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The Animals

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

The Animals were an English band from Newcastle upon Tyne, formed in 1962. The original line-up consisted of the singer Eric Burdon, the organist Alan Price, the guitarist Hilton Valentine, the bassist Chas Chandler and the drummer John Steel. They played rhythm and blues and belonged to the wave of British bands that conquered America in 1964, the British Invasion.

Music and breakthrough

They recorded The House of the Rising Sun in a single take on 18 May 1964 at the De Lane Lea studio in London, with the producer Mickie Most. The old folk song had been given an arrangement in a minor key in the New York folk scene, which Bob Dylan recorded in 1962. The Animals turned it into an electric pop song. Valentine plays broken chords in 6/8 time, Price a solo on a Vox Continental organ, and Burdon builds the vocal to a climax. The single lasted almost four and a half minutes, long for the time. Even so it reached number 1 in England in July 1964 and in September, in a shortened version, was number 1 in the United States for three weeks. The arrangement was credited to Price alone, which caused a row. Other hits were Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood, We Gotta Get Out of This Place and It's My Life (all 1965).

Influence

Price left in 1965 and in 1966 the original group broke up. The music journalist Dave Marsh called House of the Rising Sun the first folk rock hit. According to Steel it inspired Bob Dylan to go electric. Bruce Springsteen named the band as an influence. In 1994 The Animals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to the opening of House of the Rising Sun: Hilton Valentine does not play the chords as a block, but note by note one after another (arpeggios), in a rocking 6/8 time. Then notice how Alan Price's organ and Eric Burdon's voice grow ever fuller and louder.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Mentioned in other articles

See also

Sources

  1. Wikipedia (en): The Animals
  2. Wikipedia (en): The House of the Rising Sun
  3. Wikipedia (en): We Gotta Get Out of This Place
  4. Wikipedia (en): It's My Life (The Animals song
Categories: ArtistsBritish beat and the British Invasion