BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW
The House of the Rising Sun by The Animals
Their most famous song, The House of the Rising Sun was not written by The Animals, but is by an unknown author. It is said to have been sung by miners as early as 1905. Ultimately about a New Orleans brothel, the theme “Rising Sun” was actually derived from similar tunes dating back centuries.
One of the most covered compositions of all time, the first known recording was made in 1928 by Clarence “Tom” Ashley and Gwen Foster. Other artists, perhaps better known, who have since recorded it include:
“The King of Country Music” Roy Acuff
Woody Guthrie (This Land is Your Land)
Lead Belly (The Midnight Special)
Pete Seeger (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There were numerous others, not to mention Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and (wait for it) Andy Griffith!
But the most famous version came in 1964 by The Animals. It quickly went to #1, and became the first British #1 not connected to The Beatles. It ranked #122 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”, and won a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
Recorded in one take, the song was arranged by all five members of The Animals. However, limited space on the record only allowed credit to singer Eric Burden, and organist Alan Price. This eventually became a point of contention within the group. The Animals stayed together until 1969. Various other line-ups have emerged over the years.
The House of the Rising Sun has since become considered a classic in British pop history, and has been called “the first folk-rock hit”.
Subsequent attempted versions came from such diverse artists as Five Finger Death Punch, Frijid Pink, Thin Lizzy, and Dolly Parton.
But none impacted the culture like that soulful single from the summer of ‘64, by Eric Burden, and (um, those other guys) The Animals!