Animals, House Of The Rising Sun- A Classical Musician’s First Listen and Reaction
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- Опубліковано 25 лип 2023
- #animals #houseoftherisingsun
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...
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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.
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Credits: Music written and performed by Animals
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I’ve really enjoyed you. At first I thought.. she’s very smart but I don’t understand most of this. Now,after just a few months, I listen and watch to learn. I thank you for this! My favorite album is “OK Computer” I think the band Radiohead is incredible, inventive, and unique, but also incredibly talented. Please, Someday, check out that album, then their others , progressively from that point FORWARD. ;). I truly believe you would love it
The debate of where the song comes from isn't about the folk music backline. It's about what the lyrics are referring too. Copywrites on music didn't begin until 1925 and any composition before 1926 are in the public domain. Such as the National Anthem of the United States. Where the lyrics were applied to a well know pub song "To Anacreon in Heaven" from 18th century Britain.
The Animals can be more associated with the Rolling Stones style than with the Beatles' one in thoses times, due to their strong blues inspiration and background. Eric Burdon remains one of ther greatest British blues singers. But this song in particular can be seen as the birth of folk-rock, a year before the term was used to refer to the music style of the Byrds and of Bob Dylan after the release of Mr. Tambourine Man in 1965.
Didn't you once say you were from Nashville TN or something? I don't detect a hint of twang in your speech. Every video I struggle to catch it but if anything, I hear a European affect, like German or Dutch.... It's driving me crazy, frankly 😅😂
This song was originally taken from letters from a prostitute from this ale house the rising son
Tales say she was from London and arrived indentured with dept. from her passage or maybe Irish to America and was forced to work as a prostitute ands she died from syphilis at a young age
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.
Brilliant spot!
Yes they were on the Chuck Berry tour in Newcastle--went to London by train car baggage car etc. early in the morning'recorded it'went back to Newcastle to finish the tour'-Chas Chandler said it cost about 11 pounds to record
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.
Agreed. For decades, this was simply a foundational classic rock song from the British Invasion. Never knew it had any history before that until recently. After all New Orleans is in "new" America, and "folk music" was imagined (when I was a kid) to be only in medieval Europe or remote mountain villages and such. 😄
I sometimes shed a tear when I think of what what passes for R&B nowadays.
Also I never knew it was a folk song until I watched this video. But I was a teenager in the 00's, so I guess I have an excuse. This is a great song and one of my favorites since the first time I heard it.
And every beginning guitarist felt compelled to learn that guitar pattern and it became the first symbol of accomplishment in their early steps of development. 🤔👌
BTW the band bassist Chas Chandler later became the manager of the legendary Jimi Hendricks!😮✌️
Another great old folk song recorded by a '60s era British rock band was "John Barleycorn" by Traffic (though it was released in 1970 I think). The original version dates back to the 16th century, and describes the process of making beer metaphorically, by torturing poor John Barleycorn... but there are many other interpretations.
The Animals had other great songs too, like "We Gotta Get Out of this Place" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood". Eric Burdon was great, he even performed with War in their early days ("Spill the Wine"). He's also the person Lennon was referencing as "the eggman" in "I Am the Walrus".
Thanx for your great harp rendition. It was very beautiful.
I enjoyed it myself a lot!
She prioritized that at the expense of the piece she was supposedly reacting to.
@@lechatel I don't feel that way. I didn't know that the song had older roots, so I like her opening explanation. I actually tune in specifically to hear Amy's interpretations and use of the harp in explaining the music she is reviewing. I enjoy hearing about classical music because I also listen to classical music. I also especially enjoy Irish traditional music played on the harp, so hearing Amy play a traditional folk song like House of the rising Sun on the harp was very exciting for me to hear! In fact, I look forward to the day when Amy reviews John Barleycorn Must Die by Traffic and she plays it on the harp! I feel certain that a lot of her subscribers would agree with me.
@@lechatel The only thing that is trash here is your commrnt, Life must be hard seeeing the world your way.
@@lechatel Amy does not react. Reaction is boring. I don't care how anyone else feels about a piece; I have my own feelings.
Amy explains, illustrates, provides context, makes links to other pieces and traditions, and points out subtleties that we may not have noticed. This make my life better! Her enthusiasm is a nice bonus.
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!
they took a break from the Chuck Berry tour -hit the train tracks and went to london to record the song and then back to the tour at 8:30 in the morning-
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.
Bob Dylan also sang an impressive one-man version of House of the Rising Sun on his first album in 1962. Well worth a listen, and in my opinion equal in power to The Animals' version.
Dylan didn’t think so. He has said that when he heard the Animals’ version, he was driving and had to pull over because it affected him so strongly. He credits it as being one of the reasons he went electric the following year.
Nox Arcana's version of Scarborough Fair is eeriely beautiful
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.
Sounds like it was all pretty great. 😉
The Hammond B3 , for some reason, seems to have lost popularity since the last century. I miss it. 😢
I LOVE the baroque version! You should definitely do a video of it!
That's the plan!
You could also do harp/piano renditions of other folk like songs and other pop modal songs. Like Eleanor Rigby, The boxer and mr Tambourine Man.
Maybe try a GUITAR version of it @@VirginRock .... You already know the harp part.... It would be great to see you play the guitar...I think you would love it...
@@VirginRock I've looped that 95 seconds of grace over and over. The Animals version has always been on my all-time favorites list and now I really need a Amy Shafer solo extended harp version to make my music world complete.
And a cycling or repeating bass line isn't uncommon in pop and rock either. Most because the bass doesn't do much but playing, well, the bass, following the cyclic chord progression.
The big difference is that pop tends to run on a 4 chord loop, while "classic" gives each note and chord a "job" and continues more in an open string than a closed loop. And the verse/chorus format is also pretty much unheard in classic. Leitmotives exist, but they have a different role than a chorus.
The repeating pattern in pop clearly has roots in the repetition of blues.
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.
Indeed..from Radio Caroline..on holiday in Margate…I was 8.
To fully appreciate this song she would have to actually LISTEN to it in its entirety (or at least without so many chops and stops). She didn't do that. She came at the song from one perspective..folk Ballad re-arranged..and didn't make listening to THIS a priority. I didn't hear it in 64. Many many people who find this track a timeless masterpiece have discovered it wayyyyyy later than that, and it is, indeed, magic.
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.
Indeed. It was wayyyy ahead of its time. (To put it in context: the Beatles offering that year was I wanna Hold Your Hand and She Loves You Yeah Yeah Yeah. Elvis was putting out Kiss me Quick.) This song changed two genres at least: Folk, by encouraging Dylan to go electric, and Rock itself...it is a real precursor to Heavy Metal. It also influenced Sprinsteen and his Blue Collar ballads. It is iconic. I felt she didn't do it justice at all.
Interesting connection for you. The bass player here is Chas Chandler, and it was he who discovered Jimi Hendrix, brought him to London and turned him into the legend he became. Now - the retardando - you won't really hear that these days because of click tracks. Back then timing was free and varied throughout a tune. The Beatles particularly made use of this.
One of the things I really like about '50s rock 'n' roll is that songs often ended on a great ringing chord that complemented the character of the song.
As a student of rock music, you must become familiar with the Hammond B3 organ, which has a very distinctive sound. Although Hammond stopped manufacturing the B3 in 1974, the organs are still an essential part of the rock music world. Rick Wakeman played one with Yes and on his solo albums. The Allman Brothers built their distinctive southern-rock style around Gregg Allman's bluesy Hammond sound. If you watch a video of the David Letterman show, you'll see a Hammond B3 featured prominently in the keyboard pit manned by music directer Paul Shafer. Bob Dylan's historic "Like a Rolling Stone" features a B3. These 50-year-old instruments are lovingly maintained and revered by musicians because no keyboard built since then can match its sound. (Hammond's C3 is a B3 with a fancier wooden body; essentially the same organ. It was also discontinued in 1974.)
Perhaps the best examples of organ playing in rock come from the catalog of Brian Auger, who has worked as a session musician for the Yardbirds, Rod Stewart, Jimi Hendrix, the Animals (though not on this song), and many others. His jazz/rock fusion band Oblivion Express released 18 albums. You can add those to 22 solo albums in addition to his session work.
(This is not a Hammond B3 on this song, but the organ does have a somewhat similar tone.)
Don’t forget Deep Purple’s Jon Lord, who used the Hammond C3.
Indeed, that's not a Hammond B3 on the track here. Alan Price was playing an Vox Continental, which is another classic vintage electric organ, also associated with the sound of The Doors or Iron Butterfly. q.v. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vox_Continental
@@SubCapt yes, this isn't a B3. The B3 had a signature kind of throaty quality that was emphasized with the use of the Leslie speaker. There are modern keyboards that come close to replicating that sound digitally, but in a live environment, they still aren't quite the same sound.
Play a Hammond through a B3 cabinet, please Amy! I’d like to share your reaction to playing new instruments one day.
Prices solo on the Hammond still brings goosebumps after all these years.
Vox Continental
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.
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 magic of The Animals' version of this song - comes from the combination of Eric Burden's very ballsy and bluesy vocal... which was fitted expertly into the weaving of the guitar and the organ accompaniment. They did a wonderful job with the arrangement of the music... and Eric's vocal was perfection in this song.
What has not been mentioned is the importance of this version in the history of the development of pop/rock. Typically at this time a pop single lasted for approx 2 1/2 minutes and music radio programing was based on this. House Of The Rising Sun ran for 4 1/2 minutes and I well remember speculation at the time that the single would not sell because it was too long. In fact it was so good that it could not be ignored and radio had to adapt. The breaking of the time barrier opened the door for pop/rock records to last as long as they needed to and was another great "freedom" generated in the 60s.
It is good to see that your bravery in taking on this project is being rewarded, it is always a pleasure to listen to your analysis.
Didn't they have to edit the song by shortening the wonderful organ solo for the benefit of American radio?
That sort of limit still exists, but sits usually around 3 - 3 1/2 minutes nowadays. Not as hard barrier, but as a guideline.
My guess is that most people that were exposed to this version weren't probably aware to the fact that it's originally a folk song. This version is great however, Eric Burdon's vocals are captivating, and the Vox Continental is completely entrancing imo. This particular mix sounds a bit muddy though, there are versions out there that sound much better. Regarding your comparison to The Beatles, both these groups were rock groups but both groups were rooted in different genres, The Animals were heavily influenced by Blues and The Beatles were rooted in Skiffle and Rock 'n' Roll. It might not seem like a big difference in the big picture, but it definitely impacted the sound these artists fundamentally had.
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.
The harp is simply beautiful.
Eric Burdons voice was a one off. Beautiful. 👍
It's from the mining towns up north in the uk where his heart is singing from. The North East. Luv yer. ❤👍🙏
Alan Price on the keyboard, such a wonderful song performed by really talented musicians.... Eric Burdens' voice is unsurpassed...
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..,”
in my opinion, the greatest single vocal presentation of its time - truly unforgettable and never heard too often. The reason it had such an impact was that it came out in its time like a slap to the face, totally unlike anything we had ever heard on the pop charts in the day. Alongside the existing stuff, Eric's voice just punched thru the airwaves. The incredible thing: the band had only enough money to record one song. This is it, live with no edits no dubs. Ceck out his performance on Ed Sullivan.
That was at about the same time The Kinks released, "Ya Really Got Me," which no one had heard anything like, either.
@@bobtaylor170 I like that one too. But the Burdon vocals burn into the brain.
Ok....but when it comes to vocal presentation you must listen to Geordie version ( released about ten years later....the singer is Brian Johnson....later in ACDC). You can find it on the record ”Don’t be fooled by the name”. A masterpiece!
...the greatest single vocal presentation of its time...
Well.
I suppose that given the rapidly changing nature of pop music, it can't be considered of "the time," but the 1956 recording of Frank Sinatra's performance of Harold Arlen's/Johnny Mercer's "One For My Baby" is the greatest popular singing on a record which I know of. Guys like Eric Burdon were shouters. Frank Sinatra was the greatest artist of his type we know anything about.
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.
For another popular arrangement of a traditional English folk song, try Simon & Garfunkel's version of Scarborough Fair. Having learned the song and guitar accompaniment from British folk singer Martin Carthy, Paul Simon added a second melody with lyrics from one of his own songs for Art Garfunkel to sing as counterpoint in a somewhat renaissance style. I think you could do an interesting analysis.
If you listen you can hear the 4/4 time that invokes the sound of a steam train chugging down the tracks.
Yes, it's a British group, but that visceral steam train sound is pure Americana and it speaks to us, making us nostalgic for our past.
You can hear it even more clearly in "Smokestack Lightning" that was originally recorded by Howlin' Wolf and was covered by The Yardbirds and train "Train Kept A-Rollin'" by Tiny Bradshaw and also covered by The Yardbirds and later Aerosmith.
If you haven't heard these songs, you should.
British musicians did this a lot; they took American music, usually African-American jazz and blues, brought it back to England, polished it up, and give it back to us.
If you aren’t feeling the subtly creepy and sinister draw of the song, you are missing a big part of it. Everyone has their own personal “House” of unhelpful or unhealthy borderline (or more) attractions into which we are drawn to, and voluntarily “wear that ball and chain”. The Vox organ is key here. A bit of mystery surrounding what exactly is this House imbeds the infectious nature of the story, and is so perfectly suited to the melody, and the vivid bluesy voice of Eric Burdon.
You have to actually listen to the whole song to get that, not in dismembered bits & pieces. It's a piece of art, not a machine. 👍💜
@@chetcarman3530 Agree completely. The best reaction creators do indeed listen to songs in their entirety. Many can’t seem to do more than about 10 seconds, and 100% miss the whole point and vibe. When they do Pink Floyd, it is unlistenable and I just click out.
@@36karpatoruski same
@@chetcarman3530 Especially a song like this which is telling a story. It completely destroys the whole build of the story arc and the way this is conveyed in the rise and then fall of the sound. (She went on about the end but didn't connect that with the intense ebb and flow of it during the song which is one of its most notable characteristics. She missed it in all the chopping about.) I think she approached it from the false premise that it was merely a Folk song done in a Rock style. There are people reacting to this with zero knowledge of musical theory who have got WAY more insightful things to say about it- because they actually LISTEN to it and respond to music as you should: from within. I have gone off the whole premise of this channel. It reeks of musical elitism. Huge disservice to a classic track.
@@lechatelIt's just a different analysis, from a technical perspective point of view. It doesn't mean that there isn't an emotional way to review it.... There are plenty of reviews based on feeling. But this channel is about technical music analysis, and that's what makes it different than other channels. I honestly don't need a non-technical reviewer to tell me how great this song is in the general sense... I already know that on my own. What I appreciate is the breakdown into technical elements I'm not aware of by musicians and vocal instructors.
You've got to watch the TV video. Burdon had a chilling stage presence.
One of the timeless classics, it will be playing in a bar on Mars someday.
Lovely harp rendition! Here I am 59.5 years later, and I still get chills when I hear this song. It has always remained as one of my all-time favorites. I had folk song savvy friends who told me this was based on an old 1850s folk song. They actually knew quite a few more verses. The biggest surprise (to me) was that it told the tale from a male's perspective, when the original was a woman's tale of woe/warning.with Aloha ❤❤❤🥰🌺😻🐾
For decades (60s through 90s), this was the first song that a majority of guitar players were taught. Publishers had the ability to include a well known pop song along with Hot Cross Buns and Mary Malone, putting House of the Rising Sun into the DNA of the rock music to follow.
So interesting Vlad chose this classic band straight after you reacted toJimi. After their success and the band stopped, the bass player of the Animals, Chas Chandler stayed in the music industry. He decided to find new talent and get a band formed. The talent he found was .... Jimi Hendrix 🤯
There's something missing in this appraisal, methinks, and that is an acknowledgement of what IMO actually sold this song to the public in the millions during 1964. And that is Eric's fabulous and very individual voice. As an enthusiast of both rock and 'classical' music, although early music is my preference, there's nobody in that field with the combination of power, soulfulness & grit, with such a beautifully distinctive tone, that I've come across. So I think his voice is worth celebrating......
I think lots of stuff got lost in the shuffle because she talked too much and didn't listen enough.
I agree with you about the voice/singing giving the song its hit quality. I'd also say that it was the fact that there was nothing like this at the time. Like the Beatles the sound was totally new. That's why the British Invasion generally had such an impact on rock music
I didn't know this was some kind of folk song until you told us in this video. Despite that it was one of my favorite songs for almost 2 decades. (And I'm in my 30's, so that's most of my life)
Dylan sang this song in 1963 on his very first album called “Bob Dylan.
A great classic by the Animals. Dylan also did a version, and as you know it has a long history before that. The lyrics varied over the years. As a UK band they probably picked the more American oriented lyrics due to Dylan's version (rooted in early 20th century versions), with a few more changes of their own. Many new guitar players learn to play this, first by strumming the chords and then by playing the arpeggios. The Animals are a great band with lots of great songs. Eric Burdon is an incredible singer and songwriter. I love your connection with the song through your teaching of folk songs in the baroque style. The Animals version is unique in that it is in 6/8 time, rather than the 4/4 in other versions.
The bass player Bryan Chandler was the manager for JIMI HENDRIX!
I always felt this more as a blues song of great despair expertly done by Eric who looked like a mere child when he did it.
In some ways Eric looked young, but in other ways he looked like an old soul. He had a very gritty upbringing and if you really look, that is there in his face.
Thanks for a thoughtful reaction. This song was an instant smash hit. Eric Burden is considered to be one of the great soulful singers of his day and Alan Price's keys aren't just good or great...they're perfect. THOTRS is one of the greatest records from the British Invasion. I've heard it thousands of times and I still get a kick out of it.
😎👍 I just want to mention that there is a song coming up on the Beatles album that you're currently reacting to called "Hold Me Tight," that also ends with a ritardando.
Actually the whole song is gradual ritardando…🤔
Starts energetically but holding tight continuously is getting strenuous as time goes by…😳🙁
Thank you for your great insight into popular music. The House of the Rising Sun was an English folk song about a New Orleans brothel. ...."and it's been the ruin of many a poor GIRL" ..... Chas Chandler the bass player in the Animals was responsible for bringing Jimi Hendrix to England and became his manager.
Nice harp chops Amy! I think the organ that waxes and wanes, is what gives this particular rendition its character. As a listener I feel squarely within the mix and feel very much part of the vibe, rhythm and story.
Back in '64, this was one of the classic must learn songs for me as a 15 yr old guitar player in a 5 piece band 😆
Thnx Amy🤘😎
This song was one of the first songs we learnt then when playing the guitar . it brings in all sorts of chords great for learning and practicing picking techniques and chord changes. still a great song still relavant today
By the time this song made it to Britain, it had already passed through Rhythm & Blues, to be a blues standard. The lyrics are about a brothel in New Orleans. The song speaks of a drunkard gambler father, with the song sung from the point of view of the son of that father, who has followed in his father's footsteps; he presents his song as a cautionary tale to those who hear it.
Back in the late 1950s to early 60s, blues and R&B were pretty popular among the bluecollar kids in the UK urban settings. The Beatles were also following that trend during those times, as is evident in their playlists in the Cavern Club and their gigs in Hamburg's Red district. Brian Epstein took on managing them, cleaned them up, and pushed them to do pop.
Meanwhile, bands like the Animals and the Rolling Stones kept doing blues and R&B. Turns out the Beatles going to the US created an American appetite for British bands, which brought in bluesy bands like the Animals and the Rolling Stones but also brought in more pop-ish bands like Herman's Hermits and others. A lot of the British Invasion bands had to 'clean up' for the American market, but some still leaned on that early R&B/blues influence.
There is, in the lyrics, a mention of a train (...'one foot on the platform and the other on the train...'). The driving force in this song seems reflective of a locomotion engine right down to the way the song slows to a stop. After all, the train ride takes him back to New Orleans, where he feels like he's trapped ('ball and chain') by his vices.
As you speak of the way the song begins, you hear a ne'er-do-well telling his life story at a campfire by the train tracks. I hear the beginning of a horror story. I never heard that before until you pointed my attention to it. I swear, there is a magic in how you listen to music; you hear something moving in it that others don't. Even if some of us hear something different, it is YOU making us aware that there is something exceptional there.
Eric Burden later joined the group War, putting a very popular song "Spill the Wine"; you should react to it as a comparison to this much earlier selection.
You don’t want no part of this song lady. She shouldn’t try to break the song cuz she has no idea.
Enjoyed your harp rendition! I didn't realize that this was an old folksong, its one of my favorites.
That organ sounds familiar? It probably should.... for the recording, they used a Vox Continental organ. The same organ was used by John Lennon a lot (including on "I'm Down" in their famous Shea Stadium concert). Not sure how many you've heard yet, but also famously used in "Light My Fire" by The Doors, and Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" among many others. It's a pretty iconic sound in early classic rock.
So much more passion and rawness in this song than what the Beatles were doing.
Never gets old. Eric Burden is amazing and this is a rendition for the ages.
8:10 I think it shold be noted that the harp/piano arrangement of "House Of The Rising Sun" you played at the beginning is directly based on the Animal's recording of the song. It's not only the arpeggio that is similar, there are also some variants in the tune not found in any earlier versions of the song.
18:14 "House Of The Rising Sun" wasn't actually a well known song before the Animals recorded it. It wasn't exactly unknown either but if somebody was asked to list the 100 or even 500 best known Anglo-American folk songs back in 1963, they probably wouldn't have included it.
Completely off topic but an interesting (hopefully) tidbit. Historically there is a strong connection between "House Of The Rising Sun" and "Amazing Grace". The words are in the same meter and there are several known occasions where the lyrics of one was sung to the tune we associate with the other today.
draga Vlad faci arta impreuna cu doamna ta !!!!!
My research showed that it was first recorded by American folk/blues artist Leadbelly, in the late 1920's/early 30's. Bob Dylan did a masterful and powerfully emotional folk cover in 1962, on his debut album, (from a woman's POV-a prostitute) , before The .Animals made it a #1 rock hit cover in 1964, as part of the British Invasion that was led by The Beatles (a male prisoner).
This version of “House of the Rising Sun” has a story behind it. Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie were visiting a Parish Fair in Louisiana. On the stage where anyone could preform, a young woman appeared. She performed this version. They tried to find her afterwards but she disappeared into the crowd. The thought is that she was signing from personal experience. Woody would sing it with the Almanac Singers in the early 1940’s and it was recorded. There were other versions of this song recorded in the 1930’s and Alan Lomax collected versions of it under various names.
This came off of an album of Almanac Singers songs. Compare the two songs and the Animals version is actually very close if not copied from the Almanac Singers version, just electrified and embellished. The Animals were considered Electric Blues more than Rock which are closely allied styles.
There is also a version by Mary Ann Faithful who was the girlfriend of Mick Jagger .
To me a female voice does the song better, especially in a more blues style as the original singer had. The song seems to come the 1850’s maybe Appalachian in origin with some musical elements from older folk songs.
music.ua-cam.com/video/IMXxDB2J03U/v-deo.html
the song was sung about a woman when it was first written
@@crazypainter56 The song was written probably about 1850 from what musicologists can figure out based upon earlier ballads. Nobody knows who originally wrote it. Probably in Appalachia from some of its musical elements and influences. But hearing it sung by a woman makes the song stronger in my opinion.
There are numerous versions of the song, Lomax found several in his explorations. The tenses and speakers can be different. For example, Jerry Garcia sang a song on his “Shady Grove” album with Dave Grisman called “The Wind and the Rain”, Steeleye Span sings it as “Cruel Sister”. Lyrics and settings are changed but they are essentially the same song.
Fascinating that a nerdy harpist has hooked me. Looking forward to you achieving 1,000,000 subscribers. Y’all deserve every one of them.
A haunting melody as you so beautifully demonstrated on the harp. A classic song so many of us learned to play as youngsters. The animals had some great soulful songs
Amy's familiarity with the song is a nice twist! Which reminds me that I've never listened to any 'Emerson, Lake and Powell' reaction on this channel. They have a lot a classical music interpretations.
Eric Burdon has a great singing voice. I could listen to the Animals for hours.
This is really irrelevant to the posting, but I had one of those terrible days where almost everything went wrong. This analysis saved my day! In crossword puzzles there are often the clue to a four-letter word: "someone who saves the day". So today you are my HERO!🙌
I bought this single 1964 after borrowing six shillings and eight pence from my Mum, just a brilliant record brought to life by a young Eric Burden giving it the big one, fabulous song by a fabulous band.
I think most people are drawn to the arpeggiated guitar chords which drive the song, instead of the usual drum-driven arrangements. I also like the way the arrangement builds.
To me this song us a cautionary tale of the choices we make in life, and once you make those choices how difficult it is to change.
As someone, like the vast majority of your viewers, who is more familiar with The Animals version, the baroque version you played at the beginning was beautiful. Well done, also, for playing this different version first to let us know (one of) your own baseline(s) for this piece. Subscribed!
I think that what most people overlook is that what we call "the British invasion" was a two-pronged attack. One originated in Liverpool and the around north, while the other was based around London. My perception is that the London crowd was much more influenced, early on, by blues, as opposed to the pop styles found in the "Mercy beat" popularized by the Beatles.
‘Mersey’
The comparison you make to the Beatles is so true. I remember hearing this song when it came out and thinking it was a blues song delivered by a person with the wisdom of having lived while when I heard the Beatles, they conveyed the youthful enthusiasm of the rockabilly style of playing and singing.
Great review as always! Along the lines of making a traditional folk song into a popular rock song, in the 70's there was an Australian nun named Sister Janet Mead who turned "The Lord's Prayer" into a very popular Top 40 song here in America (and probably many other places around the world as well). I was raised in a non-religious household so I had no idea that this song was based upon a famous prayer but I loved it!
I had no idea that this was an old folk song - to me, this was THE one. Blooming love this record and always find myself singing along to it whenever I hear it.
my mother lived 2 streets away from the keyboard player ( Alan Price) and was in the same school as him, but 1 year below :) we live in a huge but tiny world! big love to all people :)
Seriously, You deserve a Medal from any Mayor just for the purpose that you are amazing and I am 10K Thousand Greatful.
That was amazing! Thank you for sharing this with us!
The Animals version is superb, the increasing urgency in vocals, along with the driving rhythm and organ, really animate the song and the struggle the lyrics express. So much so that the ending you note-the *ritardando* (a new term to me)-feels like an expression of exhaustion.
I'd love to hear you compare Nina Simone's versions before and after: House of the Rising Sun (1962, Live at The Village Gate) and The House of the Rising Sun (1967, Nina Sings the Blues), especially her performance at The Bitter End Café in 1968. A real maestro.
Remember that the character expressed by Burdon's wonderful vocals is getting on a train to go back to New Orleans. (Not, as the reactor postulates, sitting singing by a campfire😏) The final bars of this are, if you listen carefully, the train pulling from the station platform.
@lechatel They are! As the organ exhausts itself @16:19 / @17:09, the drums start to chug like pistons @16:27 / @17:17, with wisps on the high-hat like an old steam train pulling away (watch?v=1oJAVJPX0YY) from the platform where his inner struggle is expressed, @15:22 "Well, I got one foot on the platform, The other foot on the train".
It's so well arranged, better than I'd realised, how the drums are woven around the organ, and both animate the lyrics. @10:33 "an organ-like keyboard in the background..." - @10:51 "this is really chugging along, like..." @12:01 "the drums are just--ch-ch-ch-ch-ch--carrying us along as well."
The Blind Boys of Alabama perform a rendition of "Amazing Grace" to the tune of "House of the Rising Sun". Worth a listen.
Wow, felt like we were being drawn back hundreds of years into the past with your opening rendition, lots of power and imagery that comes from music, thanks for video
Woah - That baroque sheet music is what I played for my 4th gd piano recital! When I heard the Animals’ version I laughed wondering if my piano teacher knew it was about a house of ill-repute!
Great job Amy!
I love love love your harp version!!! I almost passed out! The Animals were a great band! Check out "When I Was Young." Their bass player (Chas Chandler) made Hendrix famous. It "has appeal" as you said, because it came out during the British Invasion during a time when such a gritty, down to earth sound had yet to be heard. He sang this way on more songs like "Don't Bring Me Down" and "We Gotta' Get Out of This Place" and "It's My Life." Again, these songs are really worthwhile.
I've been waiting for this one for forever. Thanks so much.
I just love when you enjoy a song, your like an Effervescent child, so adorable.
The world needs more Amys.
I think your old man Vlad continues to steer you in the right direction. Kudos Vlad!
Absolutely some of the best content I find on UA-cam Thank you so much for all you do
Always a pleasure hearing your input, and your musical knowledge .
That was wonderful and made my heart sing.
Loved your musical introduction Amy!
Absolutely fantastic playing. Thank you, Amy!
Well, I was only today years old to find out that was an old folk song. I love discovering this kind of stuff at 43- lol! Makes me think of Ram Jam's cover of Black Betty...
It’s soothing to listen to your musical analyses of rock songs. And I loved your harp version of the opening.
I just love you amazing descriptions . You are so gifted in this. You make any music seem more amazing
I wonder how many that heard this when it first came out new the folk song. As someone born in '74, I only remember hearing it in this form... so it was super interesting to hear you play it on the harp before having listened to it in the form I knew it. :) I'm not exactly surprised, I just didn't know, so it's amusing. :)
You should pull up a video of the band singing this live at the time! You might be surprised that the singer is not a gruff old folk singer guy! 😄
Eric Burdon was only 23 when this was recorded.
However, as a Geordie, he'd probably consumed a normal lifetimes-worth of cigarettes, alcohol & carousing by this point - which accounts for world-weary emotion he put into this song.
That was gorgeous!!!
Again, another brilliant reaction, musical analysis, and review. It's always refreshing and enlightening to hear your perspective and emotive expression to the feeling of the music. Thanks!
Thoughtful reaction as always.
My request! Very happy to see the vid and excited to see your reaction! Thanks for giving us such great content
I'm definitely looking forward to this and I've only listened to you play The harp which was fantastic enjoyed it very much.
Please keep up the great work
I've always liked the harp until now.
Now......I love it.
Uh-oh. This looks very interesting! Can't wait. Will watch as soon as I get a chance.
Very cool! Thanks.
One of the best songs in rock history!
WOW!! Beautiful on HARP!!