Skyfall track proves Animals are far from extinct
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And with the most recent line-up – The Animals And Friends – original drummer John Steel reveals he’s still up for the kind of international travel that takes the band to places like Russia to play.
After last year’s Inverness date with Steve Cropper, John will be back on Wednesday with the Animals’ line-up to play and recall stories from the early days, this time at Strathpeffer Pavilion.
But in a couple of minutes, he can clearly take you back to the band’s Highland tour back in 1964 – “hospitable” is the word he uses for what you suspect might have been a dram or two.
You don’t have to have been around in the early 60s to have come across some of the band’s classic tracks.
Is there a guitar beginner out there who hasn’t attempted the signature intro to the band’s signature song and number one single “House Of The Rising Sun”?
But other familiar hits from the line-up that included legends Eric Burdon and Alan Price are “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place” and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”.
“These songs always get a big round of applause, even from people who were nowhere near born then,” John said.
“‘We Gotta Get Out Of This Place’ is always a big one for people getting out of school and the armed forces – and at the time for Americans in the Vietnamese War. It was kind of an anthem for them.
“We did record some iconic numbers, and ones like ‘House Of The Rising Son’, ‘It’s My Life’ and ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’ are definitely dark-edged songs about the edgy side of life.”
* The Animals And Friends are at Strathpeffer Pavilion on Wednesday.
