Posted on 05/20/2024 4:58:34 PM PDT by DallasBiff
This was written by the husband and wife songwriting team of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Mann had just signed a record deal and recorded this song himself, but his version was pulled when The Animals released the song. Mann and Weil were very productive in the mid-'60s, as they made the transition from writing fluffy pop songs like "Blame It On The Bossa Nova" to songs with more of a message, which appealed to rock bands like The Animals. The Animals producer Mickie Most heard this song and had the band record it. He was looking for American material as he was trying to break the band in the States, and had a call out to the New York City songwriters in the Brill Building and 1650 Broadway looking for songs.
(Excerpt) Read more at songfacts.com ...
It’s on my Vietnam playlist.
His vocal on this song is amazing. The song rocks with intensity despite having fairly unheavy instrumentation and production thanks to his voice and the energy of the band.
It’s been a long time since I heard that song.
Pretty psychedelic.
I have a whole slew of their songs in my music library - played it for the kids one day - they were really impressed and asked me what the band was.
Here’s the line up:
1. It’s My Life
2. We Gotta Get Out of This Place
3. Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
4. See-See Rider
And lastly:
5. House of the Rising Sun
Eric Burden has about the greatest voice...
Fascinating story about the song writers husband Barry Mann and wife Cynthia Weil. Never heard of them. Of course, I’ve probably only heard of Jimmy Webb.
We like “Low Rider” - Eric Burdon’s voice is perfect for that song.
I’m partial to “Monterey” because that’s where I was born. Dad was attending the Naval Post-Graduate School at the time.
One of my first childhood memories was hearing “House Of The Rising Sun” blasting on the radio as I lied down in my bed, probably still a crib at the time. It was summertime as I remember the windows in my bedroom being open and the curtains were flapping in the breeze. This would have been mid 1960s. That haunting melody still brings me back to my childhood.
By then Eric was gone.
The private anthem of every US soldier in SE Asia in the 1960s.
Worked for Joe Cocker too.
“She Came in Through the Bathroom Window” - one of my favorites, the Joe Cocker version, of course.
“Cry Me A River,” and “The Letter” too.
Beat me to it!
Yep, Joe made every song his.
Today would have been Joe’s 80th birthday.
Gotta add Monterey
The British radio station in the Green Zone in Baghdad played that song all the time.
Fingernails on a blackboard.
Joe Cocker also made John Belushi famous - There was a new off-broadway stage show from National Lampoon called “Lemmings” - the producers were looking for someone who could imitate Joe Cocker - Belushi tried out and got the part, this was in 1973.
Belushi also did his imitation of Joe Cocker later on SNL - Cocker came out and joined him on stage. This was back in the good old days when SNL was worth watching, of course.
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