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Eric Burdon - vocals (born May 11th 1941, Newcastle) Hilton Valentine - guitar (born May 21st 1943, North Shields) Alan Price - keyboards (born April 19th 1941, Fatfield) Chas Chandler - bass (born Bryan Chandler, December 18th 1938, Newcastle, died July 17th 1996) John Steel - drums (born February 4th 1941, Gateshead) The Animals were one of the most impressive groups of the sixties beat boom. The group was formed during the early 1960's as a quartet named The Kontours. They evolved into The Alan Price Combo, with Price handling the vocal duties before Burdon, who had earlier associations with the group, joined them in 1962 and it was then that the "Animals" were born.. The Animals were, perhaps, the "sweatiest" live act of all the British R'n'B groups of the sixties. They came from Newcastle and by the end of 1963 they had established themselves as the leading R&B band in the North East, having graduated from the Downbeat Club to a residency at the more prestigious Club-A-G-Go. (A gig to which they paid tribute on the B-side of their 1965 hit "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"). Their growing popularity prompted them to record a demo EP in mid 1963 which they hoped might make a favourable impression on A&R men in London. Meanwhile, the group's increasing stature was leading to further work backing visiting American blues singers. The demo EP sent down to London was greeted with enthusiasm by promoters and offers of work in the clubs of the capital began to come in with increasing regularity. By the end of 1963, the Animals were appearing in London so frequently that they decided to move there. They had chosen the right time, the "Mersey Sound" was becoming old hat and the record companies were beginning to turn to R&B groups. The Animals were duly signed to Columbia (EMI) early in 1964. Under the guidance of producer Mickie Most, their first single "Baby Let Me Take You Home", which was an adaptation of a track from the first Bob Dylan album, almost made the Top Twenty. The following release was a dramatic re-working of another song from Dylan's debut, "House Of The Rising Sun", which shot to the top of the charts in both the UK and the USA. Other hits followed but following "Bring It On Home To Me" Alan Price left the group. He had always disliked flying and on an American tour the fear mushroomed. To remain in The Animals meant more air-travel, so he quit and formed his own group, The Alan Price Set. His place in the group was taken by Dave Rowberry (born December 27th 1943, Newcastle) from The Mike Cotton Sound. When their recording contract came up for renewal at the end of 1965 the group, who had become increasingly dissatisfied with the "commercial" material that Most was providing them with, refused to re-sign and they moved to Decca. At Decca, their new producer was Tom Wilson. Wilson allowed the group the greater degree of artistic control they had been seeking which was reflected in their output during 1966. A further change in personnel occurred in February 1966 when drummer John Steel left. His replacement was Barry Jenkins (born December 22nd 1944, Leicester) from the Nashville Teens. Two further singles were released before the group broke up in July. After the Animals demise, Burdon moved to California where he formed The New Animals (the only other Animal in the new group was Jenkins). Chas Chandler went into management and production work with the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Slade. Singles Mar '64 Baby Let Me Take You Home/Gonna Send You Back To Walker Columbia DB 7247 UK#21 Jun '64 House Of The Rising Sun/Talkin' 'Bout You Columbia DB 7301 UK#1 Sep '64 I'm Crying/Take It Easy Columbia DB 7354 UK#8 Jan '65 Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood/Club-A-Go-Go Columbia DB 7445 UK#3 Mar '65 Bring It On Home To Me/For Miss Caulker Columbia DB 7539 UK#7 Jul '65 We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place/I Don't Believe It Columbia DB 7639 UK#2 Oct '65 It's My Life/I'm Gonna Change The World Columbia DB 7741 UK#7 Jan '66 Inside - Looking Out/Outcast Decca F 12332 UK#12 May '66 Don't Bring Me Down/Cheating Decca F 12407 UK#6 Oct '66 Help Me Girl/See See Rider Decca F 12502 UK#14 E.P.s 1964 The Animals Is Here - House Of The Rising Sun/Gonna Send You Back To Walker/I'm Crying/Baby Let Me Take You Home Columbia SEG 8374 1964 The Animals - Boom Boom/Around And Around/Dimples/I've Been Around Columbia SEG 8400 1965 The Animals No. 2 - I'm In Love Again/Bury My Body/I'm Mad Again/She Said Yeah Columbia SEG 8439 Sep '65 Animal Tracks - How You've Changed/I Believe To My Soul/Let The Good Times Roll/Worried Life Blues Columbia SEG 8499 Jan '66 In The Beginning There Was Early Animals - I Just Wanna Make Love To You/Boom Boom/Big Boss Man/Pretty Thing Decca DFE 8643 L.P.s Nov '64 The Animals - Story Of Bo Diddley/Bury My Body/Dimples/I've Been Around/I'm In Love Again/The Girl Can't Help It/I'm Mad Again/She Said Yeah/The Right Time/Memphis/Boom Boom/Around And Around Columbia 33SX 1669 Jun '65 Animal Tracks - Mess Around/How You've Changed/Hallelujah I Love Her So/I Believe To My Soul/Worried Life Blues/Roberta/I Ain't Got You/Bright Lights, Big City/Let The Good Times Roll/For Miss Caulker/Roadrunner Columbia 33SX 1708 Apr '66 Most Of The Animals - We Gotta Get Out Of This Place/Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood/Boom Boom/Baby Let Me Take You Home/Bright Lights, Big City/I'm Crying/House Of The Rising Sun/It's My Life/Mess Around/Dimples/Bring It On Home To Me/Gonna Send You Back To Walker/I'm Mad Again/Talkin' 'Bout You Columbia SX 6035 Jun '66 Animalisms - One Monkey Don't Stop No Show/Maudie/Outcast/Sweet Little Sixteen/You're On My Mind/Clapping/Gin House Blues/Squeeze Her Tease Her/What Am I Living For?/I Put A Spell On You/That's All I Am To You/She'll Return It Decca LK 4797 Selected Reissues 1990 Complete Animals - Boom Boom/Talkin' 'Bout You/Blue Feeling/Dimples/Baby Let Me Take You Home/Gonna Send You Back To Walker/Baby What's Wrong/House Of The Rising Sun/F-E-E-L/I'm Mad Again/Bury My Body/She Said Yeah/I'm Crying/Take It Easy/Story Of Bo Diddley/The Girl Can't Help It/I've Been Around/Memphis, Tennessee/Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood/Club-A-Gogo/Roadrunner/Hallelujah I Love Her So/Don't Want Much/I Believe To My Soul/Let The Good Times Roll/Mess Around/How You've Changed/I Ain't Got You/Roberta/Bright Lights Big City/Worried Life Blues/Bring It On Home To Me/For Miss Caulker/I Can't Believe It/We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place/It's My Life/I'm Going To Change The World Anthology 1964-65 - Baby Let Me Take You Home/Gonna Send You Back to Walker/House of the Rising Sun/Talkin' 'Bout You/I'm Crying/Dimples/She Said Yeah/I'm in Love Again/Boom Boom/Club-A-Gogo/Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood/Roadrunner/Bury My Body/Around and Around/The Girl Can't Help It/Right Time/Memphis/Story of Bo Diddley/I'm Mad Again/Roberta/Bring It On Home To Me/Hallelujah, I Love Her So/For Miss Caulker/Mess Around/We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place/Ain't Got You/How You've Changed 28/Worried Life Blues/It's My Life/I Believe To My Soul/I'm Going to Change the World/Let the Good Times Roll Animal Tracks Heavy Hits - I Put A Spell On You/Don't Bring Me Down/Help Me Girl/Sky Pilot/Gin House Blues/See See Rider/San Francisco Nights/Sweet Little Sixteen/All Night Long/That Ain't Where It's At/Hey Gyp/One Monkey Don't Stop No Show 1999 The E.P. Collection - House Of The Rising Sun/Gonna Send You Back To Walker/I'm Crying/Baby Let Me Take You Home/Boom Boom/Around And Around/Dimples/I've Been Around/I'm In Love Again/Bury My Body/I'm Mad Again/She Said Yeah/Bring It On Home To Me/Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood/We Gotta Get Out Of This Place/Club-A-Go-Go/How You've Changed/I Believe To My Soul/Let The Good Times Roll/Worried Life Blues See For Miles The Reunions 1975 (back: John Steel, Hilton Valentine, Chas Chandler front: Eric Burdon, Alan Price) 1983 (left to right: John Steel, Alan Price, Chas Chandler, Hilton Valentine, Eric Burdon)
