The Animals: The Life Story Behind the House of the Rising Sun Band
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The Animals came from Newcastle upon Tyne, a hard-working city in the north of England, and they brought the sound of that city with them when they became famous. Their music was blues, raw and honest, played loud and sung with feeling. Their singer, Eric Burdon, had a voice that sounded like it had lived a hard life, even when he was still a young man. Their organ player, Alan Price, gave their songs a deep, church-like sound. Together they made House of the Rising Sun, one of the most famous songs of the 1960s, a song that still stops people when they hear it today.
The band did not last long in its first form. They were together for only a few years, from 1962 to 1966, and then they split apart. But in those few years they made music that changed British rock, they had hits in Britain and America, and they helped to bring American blues to a new audience. Their story is short, fierce, and full of talent, and it is also a story about how a band can burn brightly and then burn out.
After the split, the members went in different directions. Eric Burdon formed a new version of the band and later worked with the funk group War. Alan Price became a successful solo artist and actor. Chas Chandler, the bass player, became a manager and discovered Jimi Hendrix, helping to launch one of the greatest guitar careers in history. The Animals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, and their songs are still played today. This is the story of a band from Newcastle that sang the blues like they meant it, because they did.
Newcastle, Blues, and the Alan Price Combo
The Animals began in Newcastle upon Tyne in the early 1960s, when a group of young musicians came together around a love of American blues and rhythm and blues. The city had a strong music scene, with clubs and pubs where bands played late into the night. Young people in Newcastle listened to records by American blues singers, and they tried to play that music themselves. It was not the polite pop music of the time. It was loud, emotional, and honest, and it spoke about hard lives and hard times.
The band first formed as the Alan Price Combo, named after their keyboard player, Alan Price. The other members were Eric Burdon on vocals, Hilton Valentine on guitar, Chas Chandler on bass, and John Steel on drums. Burdon had a powerful voice and a strong stage presence. Price played the organ with a style that gave the band a rich, deep sound. Valentine played guitar with care and feeling. Chandler played bass with a steady, driving rhythm. Steel played drums with energy and precision. Together they sounded like a band that had been playing together for years, even when they were still young.
In 1963 they changed their name to The Animals. The name was said to have come from their wild stage act, or from a friend who called them animals because of the way they played. Whatever the reason, the name fitted. They were not a smooth pop group. They were a rough, exciting band that played with feeling and with force. They played in clubs in Newcastle, and they built a following of fans who loved their sound.
The band moved to London, where the music scene was bigger and where record companies were looking for new acts. London in 1963 and 1964 was full of bands, and competition was fierce. The Animals stood out because their music was different. They did not sound like the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. They sounded like a blues band from the north of England, and that sound was new to many listeners in the south. They signed a record deal, and they began to record.
House of the Rising Sun
The Animals’ first big hit came in 1964 with House of the Rising Sun. The song was an old American folk song, about a house in New Orleans that brings ruin to the people who go there. It had been sung by many artists before, but The Animals made it their own. Alan Price played a haunting organ part that ran through the whole song, Hilton Valentine played a guitar part that was simple and memorable, and Eric Burdon sang the words with a voice that sounded full of pain and warning.
The record was unusual for its time. It was more than four minutes long, which was long for a pop single, and it had a dark, serious mood. Many people in the record industry thought it would not be a hit. They were wrong. House of the Rising Sun went to number one in Britain, and it went to number one in America too. It became one of the most famous songs of the 1960s, and it is still played on radio today. It made The Animals famous overnight, and it gave them a song that would define them for the rest of their lives.
The success brought tours, television appearances, and more records. The band released the single We Gotta Get Out of This Place in 1965, a song about wanting to escape a hard life in a poor town. The song spoke to many young people who felt trapped in their own towns, and it became an anthem for them. The band also released Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, a song about a man who wants to be loved for who he really is, and It’s My Life, a song about living life on your own terms. These songs were strong, direct, and full of feeling, and they showed that The Animals were more than a one-hit band.
But fame also brought pressure. The band toured constantly, they recorded constantly, and they were expected to produce hits every time. They were young men, and they were living a life that was exciting but also tiring. The money was good, but the hours were long, and the arguments were beginning. The band that had started as friends in Newcastle was starting to feel the strain of success.
America, Hits, and the First Cracks
The Animals toured America, and they were well received there. American audiences recognised the blues in their music, and they respected the band for playing it with honesty. The band played large venues, they appeared on television, and they met the American blues musicians who had inspired them. It was a dream for young men from Newcastle to play in the country where the blues had been born, and to be welcomed there.
Back in Britain, the band continued to release singles and albums. Their music was a mix of blues, rhythm and blues, and rock, and it had a sound that was different from most British bands of the time. Eric Burdon’s voice was the centre of it, powerful and emotional, and Alan Price’s organ gave it a depth that other bands lacked. The band were respected by other musicians, and they were loved by fans who wanted music with feeling rather than just pop tunes.
But inside the band, there were problems. Alan Price left in 1965, after a disagreement about money and about the direction of the band. His departure was a serious blow, because his organ playing had been a key part of their sound. The band continued without him, with other keyboard players, but the sound changed, and the friendship was broken. Price went on to have a successful solo career, with hits and with work in film and theatre, but his departure marked the beginning of the end for the original Animals.
Chas Chandler, the bass player, also began to think about a life beyond the band. He was interested in managing other artists, and he had an ear for talent. The band continued to tour and to record, but the original group was no longer the same. The members were tired, they were arguing about money, and they were growing apart. The band that had been so close in Newcastle was now a group of men who were pulling in different directions.
The Split and Chas Chandler Finds Hendrix
In 1966 The Animals split up. The original band had lasted only a few years, but in that time they had made a lasting mark on music. Eric Burdon formed a new version of the band, called Eric Burdon and the Animals, with new musicians. That band had hits with songs like San Franciscan Nights and Sky Pilot, and it moved towards a more psychedelic sound that fitted the late 1960s. Burdon’s voice remained powerful, and the new band found success in America, but it was a different band from the one that had made House of the Rising Sun.
Chas Chandler’s next step was one of the most important in rock history. He became a manager, and in 1966 he discovered a young American guitarist named Jimi Hendrix, who was playing in small clubs in London. Chandler recognised Hendrix’s talent at once, and he became his manager, helping to form the Jimi Hendrix Experience and to launch Hendrix’s career in Britain and America. Without Chandler, Hendrix might never have become famous in the way that he did. It is a remarkable fact that a member of The Animals helped to discover one of the greatest guitarists who ever lived.
Alan Price continued his solo career, with hits in Britain and with work as a composer and actor. Hilton Valentine and John Steel also continued to work in music, and they took part in later reunions of the band. The original Animals had split, but their music lived on, and their members went on to do important work in different parts of the music world. The band had been short-lived, but its influence was long-lasting.
The split was sad, but it was not unusual for bands of the time. Many groups from the 1960s lasted only a few years, because the pressure was high, the money was often unfairly shared, and the members were young and inexperienced in handling fame. The Animals were no exception. They had made great music, they had become famous, and then they had fallen apart, as many bands do.
Reunions, Honours, and the Song That Never Dies
Over the years, The Animals reunited in different forms. The original members came together for tours and for recordings, and they played their old songs for fans who had never stopped loving them. In 1983 they released the album Ark, and they toured again, showing that the old songs still had power. Later reunions brought together different combinations of the original members, and they continued to perform House of the Rising Sun and their other hits for audiences around the world.
In 1994 The Animals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which was a formal recognition of their importance in rock history. The induction honoured the original members, and it reminded people that a band that had lasted only a few years could still be one of the most important bands of its time. The honour was well deserved, because House of the Rising Sun alone would be enough to earn a place in history, and the band’s other songs and their influence on blues-rock made their case even stronger.
Eric Burdon continued to perform and to record, and he remained a respected singer well into later life. He worked with the band War in the early 1970s, making music that mixed rock, funk, and soul, and he continued to tour as a solo artist. Alan Price also continued to work in music and theatre, and he remained a respected figure in British music. Hilton Valentine died in 2021, and his death was mourned by fans and by fellow musicians who remembered his guitar playing on House of the Rising Sun.
Today House of the Rising Sun is still one of the most played songs of the 1960s. It is used in films, in television shows, and in advertisements, and it is covered by new artists who discover it for the first time. The song has outlived the band that made it famous, and it will likely outlive all of us. It is a song about a place that ruins people, sung by a band from a city that knew about hard lives, and that honesty is why it still moves listeners today.
Eric Burdon, War, and the Voice That Kept Going
Eric Burdon’s story did not end when The Animals split in 1966. He formed a new version of the band, Eric Burdon and the Animals, and he moved towards a more psychedelic sound that fitted the late 1960s. The new band had hits with San Franciscan Nights, a song about the city of San Francisco, and Sky Pilot, a song about a military chaplain, and it toured America with success. Burdon’s voice remained powerful, and his stage presence remained strong, even as the music changed around him. He was a singer who could adapt, and who was willing to try new sounds.
In the early 1970s, Burdon worked with the American funk band War, and together they made music that mixed rock, funk, soul, and Latin sounds. The collaboration produced the album Eric Burdon Declares War, which included the song Spill the Wine, a hit that became one of Burdon’s most famous records outside The Animals. Working with War showed that Burdon was not just a blues singer. He was a musician who was open to many different styles, and who could sing with power in any of them. It was a creative period, and it gave him a new audience in America.
Burdon continued to perform and to record as a solo artist for many years, touring the world and singing his old songs alongside new material. He became a respected figure in music, known for his voice, for his honesty, and for his love of the blues. He wrote a book about his life, he appeared in films, and he remained active well into later life, playing concerts to fans who had followed him since the 1960s. His longevity is a testament to his talent and to his determination.
Alan Price also continued to work after The Animals, with a successful solo career that included the hit Jarrow Song and work as a composer for film and theatre. He became known for his keyboard playing and for his songwriting, and he remained a respected figure in British music. His departure from The Animals in 1965 was a sad moment, but it did not end his career. It gave him a chance to make music on his own terms, and he used that chance well.
Hilton Valentine, the guitarist whose simple, memorable part on House of the Rising Sun is one of the most famous guitar parts in rock, also continued to work in music, and he took part in later reunions of the band. He died in 2021, and his death was mourned by fans who remembered his playing. John Steel, the drummer, also took part in reunions, and he kept the band’s name alive for new audiences. The original Animals may have split in 1966, but their members kept the music alive for decades afterwards.
In the end, the story of The Animals is not only about a short-lived band. It is about five musicians who made great music together, and who then went on to do important work separately, from discovering Jimi Hendrix to singing with War to writing solo hits. Their influence is still felt today, in the blues-rock of younger bands, in the sound of House of the Rising Sun, and in the memory of a band from Newcastle that sang the blues like they meant it.
The Animals also played a role in bringing American blues to British audiences who had never heard it before, and that role deserves to be remembered. In the early 1960s, American blues records were hard to find in Britain, and many young people had never heard Muddy Waters or Howlin’ Wolf. The Animals played that music in clubs in Newcastle and in London, and they introduced it to listeners who then went on to discover the original artists. That was an important job, and it helped to shape British rock, because bands like the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, and the Animals all learned from American blues and then made it their own.
Their live shows were also a key part of their story, because they were loud, energetic, and full of feeling. Eric Burdon sang with power, Alan Price played organ with depth, and the band drove the music forward with a rhythm that made people dance and shout. Their concerts in Newcastle, in London, and in America were remembered by fans who saw them, and their reputation as a live band helped them to build a following even when their records were not at the top of the charts. A great live band is remembered long after the records fade, and The Animals were a great live band.
The band’s short life also teaches a lesson about how fragile a band can be, and about how important it is to take care of friendships and of money. The Animals split because of arguments about money, about direction, and about tiredness, and those arguments are common in bands. They were young, they were inexperienced, and they did not know how to handle fame. That is a sad fact, but it is also a human one, and it is a reminder that talent alone is not enough. A band also needs trust, communication, and care, and when those things break down, even the best music cannot save it.
The Animals’ music also influenced the way British bands thought about American music, because they showed that it was possible to take a foreign style, to learn it deeply, and to make it your own without losing respect for its origins. That is a difficult balance, and The Animals achieved it. They did not pretend to be American. They were British musicians who loved American blues, and they played it with honesty. That honesty is why American audiences respected them, and why British audiences loved them. It is a lesson for any musician who borrows from another culture. Learn it well, respect it, and make it your own.
My Take:
When I think about The Animals, I think about a voice. Eric Burdon’s voice is one of the great voices of the 1960s, and it is a voice that sounds like it has lived. When he sings House of the Rising Sun, I do not hear a young pop singer trying to sound sad. I hear a man who understands the warning in the song, who knows what it means to go down the wrong road, and who wants to tell the listener not to make the same mistake. That is a rare quality, and it is why the song still works today.
I love House of the Rising Sun because it is a song with a history. It was an old folk song before The Animals recorded it, and many people had sung it before them. But The Animals made it new. Alan Price’s organ gives the song a sound that is both beautiful and frightening, like a church bell ringing in a dark place. Hilton Valentine’s guitar is simple and clear, and it carries the melody without showing off. Eric Burdon’s voice rises above it all, telling a story that feels old and true. Together they made a record that sounds like it has always existed, and that is a high compliment.
I also think about We Gotta Get Out of This Place, because it is a song that speaks to many people. It is about wanting to leave a town where life is hard, where the work is dull, where the future looks narrow. Many young people have felt that way, in Newcastle and in towns all over the world. The song does not offer an easy answer. It simply says the feeling out loud, and that is enough. When a song names a feeling that you have had but could not put into words, it becomes yours. That is what The Animals did for many listeners.
Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood is another song that I admire, because it is about a simple human wish. The singer is saying that he is not perfect, that he sometimes makes mistakes, and that he wants to be loved for who he really is. That is a wish that almost everyone has. The song is honest, and it is sung with feeling, and it reminds me that pop music can be about real emotions, not just about dancing or about fame. The Animals understood that, and they sang about it well.
The short life of the band makes me sad, because they had so much more to give. They were together for only a few years, and then they split. Alan Price left, the friendships broke, and the original band was gone. I wonder what they might have made if they had stayed together for longer, if they had been given more time to grow and to write. But I also know that many great bands are short-lived, and that a short life does not mean a small legacy. The Animals made a few great records, and those records have lasted for sixty years. That is more than many bands who lasted for decades ever achieve.
I find the story of Chas Chandler and Jimi Hendrix one of the most remarkable parts of their story. Chandler was the bass player in a band that had just split up, and he could have disappeared from music altogether. Instead he went to a small club, heard a young guitarist playing, and recognised genius. He became Hendrix’s manager, and he helped to change music history. That takes a special kind of ear, and a special kind of courage. It also shows that the members of The Animals were not just players. They were musicians who understood music deeply, and who could recognise greatness in others.
I also think about Newcastle, and about how important place is to music. The Animals sounded like Newcastle, like a city of shipyards and coal, of hard work and hard winters. Their music was not polished or pretty. It was rough and honest, and it carried the sound of the place where they grew up. That is a lesson for any musician. You do not need to hide where you come from. You can bring it with you, and it can make your music stronger. The Animals did that, and their music is better because of it.
Eric Burdon’s later career also interests me, because he did not stop after The Animals split. He formed a new band, he worked with War, and he kept singing for many years. That takes persistence, and it takes a love of music that goes beyond fame. He could have retired and lived on the memory of House of the Rising Sun, but he kept working, kept touring, and kept trying new things. I respect that. It shows that he was a musician first and a pop star second, and that music was not just a job for him. It was a life.
Alan Price’s departure is a sad part of the story, because his organ was so important to the band’s sound. When he left, the band lost something that it never fully replaced. I do not know the full story of why he left, and I do not want to take sides, because money and friendship are difficult subjects in any band. But I can say that his playing on House of the Rising Sun is one of the great keyboard performances in rock music, and that his work deserves to be remembered alongside Burdon’s singing and Valentine’s guitar.
One thing that stays with me is how a single song can define a band, for good and for bad. House of the Rising Sun gave The Animals fame, money, and a place in history. It also meant that they would always be known as the band that sang that song, even though they made other good music too. That is both a blessing and a burden. A great song is a gift, but it can also overshadow everything else a band does. The Animals lived with that for the rest of their lives, and they handled it with grace, playing the song for fans who wanted to hear it, even after many years.
If I have a criticism, it is that the band did not get enough credit for bringing American blues to British audiences. They were not just copying American music. They were playing it with understanding and with respect, and they were introducing it to young listeners who had never heard it before. That was an important job, and it helped to shape British rock. The Rolling Stones did the same thing, and they are often praised for it. The Animals deserve the same praise, because they did it with the same honesty and the same skill.
In the end, I will remember The Animals as a band that sang the blues like they meant it, because they did. They came from a hard city, they played hard music, and they made a record that still moves people sixty years later. Their story is short, but it is full of talent, courage, and honesty, and it is a story that deserves to be told. House of the Rising Sun will keep playing, and people will keep listening, and that is the best kind of legacy a band can have.
I also think about Hilton Valentine’s guitar playing, because it is so simple and so perfect on House of the Rising Sun. He does not play a long solo, and he does not show off. He plays a clear, memorable part that carries the melody and that supports Eric Burdon’s voice. That is a difficult skill, to play simply and well, and it is one that many guitarists never learn. Valentine understood that the song was more important than his own playing, and he served the song. I admire that kind of humility in a musician, because it shows that he cared about the music more than about himself.
John Steel’s drumming is another part of the band’s sound that deserves credit, because he played with energy and with precision, and he gave the band a steady beat that held the music together. He was not a flashy drummer, but he was a reliable one, and reliability is a quality that is easy to overlook. His playing on House of the Rising Sun and on the band’s other hits was strong and clear, and it helped to make those records work. I think his contribution is often forgotten, and it deserves to be remembered.
I think about the city of Newcastle again, because it is so important to the band’s identity. Newcastle is a city of shipyards, of coal, of hard work, and of strong communities, and The Animals carried that identity with them when they moved to London. They did not try to sound like a London band. They sounded like a band from the north, with a rough, honest sound that reflected where they came from. That pride in place is admirable, and it is a lesson for any musician. You do not need to hide where you come from. You can bring it with you, and it can make your music stronger.
The song It’s My Life is another favourite of mine, because it is about living life on your own terms, about refusing to be controlled by others, and about making your own choices. That is a message that many young people need to hear, and it is one that The Animals sang with conviction. The song is direct, it is powerful, and it is sung by Burdon with a voice that sounds like he believes every word. I think about how many people have listened to that song and felt stronger because of it, and I feel grateful that a band like The Animals made it.
I also think about the band’s relationship with American blues musicians, because they were not just copying American music. They were playing it with respect, and they were introducing it to British audiences who had never heard it before. When they toured America, they met the blues musicians who had inspired them, and they were welcomed as fellow musicians, not as imitators. That respect is important, because it shows that The Animals understood the blues, and that they played it with honesty. They were not tourists in the blues. They were students of it, and they became teachers of it to a new generation.
The induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 is a moment that I think about, because it was a formal recognition of the band’s importance, and it came almost thirty years after they split up. That is a long time to wait, but it shows that good music does not disappear. It waits, and it is rediscovered, and it is honoured in the end. The Animals were honoured, and their members were recognised, and that was a fitting tribute to a band that had made such a lasting mark in such a short time.
I think about Eric Burdon’s later work with War, because it shows that he was willing to try new things, even after The Animals. He could have lived on the memory of House of the Rising Sun, but he kept working, kept touring, and kept making new music. That takes a love of music that goes beyond fame, and it shows that Burdon was a musician first and a pop star second. I respect him for that, and for the many years he spent on stage, singing with power and with feeling.
In the end, I come back to House of the Rising Sun, because it is a song that will never die. It was an old folk song before The Animals recorded it, and it will be sung long after we are gone. The Animals gave it a new life, with an organ, a guitar, and a voice that made it unforgettable. That is a gift to music, and it is one that deserves to be celebrated. The band may have lasted only a few years, but their song will last forever.
I also think about the band’s song San Franciscan Nights, because it is a beautiful song about a city, and it shows Eric Burdon’s ability to write about a place with love and with longing. The song became a hit in America, and it is still one of Burdon’s most loved songs outside The Animals. When I hear it, I think about the feeling of being in a new city, of discovering new music, and of feeling free. That is a feeling that Burdon captured well, and it is a reminder that he was not just a blues singer. He was a songwriter who could write about many different things.
In the end, I think about Newcastle again, because that is where it all began, with five young musicians who loved American blues and who wanted to play it with honesty. Their story is a story about a city, about hard work, and about music that changed the world. House of the Rising Sun will keep playing, and people will keep listening, because it is a song that speaks to something deep in us, something about warning, about loss, and about hope. That is a legacy that will last for many years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did The Animals come from?
The Animals came from Newcastle upon Tyne in the north of England, where they formed in the early 1960s as the Alan Price Combo. Their music was rooted in American blues and rhythm and blues, which they played in clubs around the city before moving to London.
Who sang House of the Rising Sun for The Animals?
Eric Burdon sang lead on House of the Rising Sun, with Alan Price on organ, Hilton Valentine on guitar, Chas Chandler on bass, and John Steel on drums. Burdon’s powerful, emotional voice became one of the most recognisable sounds of the band.
How long were the original Animals together?
The original Animals were together for only a few years, from 1962 until their split in 1966, although Eric Burdon later formed a new version of the band. In that short time they had major hits in Britain and America and made a lasting mark on rock music.
What did Chas Chandler do after The Animals split?
Chas Chandler became a manager after the split, and in 1966 he discovered Jimi Hendrix playing in London and became his manager. Chandler helped to form the Jimi Hendrix Experience and to launch Hendrix’s career, one of the most important discoveries in rock history.
Which other songs made The Animals famous?
Besides House of the Rising Sun, The Animals were known for We Gotta Get Out of This Place, Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, and It’s My Life. Each song showed their blues style and Eric Burdon’s strong, emotional singing.
Were The Animals inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Yes, The Animals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, honouring the original members and their influence on rock and blues music. Their songs continue to be played and covered today.
