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.
San Francisco
The Animals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The city and people of san Francisco
Who may not know it but
They are beautiful and
So is their city this is
A very personal song, so if the viewer
Cannot understand it particularly those
Of you who are european residents
Airways to San Francisco USA
Then maybe you'll understand
The song, it will be worth it, if
Not for the sake of this song, but
For the sake of your own peace of mind
Strobe lights beam, creates dreams
Walls move, minds to do
On a warm San Francisco night
Old child young child feel alright
On a warm San Francisco night
Angels sing, leather wings
Jeans of blue, Harley Davisons too
On a warm San Francisco night
Old angels young angels feel alright
On a warm San Francisco night
I wasn't born there, perhaps I'll die there
There's no place left to go, San Francisco
Cop's face is filled with hate
Heavens above he's on a street called love
When will they ever learn
Old cop young cop feel alright
On a warm San Francisco night
The children are cool they don't raise fools
It's an American dream includes Indians too
The Animals' iconic song "San Francisco" is an ode to the city of San Francisco, its inhabitants, and its countercultural movement of the 1960s. The opening lines of the song describe it as a very personal dedication to the city and people of San Francisco who are beautiful but may not know it yet. The lyrics encourage those who cannot understand the song, especially Europeans, to save up and fly to San Francisco to understand better the concept of the song. "San Francisco" is an invitation to join the youth movement that existed in the city, where walls move and shapes assume different meanings, and where angels are believed to sing in freedom, wearing leather wings and denim jeans.
The song creates a sense of nostalgia for the idealistic vision of San Francisco, where the old and the young can feel alright in one warm San Franciscan night. It also speaks of the city's inhabitants, including the police officers, who are on a street called love, where they can learn from one another, and everyone feels alright. The song acknowledges the grim realities, too, especially the police's behavior towards the youth and the countercultural movement, but also emphasizes that the youth movement is cool and includes Native Americans too.
Line by Line Meaning
Strobe lights beam create dreams
Flashing lights create illusions
Walls move minds do too
The environment shapes our thoughts
On a warm San Franciscan night
On a pleasant evening in San Francisco
Old child young child feel alright
People of all ages feel good
On a warm San Franciscan night
On a pleasant evening in San Francisco
Angels sing leather wings
Musicians perform with style
Jeans of blue Harley Davidsons too
Biker fashion is present
On a warm San Franciscan night
On a pleasant evening in San Francisco
Old angels young angels feel alright
Musicians of all ages feel good
On a warm San Franciscan night.
On a pleasant evening in San Francisco
I wasn't born there perhaps I'll die there
The city has great personal significance
There's no place left to go, San Franciscan.
The city is the only place left to be
Cop's face is filled with hate
Police officers are angry
Heavens above he's on a street called love
The street has a contradictory name
When will they even learn
There's a lack of progress
Old cop young cop feel alright
Police officers of all ages feel good
On a warm San Franciscan night
On a pleasant evening in San Francisco
The children are cool
The young are trendy
They don't raise fools
They don't promote ignorance
It's an American dream
It's a common ideal
Includes indians too.
It applies to Native Americans as well
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BARRIE ERNEST JENKINS, DANNY MCCULLOCH, ERIC VICTOR BURDON, JOHNNY WEIDER, VIC BRIGGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@andreiabonke4093
Strobe light beam, creates dreams
Walls move, minds do too
On a warm San Franciscan night
Old child , young child
Feel all right
On a warm San Franciscan night
Angels sing, leather wings
Jeans of blue, Harley Davidson's too
On a warm San Franciscan night
Old angel, young angel
Feel all right
On a warm San Franciscan night
I wasn't born there
Perhaps I'll die there
There's no place left to go
San Francisco
Cops face is filled with hate
Heavens above
He's on a street called "Love"
When will they ever learn?
Old cop, young cop
Feel all right
On a warm San Franciscan night
The children are cool
They don't raise fools
It's an American dream
Includes Indians too
@suruha2306
This isn't just a song; it's a feeling! It's a time, a time in all of our collective memories. Good times!
@angelaallen340
Yessss
@noraacevedo7525
Absolutely!
@user-qz4zt2ox2p
Great memories as a kid growing up in the 60’s. Tears, but in a good way I think. Turbulent but beautiful times. So hard to express or explain.
@MilenaZabakova-qd7hn
Úžasná vzpominka, atmosféra mládí......❤❤❤❤❤❤
@brucewalters8635
One of the purposes of art is to record the present time in which the artist resides. It usually applies to art as in painting/drawing, however in this case Eric Burden is a painter. His genius lyrics and sound captured the City that was the Capital of the Flower Power era of the 60's. An incredibly important time in our history recorded for posterity.Thank you Eric!
@nicklasmillner101
There is no city nor will there ever be like , San Francisco . Not many cities have a soul , it does !During the pandemic it was blessing!
@WandaHeim
I wouldn't live anywhere else..."There's no place left to go-San Francisco"
@annaseireklidou4270
The Animals one if the best bands for over 50 years and will continue to be for another 50.
@cduby1424
Monterey, when i was young, help me girl house of the rising sun, dont let me be misunderstood, sky pilot,that aint where its at, we gotta get out of this place, its my life, spill the wine eric burdon and war. Alot of good memories!