Eric Burdon And The Animals The Best of Eric Burdon and the Animals 1966 - 1968

Eric Burdon And The Animals The Best of Eric Burdon and the Animals 1966 - 1968

Label: Polydor – 849 388-2
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1992
Genre: Rock, Pop
Style: Blues Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Classic Rock

1 The Animals– Don't Bring Me Down
Written-By – King, Goffin*
3: 15
2 Eric Burdon And The Animals*– See See Rider
Written-By – Rainey*
4: 00
3 The Animals– Inside Looking Out
Written-By – Lomax*, Chandler*, Burdon*, Lomax*
3: 46
4 The Animals– Hey Gyp
Written-By – Leitch*
3: 47
5 Eric Burdon And The Animals*– Help Me Girl
Written-By – Weiss*, English*
2: 39
6 Eric Burdon And The Animals*– When I Was Young
Written-By – Jenkins*, McCulloch*, Burdon*, Weider*, Briggs*
3: 00
7 Eric Burdon And The Animals*– A Girl Named Sandoz
Written-By – Burdon*, Weider*
3: 04
8 Eric Burdon And The Animals*– San Franciscan Nights
Written-By – Jenkins*, McCulloch*, Burdon*, Weider*, Briggs*
3: 20
9 Eric Burdon And The Animals*– Good Times
Written-By – Jenkins*, McCulloch*, Burdon*, Weider*, Briggs*
3: 00
10 Eric Burdon And The Animals*– Anything
Written-By – Jenkins*, McCulloch*, Burdon*, Weider*, Briggs*
3: 22
11 Eric Burdon And The Animals*– Winds Of Change
Written-By – Jenkins*, McCulloch*, Burdon*, Weider*, Briggs*
3: 59
12 Eric Burdon And The Animals*– Monterey
Written-By – Jenkins*, McCulloch*, Burdon*, Weider*, Briggs*
4: 15
13 Eric Burdon And The Animals*– Sky Pilot
Bagpipes, Percussion – The Royal Scots Guard Pipe And Drum Marching Band*
Written-By – Jenkins*, McCulloch*, Burdon*, Weider*, Briggs*
7: 29
14 Eric Burdon And The Animals*– White Houses
Written-By – Burdon*
3: 45
15 Eric Burdon And The Animals*– River Deep, Mountain High
Written-By – Greenwich, Barry, Spector*
7: 21

Eric Burdon And The Animals new band name in 1966 ( The Animals' keyboardist Alan Price left the band in May 1965, and drummer John Steel followed in April 1966 )

Eric Burdon was lead vocalist of the Animals, formed during 1962 in Newcastle upon Tyne. The original band was the Alan Price Rhythm and Blues Combo, which formed in 1958, they became the Animals shortly after Burdon joined the band. The Animals combined electric blues with rock; in the US they were considered one of the leading bands of the British Invasion. Along with the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Hollies, the Dave Clark Five, and the Kinks, the group introduced contemporary British music and fashion to American audiences. Burdon's powerful voice can be heard on the Animals' singles "The House of the Rising Sun", "Baby Let Me Take You Home", "I'm Crying", "Boom Boom", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "Bring It On Home to Me", "We Gotta Get Out of This Place", "It's My Life", "Don't Bring Me Down", "See See Rider", "Help Me Girl", "Monterey", and "Sky Pilot".

The Animals' keyboardist Alan Price left the band in May 1965, and drummer John Steel followed in April 1966. Burdon has often attributed the disintegration of the band to conflict with Price, specifically that Price had claimed sole rights and ownership to "House of the Rising Sun". Burdon and drummer Barry Jenkins reformed the group as Eric Burdon and the Animals. Their first studio album was Eric Is Here, which featured the hit single "Help Me Girl", released in December 1966, in which Burdon and drummer Jenkins teamed up with Animals' keyboardist Dave Rowberry, Animals' original bassist Chas Chandler, and Animals' original guitarist Hilton Valentine, and session musicians arranged and conducted by Horace Ott.

According to Peter Dunbavan, "Help Me Girl" included Hammond organ and brass with great effect and is too often overlooked today. Then followed a more psychedelic incarnation of the group that featured future Family member John Weider and was sometimes called Eric Burdon and the New Animals. Keyboardist Zoot Money joined during 1968 until the band broke up in 1969. This group's hits included the ballad "San Franciscan Nights", the grunge–heavy metal-pioneering "When I Was Young", "Monterey", the anti-Vietnam anthem "Sky Pilot", "White Houses" and the progressive cover of "Ring of Fire".

In 1975, the original Animals reunited and recorded a studio album called Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted, released in 1977. In May 1983, the Animals reunited with their original line-up and released the studio album Ark on 16 June 1983, along with the singles "The Night" and "Love Is for All Time". A world tour followed, and the concert at Wembley Arena, London, recorded on 31 December 1983, was released in 1984 as Greatest Hits Live (Rip It to Shreds). Their concert at the Royal Oak Theatre in April 1984 was released in 2008 as Last Live Show; the band members were augmented by Zoot Money, Nippy Noya, Steve Gregory and Steve Grant. The original Animals broke up for the last time at the end of 1984.
Eric Burdon on the Dutch TV programme FanClub on 7 January 1967

Although the band Burdon formed in the late 1960s was sometimes called Eric Burdon and the New Animals, it was not until 1998 that the name Eric Burdon and the New Animals was officially adopted. The 1998 band had bassist Dave Meros, guitarist Dean Restum, drummer Aynsley Dunbar and keyboard guitarist Neal Morse. They recorded Live at the Coach House on 17 October 1998, released on video and DVD in December that year. In 1999 they released The Official Live Bootleg No. 2 and in August 2000 The Official Live Bootleg 2000, with Martin Gerschwitz on keyboards.

In June 2003, he formed another Eric Burdon and the Animals, with keyboardist Martin Gerschwitz, bassist Dave Meros, guitarist Dean Restum, and drummer Bernie Pershey. They broke up in 2005. During 2008 Burdon toured again as Eric Burdon and the Animals with a variable line-up of backing musicians.

On 13 December 2008 Burdon lost a three-year legal battle to use the name "the Animals" in the UK, with drummer John Steel owning the rights, in the UK only, as a result. Steel was a member in the band's heyday and left in 1966, before the band broke up three years later; he later played in various reunion versions of the band with Burdon. Burdon still toured as Eric Burdon and the Animals, but was prevented from using the name "the Animals" in Britain while the case was under appeal. On 9 September 2013 Burdon's appeal was allowed, with him then entitled to use the band name in the UK.

In 2016, Burdon formed the current line-up of the Animals, including Johnzo West (guitar and vocals), Davey Allen (keyboards and vocals), Dustin Koester (drums and vocals), Justin Andres (bass guitar and vocals), Ruben Salinas (saxophone and flute), and Evan Mackey (trombone).