The Animals | New Music And Songs | The Animals About The Animals 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 had departed, 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, Rovi Hear more of The Animals The Animals Info Supplied by John Warburg One of the most import ant 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. 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. ï¿½ 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. 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".

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.

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 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.

Hilton Valentine | New Music And Songs | Hilton Valentine About Hilton Valentine One of the more prominent, yet enigmatic, guitarists of the British Invasion, Hilton Stewart Paterson Valentine was born in North Shields during World War II. He took up the guitar in his teens amid the rock & roll boom in England and formed his own group, the Wild Cats, in 1962. Before they'd gotten too far, however, he was offered a spot early the following year in an outfit who were then called the Alan Price R&B Combo, consisting of Alan Price, Chas Chandler, John Steel, and Eric Burdon.

As the guitarist for the Animals, as they later became known, Hilton Valentine became one of the most visible musicians of the British Invasion, propelled to a level of stardom by the band's international number one hit, "House of the Rising Sun." Valentine tended to be more of an ensemble player than a soloist, although he proved he could be distinctive with his playing on the group's first two singles, "Baby Let Me Take You Home" and "House of the Rising Sun." The latter, a number one hit in a multitude of countries, including England and America, was one of the great guitar showcases of the early British Invasion and also one of the most enduring. Although the arrangement of the song (a traditional folk number learned from Josh White's recording) was copyrighted in Alan Price's name, Chandler and Steel maintained for years that Valentine's role in devising the arrangement was at least as large as Price's, much as his guitar was as prominent in the group's recording as Price's organ. Even early on, he was part of a distinctive circle of real musicians (as opposed to media stars), alongside Georgie Fame and other of the more talented blues-based players and singers of the period.

Although he could play traditional blues licks, chug away Bo Diddley-style, or offer hard rocking Chuck Berry leads, Valentine was also very good at playing melodic accompaniments in a manner closer to that of Curtis Mayfield. He was quietly versatile, usually slightly in the shadow behind Burdon's lead singing and Price's (or his successor Dave Rowberry's) organ, and endured in the group right to the summer of 1966 and their final single, "Don't Bring Me Down." Apparently, it had been Burdon's intention to keep Valentine aboard in the group he formed out of that split, but he never became part of Eric Burdon and the Animals (or the New Animals, as they were sometimes called). At one point, there was some discussion about hooking up with ex-Yardbirds bassist Paul Samwell-Smith, and Valentine was involved with attempts at forming a new group with the former members of Graham Gouldman's one-time band, the Mockingbirds. He also played a hand in helping his ex-Wild Cats bandmate Keith Shields try for solo stardom with a single on English Decca.

At the end of the '60s, however, Valentine moved to California, where he resumed his contractual relationship with EMI for one album -- the beautiful, enigmatic, acoustic-textured psychedelic album All in Your Head. Valentine was largely invisible during the early '70s, and some accounts have him living in Canada. He was back in fine form, however, for the Animals reunion album, Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted, released in 1976. He returned once again at the core of the Animals' lineup for their somewhat longer lasting early-'80s reunion, hooked around the Ark album and an international tour in 1983. Ten years later, Valentine put together the Animals II as a vehicle for performing the old group's songs, joined by original drummer John Steel and Alan Price's 1965 successor at the organ, Dave Rowberry. That group has since toured the world and recorded a CD of their best numbers. Hilton Valentine endures as one of the more well-liked and respected of still-active '60s rock survivors, with a group that uses the old Animals' sound as a jumping off point for fresh music-making in a classic style.

~ Bruce Eder, Rovi Hear more of The Animals - Biography | Billboard The Animals 1964 Members: John Steel Dave Rowberry Barry Jenkins Chas Chandler Vic Briggs Eric Burdon Zoot Money Andy Summers John Weider Alan Price Danny McCulloch Hilton Valentine 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 had departed, 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, Rovi Related Artists The Animals on Apple Music To preview a song, mouse over the title and click Play. Open iTunes to buy and download music. 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 had departed, 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 Top Albums The Official 60's Site-The Animals The 1960s Recording Artist of the Month The Animals The Animals were a rock 'n roll band from England during the 1960s that was part of the British Invasion. Known for their blues sound and deep-voiced lead singer, Eric Burdon, they were best known by the song "House of the Rising Sun" which became their signature song. The band underwent numerous personnel changes and emerged as an exponent of psychedelic music before dissolving at the end of the decade. They were formed in Newcastle, England in 1958 as the Alan Price Combo. The group consisted of Eric Burdon (vocals). Alan Price (keyboards), Bryan "Chas" Chandler (bass), Hilton Valentine (guitar) and John Steel (drums). Price left in May 1965, replaced by Dave Rowberry. Steel left in 1966, replaced by Barry Jenkins.

The goup disbanded in July 1968. After a period with War, Eric Burdon and the other orginals reunited in 1983. Chandler died in 1996. Their first single was a rocking verison of Baby Let Me Follow You Down, titled Baby Let Me Take You Home. It was followed by the huge hit The House of the Rising Sun, which spent 10 weeks on the U.S. Billboard Top 40 charts and 3 weeks in the No. 1 position in 1964. The group had 14 hits, including The House of the Rising Sun, in the Top 40. The songs reaching the top 40 were; I'm Crying, Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood, Bring it on Home To Me, We Gotta Get Out of this Place, It's My Life, Inside-Looking Out, Don't Bring me Down, See See Rider, Help Me Girl, When I Was Young, San Francisco Nights, Monterey, and Sky Pilot (Part One). The original Animals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Animals album releases varied significantly between the UK and the US; even those with the same or similar names had different contents. In addition countless compilation and repackaging releases have been made over the years. Click the Button to Browse or Buy Music by The Animals. The Animals | Biography & History | AllMusic google+ Artist Biography by Bruce Eder 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 had departed, 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. THE OUTpsiDER vs. THE ANIMALS - MUSIC 4 U 2 N JOY Eric Burdon and the Animals site link Originally called The Alan Price Combo in 1958, they became The Animals shortly after lead vocalist Eric Burdon joined the band in '62.

By 1964, they had recorded their second single, House Of The Rising Sun,which went to #1 in the U.K. and the U.S. In '65, keyboardist Alan Price left the band (the result of tension between him and Burdon) and formed The Alan Price Set.* Dave Rowberry would be Price's replacement. In '66, drummer John Steel left being replaced by Barry Jenkins (formerly with The Nashville Teens). By the end of '66, bassist * Chas Chandler and guitarist Hilton Valentine left. Chandler became manager for The Animals as well as Jimi Hendrix (and later Slade). Now billed as Eric Burdon And The Animals, the band endorsed psychedelia with San Franciscan Nights, which went to #9 in '67 and Sky Pilot (#14) in '68. By early '68, Burdon and The Animals fell apart, but in late '68, Burdon formed Eric Burdon and The New Animals with a line up that briefly included future Police guitarist Andy Summers(then, known as Andrew Somers).

Soon after, Burdon went on an intermittenly successful solo career, at first fronting the R&B group War in which he had a Top Ten hit with Spill The Wine in 1970. During a 1971 European performance with War, Burdon suffered from exhaustion which would eventually end his collaboration with the group. In 1976, the original band reunited to record the one-shot album, Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted. In '83, they reunited once more and recorded Ark and mounted a tour that was captured on the '84 release of Rip It To Shreds before the band members again went their seperate ways. They were inducted in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1994. Eric Burdon and The New Animals continue to tour extensively * LIFE LINES

Question: Which 60s chart-topping band were originally called The Alan Price Combo?
Answer: The Animals