The Animals (album)

The Animals
Studio album by
the Animals
ReleasedSeptember 1964 (1964-09)
Recorded22 January – 31 July 1964
Genres
Length32:41
LabelMGM
ProducerMickie Most
The Animals US chronology
The Animals
(1964)		 The Animals on Tour
(1965)
Singles from The Animals
  1. "Baby Let Me Take You Home" / "Gonna Send You Back to Walker"
    Released: August 1964
  2. "House of the Rising Sun" / "Talkin' 'bout You"
    Released: August 1964
The Animals
Studio album by
the Animals
Released6 November 1964
Recorded31 July 1964 (except 22 January 1964 for "Boom Boom")[2]
Genres
Length38:38
LabelColumbia
ProducerMickie Most
The Animals UK chronology
The Animals
(1964)		 Animal Tracks
(1965)
Singles from The Animals
  1. "Boom Boom"
    Released: 1964
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarHalf star[6]
Encyclopedia of Popular MusicStarStarStarStar[7]

The Animals is the self-titled debut album by the British R&B/blues rock band the Animals. The American version was released in late summer 1964, the album introduced the States to the "drawling, dirty R&B sound (with the emphasis on the B)"[8] that typified the group.

The British versions was released in the United Kingdom on 6 November 1964 on EMI's Columbia Records.[9] The album reached No. 6 in the UK Albums Chart and spent 20 weeks on the chart.[10]

Overview

The American album includes several R&B standards, written by the likes of Chuck Berry and John Lee Hooker, as well as the number one single "House of the Rising Sun", here presented in its truncated-for-radio form (it would be restored to full length on the February 1966 compilation The Best of the Animals, and later CD and digital reissues of The Animals would feature the full-length recording). "I'm in Love Again" is incorrectly listed as being written by Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew. It is actually a cover of Jimmy Reed's "In the Morning", which was penned by Al Smith and Tommy Tucker.

The album peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Top LPs during a twenty seven-week run on the US albums chart.[11]

The British album was released a month later, the group's debut album there albeit with substantially differing contents.

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarHalf star link
UncutStarStarStarStar[12]

Track listing

American album

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
1."The House of the Rising Sun" (Edited single version)Traditional, arranged by Alan Price18 May 19642:59
2."The Girl Can't Help It"Bobby Troup31 July 19642:20
3."Blue Feeling"Jimmy Henshaw22 January 19642:28
4."Baby Let Me Take You Home"
12 February 19642:18
5."The Right Time"Lew Herman31 July 19643:42
6."Talkin' 'bout You" (Edited single version)Ray Charles22 January 19641:55
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
7."Around and Around"Chuck Berry31 July 19642:44
8."I'm in Love Again"
31 July 19642:59
9."Gonna Send You Back to Walker"Johnnie Mae Matthews12 February 19642:22
10."Memphis, Tennessee"Berry31 July 19643:04
11."I'm Mad Again"John Lee Hooker31 July 19644:15
12."I've Been Around"Domino31 July 19641:35
Total length:32:41

British album

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Story of Bo Diddley"Eric Burdon, Ellas McDaniel5:45
2."Bury My Body"Traditional; arranged by Alan Price2:52
3."Dimples"John Lee Hooker, James Bracken3:14
4."I've Been Around"Fats Domino1:39
5."I'm in Love Again"Domino, Dave Bartholomew3:03
6."The Girl Can't Help It"Bobby Troup2:23
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."I'm Mad Again"Hooker4:18
8."She Said Yeah"Roddy Jackson, Don Christy2:21
9."The Right Time"Lew Herman3:47
10."Memphis Tennessee"Chuck Berry3:08
11."Boom Boom"Hooker3:20
12."Around and Around"Berry2:48

Personnel

The Animals
Technical

Charts

American album:

Chart (1964) Peak
position
US Billboard Top LPs[11] 7


British album:

Chart (1964–66) Peak

position

Finnish Mitä Suomi Soittaa LPs Chart[13] 9
UK Melody Maker Top Ten LPs[14] 6
UK New Musical Express Best Selling LPs in Britain[15] 2
UK Record Retailer LPs Chart[10] 6
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)[16] 11

References

  1. ↑ Breihan, Tom (28 June 2018). "The Number Ones: The Animals' "The House Of The Rising Sun"". Stereogum. Retrieved 11 June 2023. But most of the Animals' self-titled debut album is the sort of blues-rock that you only make when you're way too into the idea of authenticity.
  2. ↑ "The Animals". Chrome Oxide. 12 May 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
  3. ↑ AllMusic review
  4. ↑ Alexander, Phil, ed. (1 January 2007). "The 1960s: The Animals - The Animals". The Mojo Collection: the Ultimate Music Companion. Edinburgh: Canongate Books. p. 46. ISBN 978-1-84195-973-3. Retrieved 2 August 2025. Provincial British R&B, as dirty and sweaty as the group's ill-fitting suits.
  5. ↑ "The Top 30 British Blues Rock Albums Of All Time". Classic Rock. Future plc. 23 March 2007. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  6. ↑ AllMusic review
  7. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857125958. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  8. ↑ The Animals (US) – Review
  9. ↑ Anon. (3 October 1964). "New Beatles EP" (PDF). Record Mirror. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 December 2025. Retrieved 14 January 2026 – via WorldRadioHistory.
  10. 1 2 "The Animals by Animals". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 14 January 2026. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
  11. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top LPs, 1955–1996. Record Research. p. 11. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  12. ↑ Huxley, Peter (February 1998). "Sixties". Uncut. No. 9. p. 86.
  13. ↑ Nyman 2005.
  14. ↑ Anon. (19 December 1964). "Top Ten LPs". Melody Maker. p. 2.
  15. ↑ Anon. (27 November 1964). "Best Selling LPs in Britain". New Musical Express. p. 7.
  16. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2024. 43. hét". MAHASZ. Retrieved 30 October 2024.

Sources

  • Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-31-2503-5.
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