Eric Victor Burdon - Through The Years


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Eric Victor Burdon
THROUGH THE YEARS


1941
11-May-41: Eric Victor Burdon born at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne (UK).

1962
Burdon (ex THE PAGAN JAZMEN / THE PAGANS) merges with members of THE ALAN PRICE TRIO (Alan Price, Bryan "Chas" Chandler and John Steel). They were subsequently joined by Hilton Valentine (ex WILD CATS) to form an R&B quintet which performed as THE ALAN PRICE COMBO.
Eric Burdon has been quoted as saying ...... "all the press releases on The Animals have always been like 'The Alan Price Combo was the basis of The Animals and that I joined the Alan Price Combo' which is not true. I mean, it's just that there was a series of brands".
- the original band consisted of:

Eric Burdon (vocals)	Left to right: Price, Chandler, Steel, Burdon and Valentine.
Alan Price (backing vocals / keyboards)
Bryan "Chas" Chandler (bass guitar)
John Steel (drums)
Hilton Valentine (guitars)

1963
Known locally as The Animals due to their wild stage act, the group was re-christened during 1963 as THE ANIMALS. The group's new name has also been associated with a loosely structured gang of Newcastle youths known as "the squatters" and a member of that fraternity known as "Animal" Hog.
The Animals moved from a residency at the Downbeat club to the larger, more prestigious and central Club A-Go-Go.

1964
After honing their act at The Star Club in Hamburg, The Animals re-locate to London in January 1964. They were soon signed by producer Mickie Most, gained a record deal with EMI's Columbia label and began playing regularly at trendy clubs like The Scene.
Jan: The first Mickie Most Columbia Records recordings by The Animals are made in London on 22-Jan-64 (Boom Boom, Talkin' 'Bout You, Blue Feeling and Dimples).
Feb: The Animals return to the studio - as well as Gonna Send You Back To Walker, Blue Feeling (second take), Baby What's Wrong and F-E-E-L, this session resulted in their first two hit singles (refer below).
Mar: Single #1 Baby Let Me Take You Home released (with Gonna Send You Back To Walker as side B); reaches #21 in UK and remains in charts for 8 weeks.
Jun: Single #2 The House Of The Rising Sun with Talkin' 'Bout You as the B side is released - becomes #1 hit in UK in September - remains in charts for 12 weeks and goes gold.
31-Jul-64: Third EMI recording session takes place resulting in 15 recordings.
15-Aug-64: The Animals reach No.1 in UK with The House of the Rising Sun.
01-Sep-64: With their cover of The House of the Rising Sun, The Animals become the first British group to top the American charts with a song not written by Lennon and McCartney.
Nov-64: Debut album The Animals released in UK (including 12 of the 15 recordings from the July EMI session) and reaches #6 on the LP charts. It was released in September in the US (although tracks were slightly different) to coincide with the US tour and reached #17.
Single #3 I'm Crying (from the debut album with Take It Easy Baby as the B side) - made #8.

1965
Jan-65: Single #4 Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood - Club A Go Go is released - reaches #x.
Mar-65: Single #5 Bring It On Home To Me - For Miss Caulker released; reaches #3 with the B side also making the top 10 at #7.
Jul-65: Single #6 Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood - Club A-Go-Go reaches #2 in UK; a substantially different version made it #15 in the US).
May-65: The Group's second album Animal Tracks is released.
Nick Gallagher fills in on keyboards in Sweden following the sudden departure of Alan Price before Price is replaced by Dave Rowberry (ex MIKE COTTON SOUND).
Hit single Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (USA #15)
Hit single We Gotta Get Out Of This Place / I Can't Believe It (UK #3 - USA #13)
Hit single Its My Life" / I'm Gonna Change The World (UK #7 - USA #23)

1966
Burdon, determined to move away from Mickie Most and EMI (music on offer not adventurous enough). refuses to re-sign and the group signs with Decca.
John Steel leaves the band in mid-February and is reported to sign over his royalty rights for Ł4,000 and is replaced by Barry Jenkins (ex NASHVILLE TEENS) on drums.
Various members split from the group leaving Burdon to pursue new musical directions.
05-Sep-66: The Animals officially cease to exist.

1967
Hit single When I Was Young released (USA #15) - recording credited to The Animals but the group had already disintegrated.
Burdon abandons plans for a solo career and formed The New Animals (albums were recorded however as Eric Burdon & The Animals) - working class anger gave way to acid rock and psychedelic flower power with the new band line-up as follows:

Eric Burdon (vocals)
John Weider (guitar and violin) ex JOHNNY KIDD & THE PIRATES
Vic Briggs (guitar and piano) ex THE BRIAN AUGER TRINITY and STEAMPACKET
Danny McCulloch (bass guitar) ex LORD SUTCH'S SAVAGES
Barry Jenkins (drums) ex THE NASHVILLE TEENS

Three singles recorded: Don't Bring Me Down, See See Rider and A Girl Named Sandoz.
San Franciscan Nights (USA #9) and Good Times (USA # ) became best sellers.
Apr-67: Eric Burdon & The Animals tour Australia. When I was Young is released in Australia to coincide with the tour, made #2 in Australia but only #15 in USA and #45 in UK.
Jun-67: Eric Burdon & The Animals carve their place in psychedelic history at the Monterey Pop Festival.
Sep-67: Release of the "Winds Of Change" album.
Dec-67: Hit single "Monterey" is released (USA #15).

1968
Feb-68: Hit single Sky Pilot released (USA #14).
Apr-68: Release of the album "The Twain Shall Meet" - the band is then joined on keyboards by George Bruno (was actually Zoot Money).
Soon after, Andy Summers (later of The Police fame) is added to the band line-up before the recording of the "Love Is" double album where Burdon emphasises improvisation with extended psychedelic excursions in the re-working of familiar hits such rock classics as Ring of Fire (John Cash), "River Deep Mountain High" (Tina Turner) and "To Love Somebody" (The Bee Gees) - .
Aug-68: The album "Every One Of Us" is released.
Eric Burdon & The Animals fell apart by late 1968.
Back in Newcastle for Christmas, Burdon reunites with The Original Animals to play at City Hall.
Burdon withdraws from public spotlight until late 1969.

1969
Burdon (with Lee Oskar) joins R&B group The Night Shift to form Eric Burdon & WAR.
World tours with WAR.

1970
The "Eric Burdon Declares WAR" album released - includes hit single "Spill The Wine" (USA #3).

1971
The "Black Man's Burdon" double album is released.
Triumphant world tours with WAR.
Burdon leaves WAR at the height of their popularity - WAR goes on to release their own album.
Burdon meets and performs/records with John Sterling and his group (recording many of the songs that eventually surfaced on the Stop album as The Eric Burdon Band).
Burdon with support from Sterling works with legendary black blues artist Jimmy Witherspoon on the MGM album "Guilty!" (released July and later re-released as the "Black and White Blues" album). Jimmy Witherspoon - Obituary
Burdon goes on the road with Sterling and his band Tovarich.

1972
Burdon parts with Tovarich after a few shows early in the year.
"The House Of The Rising Sun", the original hit single recorded by The Animals in 1964, re-enters UK charts for 6 weeks and goes to #25.

1973
Burdon links up with Aalon Butler and took Aalon's trio (which included Alvin Taylor and Randy Rice) with him for a series of European shows resulting in the recording of the "Sun Secrets" album as The Eric Burdon Band.

1974
"Sun Secrets" album original release on Capitol Records.

1975
Jun-75: Original release of the "STOP" album on Far Out / Capitol in June - soon after The Eric Burdon Band was to be history.

1976
The original line-up of The Animals reunites to record the "Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted" album for Chas Chandler who had crossed into successful management with his Jimi Hendrix ties in the 60's and then guiding Slade in the 70's.

1977
Release by The Original Animals of the reunion album "Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted".
Burdon renews his partnership with John Sterling and co-writes and tours with him.
Burdon records the solo album "Survivor".

1978
Burdon and his second wife Rose are divorced.
May: A band including Brian Robertson, Bobby Tench, Henry McCulloch, C. Sterart, M. Weaver, G. Penniston and Mel Collins is formed by Burdon and records material that was to eventually become the "Darness Darkness" album at a studio in Roundwood (Couty Leix, Ireland). This album was however not released until March 1980.
June: Burdon returns to Germany and bases himself at Hamburg.
Burdon made some appearances in Holland with piano player Bernt Schultz, Nippy Noya, Rosa King (sax) and Ingeberg Thomsen (female vocalist).

1979
January/March: Burdon (supported by Thoms Krestschner, Paul Vincent, Steffi Stephan, Jean-Jacques Kravetz, Bertram Engel, Cepard Cloning and Nippy Noya) performs live as a guest star in a German tour with Udo Lindenberg ... some of the material later surfaces on the double LP "Livehaftig".
Burdon plays a role in the USA television movie "The 11th Victim".

1980
March: The "Darkness Darkness" album is released.
The House Of The Rising Sun, the original hit single recorded by The Animals in 1964, re-enters UK charts again for 12 weeks and goes to #11.
April: Eric Burdon's Fire Dept is formed and starts recording the "Last Drive" album in Frejus (France). The band line-up includes Bernd Gärtig, Jean-Jacuqes Kravetz, Nippy Noya, Bertram Engel, Reginald Worthy, Frank Dietz and Jackie Carter.
November: Burdon performs live at the German Jazz Festival in Frankfurt (Germany) with a band line-up that included Louisiana Red, Hubert Sumlin and Pete York. He also performs live with Louisiana Red at the Blues & Jazz Concert in Frankfurt (Germany).

1981
Burdon records the solo album "Power Company".

1982
Burdon tours Australia with The Eric Burdon Band (included Snuffy Walden on lead guitar, Terry Wilson on Bass, Ronnie Barron on keyboards).

1983
Release by The Original Animals of the album "Ark".

1984
Release by The Original Animals of the album "Rip It To Shreds - Greatest Hits Live" (later to be re-released as the Greatest Hits Live! CD in 1988).

1985
Burdon records the solo album "That's Life".

1986
Burdon releases his autobiography "I Used To Be An Animal But I'm Alright Now".

1987

1988
Burdon records the solo album "I Used To Be An Animal".

1989
Burdon tours Australia for 6 weeks in June/July with local musicians ... Paul Christie (bass guitar - The Party Boys), Mal Eastick (lead guitar - renowned Australian blues giutarist whose session lead guitar work included "No Second Prize" by Jimy Barnes and "Out That Door" by the Hoodoo Gurus), Mal Logan (keyboards - replaced Sam McNally early in the tour) and Warren McLean (drums - The Divinyls). The tour song list includes tracks from the "I Used To Be An Animal" album as well as "oldy" hits that were originally recorded by The Animals, Eric Burdon & The Animals and Eric Burdon & WAR.

1990
Australian rock historian Glenn A. Baker comments (in the notes on the "Roadrunners!" CD - a 1990 compilation of broadcast and concert recordings from 1966-1968) ... "Eric Burdon remains a curiously compelling live performer. His blues growl has not been tamed, nor has his musical integrity or his acute sense of showmanship. He remains, as we are reminded by the contents of this set, one of rock's most worthy sons."
Burdon teams up with old friend Brian Auger to form the Eric Burdon / Brian Auger Band and tours the United States
The Eric Burdon/Robbie Krieger Band tours. Live recordings of one live gig surfaces as the bootleg CD "The Detroit Tapes Live" and "Caravan of Dreams" is recorded.

1991
The Eric Burdon / Brian Auger Band has great success throughout the year touring the United States, Canada, Alaska, Mexico, Virgin Islands, Hawaii, Japan, East and West Germany, Italy and Switzerland.

1992
Burdon collaborates with Auger on their new album.
Release of the "Eric Burdon - The Animals and Beyond" video (produced by Delilah Films for A-Vision).

1993
The Eric Burdon / Brian Auger Band tours extensively, worldwide.
The Eric Burdon / Brian Auger Band's double CD "Access All Areas" is released.

1994
19-Jan-94: The Animals are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.

1996
May'96: Burdon tours with The Best Of British Blues - a band assembled by Alvin Lee (ex Ten Years After). However, after four concerts, the original bassist Boz Burrell left and was replaced by Tony Franklin. The band line-up then became: Eric Burdon (vocals), Alvin Lee (guitar), Micky Moody (guitar), Tony Franklin (bass), Tim Hinkley (keyboards) and Aynsley Dunbar (drums). This group toured through to March 1997.

1997
Sep-97: Death of blues legend Jimmy Witherspoon ("Guilty!" album later released as "Black & White Blues").

1998
31-Jul-98: Burdon performs at Classic Rock Festival in Calgary (Canada) with Streetheart, Paul Rodgers and Alice Cooper.
Nov/Dec: Star vocalists in the British Rock Symphony visit to Australia are Burdon and Thelma Houston (with a 26 piece orchestra performing the music of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd). Dean Restum also performs on guitar.
21-Nov-98: Kojak sees Eric Burdon perform live at Crown Casino (Melbourne, Australia) with Thelma Houston, Russell Morris and CDB in the 1998 Australian Tour of The British Rock Symphony.

2000
Mar/Apr: Burdon tours Australia for 2 weeks billed as Eric Burdon & The New Animals (Eric Burdon - lead vocals; Dean Restum - lead guitar and vocals; Dave Meros - bass guitar and vocals; Martin Gerschwitz - keybards, violin and vocals; and Aynsley Dunbar - drums).
Apr-00: Kojak sees Eric Burdon & The New Animals perform live at Kedron Wavell Services Club (Brisbane, QLD, Australia) as part of their 2000 Australian tour.
Eric Burdon & The New Animals unite with John Mayall and Spencer Davis to perform for the Official 2000 Grammy Awards and at the US Democratic Convention.

2001
11-May-01: Eric Burdon's 60th Birthday.
11-May-01: The Animals are inducted into Hollywood's Rock Walk Of Fame.
11/12-May-01: The Birthday Of A Rock Legend - Burdon's 60th Birthday celebrations at El Rey Theatre in Hollywood (featuring Eric Burdon, John Steel, Hilton Valentine, Dave Rowberry, Canned Heat, Spencer Davis, Robbie Krieger, etc).
22-Jun-01: Death of blues legend John Lee Hooker ("Boom Boom", "Dimples", "Crawlin' King Snake").
Nov/Dec: Eric Burdon & The New Animals tour New Zealand and Australia (Eric Burdon - lead vocals; Dean Restum - lead guitar and vocals; Dave Meros - bass guitar and vocals; Martin Gerschwitz - keybards, violin and vocals; and Bernie Pershey - drums).
16-Nov-01: Kojak sees Eric Burdon & The New Animals live at Castle Hill RSL Club (Sydney, NSW, Australia).
23-Nov-01: Kojak sees Eric Burdon & The New Animals live at Twin Towns Services Club (Gold Coast, QLD, Australia).

2002

2003
28-Mar-03: The British Forces Broadcasting Service, "Live From Kuwait", says the top requests from troops in Iraq have been for Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back In Town", The Animals' "We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place" and The Clash's "Rock The Casbah."
Apr/May: Eric Burdon & The New Animals tour Australia including gigs at the Byron Bay Blues Festival. (Kojak spends a week in hospital and misses all three of the gigs that he had arranged to attend in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney!).
08-Jun-03: Dave Rowberry found dead in his London flat, apparently of a heart attack.
Nov: Five Mile Press releases Burdon's book "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" in Australia and New Zealand and Burdon tours these two countries appearing on radio and TV shows as well as personal appearamces at book signing sessions.

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