As the lead singer of The Animals, Eric Burdon was one of the British Invasion's most distinctive vocalists, with a searingly powerful blues-rock voice. Rolling Stone magazine has named him one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time and Iggy Pop and Patti Smith, among other legendary artists, have placed Burdon on their list of top ten favorite singers.Formed in Newcastle upon Tyne between 1962 and 1963, the original Animals line-up was comprised of 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.
The Animals' moderate success in their hometown and a connection with Yardbirds’ manager Giorgio Gomelsky motivated them to move to London in 1964. They performed fiery versions of staple rhythm and blues repertoire (Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker, Nina Simone, etc). "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 cover "House of the Rising Sun." Burdon's howling vocals and the dramatic arrangement created, arguably, their first folk rock hit. Burdon and The Animals quickly gained notoriety as England's best R&B band when they were selected by the pirate radio station Radio Caroline as the feature for the first broadcast to the U.S.
The Animals' two-year career 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.
As the original Animals slowly disbanded, Burdon formed a new group of Animals and introduced them at the 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival. The band went on to define the era musically with the addition of "San Franciscan Nights" and such classics as "Colored Rain," the grunge–heavy metal pioneering "When I Was Young," "White Houses," the fiercely anti-war song "Sky Pilot," and the now famous homage to the festival itself, "Monterey."
Burdon disbanded the New Animals in favor of other artistic interests, and shortly thereafter began touring as Eric Burdon & WAR. Their debut album, “Eric Burdon Declares WAR”, included two immediate classics: "Tobacco Road" and the worldwide hit, "Spill the Wine." The follow-up LPs, “Black Man's Burdon” and “Love Is All Around” contained hits, such as "They Can't Take Away Our Music," "Paint It Black," "Home Dream" and "A Day in the Life."
After leaving WAR, Burdon joined up with jazz-blues great Jimmy Witherspoon to collaborate on the LP “Guilty!” (renamed “Black & White Blues” for CD release) which featured "The Laws Must Change," "Have Mercy Judge," and "Soledad."
In 2004 Burdon released his first solo studio album in many years called “My Secret Life”, produced by Grammy award-winner Tony Braunagel and in January 2006 released “Soul of a Man”. Burdon is currently working on his third full length solo album.
Burdon's newest group of Animals is Red Young on keyboards, Terry Wilson on bass, Billy Watts on guitar and Jim Christie on drums.
Eric Burdon & The Animals will be at the Seminole Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida on Thursday October 6, 2011.
