From My Collection: Eric is Here: Eric Burdon & The Animals

By Richard K. Barry

Eric Burdon

This 1967 album was credited to Eric Burdon & The Animals, but the band with Burdon was actually the Horace Ott Orchestra. Interesting note about Horace Ott is that, though not formally credited, he was the writer of The Animals hit "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" and arranger of the Village People's hit YMCA. I guess, on the second one, a man's got to make a living.

The reason Ott was on Eric is Here is that it was released during a gap between the time the original configuration of The Animals broke up and a new one could be put together, hence the stand-in band.

The album features the work of various very serious songwriting talent of the day, with Burdon on vocals backed up by the orchestra. Tracks are as follows:

Side One

• In the Night (Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart)
• Mama Told Me Not To Come (Randy Newman)
• I Think It's Gonna Rain Today (Randy Newman)
• On This Side of Goodbye (Carole King and Gerry Goffin)
• That Ain't Where It's At (Martin Siegel)
• True Love (Comes Only Once In A Lifetime) (Bob Haley and Neval Nader)

Side Two

• Help Me Girl (Scott English and Lawrence Weiss)
• Wait Till Next Year (Randy Newman)
• Losin' Control (Carl D'Errico and Roger Atkins)
• It's Not Easy (Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil)
• The Biggest Bundle of Them All (Richie Cordell and Sal Trimachi)
• It's Been A Long Time Comin' (Joe Brooks and Jimmy Radcliffe)

It would take too long to go through all the music written by those named in the links above, but it would be worth the effort to have a look. Some you would know, others not so much.

Another interesting item is that Benny Golson, noted saxophone player, composer and arranger, was the arranger and conductor on Eric is Here. Huge talent. You could look that one up too.

My favourite cut is Newman's "Mama Told Me Not To Come," which a lot of folks will know from the Three Dog Night version, so I'll post both.

(Cross-posted at Lippmann's Ghost.)