The Animals

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 song "The
House of the Rising Sun", 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.

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 Columbia Graphophone 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 singles that were intense, gritty pop 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" being notable
examples. Burdon's powerful, deep voice and the use of keyboards as much or
more than guitars were two elements that made the Animals' sound stand out.

By May 1965 the group were starting to feel internal pressures. Price left due to
personal and musical differences as well as a fear of flying on tour;[2] he went on
to a successful career as a solo artist and with the Alan Price Set. Mickey
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"[3] and "It's My Life". Around that time, an Animals Big Band
made a one-time appearance.[4]

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 U.S. 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.

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 October 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"[5], "Monterey" (a

tribute to the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival), and the anti-war "Sky Pilot". There
were further changes to this line-up: 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 1969 these Animals had dissolved, and Eric 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, then for an album in 1977
aptly called Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted. The album received critical
praise but there was no record company tour or promotion. The original Animals
reunited again in 1983 for the album Ark and a tour, supplemented by Zoot
Money on keyboards and Steve Grant on guitar. 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. 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.