History
First incarnation
Formed in Newcastle-upon-Tyne during 1962 and 1963 when Burdon joined the existing Alan Price Rhythm and Blues Combo, the original line-up comprised Eric Burdon (vocals), Alan Price (organ and keyboards), Hilton Valentine (guitar), John Steel (drums), and Bryan "Chas" Chandler (bass). The Animals' moderate success in their hometown and a connection with The Yardbirds manager Giorgio Gomelsky motivated them to move to London in 1964, in time to be grouped with the British Invasion. They performed fiery versions of the staple rhythm and blues repertoire (Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker, Nina Simone, etc). Signed to the Columbia Graphophone subsidiary of EMI, a rocking version of the standard "Baby Let Me Follow You Down" (retitled Baby Let Me Take You Home) was their first UK hit single.
It was followed in June 1964 by the huge transatlantic hit "House of the Rising Sun". Burdon's howling vocals and the dramatic arrangement created arguably the first folk rock hit. Whether the arrangement was inspired by Bob Dylan's version of the song (which in turn was inspired by folk singer Dave Van Ronk) or by blues singer Josh White's (who recorded it twice in 1944 and 1949) or by singer/pianist Nina Simone (who recorded it in 1962 on At The Village Gate, predating Dylan's interpretation) remains a subject of dispute, as does whether all five Animals deserved credit for the arrangement and not just Price.
The Animals' two-year chart career, masterminded by producer Mickie Most, featured singles that were intense, gritty pop covers such as Sam Cooke's Bring It On Home To Me and the Nina Simone number Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood. In contrast their album tracks stayed with rhythm and blues, with Hooker's Boom Boom and Ray Charles' I Believe to My Soul being notable examples. Burdon's powerful, deep voice and the use of keyboards as much or more than guitars were two elements that made the Animals' sound stand out.
By May 1965 the group was starting to feel internal pressures. Price left due to personal and musical differences as well as a fear of flying on tour; he went on to a successful career as a solo artist and with the Alan Price Set. Mickey Gallagher filled in for him on keyboards for a spell, until Dave Rowberry replaced him and was on hand for the hit working-class anthems We Gotta Get Out of this Place and It's My Life. Around that time, an Animals Big Band even made a one-time appearance.
Many of The Animals' hits had come from Brill Building songwriters recruited by Most; the group, and Burdon in particular, felt this was too restrictive. As 1965 ended the group switched to Decca Records and producer Tom Wilson, who gave them more artistic freedom. In early 1966 MGM Records, their American label, collected their hits onto The Best of The Animals; it became their best-selling album in the U.S. In February 1966 Steel left and was replaced by Barry Jenkins; a leftover cover of Goffin-King's Don't Bring Me Down and the powerful hard rock tune See See Rider were the last hits as The Animals.
By this time their business affairs "were in a total shambles," according to Chandler (who would go on to manage Jimi Hendrix), and the group disbanded. Even by the standards of the day, when artists tended to be financially naïve, the Animals made very little money from their successes, eventually claiming mismanagement and theft on the part of their manager Mike Jeffery.
Second incarnation
A group with Burdon, Jenkins, and new sidemen John Weider (guitar/violin/bass), Vic Briggs alias Antion (guitar/piano), and Danny McCulloch (bass) was formed under the name Eric Burdon and the New Animals (or sometimes just Eric Burdon & the Animals) in October 1966, and changed direction. The hard-driving blues was transformed into Burdon's version of psychedelia, as the former heavy-drinking Geordie (who later said he could never get used to Newcastle, "where the rain comes at you sideways") relocated to California and became a spokesman for the Love Generation, but also a former heavy metal act and one of the upcoming stars of the genre such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple..
Some of this group's hits included "San Franciscan Nights", "Monterey" (a tribute to the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival), and the anti-war "Sky Pilot". There were further changes to this line-up: George Bruno (a/k/a Zoot Money, keyboards) was added in April 1968, and in July 1968 Andy Summers [sic] (guitar)—later of The Police—replaced Briggs and McCulloch.
By 1969 these Animals had dissolved, and Eric Burdon joined forces with a Latin group from Long Beach, California called War.
The first hit under Eric Burdon & War was the funky/chill-out song Spill the Wine. The Group with 8 members disbanded in July 1971.
Later incarnations
The original Animals line-up of Burdon, Price, Valentine, Chandler, and Steel briefly reunited for a benefit concert in Newcastle in 1968, for an album in 1977 and again for an album and tour (supplemented by Zoot Money on keyboards and Steve Grant on guitar) in 1983. Chandler died in 1996.
In the 2000s Burdon has toured with a new set of musicians under the name "Eric Burdon and the Animals". Periodically during the 1990s and 2000s Valentine, Steel, and Dave Rowberry toured under the name "(Hilton Valentine's) The Animals" and Valentine and Steel under the name "Animals II". Rowberry died in 2003. As of 2005 "Animals & Friends" was also active, consisting of Steel and Mickey Gallagher; this group frequently play gigs on a Color Line ship that travels between Scandinavia and Germany.
Legacy
The original Animals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Their influence can be heard in artists as varied as The Doors, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Canned Heat, David Johansen, Joe Cocker, Fine Young Cannibals, Iggy Pop, Mando Diao and many, many more.
One Monkey Don't Stop No Show
The Animals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In Newcastle upon a Tyne the other day
He said to me, "Eric, I heard you've been havin'
Some trouble down in the smoke with the girls"
He said, "You wanna catch that flyin' Scotsman
Back up here to Newcastle
'Cause we've got enough females to go around up here
"And because people around here
Don't go away stealin' each others loved ones
Away from one another
Like they do down there in the smoke"
He also said in the letter that, ah
Things don't happen like that here on Tyne
And I believed every word he said now
Things don't happen like that here on Tyne
One more thing he told me now
Things don't happen like that here on Tyne
He said to me, babe
Things don't happen like that here on Tyne
He said, alright, alright
So I'm sayin' to you who are listenin'
If you've been unlucky in love
And you've lost somebody love
And you hear a voice that comes to you
In the middle of the night and says
It says I want you to get on up
Listen to me, I want you to get on up
And find yourself another one
If you're havin' breakfast one morning
And out from behind the teapot a little voice says
Listen, hey, I want you to get on up now
If you're out in the mornin' on your job
And a voice come to you on your job and says
Get up, get up
And you know it's not the foreman
It's a little voice that says
You wanna get up and walk [unverified], women
Go on and find yourself somebody
That's what you'd better do
Because I'll tell you one thing
There's one thing I found out
One thing I found out
Took me a long time to find it out
Yeah, it took me a long time to find out
But I think I got it now, oh, yeah
One monkey don't stop no show
Yes, it's true, baby
One monkey don't stop no show
Don't let one monkey stop up your show
One monkey don't stop no show
One monkey don't stop no show
The Animals's song One Monkey Don't Stop No Show is about a man who receives a letter from a friend in Newcastle upon Tyne, who tells him that he should come back to the city because the women in Newcastle are better than the ones he has been dealing with in London. The friend tells him that people in Newcastle don't steal each other's loved ones like they do in the smoke. The song is meant to be uplifting and encouraging to people who have been unlucky in love. The message of the song is that no matter what happens, you should keep going and find someone else to love.
The lyrics of the song are simple and direct, but they convey a powerful message. The song is about resilience in the face of adversity. No matter how bad things get, you should never give up hope. You should keep trying until you find what you are looking for. The song is a reminder that life is full of ups and downs, and that you should always keep moving forward.
Line by Line Meaning
You know I got a letter from a friend of mine
I received a letter from a friend in Newcastle upon Tyne.
In Newcastle upon a Tyne the other day
My friend is from Newcastle upon Tyne.
He said to me, "Eric, I heard you've been havin'
My friend heard I've been having trouble with girls.
Some trouble down in the smoke with the girls"
I've been having trouble with girls in London, aka 'the smoke.'
He said, "You wanna catch that flyin' Scotsman
He suggests I should catch a train, the Flying Scotsman, back to Newcastle.
Back up here to Newcastle
I should go back to Newcastle.
'Cause we've got enough females to go around up here
There are plenty of girls in Newcastle.
And I can figure you can find yourself a little somethin'"
I should be able to find a girl for myself.
"And because people around here
People in Newcastle are different.
Don't go away stealin' each others loved ones
People in Newcastle don't steal each other's partners.
Away from one another
They don't break up existing relationships.
Like they do down there in the smoke"
Unlike in London.
He also said in the letter that, ah
He mentioned another thing in the letter.
Things don't happen like that here on Tyne
People in Newcastle don't behave that way.
And I believed every word he said now
I trust what he said.
Things don't happen like that here on Tyne
Again, people in Newcastle don't act that way.
One more thing he told me now
He had one more thing to say.
He said to me, babe
He addressed me as "babe."
Things don't happen like that here on Tyne
People in Newcastle still don't act that way.
He said, alright, alright
He begins to wrap up what he's saying.
So I'm sayin' to you who are listenin'
He speaks directly to the audience/listeners.
If you've been unlucky in love
If you've been having bad luck with romance.
And you've lost somebody love
If you've lost someone you love.
And you hear a voice that comes to you
If you hear a voice in your head.
In the middle of the night and says
If the voice speaks to you in the middle of the night.
It says I want you to get on up
The voice encourages you to take action.
Listen to me, I want you to get on up
The voice wants you to listen and take action.
And find yourself another one
Find another person to love.
If you're havin' breakfast one morning
If you're eating breakfast one morning.
And out from behind the teapot a little voice says
If a voice emerges from behind the teapot.
Listen, hey, I want you to get on up now
The voice again wants you to take action.
If you're out in the mornin' on your job
If you're at work in the morning.
And a voice come to you on your job and says
If a voice speaks to you at work.
Get up, get up
The voice wants you to get up.
And you know it's not the foreman
You know it's not your boss giving you orders.
It's a little voice that says
It's the inner voice encouraging you.
You wanna get up and walk [unverified], women
You should go out and find someone to love.
Go on and find yourself somebody
Find someone to love.
That's what you'd better do
You should take action.
Because I'll tell you one thing
He's about to share something important.
There's one thing I found out
Something he discovered through experience.
One thing I found out
Reiterating the point he wants to make.
Took me a long time to find it out
It was not an easy discovery and it took a while.
Yeah, it took me a long time to find out
Again, reiterating the difficulty of the discovery.
But I think I got it now, oh, yeah
But he finally understands now.
One monkey don't stop no show
Don't let one setback prevent you from moving forward.
Yes, it's true, baby
The statement is true.
One monkey don't stop no show
Again, don't let setbacks hold you back.
Don't let one monkey stop up your show
Don't let a single issue prevent you from achieving your goals.
One monkey don't stop no show
One more time conveying the message that obstacles are not insurmountable.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GENERAL N. JOHNSON, GREGORY S. PERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind