Bands of the British Invasion: The Animals

11 Aug

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When Britain’s youth caught wind of America’s rebellious rock and roll revolution, little did they know that they were soon to be blessed with their own phenomenon.

Resulting in an iconic five years of music evolution in Britain, the output of The British Invasion would truly help announce the arrival of rock ‘n’ roll. Alongside the Beatles, the Who and the Rolling Stones, one young band from Newcastle were set to join the biggest names of the 60s.

Born from the Alan Price Combo, the Animals’ original formation consisted of Price, Eric Burdon, Hilton Valentine, John Steel and Bryan Chandler. Setting up a new base in London in 1964, the move was motivated by manager Giorgio Gomelsky (the Yardbirds, Soft Machine, Daevid Allen), who had an inkling of the opportunities to be grasped in the capital before the wave of Beatlemania.

Later experiencing many line-up changes and difficulties with management during their short reign, the original Animals left behind a humble legacy, helping to pioneer British rhythm ‘n’ blues (with emphasis on the blues). Out of all of the bands that drove the British Invasion, The Animals has quite the stand-out style with their gritty and raw blues-rock sound. Whilst The Beatles and The Zombies were prominent in their use of harmonies and offered a slicker rock ‘n’ roll sound, The Animals’ Eric Burdon had the souls of many men in his voice. His booming, soulful delivery paired with Price’s piercing use of keyboards and organs, combined to create a style we hadn’t heard before, and possibly haven’t heard since.

Drawing much influence from John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Bo Diddley, the band were building a body of blues with a face of rock ‘n’ roll. Crafting emotional, resonant and melodic sonic backdrops, their style captured the defiant spirit of the growing rock ‘n’ roll scene, which has since solidified them as an influential band of the decade. Comparing some of their top hits to their competition, The Animals had a daring streak in their sound, and an energy that continues to grab the ear a little quicker than the more “sophisticated” rock ‘n’ roll style. Their haunting arrangement of “House of the Rising Sun” and fiery renditions of “Baby Let Me Take You Home”, “Boom Boom” and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”, saw them earn quite the loyal following and helped maintain their chart success.

Their October 1964 appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show is a particularly memorable performance in rock ‘n’ roll history, with the fresh-faced, dapper young men being enthusiastically welcomed by an audience of hysterical, screaming fans. Almost sixty years later, the contrast between Burden’s timid, potentially anxious, but prepared body-language and his commanding vocals, remains a welcome surprise.

Releasing the albums, “The Animals”, “The Animals on Tour”, “Animal Tracks” and “Animalisms” under the original line-up, the band are credited for transitioning blues into the contemporary rock ‘n’ roll palette, and bringing the organ into a rock context - doing so with plenty of flair and flavour.

By May 1965, the original Animals were no more, as Price left due to personal and musical differences, and supposedly due to his fear of flying on tour. Continuing to enjoy some success through incoming line-up changes (“We Gotta Get Out of This Place”, “It’s My Life” and “Don’t Bring Me Down”) the band officially disbanded around 1966, with Eric Burdon later forming “Eric Burdon and The Animals”.

Playing a pivotal role in popularising rhythm ‘n’ blues in Britain and shaping its direction of rock, The Animals’ discography has endured through the ages - forever cementing them as golden boys of rock rhythm ‘n’ blues.