Back when a TV audience only had less than 5 TV channels to choose from. For undiscovered musical talent, getting on television was everything! Today, with so many ways for artists to promote themselves, the act of getting exposure via this medium doesn’t have the same impact it once did. For example, from 1948 to 1971, The Ed Sullivan Show was the place where new talent made their big splash. Many names, such as Elvis Presley and others, would go on to have stellar careers thanks to their debut performances on this show. While they didn’t enjoy the same level of success, one such group that did make a big imprint in the music industry was a band called “The Animals.”
Image Source: YouTube
The group consisted of Eric Burdon (lead singer), Alan Price (organist), Chas Chandler (bassist), Hilton Valentine (guitarist), and John Steel (drummer).
The group was a part of the early British blues scene making waves during the early 1960s. They were one of the groups a part of the famed “British Invasion” featuring such groups as The Beatles. Their bluesy-rock and roll style drew inspiration from American R&B and Blues talents, adapting the music to the perspectives of the British working class. [1]
Image Source: YouTube
The song “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” was originally written by Horace Ott, Bennie Benjamin, and Sol Marcus to be performed by the legendary Blues singer Nina Simone who recorded the song first in 1964. Since that time, many artists have covered the song, but the rock version performed by The Animals gained the most notoriety.
Image Source: YouTube
In the video below, you can watch The Animals performing one of their greatest hits, “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” on a 1965 broadcast of The Ed Sullivan Show.
And here’s a 2020 interview featuring lead singer Eric Burdon 55 years later talking about his time in The Animals and their greatest hit, “House of the Rising Sun.”
Thanks for reading. Please be so kind as to pass this story along to your friends and family?
Sources:
- “The Animals” Classic Bands
