Eric Burdon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eric Burdon (born Eric Victor Burdon, 11 May 1941, in Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne) was the lead singer of The Animals and later of War.
He was a founding member and vocalist of the Animals, a band originally formed in Newcastle in the early 1960s. Burdon sang such Animal classics as "The House of the Rising Sun", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "Bring It On Home to Me" and "We Gotta Get Out of this Place". Original Animals members keyboardist Alan Price and drummer John Steel quit, and were replaced by Dave Rowberry and Barry Jenkins respectively. By 1966 the other members had left, except for Barry Jenkins, and the band was reformed as Eric Burdon and the Animals, which featured future Family member John Weider and future The Police guitarist Andy Summers. This incarnation had hits with songs such as "When I Was Young", "Sky Pilot" and "Monterey". This ensemble lasted until 1969, going through several line-up changes, and changing the name form Eric Burdon and the Animals to Eric Burdon and the New Animals. When the New Animals disbanded Burdon joined forces with funky L.A. jam band War. The resulting album, Eric Burdon Declares War yielded the classics "Spill The Wine" and "Tobacco Road". In 1971 Burdon began a solo career.
Burdon rejoined briefly with the other original Animals in 1976 and 1983, but neither union lasted, although the 1983 reunion yielded the ignored single "The Night". He has led a number of groups named Eric Burdon Band or some variation thereof, with constantly changing personnel. His popularity has remained stronger in continental Europe than in the UK or U.S. Today he continues to record and tour either on his own, or in front of yet another version of "Eric Burdon and the Animals".
[edit] Trivia
Eric Burdon is claimed by some to be the 'Eggman' from The Beatles song "I Am The Walrus". The reason for this is that Burdon was known as 'Eggs' to his friends, originating from his fondness for breaking eggs over naked girls. Burdon's biography mentions such an affair taking place in the presence of John Lennon, who shouted "Go on, go get it, Eggman ..."¹
[edit] Books
- Burdon, Eric. I Used to Be an Animal, but I'm All Right Now. Faber and Faber, 1986. ISBN 0-571-13492-0.
- Burdon, Eric (with J. Marshall Craig). Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood: A Memoir. Thunder's Mouth Press, 2001. ISBN 1-56025-330-4.
- ¹Miles, Barry. Paul McCartney - Many Years From Now. Secker & Warburg, 1997. Page: 357. ISBN 0-436-28022-1.
