One of my all-time favorite songs:

The first thing I'd do when I entered my local Tower Records in Tokyo, was go to the "A" section and check for Animals. I think I usually went from A to Z, but I would certainly always check for Animals/Eric Burdon & the Animals.

I'm embarrassed to say this, but the first time I heard this song, it was by David Johansen.

I've seen Eric Burdon live twice now. I have yet to see the touring Animals and WAR. There was a reunion concert of Eric Burdon & WAR in London earlier this year, I think.

New York Doll David Johansen?

Set list for the Eric Burdon & WAR reunion concert at London's Royal Albert Hall in April:





from http://www.getreadytorock.com/reviews20 ... on_gig.htm

ERIC BURDON
Royal Albert Hall, London, 21 April 2008

Review by Pete Sargeant

A real trip back in the musical time machine, this. Thirty years after they went their separate ways in the early Seventies, Newcastle blues shouter Eric Burdon and atmospheric soundweavers War reconvened and in many ways, it was as if the last few decades hadn't happened. The band – or what you should really term the current touring version of War, led as ever by smiling keyboard dude Lonnie Jordan – had the look of road haulage operatives meeting up at a favoured border cantina. That this was well thought-out evening was underlined by a splendid starter of War hits.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IxtJyaEEG4[/youtube]

from http://www.mojo4music.com/blog/2008/03/ ... n_war.html

ERIC BURDON & WAR are to reunite at London's Royal Albert Hall on Monday, April 21, 2008 for one very special night of electrifying R&B, funk, Latin and jazz. This will be the first concert Eric Burdon and War have performed in 37 years since they split in 1971.

Their 1970 album Eric Burdon Declares WAR included two No. 1 worldwide hits - Spill the Wine and Tobacco Road.T he follow-up, The Black-Man's Burdon featured the hit singles, They Can't Take Away Our Music, and a cover of Jagger-Richards' Paint It Black.

The reunion gig also coincides with a massive reissue campaign that will see Rhino Records re-releasing all of Eric Burdon and War's albums. The Best of Eric Burdon and WAR and The WAR Anthology will also be released on April 14.

I think I missed a big one, but at least I've got the shaky youtube footage.

Yes.....that's him.

He put out a live album in 1982, Live It Up, that contained an Animals medley.....We Gotta Get Out Of This Place/Don't Bring Me Down/It's My Life. It got some play on FM radio.

I saw him do it live when he opened for The Who and The Clash at Shea Stadium.

Live It Up
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013V2B98/?tag=imwan-20

It was also played constantly on MTV-one of the first videos I ever saw.

I didn't have MTV at that time-- but I heard it a lot on rock radio.

Here's the audio for the Johansen medley (sorry if this pushes the thread too far off topic, but it is one hell of a performance):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy_EXaQ7PAw[/youtube]






Can anybody find the video?

Thanks, Steve, it's on topic.

I have a story about this song:

Many years ago I was singing lead in a bar band that was doing this song. To hit the high notes (high for me!) I had to sing LOUD. Right before we did WGTGOTP one night, the bar owner complained that the band was too loud. For some reason, rather then backing off of the mike (due to monitors perhaps?) I tried singing it quietly. I croaked badly on the high notes. I was so pissed & embarrassed that I got stinking drunk!

I used to sing the chorus of this song out loud and probably off key in public! Once in a Tokyo station, an American man walked past me and muttered, "Beautiful."

"We Gotta Get Out of this Place" and "It's My Life" are two of the coolest rock songs ever.