Your five all-time favorite Eric Burdon songs

[Rockin' Rob]

So here's the situation. You're sent into exile and your Eric Burdon collection is confiscated except that, as a gesture of mercy, you're allowed to bring 5 and only 5 Eric Burdon tunes with you. What would your picks be and what are your rationales? Here are mine:
1. House of the Rising Sun - there's something about the minor key, Hilton Valentine's arpeggiated guitar chords, Alan Price's powerful keyboards, and Eric's amazing vocal. This one still sends chills down my spine.
2. We Gotta Get Outta this Place - if you ever grew up in a tough neighborhood or found yourself in a scary situation, then you can identify with this tune. Powerful bass, cool guitar and organ, and another amazing vocal performance by Eric.
3. St. James Infirmary (from the Every One of Us album) - there are some people who don't care for Eric's psychedelic period but this tune is a gem - Eric has never sounded better on a blues tune and it has a great, bottomy bass and an incredible guitar solo - cool electric sitar too.
4. River Deep Mountain High - most folks justifiably identify this tune with Ike and Tina Turner but Eric's version is equally powerful. If you've ever seen him perform this one in concert, you know what I mean - it's a killer.
5. Factory Girl - I doubt that this one would make most fans' lists but there's something about Eric returning to his roots with his beautiful rendition of this traditional tune enhanced with the pipes. It's a soul-stirring performance with a different flavor.
So what are your choices?

[Noémi Lehoczki]

Hi Rob, I've forgot to answer! I'm a young fan that's why those newer songs also remind me memories, like for the older people the House of the rising sun, I guess...

Rockin' Rob said:

Hi Noemi:
Thanks for responding. I think one of the most interesting things about your choices is that they span Eric's career from the very beginning (House of the Rising Sun) to more recent recordings (Can't Kill the Boogie Man, Red Cross Store). When I was a teenager and learning how to play the guitar, House of the Rising Sun was the song everyone in my neighborhood measured you by. It didn't matter how many other tunes you could play - if you couldn't play those famous arpeggiated chords just like Hilton Valentine then you weren't a real guitar player. I've always liked John Wieder's violin work in When I Was Young (Barry Jenkins' drumming also) and Good Times. I once played in a band that did cover versions of House of the Rising Sun, When I Was Young, and Good Times. This was a challenge since we didn't have a piano player for Good Times, a violin player for When I Was Young, and, obviously, we didn't have Eric Burdon to provide the vocals for House of the Rising Sun. Cool picks!

Noémi Lehoczki said:

- House of the rising sun
- When I was young
- Good times
- Can't kill the boogie man
- Red cross store

[Jerry Meltzer]

Jimmy Z, a sax and harmonica who played on tour with Eric & Robby in the '90's has posted some stories about their gigs - http://ztribe.com/wordpress/?p=194

Noémi Lehoczki said:

Hi Rob, I've forgot to answer! I'm a young fan that's why those newer songs also remind me memories, like for the older people the House of the rising sun, I guess...

Rockin' Rob said:

Hi Noemi:
Thanks for responding. I think one of the most interesting things about your choices is that they span Eric's career from the very beginning (House of the Rising Sun) to more recent recordings (Can't Kill the Boogie Man, Red Cross Store). When I was a teenager and learning how to play the guitar, House of the Rising Sun was the song everyone in my neighborhood measured you by. It didn't matter how many other tunes you could play - if you couldn't play those famous arpeggiated chords just like Hilton Valentine then you weren't a real guitar player. I've always liked John Wieder's violin work in When I Was Young (Barry Jenkins' drumming also) and Good Times. I once played in a band that did cover versions of House of the Rising Sun, When I Was Young, and Good Times. This was a challenge since we didn't have a piano player for Good Times, a violin player for When I Was Young, and, obviously, we didn't have Eric Burdon to provide the vocals for House of the Rising Sun. Cool picks!

Noémi Lehoczki said:

- House of the rising sun
- When I was young
- Good times
- Can't kill the boogie man
- Red cross store

[Florian Willim]

1. Monterey
2. Sky Pilot
3. Bring it on Home
4. Its My Live
5. We ve gotta get out of this Place

[Freudian Slumber]

Since I'm a new fan, I haven't heard all his songs yet, but the following songs would serve me quite well on a desert island:

House of the Rising Sun - the song that started my EB fandom
Worried Life Blues - Oh Lord Lordy Lord...
Driftin'/Geronimo's Last Stand - I keep playing this song so loudly in my car I may lose some hearing soon
Going Back to Memphis - this song makes me want to cry
Vision of Rassan - starting from the piano intro, awesome all the way

[Amanda Barber]

1, House of the Rising Sun
2. Spill the Wine
3. Inside Looking Out
4.Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
5. We Gotta Get Out of this Place (my theme song of my youth)

I remember Eric from when he was in the animals in the 60's. I loved him then and I love him now. I watch his videos on Youtube and mercy sakes he was and still is HOT!! He is like the boy my mom would not let me go out with in highschool so I sneaked out the window at night and went out with him anyway. Oh yeah!! What a voice!! Love the man! I want to see him playing live it is definitely on my bucket list.

[Rockin' Rob]

Amanda Barber said:

1, House of the Rising Sun
2. Spill the Wine
3. Inside Looking Out
4.Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
5. We Gotta Get Out of this Place (my theme song of my youth)

I remember Eric from when he was in the animals in the 60's. I loved him then and I love him now. I watch his videos on Youtube and mercy sakes he was and still is HOT!! He is like the boy my mom would not let me go out with in highschool so I sneaked out the window at night and went out with him anyway. Oh yeah!! What a voice!! Love the man! I want to see him playing live it is definitely on my bucket list.

Hi Amanda:
Very cool choices! I remember seeing Eric Burdon and War at the old Fillmore East in NYC on a bill with Quicksilver Messenger Service where Quicksilver was the main draw and War was the opening act. Eric and company went to work and basically blew Quicksilver out of the building. I don't know any vocalists that compare with Eric in terms of power and feeling and no matter how many times Eric sings House of the Rising Sun, it's always a magical moment. It's amazing how, after all these years, he still shines in concert but that is his true metier. No matter whom he is playing with, Eric still brings it to every show!

[Rockin' Rob]

Hi Freudian:
Let me start out by saying I love your nomme de plume. It's very creative and shows that you're an original. I like your choices, in particular The Vision of Rassan. This is not one of the typical tunes that people conjure up when they think of Eric Burdon but it's really powerful, especially with that awesome piano riff and the way that the drums enter in and take the music to another level. I've always been a big fan of Worried Life Blues. Alan Price's atmospheric phrasing on the Hammond B3 and Eric's low down blues vocals really make this one one of Eric's all-time greatest blues efforts. I've heard House of the Rising Sun thousands of times and I've played it thousands of times on the guitar but I never grow tired of it!


Freudian Slumber said:

Since I'm a new fan, I haven't heard all his songs yet, but the following songs would serve me quite well on a desert island:

House of the Rising Sun - the song that started my EB fandom
Worried Life Blues - Oh Lord Lordy Lord...
Driftin'/Geronimo's Last Stand - I keep playing this song so loudly in my car I may lose some hearing soon
Going Back to Memphis - this song makes me want to cry
Vision of Rassan - starting from the piano intro, awesome all the way

[Rockin' Rob]

Hi Chelsea:
I like your picks especially I Will Be with You Again, a really great tune when you've broken up with someone and need a boost. I've never heard Eric perform that one live but it would be really great to hear it in concert. On the other hand, I did hear Eric perform Baby Let Me Take You Home a couple of years ago at a concert where Hilton Valentine, the lead guitarist of the original Animals was the special guest. As good a tune as this is on the original record, it was really incredible to hear Eric Burdon and The Animals blasting it out live.


Chelsea Adair said:

1. I will be with you again-
I figure if I'm in exile, I'll need an optimistic song to keep up my spirits, and this one always makes me want to dance.
2. San Franciscan nights
because it's soothing.
3.Hold on I'm coming-
The combination of trumpets and eric's sexy voice makes me happy.
4. When I was young-
this song is special to me for whatever reason, so i'd have to take it.
5. Baby let me take you home-
I like how light hearted it is.

I'd really want to bring Spirit too. I guess I'd just have to hum that one all the time instead.

I'm still getting to know Eric's music, so the list would probably be different if I wrote it in a year or so.

[Felipe]

1-House of the Rising Sun
2-Darkness Darkness
3-Tobbaco Road
4-Woman Of The Rings
5-Soul of a Man

[Eddy Rossel]

When I was young, Devil slide, Maudie, Ghetto child, No more Elmore and a lot more...

[Rockin' Rob]

Hey Eddy:
I saw Eric recently performing a version of When I Was Young at B.B. King's in NYC. The cool thing about it, apart from its intensity, was how Billy Watts on guitar and Red Young on organ combined to create a sound comparable to Vic Brigg's guitar and John Wieder's electric violin on the original. Thanks for mentioning Maudie, a very cool John Lee Hooker tune and one of my fav's from the old days!


Eddy Rossel said:

When I was young, Devil slide, Maudie, Ghetto child, No more Elmore and a lot more...

[Meg]

Oh goodness. This is almost torture in itself to pick just five. And they're always changing so this list could very well change tomorrow.

1. House of the Rising Sun
2. Magic Mountain
3. Stole My Heart Away (First Sight)
4. Hey Gyp
5. See See Rider