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The Animals

The Animals, a group that epitomized the gritty, soulful sound of British R&B during the sixties, hail from Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Formed in early 1963, the band is most notably comprised of Eric Burdon on vocals, Alan Price on keyboards, Hilton Valentine on guitar, Chas Chandler on bass, and John Steel on drums. They garnered tremendous success for their electrifying live performances and their penchant for authentic blues and folk music, which was then becoming hugely popular among British youth. The Animals shot to fame with their profound, raw renditions of standards, including the timeless hit "House of the Rising Sun," which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964 and became a signature song of the era.

Throughout their career, The Animals have shown an adeptness for adaptability, exploring various musical styles from traditional blues and R&B to psychedelia, as seen in songs like "San Franciscan Nights." Their influence extended on both sides of the Atlantic, contributing to the wave of British bands taking over American pop culture during the British Invasion. Rebranding themselves as Eric Burdon & The Animals in the latter half of the 1960s, they evolved their sound and message to encapsulate the changing tides of the counterculture movement. Although the band experienced several lineup changes and periods of dormancy, The Animals' legacy endures, and their music, including enduring tracks such as "It's My Life" and "We Gotta Get Outta This Place," remains a testament to their impact on rock and roll. The 1977 and 1983 comebacks which produced albums like "Before We Were so Rudely Interrupted" and "Ark" respectively proved that their Raw Bluesy edge was still as sharp as ever, even though their heyday was arguably behind them.

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