Eric Burdon – PowerPop… An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture

Animals – House of the Rising Sun

I bought this 1964 single when I was 12 in 1979. On the B side was the wonderful Bring It On Home to Me. I became an Animals fan that day. Let’s talk about a song so soaked in sorrow, so drenched in drama, that it feels like a dark southern gothic fable set to tape.

This is a British band covering an old American folk ballad about a New Orleans house of ill repute, and somehow, they made it definitive. The song had already passed through Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, and Bob Dylan before it landed in the hands of The Animals. But it wasn’t until Eric Burdon opened his mouth that the song finally got its fangs. His voice is more of a howl than singing at times, and gives the song the oomph it needed.

Historians have not been able to definitively identify The House Of The Rising Sun, but the two instances I have read about are these:

1) The song is about a brothel in New Orleans. The House Of The Rising Sun was named after its occupant Madame Marianne LeSoleil Levant (which means “Rising Sun” in French), and was open for business from 1862 (occupation by Union troops) until 1874, when it was closed due to complaints by neighbors. It was located at 826-830 St. Louis St.

2) It’s about a woman’s prison in New Orleans called the Orleans Parish women’s prison, which had an entrance gate adorned with rising sun artwork. This would explain the “ball and chain” lyrics in the song.

The song peaked at #1 in the Billboard 100, #1 in Canada, and #1 in the UK in 1964.

More than anything, his song cemented The Animals as the most dangerous-sounding band to crawl out of the British Invasion. It wasn’t the pop of the Hollies or Herman Hermits. This was dark. Gritty. Adult. You believed every damn word.

Eric Burdon: “I don’t think that The Animals got a chance to evolve. We were the first to admit that we took blues songs from American artists, but if the Animals had stuck together and worked together instead of worrying about who was getting all the money, we could have evolved more and come out with more music to be proud of.”

The B side on my single

House of The Rising Sun

There is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
And it’s been the ruin of many a poor boy
And God I know I’m one

My mother was a tailor
She sewed my new blue jeans
My father was a gamblin’ man
Down in New Orleans

Now the only thing a gambler needs
Is a suitcase and trunk
And the only time he’s satisfied
Is when he’s on a drunk

Oh mother tell your children
Not to do what I have done
Spend your lives in sin and misery
In the House of the Rising Sun

Well, I got one foot on the platform
The other foot on the train
I’m goin’ back to New Orleans
To wear that ball and chain

Well, there is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
And it’s been the ruin of many a poor boy
And God I know I’m one

Animals – It’s My Life

The Animals were one of the many British bands I learned through reading about the Beatles. A friend had House of the Rising Sun and I was mesmerized by the lead singer’s voice. Eric Burdon’s voice was huge and commanding. The Animals may have had the hardest edge of any of the British Invasion bands with the exception of the lesser-known Them with Van Morrison.

This song was written by Carl D’Errico and Roger Atkins specifically for The Animals. Eric Burdon didn’t like the song at all but changed a few words and he recorded it. This song starts off with Chad Chandler’s bass line and it sets the tone for the rest of the song. Eric Burdon sounds tough, determined, and cocky through the verses. The song peaked at #23 on the Billboard 100, #7 in the UK, and #2 in Canada in 1965.

They formed in 1963, from the fusion between two rival bands, one headed by bassist Chas Chandler, the other headed by organist Alan Price, stage veteran, former jazz pianist, and disciple of Ray Charles. Eric Burdon, who had played with Price until 1962, was hired as the singer. The Kontours changed their name first to The Alan Price Combo, after adding drummer John Steel, and then to The Animals, after adding guitarist Hilton Valentine.

The original lineup only recorded three albums, yet nevertheless broke out eight Top 40 hits between 1964 and 1966. Alan Price left in 1965, and John Steel the following year. Also in 1966, Chandler left to start managing artists, and he discovered Jimi Hendrix in Greenwich Village. Now a very different group, they were known as Eric Burdon & The Animals and had six additional Top 40 hits before finally disbanding in 1968.

It’s My Life

It’s a hard world to get a break in
All the good things have been taken
But girl there are ways to make certain things pay
Though I’m dressed in these rags, I’ll wear sable some day

Hear what I say
I’m gonna ride the serpent
No more time spent sweatin’ rent
Hear my command
I’m breakin’ loose, it ain’t no use
Holdin’ me down, stick around

But baby (baby)
Remember (remember)
It’s my life and I’ll do what I want
It’s my mind and I’ll think what I want
Show me I’m wrong, hurt me sometime
But some day I’ll treat you real fine

There’ll be women and their fortunes
Who just want to mother orphans
Are you gonna cry, when I’m squeezin’ the rye
Takin’ all I can get, no regrets
When I, openly lie
And leave only money
Believe me honey, that money
Can you believe, I ain’t no saint
No complaints
So girl go out
Hand it out

And baby (baby)
Remember (remember)
It’s my life and I’ll do what I want
It’s my mind and I’ll think what I want
Show me I’m wrong, hurt me sometime
But some day I’ll treat you real fine

(It’s my life and I’ll do what I want) Don’t push me
(It’s my mind and I’ll think what I want) It’s my life
(It’s my life and I’ll do what I want) And I can do what I want
(It’s my mind and I’ll think what I want) You can’t tell me
(It’s my life and I’ll do what I want) I’ll do what I want

Animals – See See Rider

Many have covered this song and I’ve known many versions. It’s been covered over 100 times. I first knew this song by Elvis but I love the Animals version.

The biggest difference between the Animals and The Beatles, Stones, Kinks, and The Who was that the Animals didn’t write many of their early songs. They kept looking at the Brill Building for songs. In this instance, they took an old blues song and breathed new life into it, creating a powerful recording that would become emblematic of their sound.

One of the earliest recorded versions of “See See Rider” was by Ma Rainey, one of the pioneering figures of blues music. Rainey’s recording, released in 1925, helped popularize the song and establish it as a blues standard. The writing credit on this song is Lena Arent and Ma Rainey.

Ma Rainey’s influence extended beyond her music… she was also a trailblazer for African American artists in the music industry. As one of the first African American women to record blues music. she was a vaudeville star in the early 1900s. In 1923, she started recording for Paramount Records. Earlier he took Bessie Smith under her wing and helped her. She was one of the first female blues artists to find a wide audience.

The C.C. Rider, also known as See See Rider or Easy Rider, is a blues cliché for the sexual partner, although originally it referred to the guitar hung on the back of the traveling bluesman. An easy rider was also known as an unfaithful boyfriend.

The song peaked at #1 in Canada and #10 on the Billboard 100 in 1966.

Over the years, “See See Rider” has been covered by many artists from various genres, including Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Janis Joplin. Per Secondhandsongs… it has been covered 450 times.

See See Rider

Oh see, see see rider girl see what you’ve doneOh oh, see see rider see what you’ve done nowYou’ve gone away and left me and nowAnd now the blues they come oh yes they do

Oh well I’m goin’ goin’ away baby and I won’t be back till fallOh yes I am goin’ away baby and I won’t be back till fallIf I get me a good lookin’ woman no no no I won’t be back at all oh rightNow see see rider I love you yes I do and there isn’t one thing darlingI would not do for you you know I want you see seeI need you by my side see see rider oh keep me satisfied

Oh he had see see rider see see riderSee see rider see see rider see riderSee see rider you keep on a ridin’, keep on a ridin’Here it comes baby look outBeat it all right don’t lose it now come on, come on, yeah

Here she comes she’s oh rightShe’s so fine she’s all mineSee see come on Jenny dig a ride now, hey

Well I’m goin’, goin’ away baby and I won’t be back till fallYes, I’m goin’, goin’ away baby and I won’t be back till fallIf I find me a good lookin’ woman no no no I won’t be back at allAnd that’s the truth baby listen I’m goin’ all rightSomebody told me somebody told meI jump catch on I leave it oh right oh right ah

…

Animals – Don’t Bring Me Down

This song starts off with organ and bass and then…then the guitar comes in with a slight tremolo power chord that makes it. This was right before The Animals split and Eric Burdon formed a new version of the Animals. Their drummer in this is Barry Jenkins and he replaced original member John Steel.

The original lineup only recorded three albums, yet nevertheless managed to break out eight Top 40 hits between 1964 and 1966. Alan Price left in 1965, and John Steel the following year. Also in 1966, Chandler left to start managing artists, and he discovered Jimi Hendrix in Greenwich Village. Now a very different group, they were known as Eric Burdon & The Animals and had six additional Top 40 hits before finally disbanding in 1968.

The biggest difference between the Animals and The Beatles, Stones, Kinks, and The Who was that the Animals didn’t write many of their songs. They kept looking at the Brill Building for songs. This one was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. Those two wrote a lot of the sixties soundtrack on their own.

That would change soon. In 1966, The Animals changed labels to Decca and started writing their own material in the following years. They would release songs such as San Franciscan Nights, Monterey, and Sky Pilot.

Don’t Bring Me Down peaked at #12 on the Billboard 100, #3 in Canada, and #6 in the UK in 1966.

Eric Burdon: “I didn’t realize that it was a Goffin, King song until I was in a doctor’s office in Beverly Hills and Ms. King came in and sat next to me. I didn’t know it was her, I was just reading a magazine and she turned to me and said, ‘You know, I hated what you did to my song.’ I didn’t know what to say, so all I said was, ‘well, sorry.’ and then as she got up to go into the doctor’s office, she turned around and said, ‘but I got used to it.'”

Eric Burdon: “I’ve always viewed myself as a punk. The Animals could have evolved that way. We had the energy and the anger, but we didn’t stick together. When the punk scene became commercial, I was all for the politics of the movement, but the music didn’t really stand up and ultimately, it was self destructive.”

Don’t Let Me Down

When you complain and criticize
I feel I’m nothing in your eyes.,
It makes me feel like givin’ up
Because my best just ain’t good enough.
Girl I want to provide for you and
Do the things you want me to!

But oh, oh, no, don’t bring me down!
Oh, baby you know!
Oh, oh, no, don’t bring me down!

Sacrifices I will make,
I’m ready to give as well as take,
One thing I need is your respect,
One thing I can’t take is your neglect,
More than anything I need your love
Then trouble’s easy to rise above.

But oh, oh, no, don’t bring me down!
Oh, baby you know!
Oh, oh, no, don’t bring me down!

But oh, oh, no, don’t bring me down!
Oh, baby you know!
Oh, oh, no, don’t bring me down!
Oh, oh, no, don’t bring me down!
Oh, oh, no, don’t bring me down!
Oh, oh, no, don’t bring me down!

Animals – I’m Crying

I can’t get enough of the early Animals. At the time I would say they were the grittiest-sounding band of the British Invasion. The Animals were one of the many British bands I learned about through reading about the Beatles. The Animals influenced the future of rock from the garage rock of the 60s to 70s punk.

I’m Crying was written by the group’s lead vocalist Eric Burdon and organist Alan Price. The song was released as a single in September 1964 and became their second transatlantic hit after “The House of the Rising Sun”, which was released earlier in the year.

The Animals first appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show on October 18th, 1964. With young girls screaming, The Animals rocked the audience as they played “I’m Crying” followed by their massive hit “House of the Rising Sun.” The audience got so out of control that Sullivan shushed them several times.

They formed in 1963, from the fusion between two rival groups, one headed by bassist Chas Chandler, the other headed by organist Alan Price, stage veteran, former jazz pianist, and disciple of Ray Charles. Eric Burdon, who had played with Price until 1962, was hired as the singer. The Kontours changed their name first to The Alan Price Combo, after adding drummer John Steel, and then to The Animals, after adding guitarist Hilton Valentine.

Bruce Springsteen: For some, the Animals were just another one the really good beat groups that came of the Sixties, but to me, the Animals were a revelation. The first records with full-blown class consciousness that I had ever heard.

John Steel: We were hot enough to get on several times on The Ed Sullivan Show, and at that time in 1964, we were rated in the Top 5 bands of the British Invasion along with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Kinks, so we were pretty highly regarded.

I’m Crying

I don’t hear your knock upon my door
I don’t have your lovin’ anymore
Since you been gone I’m a-hurtin’ inside
Well I want you baby by my side, Yeah

I’m cryin’, I’m cryin’
Hear me cryin’ baby
Hear me cryin’

Im lonely and blue baby every night
Yeah, you know you didn’t treat me right
And now my tears begin to fall
Well I want you baby and that’s all

I’m cryin’, I’m cryin’
Hear me cryin’ baby
Hear me cryin’

I don’t hear your knock upon my door
I don’t have your lovin’ anymore
Since you been gone I’m hurtin’ inside, yeah
Well I want you baby by my side

But I’m cryin’, you know I’m cryin’
Hear me cryin’ baby
Hear me crying
Hear me crying

Animals – Inside Looking Out

The Animals were so raw sounding and that had a lot to do with Eric Burdon singing. his voice conveyed emotion with the best of them. They excelled in grit and this song is no different. I like the interplay between the guitar and organ a minute or so into the studio version.

The song wasn’t a giant hit but it did have a great sound. It showed that the Stones and The Who had nothing on the Animals as far as a dark gritty sound. After 1966 the band would break up except for Eric Burdon. He would recruit more musicians and continue on as the Animals (sometimes Eric Burdon and The Animals) with a harder edge until 1968. He would then go and join WAR who would go on to produce Spill The Wine together.

In 1966 The Animals changed labels to Decca and started writing their own material. This song was one of their most adventurous, with every bar in the same minor chord. The song peaked at #34 on the Billboard 100, #21 in Canada, and #12 in the UK in 1966. The songwriting is credited to John Lomax, Alan Lomax, Eric Burdon, and bass player Chas Chandler.

The song itself is loosely based on a song called Rosie which was an American Prison Work Song. In the 1920s and 30s prison camps had inmates who used to work for 12-15 hours a day chopping trees, cutting cane, and shoveling gravel. To help them pass the time and get through the day, they would make up songs.

Eric Burdon: “It’s the first number we’ve recorded without a tune. It originates from a Mississippi prison song, the kind of blues we’ve always wanted to do.”

Inside-Looking Out

Sittin’ here lonely like a broken man
Sell my time and do the best I can
I wasn’t boss this around in me
But I don’t want your sympathy, yeah
Oh baby, oh baby, I just need your tender lovin’
To keep me sane in this burnin’ oven
When my time is up, be my reaper
Like Adam’s work on God’s green earth
My reaper, my reaper baby, yeah me is my reaper, yeah

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, baby baby baby c’mon c’mon c’mon, yeah

Ice cold waters runnin’ in my brain
And they drag me back to work again
Pains and blisters on my minds and my hands
From living daily with those canvas bags
Thoughts of freedom their drivin’ me wild
And I’ll by happy like a new born child
We’ll be together, girl, you wait and see
No more walls to keep your love from me

Yeah, can’t you feel my love
Baby, baby, need you, squeeze you,
Nobody but, nobody but, you girl, I love you, need you
All right

I said everything’s gonna be all right
And if you don’t believe what I say
Just listen baby and I’ll tell you
Can’t you feel my love
Can’t you see my skill
Can’t you yell my love
It’s getting louder
It’s getting louder
A little closer, yeah

I said baby, I need you, c’mon, squeeze, please
Lord, I love you, I need you, yeah
Yeah, right by my side
I need you here by my side
But I can’t help it baby
But I’ll be home soon
I’ll be home soon, yeah
All right
Whoa!!!

Animals – Sky Pilot

I bought this song on a single along with San Franciscan Nights when I was getting into the Animals as a pre-teen. This was not the same Animals of House of the Rising Sun and others…everyone but Eric Burdon and drummer Barry Jenkins had been replaced.

A Sky Pilot is a military chaplain, in the lyric he blesses the boys as they stand in line. The song finds the chaplain telling the soldiers that they are fighting for a greater cause, as they are soldiers of God. Eric Burdon tape-recorded The Royal Scot’s Dragoon Guards at a school and used the music during the middle of the song along with the war sound effects.

The song peaked at #14 in the Billboard 100, #7 in Canada, and #40 in the UK in 1968. The single was split into two parts to fit on the 45 so to hear the rest of the song… you had to flip the record over.

Eric Burdon received an angry letter from the British government for his use of pipe music. The song he used was “All The Bluebonnet’s Are Over The Border,” which is a classic Scottish war piece written as an anti-war epic during the Vietnam War.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZklnDvd_vfQ

Sky Pilot

He blesses the boys as they stand in line
The smell of gun grease and the bayonets they shine
He’s there to help them all that he can
To make them feel wanted he’s a good holy man

Sky pilot…..sky pilot
How high can you fly
You’ll never, never, never reach the sky
He smiles at the young soldiers

Tells them its all right
He knows of their fear in the forthcoming fight
Soon there’ll be blood and many will die
Mothers and fathers back home they will cry

Sky pilot…..sky pilot
How high can you fly
You’ll never, never, never reach the sky
He mumbles a prayer and it ends with a smile

The order is given
They move down the line
But he’s still behind and he’ll meditate
But it won’t stop the bleeding or ease the hate

As the young men move out into the battle zone
He feels good, with God you’re never alone
He feels tired and he lays on his bed
Hopes the men will find courage in the words that he said

Sky pilot… sky Pilot
How high can you fly
You’ll never, never, never reach the sky
You’re soldiers of God you must understand

The fate of your country is in your young hands
May God give you strength
Do your job real well
If it all was worth it

Only time it will tell
In the morning they return
With tears in their eyes
The stench of death drifts up to the skies

A soldier so ill looks at the sky pilot
Remembers the words
“Thou shalt not kill”
Sky pilot…..sky pilot

How high can you fly
You never, never, never reach the sky

Animals – When I Was Young

The Animals were nasty sounding…more than the Stones on some of their records at this time.

This is one of the songs that have been said as having pioneered grunge music. The song was written by Eric Burdon, Vic Briggs, John Weider, Barry Jenkins, and Danny McCulloch.

This was in the middle of the psychedelic period…In 1966 the original Animals disbanded because of business mismanagement and were in debt. Eric carried on with the newly named Eric Burdon & The Animals. He left behind his Newcastle, hard-drinking ways behind, and became a spokesman for the counterculture in this period.

This song was released in 1967 and it peaked at #15 in the Billboard 100, #10 in Canada, and #45 in the UK.

Eric Burdon: “When I first wrote it I played it to George Harrison and his comment was ‘Great! You got to do more of this. You’ll know you’ll be able to sing this song when you are in your forties.’ Now I am in my 70s and I am still singing it.”

From Songfacts

“When I Was Young” was written by Eric Burdon and included on various Animals albums as well as being a single release.

Burdon’s composition marks an important turning point for the Animals: many of The Animals’ hits had been Brill Building productions, most notably the husband-and-wife team of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, which was an effort by their producer Mickie Most to make this British Invasion band sound more American. Burdon found this too restricting, and the group moved to Decca Records by 1966. This was amongst their first hits after this move.

Cover versions of this song include versions by Golden Earring, Eddie Fisher, Tina Turner, and The Ramones. It’s also been featured in film soundtracks such as Doris Dorrie’s Manner….

When I Was Young

‘The rooms were so much colder then
My father was a soldier then
And times were very hard
When I was young

I smoked my first cigarette at ten
And for girls, I had a bad yen
And I had quite a ball
When I was young

When I was young, it was more important
Pain more painful
Laughter much louder
Yeah, when I was young
When I was young

I met my first love at thirteen
She was brown and I was pretty green
And I learned quite a lot when I was young
When I was young
When I was young

Pain more painful
Laughter much louder
Yeah, when I was young
When I was young

My faith was so much stronger then
I believed in fellow man
And I was so much older then
When I was young
When I was young
When I was young

Animals – Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood

This song peaked at #15 in the Billboard 100 and #3 in the UK in 1965. The Animals were a tough Rhythm and Blues band formed in Newcastle upon Tyne. Burdon’s voice drives this Animals song.

This song was written by Horace Ott, Bennie Benjamin, and Sol Marcus. Benjamin and Marcus were a songwriting team that had been working together since the 40s… their songs include “Lonely Man” by Elvis Presley and “Fabulous Character” by Sarah Vaughan.

Ott started writing the song after getting in a heated argument with Gloria Caldwell, whom he had recently married. Sitting down at the piano, he expressed in song how he was well-intentioned, but misunderstood by his wife – a sentiment many married men could relate to.

Gloria Caldwell is listed on the credit instead of Ott because of contractual issues. She learned to understand him: the couple stayed together.

The Animals were one of the British Invasion bands…One of the rawer and bluesy bands.

From Songfacts

Nina Simone was the first to record this song, releasing an orchestrated, downtempo rendition on her 1964 album Broadway-Blues-Ballads that nicked the US chart at #131. The best-known version is by The Animals, who reworked it into a rock song. Eric Burdon recalled in Rolling Stone magazine, “It was never considered pop material, but it somehow got passed on to us and we fell in love with it immediately.”

In our 2010 interview with Eric Burdon, he said: “I’ve really been misunderstood. By my mom, my dad, school teachers, a couple of the women that I married. I’ve been misunderstood all of my life.”

In 2013, Eric Burdon recorded a new version of this song with Jenny Lewis for the HBO TV series True Blood. “When I was asked to record a new version of ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’ for the new season with Jenny Lewis, I had to bite,” Burdon said of recording the song for the vampire drama. The song was included on Volume 4 of the show’s soundtrack.

Other well-known versions include covers by:

Joe Cocker, who covered this on his 1969 debut album, With a Little Help from My Friends. His version was played over the ending credits of the 2004 film Layer Cake.

Disco group Santa Esmeralda’s 1977 dance version, which incorporated flamenco, salsa, and other Latin rhythm and ornamentation elements. Released as a single it reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song’s instrumental passage was later used by Quentin Tarantino during the duel between The Bride and O-Ren Ishii in his 2003 movie Kill Bill: Volume 1

Lana Del Rey, who covered this for her 2015 Honeymoon album. Her version is in the vein of Nina Simone’s jazz original but also uses The Animals organ sound. Del Rey had previous covered another Nina Simone song “The Other Woman” for her Ultraviolence album. The “Video Games” singer told NME she is drawn to Simone’s “melodies and words.” “Personality-wise we’re quite different,” she added. “We may have had some of the same issues, but I picked that song simply because it resonated with me.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw7RTUEZMyg

Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood

Baby, do you understand me now?
Sometimes I feel a little mad
But don’t you know that no one alive can always be an angel
When things go wrong I feel real bad.

I’m just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood

Baby, sometimes I’m so carefree
With a joy that’s hard to hide
And sometimes it seems that, all I have to do is worry
And then you’re bound to see my other side

I’m just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood

If I seem edgy, I want you to know,
That I never mean to take it out on you
Life has its problems, and I get my share,
And that’s one thing I never mean to do

Cause I love you,
Oh,

Oh, oh, oh, baby – don’t you know I’m human
I have thoughts like any other one
Sometimes I find myself, Lord, regretting
Some foolish thing, some little simple thing I’ve done

I’m just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood
Yes, I’m just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood
Yes, I’m just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood

Yes, I’m just a soul whose intentions are good