Eric Victor Burdon (born 11 May 1941) is an English singer. He was previously the lead vocalist of R&B and rock band the Animals and

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the mi ...

band War. He is regarded as one of the

British Invasion The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of British culture became popular in the United States and significant to the rising "counterculture" o ...

's most distinctive singers with his deep, powerful blues-rock voice. He is also known for his aggressive stage performances. In 2008, he was ranked 57th in ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'''s list of "The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time".

Early life

Eric Burdon was born in 1941 in Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne, England. His father, Matt, was originally from

Tyneside Tyneside is a built-up area across the banks of the River Tyne in northern England. Residents of the area are commonly referred to as Geordies. The whole area is surrounded by the North East Green Belt. The population of Tyneside as publishe ...

. His mother, Rene, was originally from Ireland and moved to

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

before settling in Newcastle in the 1930s. He also had a younger sister, Irene. Burdon later recalled that his middle name "Victor" had been chosen after encouragement from the Lord Mayor, who offered new mothers £25 if their new-borns were given a patriotic "war name." Burdon states he often had a divided loyalty in his sense of place and identity. He was born to a

lower middle class In developed nations around the world, the lower middle class is a subdivision of the greater middle class. Universally, the term refers to the group of middle class households or individuals who have not attained the status of the upper midd ...

family; his father did electrical work in some of the clubs Burdon would later play. Because of his father's line of work in electrical repair, the Burdon family had a TV by the time Eric was 10. In his autobiography, ''Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood'', he recalls the electrifying moment of first seeing

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and Singing, vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and se ...

on TV which began his love for

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the ...

music. This led him to take up the trombone. Realizing that he was not that good a player, however, he took up singing and went to Newcastle Art College. In his song "When I Was Young," he states he met his first love at 13, who was very experienced while he was not. He also says he smoked his first cigarette at 10 years old and would skip school with his friends to drink

Newcastle Brown Ale Newcastle Brown Ale is a brown ale, originally brewed in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Launched in 1927 by Colonel Jim Porter after three years of development, the 1960 merger of Newcastle Breweries with Scottish Brewers afforded the beer na ...

. Burdon describes his early school years as a "dark nightmare" that "should've been penned by

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...

." Due to the river pollution and humidity in Newcastle he suffered asthma attacks daily. During primary school, he was "stuck at the rear of the classroom of around 40 to 50 kids and received constant harassment from kids and teachers alike." He goes on to say his primary school was "jammed between a slaughterhouse and a shipyard on the banks of the

Tyne Tyne may refer to: __NOTOC__ Geography *River Tyne, England *Port of Tyne, the commercial docks in and around the River Tyne in Tyne and Wear, England *River Tyne, Scotland *River Tyne, a tributary of the South Esk River, Tasmania, Australia People ...

. Some teachers were sadistic – others pretended not to notice – and sexual molestation and regular corporal punishment with a leather strap was the order of the day." By the time he got to secondary school, a teacher by the name of Bertie Brown was responsible for getting him into art school and changing his life forever. There he first met John Steel, the original drummer for the Animals. He also met a lot of other "young rebels" who shared his interest in

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

, folk, and movies. Burdon started out his young adult life as one of a group of people who hung out at the local jazz club, The Downbeat. He describes his friends as "like a motorcycle gang ... without the motorcycles" – they were tough, hard-drinking, and listened to American music. Burdon and fellow rocker and guitarist, American

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

, became very close friends in the mid sixties and remained so up until Hendrix's death in 1970; Burdon was in fact the person Hendrix's girlfriend called when she found him overdosed on drugs. Burdon was also a good friend of

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

and was mentioned in one of their songs, " I Am the Walrus" as "the eggman." Burdon states, "The nickname stuck after a wild experience I'd had at the time with a Jamaican girlfriend called Sylvia. I was up early one morning cooking breakfast, naked except for my socks, and she slid up beside me and slipped an amyl nitrite capsule under my nose. As the fumes set my brain alight and I slid to the kitchen floor, she reached to the counter and grabbed an egg, which she cracked into the pit of my belly. The white and yellow of the egg ran down my naked front and Sylvia began to show me one Jamaican trick after another. I shared the story with John at a party at a Mayfair flat one night with a handful of others." Lennon, finding the story amusing and hilarious, replied, "Go on, go get it, Eggman," incorporating the incident into his song in tribute to the unique experience.

Career

The Animals

Burdon was lead vocalist of the Animals, formed during 1962 in

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

. The original band was the

Alan Price Alan Price (born 19 April 1942) is an English musician. He was the original keyboardist for the British band the Animals before he left to form his own band the Alan Price Set. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 as a m ...

Rhythm and Blues Combo, which formed in 1958; they became the Animals shortly after Burdon joined the band. The Animals combined

electric blues Electric blues refers to any type of blues music distinguished by the use of electric amplification for musical instruments. The guitar was the first instrument to be popularly amplified and used by early pioneers T-Bone Walker in the late 1930 ...

with rock; in the US they were considered one of the leading bands of the

. Along with

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...

the Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

the Hollies The Hollies are a British pop rock band, formed in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Allan Clarke and Graham Nash founded the band ...

the Dave Clark Five The Dave Clark Five, also known as the DC5, were an English rock and roll band formed in 1958 in Tottenham, London. Drummer Dave Clark (musician), Dave Clark served as the group's leader, producer and co-songwriter. In January 1964 they had thei ...

, 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 "Baby Let Me Take You Home", a song credited to Bert Russell (a.k.a. Bert Berns) and Wes Farrell, was The Animals' debut single, released in 1964. In the UK, it reached #21 on the pop singles chart. In the U.S. its B-side, "Gonna Send You Back t ...

", " I'm Crying", " Boom Boom", " Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", " Bring It On Home to Me", "

We Gotta Get Out of This Place "We Gotta Get Out of This Place", occasionally written "We've Gotta Get Out of This Place", is a rock song written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and recorded as a 1965 hit single by the Animals. It has become an iconic song of its type and was ...

", " It's My Life", "

Don't Bring Me Down "Don't Bring Me Down" is the ninth and final track on the English rock band the Electric Light Orchestra's 1979 album ''Discovery''. It is their highest-charting hit in the United States to date. History "Don't Bring Me Down" is the band's se ...

", "

See See Rider "See See Rider", also known as "C.C. Rider", "See See Rider Blues" or "Easy Rider", is a popular American 12-bar blues song that became a standard in several genres. Gertrude "Ma" Rainey was the first to record it on October 16, 1924, at Par ...

", "

Help Me Girl "Help Me Girl" is a song performed by Eric Burdon in 1966. It was billed to Eric Burdon for his 1967 solo album, '' Eric Is Here'' which also featured drummer Barry Jenkins Barry Jenkins (born November 19, 1979) is an American filmmaker. Af ...

", " Monterey", and " Sky Pilot". The Animals' keyboardist

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 Barry Jenkins (born November 19, 1979) is an American filmmaker. After making his filmmaking debut with the short film ''My Josephine'' (2003), he directed his first feature film '' Medicine for Melancholy'' (2008) for which he received an Ind ...

reformed the group as Eric Burdon and the Animals. Their first studio album was ''

Eric Is Here The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...

'', which featured the hit single "

", 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 Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science o ...

incarnation of the group that featured future

Family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

member John Weider and was sometimes called Eric Burdon and the New Animals. Keyboardist

Zoot Money George Bruno Money (born 17 July 1942) is an English vocalist, keyboardist and bandleader. He is best known for his playing of the Hammond organ and association with his Big Roll Band. Inspired by Jerry Lee Lewis and Ray Charles, he was draw ...

joined during 1968 until the band broke up in 1969. This group's hits included the ballad "

San Franciscan Nights "San Franciscan Nights" is a 1967 song performed by Eric Burdon and The Animals. Words and music were composed by the group's members, Eric Burdon, Vic Briggs, John Weider, Barry Jenkins, and Danny McCulloch. A paean to San Francisco, it was the ...

", the

grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of ...

– heavy metal-pioneering " When I Was Young", " Monterey", the anti-Vietnam anthem " Sky Pilot", " White Houses" and the progressive cover of "

Ring of Fire The Ring of Fire (also known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Rim of Fire, the Girdle of Fire or the Circum-Pacific belt) is a region around much of the rim of the Pacific Ocean where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. The Ring ...

". In 1975, the original Animals reunited and recorded a studio album called ''

Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted ''Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted'' is a 1977 reunion album by the Animals. They are billed on the cover as the Original Animals. History The album marked a reunion of the five original Animals from the group's first incarnation — Eri ...

'', released in 1977. In May 1983, the Animals reunited with their original line-up and released the studio album ''

Ark Ark or ARK may refer to: Biblical narratives and religion Hebrew word ''teva'' * Noah's Ark, a massive vessel said to have been built to save the world's animals from a flood * Ark of bulrushes, the boat of the infant Moses Hebrew ''aron'' * ...

'' 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 Wembley Arena (originally the Empire Pool, now known as OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, England, used for music, comedy, family entertainment and sport. The 12,500- ...

, London, recorded on 31 December 1983, was released in 1984 as ''

Greatest Hits Live (Rip It to Shreds) ''Greatest Hits Live (Rip It to Shreds)'' is a live album by the original members of The Animals. It was released in 1984. Background The album documents the 1983 concert tour that accompanied the second, and last, reunion attempt of the origi ...

''. Their concert at the Royal Oak Theatre in April 1984 was released in 2008 as ''Last Live Show''; the band members were augmented by

, Nippy Noya,

Steve Gregory Stephen 'Steve' Gregory (born 1945) is an English jazz saxophonist and composer. He plays tenor, alto, soprano and baritone saxophone as well as the flute. Biography and career Gregory was born in London. At St. Paul's School he learned guit ...

and Steve Grant. The original Animals broke up for the last time at the end of 1984. Eric Burdon 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 Dave Meros (born 8 February 1956), is an American bass guitar player, best known as the bass player for progressive rock band Spock's Beard. Meros has also played or recorded with such artists as Gary Myrick, Bobby Kimball of Toto, Simon Phil ...

, guitarist Dean Restum, drummer

Aynsley Dunbar Aynsley Thomas Dunbar (born 10 January 1946) is an English drummer. He has worked with John Mayall, Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck, Journey, Jefferson Starship, Nils Lofgren, Eric Burdon, Shuggie Otis, Ian Hunter, Lou Reed, David Bowie, Mick Ronso ...

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 Martin Gerschwitz (born 25 June 1952) is a German violinist, keyboardist, singer and composer. Life and career He was born and raised in Solingen, Germany. He began playing piano at the age of five, at the age of twelve he devoted himself excl ...

on keyboards. In June 2003, he formed another Eric Burdon and the Animals, with keyboardist Martin Gerschwitz, bassist

, guitarist Dean Restum, and drummer

Bernie Pershey Bernard Pershey (born in Joliet, Illinois) is an American drummer and record producer. Biography Pershey began playing drums at the age of 8. In his early years he was part of many psychedelic rock and hard rock bands such as Trilogy, White ...

. 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).

War

In 1969, while living in San Francisco, Burdon joined forces with California

funk rock Funk rock is a fusion genre that mixes elements of funk and rock. James Brown and others declared that Little Richard and his mid-1950s road band, The Upsetters, were the first to put the funk in the rock and roll beat, with a biographer stat ...

band War. In April 1970, the resulting studio album was titled '' Eric Burdon Declares "War"'' which produced the singles " Spill the Wine" and " Tobacco Road". A two-disc set entitled ''

The Black-Man's Burdon ''The Black-Man's Burdon'' is a double album by American band Eric Burdon and War, released in December 1970 on MGM Records. It was the last album by the group before Burdon left and the remaining band continued as War. The title is a pun on ...

'' was released in September 1970. The singles from their double album, " Paint It Black" and "

They Can't Take Away Our Music "They Can't Take Away Our Music" is a song performed by Eric Burdon & War featuring Sharone Scott & The Beautiful New Born Children. It was released as a single in 1970. This was their last single before they split in the same year. Chart perf ...

", had moderate success during 1971. During this time Burdon collapsed on the stage during a concert, caused by an

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, co ...

attack, and War continued the tour without him. In 1976, a compilation album, '' Love Is All Around'', released by

ABC Records ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquired many labels bef ...

, included recordings of Eric Burdon with War doing a live version of " Paint It Black" and a cover of

' song " A Day in the Life". The band also featured ex- NFL star Deacon Jones who coined the term "

quarterback sack In gridiron football, a sack occurs when the quarterback (or another offensive player acting as a passer) is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before throwing a forward pass, when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in t ...

" and sang on the band's 1975 song " Why Can't We Be Friends?" Eric Burdon and War were reunited for the first time in 37 years, to perform an Eric Burdon & War reunion at the concert at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

London on 21 April 2008. The concert coincided with a major reissue campaign by

Rhino Records A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species ...

(UK), which released all the War albums including ''Eric Burdon Declares "War"'' and ''The Black-Man's Burdon''. The version of the band that performed alongside Burdon in 2008 at the

was not the original band but a reformed one led by the only original member, keyboardist Lonnie Jordan. This was due to a court

injunction An injunction is a legal and equitable remedy in the form of a special court order that compels a party to do or refrain from specific acts. ("The court of appeals ... has exclusive jurisdiction to enjoin, set aside, suspend (in whole or in p ...

. The remaining surviving members of WAR perform as "The LowRider Band".

Solo career

Burdon began a solo career in 1971 with the Eric Burdon Band, continuing with a

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...

– heavy metal–funk style. In August 1971, he recorded the studio album '' Guilty!'', which featured the blues shouter Jimmy Witherspoon and Ike White of the San Quentin Prison Band. In 1973, the band performed at the Reading Festival. At the end of 1974, the band released the album ''Sun Secrets'' followed by the album ''Stop'' in 1975. Burdon moved to Germany in 1977 and recorded the album ''Survivor'' with a line-up including guitarist Alexis Korner and keyboardist

; the album also had a line-up of four guitarists and three keyboardists and is known for its interesting

album cover An album cover (also referred to as album art) is the front packaging art of a commercially released studio album or other audio recordings. The term can refer to either the printed paperboard covers typically used to package sets of and 78-r ...

, which depicts Burdon screaming. The album was produced by former Animals bassist Chas Chandler. The original release included a booklet of illustrated lyrics done in ink by Burdon himself. In May 1978, he recorded the studio album ''

Darkness Darkness ''Darkness Darkness'' is an album by the former vocalist from The Animals, Eric Burdon. It was recorded in May 1978 at Roundwood House, County Laois in Ireland, using Ronnie Lane's Mobile Studio. The album was released by Polydor in 1980. The ...

'' at the Roundwood House in

County Laois County Laois ( ; gle, Contae Laoise) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a med ...

, Ireland, using Ronnie Lane's Mobile Studio and featuring guitarist and vocalist Bobby Tench from the Jeff Beck Group, who had left Streetwalkers a few months before. The album was eventually released in 1980. During January 1979, Burdon changed his band for a tour taking in

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...

, Germany and the Netherlands. On 28 August 1982, the "Eric Burdon Band" including Red Young (keyboards) performed at the

Rockpalast ''Rockpalast'' (''Rock Palace'') is a German music television show that broadcasts live on German television station Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR). ''Rockpalast'' started in 1974 and continues to this day. Hundreds of rock, heavy metal and ja ...

Open Air Concert at the Lorelei, Germany. Following this Burdon toured heavily with his solo project from March 1984 to March 1985, taking in UK, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Canada and Australia. In 1986, Burdon published his autobiography titled ''I Used to Be an Animal, but I'm Alright Now''. In March 1979, he played a concert in

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...

and changed the band's name to Eric Burdon's Fire Department, whose line-up included backing vocalist Jackie Carter of Silver Convention, Bertram Engel of

Udo Lindenberg Udo Lindenberg (born 17 May 1946) is a German singer, drummer, and composer. Career Lindenberg started his musical career as a drummer. In 1969, he founded his first band Free Orbit, and also appeared as a studio and guest musician (with Micha ...

's "Panik Orchester" and Jean-Jaques Kravetz. In mid 1980, they recorded the album ''The Last Drive''. "Eric Burdon's Fire Department" toured Europe with this line-up and Paul Millns and Louisiana Red made special appearances in Spain and Italy. By December 1980, the band had broken up. In April 1981, Christel Buschmann began to film ''

Comeback Comeback, The Comeback or Come Back may refer to: General * Comeback (publicity), a return to prominence by a well-known person * Comeback (retort), a witty response to an insult or criticism * Comeback (sports), an event where an athlete or team ...

'' with Burdon as the star. They created a new Eric Burdon Band whose line-up included Louisiana Red, Tony Braunagle, John Sterling and Snuffy Walden. This band recorded live tracks in Los Angeles. They also recorded in Berlin with another line-up, the only remaining member being John Sterling. In September 1981, the final scenes of ''Comeback'' were shot in the Berlin Metropole and Burdon and his band continued to tour through Australia and North America. A studio album titled ''

'' was released in 1982. The 1983 album '' Power Company'' also included songs recorded during the ''Comeback'' project. Eric-Burdon 1973

In 1988, he put together a band with 15 musicians including

Andrew Giddings Andrew Giddings (born 10 July 1963) is an English musician. He primarily plays keyboard instruments and is best known as a former member of British rock group Jethro Tull, for whom he was the longest serving keyboardist. Early life Giddings ...

– keyboards, Steve Stroud – bass, Adrian Sheppard – drums, Jamie Moses – guitar and four backing vocalists to record the studio album ''

I Used to Be an Animal ''I Used to Be an Animal'' is a studio album by English singer Eric Burdon, released in 1988 by Metronome Records. It was his first studio album in almost four years. It was recorded at Indigo Ranch in Malibu, California. Following his autobio ...

'' in Malibu, in the United States. In 1990, Eric Burdon's

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song relea ...

of " Sixteen Tons" was used for the film ''

Joe Versus the Volcano ''Joe Versus the Volcano'' is a 1990 American romantic comedy film written and directed by John Patrick Shanley and starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Hanks plays a man who, after being told he is dying of a rare disease, accepts a financial offe ...

''. The song, which played at the beginning of the film, was also released as a single. He also recorded the singles "We Gotta Get out of this Place" with

Katrina and the Waves Katrina and the Waves were a British rock band widely known for the 1985 hit " Walking on Sunshine". They also won the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest with the song " Love Shine a Light". History Pre-history (1975–1980) The band's earliest in ...

and "No Man's Land" with Tony Carey and Anne Haigis. Later in 1990, he had a small line-up of an ''Eric Burdon Band'' featuring Jimmy Zavala (saxophone and harmonica),

(bass guitar), Jeff Naideau (keyboards), Thom Mooney (drums) and John Sterling (guitar) before he began a tour with

the Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts ...

guitarist Robby Krieger and they appeared at a concert from Ventura Beach, California, which was released as a DVD on 20 June 2008. On 13 April 2004, he released a "comeback" album, '' My Secret Life'', which was his first album with new recordings for 16 years. When

John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues. Hooker often in ...

died in 2001, Burdon had written the song "Can't Kill the Boogieman" the co-writers of the songs, on the album, were Tony Braunagel and Marcelo Nova. In 2005, they released a live album, '' Athens Traffic Live'', with special DVD bonus material and a bonus studio track and disbanded in November 2005. He began a short touring as the "Blues Knights". On 27 January 2006, he released his blues–R&B album '' Soul of a Man''. This album was dedicated to

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

and

. The cover of the album was a picture which was sent to Burdon a few years before. Burdon then formed a new band, with the following members: Red Young (keyboards), Paula O'Rourke (bass), Eric McFadden (guitar), Carl Carlton (guitar) and

Wally Ingram Wally Ingram is an American drummer and musician. He is most famous as a member of the band, Timbuk 3. In recent years, he has toured with the multi-instrumentalist David Lindley, and released several records with him: * 2000 : ''Twango Bango Del ...

(drums). They also performed at the

Lugano Lugano (, , ; lmo, label= Ticinese, Lugan ) is a city and municipality in Switzerland, part of the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino. It is the largest city of both Ticino and the Italian-speaking southern Switzerland. Lugano has a populat ...

Festival and in 2007 he toured as the headlining act of the "Hippiefest" line-up, produced and hosted by

Country Joe McDonald Joseph Allen "Country Joe" McDonald (born January 1, 1942) is an American musician who was the lead singer of the 1960s psychedelic rock group Country Joe and the Fish.Richard Brenneman"Country Joe McDonald Revives Anti-War Anthem", '' Berkeley ...

. Burdon, at 71, recorded an EP with

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...

garage band the Greenhornes called, simply, ''Eric Burdon & the Greenhornes''. The album was recorded at an all-analogue recording studio, and released on 23 November 2012 as part of

Record Store Day Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fa ...

's "Black Friday". In 2013, Eric Burdon came out with a new album called, ''Til Your River Runs Dry''. The lead single off the album was called "Water" and was inspired by a conversation he had with former

Soviet General Secretary The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet politician who served as the 8th and final leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to the country's dissolution in 1991. He served as General Secretary of the Com ...

Other associations

Eric Burdon at the 2008 Daffodil Festival

In 1991, Burdon and

Brian Auger Brian Albert Gordon Auger (born 18 July 1939) is an English jazz rock and rock music keyboardist who specialises in the Hammond organ. Auger has worked with Rod Stewart, Tony Williams, Jimi Hendrix, John McLaughlin, Sonny Boy Williamson, an ...

formed the "Eric Burdon – Brian Auger Band" with the following line-up: Eric Burdon – vocals, Brian Auger – keyboards, vocals,

– bass guitar, vocals, Don Kirkpatrick – guitar, vocals and

Paul Crowder Paul Crowder (born 30 December 1962, London, England) is an English musician, who later became a film editor and director. Life and career Crowder's career started as a musician and, in 1980, he joined with Philip Jap as his drummer. Jap was s ...

– drums, vocals. By 1992, Larry Wilkins replaced Kirkpatrick and Karma Auger (Brian's son) replaced Crowder and in 1993 they added Richard Reguria (percussion). The live album '' Access All Areas'' was then released. In 1994 the "Eric Burdon – Brian Auger Band" disbanded. Burdon then formed the "Eric Burdon's i Band". The line-up included Larry Wilkins, Dean Restum (guitar), Dave Meros (bass) and Mark Craney (drums). In 1995, Burdon made a guest appearance with

Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald. Original bassist Alec John such qu ...

, singing "It's My Life"/"

We Gotta Get out of This Place "We Gotta Get Out of This Place", occasionally written "We've Gotta Get Out of This Place", is a rock song written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and recorded as a 1965 hit single by the Animals. It has become an iconic song of its type and was ...

" medley at the Hall of Fame. He also released the album ''Lost Within the Halls of Fame'', with past tracks and re-recordings of some songs from ''I Used to Be an Animal''. In October 1996,

replaced Craney on drums. ''The Official Live Bootleg'' was recorded in 1997 and in May that year Larry Wilkins died of cancer. He also released the compilation albums ''Soldier of Fortune'' and ''I'm Ready'' which featured recordings from the 1970s and 1980s. In 1996, the lead singer of Brazilian rock band Camisa de Vênus, the vocalist Marcelo Nova worked in partnership with the former lead singer of the Animals. Burdon and Nova composed the song "Black & White World" and sang in a duet on "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" on the Camisa de Venus album ''Quem É Você?'', produced by Burdon. In 2000, he recorded the song " Power to the People" together with

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...

and

Billy Preston William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, during which he ba ...

for the motion picture '' Steal This Movie!''. On 11 May 2001, the Animals were inducted into the Rock Walk of Fame on Burdon's 60th birthday. On 3 March 2002, the live album ''Live in Seattle'' was recorded. Ex-War member Lee Oskar made a guest appearance on the album. In 2003 he made a guest appearance on the album ''Joyous in the City of Fools'' by the Greek rock band

Pyx Lax Pyx Lax (Πυξ Λαξ, meaning "punching and kicking") is a Greek rock band. Originally formed in 1989, they released their first recording in 1990, and had a critical and commercial success in the Greek music industry for fifteen years, before ...

, singing lead vocals on "Someone Wrote 'Save me' On a Wall". Eric_Burdon_at_Notodden_Blues_Festival

In 2001, his second critically acclaimed memoir, ''Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood'', written with author and filmmaker J. Marshall Craig, was released in the US, followed by editions in Greece, Germany and Australia; it covers the British Invasion, moving to Los Angeles and Palm Springs, and various anecdotes about Rock and Roll stardom. In 2004, in his studio album My Secret Life, besides presenting the song composed in partnership with the Brazilian rocker Marcelo Nova "Black & White World", Eric Burdon shed to the English and re-recorded two songs of Marcelo Nova: "A Garota da Motocicleta" turned "Motorcycle Girl" while "Coração Satânico" became "Devil's Slide". On 7 June 2008, Burdon performed at the memorial service of Bo Diddley in

Gainesville, Florida Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, and the largest city in North Central Florida, with a population of 141,085 in 2020. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, which had a population of 339,247 in ...

. During July and August 2008, Burdon appeared as the headline act of the "Hippiefest". He also recorded the single " For What It's Worth" with Carl Carlton and Max Buskohl. In 2008, ''

'' ranked Eric Burdon No. 57 on the list of the 100 Greatest Singers of all Time. On 22 January 2009 he first performed with his new band, including keyboardist Red Young, guitarist Rick Hirsch, bassist Jack Bryant and drummer Ed Friedland. For a few months he was sick and did not perform except in the United States. On 26 June, he began his European tour. The band included Red Young (keyboards), Billy Watts (guitar), Terry Wilson (bass), Brannen Temple (drums) and Georgia Dagaki ( cretan lyra). On 28 January 2013, Burdon performed on ''

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by comedian Jimmy Fallon. About pag ...

'', backed by

the Roots The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy F ...

. Fallon hyped Burdon's current album, ''Til Your River Runs Dry''. On 23 July 2013, he guested onstage with

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...

and the E Street Band at Cardiff Millennium Stadium, performing "We Gotta Get Out of This Place". In August 2013, he toured with

Pat Benatar Patricia Mae Giraldo ('' née'' Andrzejewski, formerly Benatar; born January 10, 1953), known professionally as Pat Benatar, is an American rock singer and songwriter. In the United States, she has had two multi-platinum albums, five platinum al ...

and Neil Giraldo. On 29 September 2021, Burdon performed on the Greek TV show ''Mousiko kouti'' hosted by Nikos Portokaloglou and Rena Morfi.

Ownership of Animals name

In 2008, an adjudicator determined that John Steel owned "The Animals" name in Britain, by virtue of a trademark registration Steel had made in relation to the name. Eric Burdon had objected to the trademark registration, arguing that Burdon personally embodied any goodwill associated with the Animals name. Burdon's argument was rejected, in part based on the fact that he had billed himself as Eric Burdon and the Animals as early as 1967, thus separating the goodwill associated with his own name from that of the band. In 2013 Burdon won an appeal, making him the owner of the Animals name.

Film career

Burdon wanted to act in the film '' Blowup'' (1966). Director

Michelangelo Antonioni Michelangelo Antonioni (, ; 29 September 1912 – 30 July 2007) was an Italian filmmaker. He is best known for directing his "trilogy on modernity and its discontents"—''L'Avventura'' (1960), ''La Notte'' (1961), and ''L'Eclisse'' (1962 ...

wanted to use him as a musician in a club scene, but Burdon turned the role down because he had acted in films before in which he sang songs. He disbanded the Animals and went to California, where he met Jim Morrison of

and decided he wanted to go into acting. Later, he turned down major roles in '' Zabriskie Point'' and ''

Performance A performance is an act of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function. Management science In the work place ...

'' (both 1970). In 1973, he formed the Eric Burdon Band and recorded the soundtrack for his own film project, ''Mirage''. He spent much money to make this film, produced as a film for Atlantic. The film and the soundtrack were to be released in July 1974, but somehow they never were. The soundtrack was released in 2008. In 1979, he acted in the TV film ''The 11th Victim'', then in the German film ''Gibbi Westgermany'' (1980). In 1982, he starred in another German film, ''

'', again as a singer. In 1991, he made a

cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...

in ''

The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts ...

''. In 1998, he played himself in the Greek film ''My Brother and I'', followed by a bigger role in the German film ''Snow on New Year's Eve'' (1999). In the following years, he was credited in many documentaries and in an

independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, i ...

called ''Fabulous Shiksa in Distress'' (2003), along with

Ned Romero Ned Romero (December 4, 1926 – November 4, 2017) was an American actor and opera singer who appeared in television and film. Early childhood and education Romero was born on December 4, 1926 in Franklin, Louisiana, the seat of St. Mary Pa ...

and Ted Markland. In 2007, he performed the traditional " Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" in the drama festival film '' The Blue Hour'' and in a documentary about Joshua Tree, called ''Nowhere Now'' (2008).

Personal life

In 1967 Burdon married Angela "Angie" King, an Anglo-Indian hippie and model connected to the music scene. The next year she left him for

, and she and Burdon divorced in 1969. She was murdered in 1992 by an estranged boyfriend. In 1972 Burdon married Rose Marks, with whom he has a daughter, Alex. They divorced in 1978. In 1999, he married Marianna Proestou, a Greek lawyer.

Discography

The Animals * '' The Animals'' (1964; US)/'' The Animals'' (1964; UK) * '' The Animals on Tour'' (1965; US) * ''

Animal Tracks __notoc__ An animal track is an imprint left behind in soil, snow, or mud, or on some other ground surface, by an animal walking across it. Animal tracks are used by hunters in tracking their prey and by naturalists to identify animals livin ...

'' (1965; UK)/''

'' (1965; US) * ''

Animalisms ''Animalisms'' is the third studio album by British R&B/blues rock band the Animals, and was released in the United Kingdom in May 1966 on Decca Records. It was the first Animals album to be produced by Tom Wilson as well as the first to feat ...

'' (1966; UK)/''

Animalization ''Animalization'' is the fourth American album by British rock group The Animals, and was released in August 1966 on MGM Records. It has a track listing somewhat similar to the British album ''Animalisms''. The album, which reached #20 on the U ...

'' (1966; US) * '' Animalism'' (1966; US) * ''

'' (1977; as the Original Animals) * ''

'' (1983) Eric Burdon & the Animals * ''

'' (1967; US) * '' Winds of Change'' (1967) * '' The Twain Shall Meet'' (1968) * '' Every One of Us'' (1968; US) * '' Love Is'' (1968) Eric Burdon and War * '' Eric Burdon Declares "War"'' (1970) * ''

'' (1970) * '' Love Is All Around'' (1976) Solo * '' Guilty!'' (1971) * '' Survivor'' (1977) * ''

'' (1980) * ''

'' (1982) * ''

'' (1988) * '' Lost Within the Halls of Fame'' (1995) * '' My Secret Life'' (2004) * '' Soul of a Man'' (2006) * ''

Mirage A mirage is a naturally-occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French ''(se) mirer'', from the Latin ''mirari'', meanin ...

'' (2008) * ''Eric Burdon & The Greenhornes'' (2012) * '' 'Til Your River Runs Dry'' (2013) Eric Burdon Band * '' Sun Secrets'' (1974) * '' Stop'' (1975) * '' Power Company'' (1983) * ''

That's Live ''That’s Live'' is a live album by Eric Burdon and his band, recorded live in Karlsruhe, Germany, on 8 March 1985, during a European tour. It was originally marked ''Limited Compact Disc Reference Edition'' in 1985, and achieved more widespread ...

'' (1985) Eric Burdon's Fire Dept. * '' Last Drive'' (1980)

Filmography

* 1964: '' Get Yourself a College Girl'' * 1964: ''Whole Lotta Shakin * 1965: ''

Pop Gear ''Pop Gear'' (U.S. title: ''Go Go Mania'') is a British music revue film, directed by Frederic Goode, which was released in 1965. It contains live concert footage of the Beatles, and lip-synched performances of some of the British Invasion bands ...

'' * 1965: ''The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood'' * 1967: ''World of the Animals'' * 1967: ''The War'' (short)''"Eric Burdon, Actor"'' by Ken Stoddard. Rolling Stone Vol.1 No.2, 23 November 1967 * 1967: ''

It's a Bikini World ''It's a Bikini World'' is a 1967 American musical comedy film starring Tommy Kirk, Deborah Walley and Bobby Pickett. The film features cameos by the music groups the Gentrys, the Animals, Pat & Lolly Vegas, the Castaways and R&B girl g ...

'' * 1967: '' Tonite Let's All Make Love in London'' * 1968: ''All My Loving'' * 1968: ''

Monterey Pop ''Monterey Pop'' is a 1968 American concert film by D. A. Pennebaker that documents the Monterey International Pop Festival of 1967. Among Pennebaker's several camera operators were fellow documentarians Richard Leacock and Albert Maysles. The ...

'' * 1973: ''Mirage'' (never filmed) * 1975: ''Hu-Man'' (French) * 1979: ''11th Victim'' * 1980: ' * 1982: ''

'' * 1991: ''

'' * 1999: ''Snow on New Year's Eve'' * 2001: ''Plaster Caster'' * 2001: ''Screamin' Jay Hawkins: I Put a Spell on Me'' * 2003: ''Fabulous Shiksa in Distress'' * 2003: ''Yes, You Can Go Home'' * 2007: ''The Blue Hour'' * 2008: ''Nowhere Now: The Ballad of Joshua Tree'' * 2010: ''Remembering Nigel'' * 2010: ''Forever Young: How Rock 'n' Roll Grew Up'' (BBC Documentary) * 2020: ''Eric Burdon: Rock ‘n’ Roll – Animal'' (BBC Documentary)

References

External links

Eric Burdon
website * * *

Eric Burdon Interview from 2009 *
Eric Burdon Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2017) {{DEFAULTSORT:Burdon, Eric 1941 births Living people 20th-century English male singers 20th-century English singers 21st-century English male singers 21st-century English singers Blues rock musicians British blues (genre) musicians British rhythm and blues boom musicians Columbia Records artists Decca Records artists English blues singers English rhythm and blues singers English rock singers English people of Irish descent English male singer-songwriters English soul singers Lojinx artists Musicians from Newcastle upon Tyne Polydor Records artists The Animals members The Party Boys members War (American band) members