Alan Price | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Price with the Animals in 1964 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | (1942-04-19)19 April 1942 (age 82) Fatfield,Washington,County Durham, England |
| Genres | Rock,blues rock,psychedelic rock,pop |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, songwriter, musical arranger |
| Instrument(s) | Keyboards,vocals |
| Years active | 1961–present |
| Labels | Decca,Parrot,Deram,CBS,Vertigo,Cotillion,Sanctuary,United Artists,Jet,Ariola,Polydor,Warner, Indigo, BGO, AP,Mooncrest |
Alan Price (born 19 April 1942) is an English musician who first found prominence as the original keyboardist of the English rock bandthe Animals. He left the band in 1965 to form theAlan Price Set; his hit singles with and without the group include "Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear", "The House That Jack Built", "Rosetta" (withGeorgie Fame) and "Jarrow Song". Price is also known for work in film and television, taking occasional acting roles and composing the soundtrack ofLindsay Anderson's filmO Lucky Man! (1973). He was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 as a member of the Animals.
Price was born inFatfield,Washington,County Durham. He was educated atJarrow Grammar School, County Durham.
A self-taught musician, he was a founding member of the Tyneside group the Alan Price Rhythm and Blues Combo, which was later renamedthe Animals. Hisorgan playing on songs by the Animals, such as "The House of the Rising Sun", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", and "Bring It On Home to Me" was a key element in the group's success.[1]
As a member of the Animals, he appeared on numerous television shows includingReady Steady Go!,The Ed Sullivan Show,Hullabaloo, andTop of the Pops. Price left the band in 1965 because of personal and musical differences, as well as hisfear of flying while on tour.[2]
In August 1967, he appeared with the Animals at thehippielove-in that was held in the grounds ofWoburn Abbey.
Price participated in three reunions of the Animals between 1968 and 1984. In July 1983, the band started its last world tour. Price's solo performance of "O Lucky Man" was included in its set. In 1984, the band broke up for the final time, and the albumGreatest Hits Live (Rip It to Shreds) was released, composed of recordings from the band's concert atWembley Arena in London supportingthe Police.
Price was inducted as a member of the Animals into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
Price formed The Alan Price Set in 1965, with the line-up of Price, Clive Burrows (baritone saxophone),Steve Gregory (tenor saxophone),John Walters (trumpet), Peter Kirtley (guitar), Rod "Boots" Slade (bass) and "Little" Roy Mills (drums). In the same year, he appeared in the filmDon't Look Back which featuredBob Dylan on tour in the UK.
During 1966, he enjoyedsingles success with "I Put a Spell on You", which reached number 9 in the UK singles chart, and "Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo" which reached number 11 in the same chart. In 1967, the Randy Newman song "Simon Smith and His Amazing Dancing Bear" reached number four in the chart, as did his self-penned song, "The House That Jack Built".[3] "Don't Stop the Carnival" followed in 1968, and rose to number 13 in the UK singles charts.[4]
Price went on to host shows such as the musicalPrice To Play in the late 1960s, which featured him performing and introducing the music of guests such asFleetwood Mac andJimi Hendrix. His second album,A Price on His Head (1967), featured seven songs byRandy Newman, who was virtually unknown at that time.[citation needed] Also in 1967, Price was no. 1 in the Keyboard Player category of the 1967Beat Instrumental Gold Star Awards.[5]
A later association withGeorgie Fame resulted in "Rosetta", which became atop-20hit (1971), reaching number 11 in theUK Singles Chart.[4] An album followed,Fame and Price, Price and Fame Together. During this period, Price and Fame secured a regular slot onThe Two Ronnies show produced byBBC Television, and also appeared on theMorecambe and Wise Show.[citation needed]
He recorded the autobiographical albumBetween Today and Yesterday (1974) from which the single "Jarrow Song" was taken, returning Price to the UK singles chart at number six.[4] The minor single hits by Price "Just For You" and "Baby of Mine" from 1978 and 1979, respectively, as well as being issued on the usual black vinyl, were also released as red, heart-shaped vinyl discs, which reflected the craze for coloured and oddly shaped vinyl records at the time.
Price recorded two albums with the Electric Blues Company featuring guitarist and vocalistBobby Tench and keyboardistZoot Money, the first,Covers, was recorded in 1994.A Gigster's Life for Me followed in 1996 and was recorded as part ofSanctuary'sBlues Masters Series, atOlympic Studios in south-west London.[6]
Since 1996, Price has continued to perform regularly, arrange, write songs, and create other works. During the 2000s, he has continued to tour the UK with his own band and others, includingthe Manfreds,Maggie Bell[7] and Bobby Tench.[8]
Savaloy Dip was officially released in 2016. Due to an issuing error after the recording of this album in 1974 the album was re-called by the record company and not re-released at that time.[9][10][11] The title track for his albumBetween Today and Yesterday was taken from the original Savaloy Dip recording.[11]
Price appears in the D. A. Pennebaker documentaryDon't Look Back (1965) and is in several scenes with Bob Dylan and his entourage, including one where his departure from the Animals is mentioned.
Price appeared with Georgie Fame in a series of TV shows scripted byMonty Python'sTerry Jones on BBC2 entitledThe Price of Fame or Fame at any Price. They were broadcast on 17 September 1969, 20 November 1969 - 25 December 1969, 17 June 1970.
Price has been closely involved with the work of film directorLindsay Anderson. He wrote the music for Anderson's filmO Lucky Man! (1973), which he performs on screen in the film and appears as himself in one part of the storyline. The score won the 1974BAFTA Award for Best Film Music.[12]
Later, he wrote the score of Anderson's final film,The Whales of August (1987).
He acted as the lead inAlfie Darling (1975), a sequel to the filmAlfie (1966), during the course of which he became romantically involved with his co-star,Jill Townsend. He also composed and sang the song "Time and Tide (I Don't Feel No Pain No More)" for the animated filmThe Plague Dogs (1982).[13]
On April 23, 1977, Price appeared on an episode ofSaturday Night Live, hosted byEric Idle. He sang the songs "Poor People" (from theO Lucky Man! soundtrack) and "In Times Like These."[14] Also, in 1977, he appeared on another U.S. television show,Don Kirshner's Rock Concert.[15]
In 1979, Price composed and sang the theme song of the ATV seriesTurtle's Progress. In 1981 he composed the score for the musicalAndy Capp based on theeponymous comic strip. He also wrote the lyrics, together with the actorTrevor Peacock. The play transferred from theRoyal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, to London'sAldwych Theatre in September 1982.[16] Price later provided the theme toThames Television's 1988 sitcom adaptation ofAndy Capp in the form of a rewritten "Jarrow Song". Other TV theme work includes a re-recorded version of his 1974 single "Papers", which was used as the theme tune to theLondon Weekend Television situation comedyHot Metal and the song "Changes", soundtrack to a popular TV commercial for theVW Golf.[17]
In 1992, Anderson included an episode in his autobiographicalBBC filmIs That All There Is?, with a boat trip down theRiver Thames to scatterRachel Roberts andJill Bennett's ashes on the waters, while Price accompanied himself and sang the song "Is That All There Is?"
In 2004, Price appeared in theChristmas edition ofHeartbeat as Frankie Rio, the leader of a dubious band of musicians, the Franke Rio Trio, who are booked to appear in theAidensfield Village Concert. The episode was entitled "In the Bleak Midwinter".
Price is believed to have two children and has been married twice. He married Maureen Elizabeth Donneky in 1971;[citation needed] they later divorced.[citation needed] Price and Donneky had one daughter, Elizabeth.[20]
In 1992, he was living in London with his second wife Alison and two daughters.[21]
Price is aSunderland A.F.C. supporter, although Sunderland's local rivalsNewcastle United often used his version of "Blaydon Races" at matches.[22][23] In 2011, he took part in the Sunderland A.F.C. charityFoundation of Light event.[24]
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