Burdon left also this band and run back to stardome in the mid-70s with The Eric Burdon Band producing heavy rocking songs. He went on forming short-living groups such as Eric Burdon's Fire Dept. in 1980, another Eric Burdon Band in 1981, especially for a motion picture-starring role in Comeback for which he made the soundtrack and a reunion band with The Animals in 1983 to get back to the Mainstream Charts. The 1980s saw Burdon in genres such as heavy metal, new wave, pop, reggae, disco, blues, rock and roll, punk, funk and rap. He also published his album "I Used To Be An Animal" as well as his autobiography with the same title. He went on touring in stadiums as well as in small clubs around the world.
In 1990 he formed the Eric Burdon & Robby Krieger Band who toured mainly in America. They recorded some demo tapes, but never released them. In 1991 he toured the world again as Eric Burdon & Brian Auger Band. They released a double-live album, "Access All Areas" in 1993, showing versions of Burdon's old hits in new musical outfits, once again as a blues, metal, reggae and fusion performer.
In 1994 they got disbanded, Burdon got introduced into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where he performed 1995 with Bon Jovi and created a new group of high-professional musicians, Eric Burdon's i Band. They disbanded in 1998 and he formed Eric Burdon & The New Animals. In 2003 they changed their name in Eric Burdon & The Animals, after some band changes. In 2004 the long awaited studio-album "My Secret Life" was released and brought him back into the mainstream charts and in late 2005 the live album "Athens Traffic Live" was released.
Burdon formed a new band-line-up, also touring as Eric Burdon & The Animals. In January 2006 he released "Soul of a Man", with good critics worldwide. He wanted to create an album who is dedicated to the blues and rnb. Since then he toured the world without a break, always looking for new material, performing with other famous musicians.
Recently, Burdon wrote a screenplay called "Twisted Oliver" and is working on a new studio album. He turned down tours with War and Linkin Park in the last year, but it seems that the new year is bringing many surprises.
Many of his bands also used elements of speed metal, thrash metal, grindcore and death metal.
He's definitely one of the most important people in music history, while recording the first #1 hit with a length more than four minutes, "House of the Rising Sun", the most popular anti-vietnam song "We Gotta Get out of this Place", the first song recorded in stereo, "Sky Pilot" and the first latin rap in pop music, "Spill the Wine". His self-written rock song "Year of the Guru" (1968) proves that he created the first rap rock-song. His political environment can be seen in his multi-racial project with the band War from late 1969 to early 1971. In 2008 he reunited with the band at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Without his experimental vocals, hip hop, rap, heavy metal, rock, pop and rnb would have a completely different face.
His singing style and music also influenced artists such as Joe Cocker, The Doors, Deep Purple, The Brute Chorus, Ted Nugent, Janis Joplin, The Sonics, Steppenwolf, Chester Bennington, Bruce Springsteen, The Black Crowes, Tom Petty, The White Stripes, Ryan Adams, John Mellencamp, The Compulsive Gamblers, The Vines, Julian Thome, The Hives, MC5 and many more.
In November 2008 the magazine Rolling Stone ranked him #57 on their list of the Best Singers of all Times.
Formations:
The Animals & Sonny Boy Williamson (December 30, 1963)
The Animals (1964 - September 1966, 1976, 1983/84)
Eric Burdon & The Animals (1967 - 1968)
Eric Burdon & War (1969 - 1971)
Eric Burdon & Jimmy Witherspoon (1971)
The Eric Burdon Band (1973 - 1975)
Eric Burdon's Fire Department (1980)
Eric Burdon, Robbie Krieger & Friends (1990)
Eric Burdon & Brian Auger Band (1991 - 1993)
Eric Burdon's I Band (1995 - 1998)
Eric Burdon & The New Animals (1999 - 2002)
Eric Burdon (1976 - ...)
27 Forever
Eric Burdon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the girls wouldn′t last
And the whiskey is short in your glass
It's a lesson to learn
It′s a path that you will burn
On your way to fame and glory
You'd sell your soul to the devil
To stay at this level And be
Others might get a taste
Of what we really have to face
Awake from an endless sleep
You're hurting all over
You′d sell your soul to the devil
To stay at this level And be
27 forever
Now I hear a voice from the past
Calling out
You should have joined us
In Rock and Roll heaven
Forever 27
And once you get on your feet
You feel that you′re ready to slip
Down the path to fame and glory
Many nights have passed
And the girls they couldn't last
And there is no more whiskey in my glass
You know what they say
The good they die young
I could have stayed
27 forever
You′d sell your soul to the devil
To stay at this level And be
27 forever
27 forever
The song "27 Forever" by Eric Burdon is a commentary on the dangers and temptations of the rock and roll lifestyle. The lyrics describe the fleeting nature of fame and the toll it takes on those who achieve it. The first stanza sets the scene with the singer reflecting on nights gone by, women he has lost, and a glass of whiskey that is almost empty. He considers the path to fame and warns that it comes at a cost. The temptation to sell your soul to the devil is strong in the music industry, as the price of success is often steep.
The chorus repeats the phrase "27 forever" which is a reference to the many rock stars who have died at the age of 27, including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison. The lyrics suggest that many musicians are reckless in their pursuit of fame and fortune, and that they are willing to risk everything to achieve it. The bridge of the song features a voice from the past, calling out to the singer to join them in "Rock and Roll heaven". This is a reference to the so-called "27 Club" of rock stars who died at the age of 27, and a warning to others who might follow in their footsteps.
Overall, "27 Forever" is a cautionary tale about the fleeting nature of fame and the risks of the rock and roll lifestyle. The singer warns that the pursuit of success can lead to the selling of one's soul and ultimately, an early death. The song is a reminder that achieving fame and wealth at any cost is not worth it in the end.
Line by Line Meaning
As the nights have passed
Over time, as I've experienced more and more of life
And the girls wouldn't last
The fleeting nature of romantic relationships
And the whiskey is short in your glass
The empty feeling that comes with excess and addiction
It's a lesson to learn
These experiences are teaching me valuable life lessons
It's a path that you will burn
This lifestyle will have negative consequences
On your way to fame and glory
These experiences are part of my pursuit of success and recognition
You'd sell your soul to the devil
I am willing to do anything to maintain my current level of success
To stay at this level And be
I don't want to lose what I have achieved
27 forever
I want to maintain my youth and success forever, like other famous musicians who died at age 27
Others might get a taste
Other people may only see the surface level of my success
Of what we really have to face
They don't understand the dark side of this lifestyle
Awake from an endless sleep
Realizing the negative consequences of this lifestyle and trying to change
You're hurting all over
The pain that comes with rejecting this lifestyle
Now I hear a voice from the past
Reflecting on the musicians who died young and how they are still iconic
Calling out
Their fame lives on and they are still celebrated
You should have joined us
Joining the ranks of famous musicians who died young
In Rock and Roll heaven
The afterlife where famous musicians are celebrated
Forever 27
The ideal of maintaining youth and success forever
And once you get on your feet
After achieving success, it is easy to become complacent and fall back down
You feel that you're ready to slip
It is easy to fall back into old habits and addictive behaviors
Down the path to fame and glory
The path that led to success in the first place
Many nights have passed
Reflecting on the long, tiring nights of excess
And the girls they couldn't last
The fleeting nature of relationships
And there is no more whiskey in my glass
The emptiness and lack of satisfaction in a life of excess
You know what they say
Cliché warning about the dangers of excess and addiction
The good they die young
The idea that talented and successful people often die early
I could have stayed
Regret about not changing sooner or choosing a different path
27 forever
The ideal of maintaining youth and success forever, despite its negative consequences
You'd sell your soul to the devil
The desperate measures some people will take to maintain their success
To stay at this level And be
Desire to avoid losing what has been achieved
27 forever
The ideal of maintaining youth and success forever, despite its negative consequences
Writer(s): Eric Burdon, Terry Wilson
Contributed by Makayla T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.