Eric Burdon

[TimothyBFan]

Wow-I can't believe Eric Burdon is 68 years old today!! HE is definitely a part of Rock N Roll history.

LOVE this video of him with War doing Spill The Wine for 1970.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7_U-zj2gfE[/ame]

When he was a clean cut looking kid with The Animals-Gotta Get Out Of This Place.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxNEiZhpinY[/ame]

House Of The Rising Sun-The Animals
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg7jzi9JAkw&feature=PlayList&p=54B26C8B60A 33C82&index=0&playnext=1[/ame]

Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood-The Animals
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2FT4FprxDg[/ame]

[MikeA]

Hey Willie, was wondering if you were going to include HORS. THat was the first non-folk song I learned on guitar...back in about the 9th grade! I did it in a talent show at school and dedicated it to my homeroom teacher who was from New Orleans. I had no idea the song was about a "house of ill repute!"

LOL

[TimothyBFan]

Mike-Can't very well have a tribute to Eric Burdon without including HOTRS can we? Your story about dedicating it to your teacher, not knowing it was about a house of ill repute cracked me up. I would love to know what she thought about that back then! She probably told that story several times later!

BTW--you did a great job on it!

[Prettymaid]

Ah yes...HORS... the song that seems to go on forever! (Is that why you picked it Mike - so you could "take over the stage")

[MikeA]

I don't know if she retold the story, but she came up to me after the ordeal and "thanked me" for the dedication. I passed her class (English Lit) so I guess it didn't ruin her reputation! I really did like her. She was a sweetheart and was everyone's "mother"...even those of us who didn't do the in-crowd thing.

I had no intention of "taking over the stage" but I guess I sort of did. The other "talents" in the show were singing songs from "Sound of Music" or "Peter, Paul & Mary" or the "Kingston Trio". I wanted to do something that wasn't "folky". It was between HORS and "Satisfaction" I think. I believe I was a Sophomore or Junior that year and the Stones had just released that song. But I did know the references in Satisfaction wouldn't pass censorship in a High School <LOL>...besides, I didn't have an electric guitar back then and the signature riff wouldn't come across right on an acoustic.

And, since I was one of the "black leather" types back then, that part about the ball and chain sort of fit what I considered my "image" of the times. There were a few of us in our small highschool (17 in my graduating class) who didn't mesh well with the cheerleaders and football jocks. Heck, we didn't "mesh" well with each other very much either! I wasn't "Mr. Popularity" back then and really didn't try very hard to be.

I hope I have toned down a bit over the years <LOL>

[MikeA]

It really is amazing how music evokes MEMORIES! I was watching those videos Willie and noticed so much in them. Hair (huge Beatles influence!) The simple compositions instrumentally that left so much up to the singer. The unbelievable BLUES influence in the Animals songs. That ORANGE amp that is still so much in demand for a "retro" sound. The Gibson guitars.

The "Animals" were a fearsome force in music and I never thought Burdon ever got the recognition that he deserved. But then back in the 60's, Blues was not a genre that drew the crowds even though it influenced so much of the music of that day.

I think it took Clapton and Cream and Hendrix to really make blues "crossover" into popularity. Even then, it had to be disguised.

Thank you so much for posting this thread!!!!!!!!

[TimothyBFan]

It was my pleasure Mike. I wasn't sure anyone else would care about this. I just think he is fantastic. I'm to young to remember The Animals when they first came out but I certainly learned to appreciate them later.

[tbs fanatic]

Oh, Happy Birthday Eric I loved The Animals - Eric's voice is so great.

[MikeA]

My encouragement from Eric is that he's older than I am <LOL> There is HOPE.

[Freypower]

On my husband's behalf it's always nice to see a Geordie boy get his due respect. I absolutely love HORS and We Gotta Get Out Of This Place, plus Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood. Then there were his solo hits Monterey and Sky Pilot - remember those?

Incidentally, the late Chas Chandler, the bass player, went on to manage Jimi Hendrix and then Slade.