England. He was a featured artist on the "Concert For The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame" and performed in the HBO Special presentation of that concert, where he sang some of his classic hits in a duet with Jon Bon Jovi and he was honoured to have been invited by the family of Jimi Hendrix to perform in the "Jimi Hendrix Tribute Concert in Seattle".
From there, Burdon formed a brand new band and continued performing some of the freshest and most moving songs of his brilliant career. "Eric Burdon's I Band" has toured Europe extensively, performing at the House Of Blues in Los Angeles, Harrah's Tahoe and Reno, and many other forums in the U.S.
A collaboration called "Eric Burdon and The New Animals" has its own sound and in addition to the classic Burdon songs, its own material. The new band featured guitarists Dean Restum and Neal Morse, bassist Dave Meros, and one of the true legends in popular music, drummer Aynsley Dunbar. Burdon and The New Animals toured regularly and headlined at numerous tribute concerts and national festivals. In the early part of the new millennium, he completed work for a Greek motion picture, continued to work on his autobiography, issued a new studio CD, hosted Micky Horne's U.K-based Virgin Radio show, put the finishing touches on a live I-Band CD and took part in an impromptu memorial for the late Linda McCartney
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Rockwalk
Les Paul Is Not A Guitar
But don't take our word for it; come down to Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood and take a look at his handprints. You'll find them in impeccable company, surrounded by the impressions of scores of other music pioneers and performing legends at the Hollywood RockWalk. Do as thousands of other music fans have done over the years: bend down and place your hand where his once was. Perhaps, just as they have, you'll come to better understand the human dimensions of his groundbreaking musical and technical innovations - and those of his fellow RockWalk peers as well. And, with a little luck, you'll leave with something more than you came with - inspiration.
The Animals are one of the most important bands originating from England during the '60s. The group is widely considered the raunchiest, the dirtiest, the spottiest, the most authentic and uncompromisingly raw band of their time. Formed in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, the group reflected their earthy upbringing with hard-charging, blues-based rock 'n roll, deriving much of their early repertoire from American Blues and R&B sources.
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Hall of Fame
The Animals were part of the budding, homegrown U.K. blues scene of the early Sixties and one of the most noteworthy bands of the British Invasion. Formed in Newcastle-on-Tyne, a port city and coal-mining hub in northeast England, the Animals reflected their upbringing with brawling, blues-based rock and roll. The group derived its inspiration - and much of its early repertoire - from American blues and R&B sources, adapting them to their native British working-class sensibility. Eric Burdon was among the best white R&B singers of the Sixties. His gruff, soulful vocals brought out the anguish in such anthems as "It's My Life" and "We Gotta Get Out of This Place." The band's sound was also heavily defined by Alan Price's organ playing, which provided dramatic accents and a blues-jazz atmosphere. The other founding members - guitarist Hilton Valentine, bassist Chas Chandler and drummer John Steel - balanced Burdon's earthiness and Price's melodic finesse.
Originally known as the Alan Price Combo, the group changed its name to the Animals when Burdon joined in 1962. In 1963, they performed a monthlong residency (much like the Beatles did) in Hamburg, Germany. They also served as the U.K. backing band for visiting bluesmen, including John Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williamson. Their career took off with their move to London in January 1964. With the release of "House of the Rising Sun" later that year, the Animals became the first British group after the Beatles to chart a Number One single in America. Their brooding arrangement of "House of the Rising Sun" - a traditional folk song recorded by Josh White and Bob Dylan became an early milestone in the British Invasion. The single was unconventional in both its lyrics (it was about a house of prostitution in New Orleans) and length (it ran for more than four minutes at a time when anything longer three minutes was considered too long for radio). Nonetheless, "House of the Rising Sun" topped the American and British charts. In fact, it stayed at #1 in the U.S. for three weeks - longer than any single since the Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love" held down the top spot a half-year earlier.
The Animals followed "House of the Rising Sun" with seven more Top Forty hits, at least four of which - "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" (#15), "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" (#13), "It's My Life" (#23) and "Don't Bring Me Down" (#12) - are bonafide classics of the British Invasion era. The keys to these and other Animals tracks is their passionate intensity and strong sense of identification with working-class travails, which would become hallmarks of such later rock and rollers as Bruce Springsteen and David Johansen - both of whom were professed Animals fans. Basically, the group was steeped in the blues and R&B sounds that filtered over from America. Many of the Animals earliest recordings were solid remakes of favorites by such revered artists as John Lee Hooker ("Boom Boom"), Sam Cooke ("Bring It On Home to Me"), Chuck Berry ("Around and Around"), Ray Charles ("Hallelujah, I Love Her So") and Bo Diddley ("Roadrunner"). At the same time, the Animals had great success interpreting the works of American pop songwriters such as Gerry Goffin and Carole King ("Don't Bring Me Down") and Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil ("We Gotta Get Out of This Place").
The Animals' original membership released only three albums (The Animals, The Animals On Tour, Animal Tracks) during their 1964-65 heyday. The Best of the Animals was issued in February 1966, as the group was disbanding. This hit-filled collection was one of the stronger LPs of its time, and it reached #6 and hung on the charts for over two years. The Animals' disintegration began with Price's departure in mid-1965 due to fear of flying and incompatibility with Burdon. Drummer John Steel was the next to leave (in March 1966), and the others followed suit in September. Burdon continued with new recruits, and the reconfigured band - now billed as Eric Burdon and the Animals enjoyed several late-Sixties hits in a more psychedelic vein, such as "When I Was Young," "Monterey" and "San Franciscan Nights." Burdon became an innovative album artist. The double album Love Is, released in 1969, was a landmark of Sixties psychedelia, featuring the guitar work of one Andy Somers (later Andy Summers of the Police). The Animals' last Top Forty hit, "Sky Pilot (Part One)," was the first single released in stereo.
Burdon entered the Seventies as frontman with War, a black funk group from Los Angeles. Eric Burdon and War recorded a hit single ("Spill the Wine") and two albums. War graduated to a successful career without Burdon, who continued as a solo artist. He was recorded intermittently and toured constantly in the decades since; he also has written two books about his experiences as a rock and roller. As for the other original members of the Animals. Alan Price enjoyed a successful solo career in Britain and won acclaim for his 1973 film soundtrack O Lucky Man!. Bassist Chas Chandler discovered an unknown Jimi Hendrix performing in New York's Greenwich Village, and wound up managing the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Slade.
The original Animals reunited in 1977, recording the album Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted, and 1983, which resulted in the albums Ark and Rip It to Shreds - The Animals Greatest Hits Live!. The reunions were as contentious as had been the group's first tour of duty, as a certain degree of tension seemed to be an inevitable part of what the Animals were all about - and why their music had such a powerful edge.
December 18, 1938
Bryan "Chas" Chandler, bass player for the Animals is born.
February 4, 1941
John Steel, drummer for the Animals is born.
April 19, 1941
Alan Price, keyboardist for the Animals is born.
May 11, 1941
Eric Burdon, vocalist for the Animals is born in Newcastle, England.
May 21, 1943
Hilton Valentine, guitarist for the Animals is born.
1964
The Animals, Rolling Stones , Yardbirds and other British blues bands achieve success recording American blues; Son House "rediscovered" and performs at the Newport Folk Festival.
September 5, 1964
"House of the Rising Sun," by the Animals, hits #1 for the first of three weeks, making them the first British group to top the U.S. charts with a song not written by Lennon and McCartney. It also tops the British charts.
1965
Mann & Weil's "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," recorded by the Righteous Brothers, reaches #1, and "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place," recorded by the Animals reaches #13.
May 5, 1965
Alan Price announces he is leaving the Animals at the peak of their popularity. He is replaced by Dave Rowberry.
August 14, 1965
"We Gotta Get Out of This Place," by the Animals, hits #2 in Britain behind the Beatles' "Help!" It will peak at #13 in the U.S. two weeks later.
May 26, 1966
'The Best of the Animals' enters the U.S. albums charts. It will peak at #6 and stay on the charts for an incredible 113 weeks.
June 4, 1966
"Don't Bring Me Down," by the Animals, enters the Top Forty, where it will peak at #12. It will be the last charting single by the original quintet, although Eric Burdon will pilot a new lineup of Animals through the end of the decade.
September 24, 1966
Jimi Hendrix and Chas Chandler, former bassist with the Animals, fly from New York to London. There, Hendrix will form a new band and Chandler will become the manager of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. En route, they decide to change the guitarist's name from Jimmy to Jimi.
June 22, 1968
"Sky Pilot," by Eric Burdon and the Animals, enters the Top Forty. It is the Animals' last Top Forty hit in the U.S.
January 11, 1969
'Love Is,' by Eric Burdon and the Animals, enters the U.S. charts shortly after the band performs a farewell concert in the British city of Newcastle, where the Animals had begun seven years earlier.
September 16, 1970
Jimi Hendrix jams with Eric Burdon and War at Ronnie Scott's Club.
July 17, 1977
'Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted,' an Animals reunion album (credited to the "Original Animals"), is released. It had been recorded the previous year at bassist Chas Chandler's house.
July 17, 1983
The original Animals reunite a second time, releasing a new studio album ('Ark') and embarking on a world tour.
January 19, 1994
The Animals are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the ninth annual induction dinner. Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum is their presenter.
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1960's discography discography
Around And Around / Blue Feeling
Boom Boom / The Girl Cant Help It
Boom Boom / Pretty Thing
Boom Boom / The Right Time
Boom Boom / Blue Feeling
Boom Boom / Big Boss Man
I Believe To My Soul / Worried Life Blues
I Believe To My Soul / How You've Changed
I Believe To My Soul / Mess Around
I Believe To My Soul / Roadrunner
Hallelujah I Love Her So / Worried Life Blues
Hallelujah I Love Her So / Roadrunner
Baby Let Me Take You Home / Gonna Send You Back To Walker
I'm In Love Again / Around And Around
I Ain't Got You / Dimples
House Of The Rising Sun / Talkin Bout You
House Of The Rising Sun / Boom Boom
I'm Crying / Take It Easy
I'm Crying / Boom Boom
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood / Club A Go Go
Bring It On hOme To Me / For Miss Caulker
Bring It On Home To Me / Roadrunner
Bright Lights Big City / Roadrunner
Bright Lights Big City / Its My Life
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place / I cant Believe It
Its My Life / I'm Gonna Change The World
Inside Looking Out / Outcast
Inside Looking Out / Your On My Mind
Gin House Blues / Your On My Mind
Don't Bring Me Down / Cheating
Help Me Girl / That Ain't Where Its At
See See Rider / She'll Return It
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Top 100
November 2002
Modern music loses out to golden oldies with not one track from the past 18 years making it into pop fans' 25 top songs - though North-East band The Animals made it to number seven.
The list, compiled to mark the 50th anniversary of the UK charts and to be broadcast by Radio 2 tonight, is headed by Queen's perennial favourite Bohemian Rhapsody.
But contemporary stars barely get a look in, with only four tracks from the past decade making it into the top 100.
Robbie Williams, the Spice Girls and Westlife are among major chart stars who fail to get a single record in the top 100.
Only Kylie Minogue's Can't Get You Out Of My Head, Elvis's revamped A Little Less Conversation, Oasis's Don't Look Back In Anger and U2's Beautiful Day represent the past 10 years.
The most contemporary track in the top 25 is Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas? dating back to 1984.
The lack of recognition for modern songs follows a gradual change in the charts, where slick marketing now allows records to shoot to the top then plummet again rather than building support over time.
Bo Rhap - as it is known to Queen fans - has topped a number of all-time favourite lists this year. The track topped the charts twice, despite record label bosses initially being reluctant to issue it as a single.
John Lennon's Imagine - which topped the charts only in the aftermath of his death - was runner-up. His was one of three Beatle-related tracks in the top five, with the Fab Four's Hey Jude and George Harrison's My Sweet Lord.
Fourth place went to Simon And Garfunkel for Bridge Over Troubled Water, the highest non-Brits.
The Beatles as a group claim a whopping 14 of the top 100, way ahead of any other act.
There have been 941 Number One songs since the charts began and the company which compiles the weekly listing, The Official UK Charts Company, counted nearly 190,000 votes to draw up its list.
The 50 highest will be counted down in a Radio 2 show The Greatest Number Ones Of All Time by DJ Richard Allinson from 2pm today.
Darren Haynes, of The Official UK Charts Company, said: "This list of the nation's favourite songs once again shows the enduring appeal of classics such as Bohemian Rhapsody and Imagine."
The top 10
1 Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
2 John Lennon - Imagine
3 Beatles - Hey Jude
4 Simon and Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water
5 George Harrison - My Sweet Lord
6 Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade Of Pale
7 Animals - The House Of The Rising Sun
8 Abba - Dancing Queen
9 Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
10 Queen and David Bowie - Under Pressure
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Animals 2
Back in the early 90's. Peter Barton approched Hilton Valentine about putting a band on the road performing songs he had recorded with The Animals. At that time around, 1991 Hilton was playing in a North East blues band called The Alligators. A hard driving Rhythm N Blues outfit. The band was good. Within weeks Hilton and the Alligators had put together a complete Animal set. I remember being at one of the rehersal gigs in South Shields, Chas Chandler was in the audience. He had been invited down by Hilton. After the show I had a chat with Chas and he was pleased that Hilton was doing it. At that time John Steel was not involved, the band was called Hilton Valentine's Animals. I think it was Chas who suggested that Hilton should call John. Within a few months John Steel joined the band. Around that time Don Powell and Dave Hill from Slade had returned to the road, they called themselves Slade II. And so Animals II was born.
The band had several line-up changes over the years, but the nucleus was always John Steel and Hilton Valentine. The band pictured here was the longest running line-up of Animals II with John Steel, Martin Bland, Robert Kane, Steve Dawson, Hilton Valentine and Steve Hutchinson. The band recorded one album in that period "Interesting Life" a compilation of the greatest hits. The band split in the summer of 1998.
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The Animals
Steel, Rowberry, Valentine
After Animals II split up Peter Barton approached Dave Rowberry from the 1965 Line-up of The Animals. The question was asked if he wanted to team back up with John and Hilton. At that time Dave had just finished working with Dana Gillespie, so the timing was perfect. He accepted the role and jumped back into the keyboard seat. Pete also approched original Kinks drummer Mick Avory for the contact number for Pete Quaife the original Kinks bass player. Mick said that Pete was not really touring anymore and suggested Jim Rodford. Jim was one of the founding members of Argent and had been in the Kinks for over twenty years. I called Jim, and as luck would have it The Kinks had just stopped touring and had no future plans to do otherwise. Jim accepted. Way back before the Animals Jim and Dave had worked in the same band "The Mike Cotton Sound". The unit was almost complete. Hilton and John had been checking out North East vocalists and one guy fitted the bill. Tony Liddle, a fantastic, powerful rock voice. He had previously worked with Steve Dawson and Graham Oliver from Saxon.
The band was complete. Another vocalist joined briefly at the end. Aemon Cronnin, a friend of Hiltons from America (Hilton had by now left Newcastle and relocated in the states). Due to various reasons Hilton decided to leave the band for the time being and pursue a solo career. His second solo album is now out and available "It's Folk n Skiffle Mate".
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