Animals, House Of The Rising Sun- A Classical Musician’s First Listen and Reaction
79,724
Published 2023-07-26
I was very curious to see how a traditional tune like this one could be treated in such a way as to become such a big hit. I discovered a very natural and pleasant sound with this band and it even made me want to play my harp.
Here’s the link to the original song by Animals:
• The Animals - House Of The Rising Sun...
_________________________
If you want me to do a First Listen and In-depth Analysis of YOUR song of choice, or if you want an exclusive 1:1 session where I can answer your questions, dig deeper into a topic, or even coach you in your musical experience, such as a music theory, piano, or harp lesson, singing, music reading, etc, follow this link: ko-fi.com/amyshaferarts/commissions
If you want more, join my Patreon: www.patreon.com/VirginRock
Twitter: twitter.com/VirginRockMusic
Instagram: www.instagram.com/virginrockchannel/
Facebook:www.facebook.com/VirginRockChannel/
Special thanks to those who are keeping my ko-fi cup supplied:
I’ve formed the habit of publishing all the names of my supporters simply because I appreciate your appreciation of my work, and I want to recognize each one of you personally. But, unfortunately, YouTube allows a limited number of characters for the description, and I cannot fit all names anymore. So, this is my message to each one of my supporters personally:
THANK YOU!
_________________________
Amy Shafer, LRSM, FRSM, RYC, is a classical harpist, pianist, and music teacher, Director of Piano Studies and Assistant Director of Harp Studies for The Harp School, Inc., holds multiple degrees in harp and piano performance and teaching, and is active as a solo and collaborative performer. With nearly two decades of teaching experience, she teaches privately, presents masterclasses and coaching sessions, and has performed and taught in Europe and USA.
_________________________
Credits: Music written and performed by Animals
This video may contain copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. VirginRock is using this material for educational, critical, research, and commentary purposes in our effort to promote musical literacy and understanding. We believe that this constitutes a “fair use” of the copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, which provides allowance for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond “fair use”, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
If your copyrighted material appears on this channel and you disagree with our assessment that it constitutes “fair use”, please contact us.
All Comments (21)
-
Don’t forget to hit the SUBSCRIBE button to help me reach 100k before August 3rd, and we’ll make one BIG Celebration together here, at VirginRock! And if you have any questions, please write them here as a reply. BUT, please, questions ONLY! Thank you!
-
This Animals' version was recorded in a single take. To me, this particular piece has always represented the cohesive energy and fluidity that comes when a group of musicians play together, and listen to/respond to each other live and in the moment. The performance becomes a living, organic thing.
-
As teenagers in the 60s, we had no idea this was an old folk song when the animals released it. We’d never heard it before. The Animals had such a distinctive sound, rooted in blues and R&B. And Eric’s vocals were uniquely strong and powerful. Loved ‘em.
-
Thanx for your great harp rendition. It was very beautiful.
-
Burden sings this in 3 different octaves. He had a great voice. Actualyl he still does.
-
Eric Burden is one of the great blues singers. As you perceptively say, he told the story and drove the whole dynamic of the song. The story goes that The Animals travelled down from Newcastle to London, which took about four hours, recorded this in one take, then went back to Newcastle in the evening. I think they were paid £100, but I'm not sure about that. I can't tell you how much this blew our 15-year-old minds when we heard it, especially Alan Price's amazing organ break. We played this endlessly in the music room, which did not please the music teacher!
-
Eric Burdon was the lead singer and his voice was great for rock style. Alan Price´s organ ability was also great and it's prominent here. His arrangements in this music was great. The guitar and bass complement this great timeless classic.
-
Eric Burdon was a baby-face 23 when this song was released, but his voice seemed to come from the depths of time. What is very notable on this arrangement is Alan Price's keyboard work on a Vox Continental organ (which was a more portable alternative to a Hammond organ, and designed for touring). John Lennon used to play one too, but his example sold at auction for over $180,000, such is the magic of his name. What happened to Alan Price's instrument, I have no idea. For another traditional folk song turned into rock song (of a sort), then there's Paul Simon's version of Scarborough Fair, which was more thoroughly reworked by Bob Dylan in a "Girl from the North Country" that it might be better described as having drawn upon that song.
-
This performance changed everything for rock music. Even if the Animals would have done this only (and they did a lot more) they would be recognized for this gem.
-
I LOVE the baroque version! You should definitely do a video of it!
-
Perhaps to fully and totally appreciate this song you might have had to hear it in 1964 as it blew out of our transistor radios like a melodic cacophony, with organ and voice and all instruments so driving and so superior we knew without doubt it would be a timeless classic. And it really is the one we never tire of. Not to say you csn't appreciate it, but it was total magic back then.
-
At their core, The Animals were a blues band. Their respectful covers of many many blues standards shows their love for the genre, as if they wanted more generations to hear them.
-
The harp is simply beautiful.
-
I knew a headmaster from the north east. He once ruefully commented he had told one pupil ..”Price, you’ll never become anything with that skiffle group of yours..,”
-
One of the timeless classics, it will be playing in a bar on Mars someday.
-
It's always a treat to hear Amy playing the harp. The Animals were another of the great British invasion bands of the 60s, and this song (among rockers) became their signature song. The Beatles were more into fun, uplifting songs, so when the Animals hit the scene with this dark, gloomy sound it became an immediate hit.
-
Prices solo on the Hammond still brings goosebumps after all these years.
-
This song was played by every Jr High and High School garage band in America. "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" was another huge hit, especially with American GI's in Vietnam. "Sky Pilot" is another great one, about a Regimental Clergyman trying to assure the young boys going into a major battle that things will be ok even when he knows better. A Sky Pilot guides the dead who fell in battle from earth to the heavens.
-
Alan Price on the keyboard, such a wonderful song performed by really talented musicians.... Eric Burdens' voice is unsurpassed...
-
I remember to listen to this on the radio at the sixties. I was very impressed and I like it very much. I thought the music was their original. And I’ve got a little bit worried that this band out of nowhere could challenge the success my beloved Beatles were doing. But they did not of course.
