ERICBURDON ANDTHEANIMALS Latest Update: December 10, 2010 Copyright © 2004-2010 Ross Hannan and Corry Arnold. All Rights Reserved. Ross and Corry would like to thank everyone who helped with this chronology, including Brian Williams, Joe McMichael, Nick Warburton and Bruno Ceriotti. Special thanks to Zoot Money and particularly Antion Meredith (Vic Briggs) for adding so much to our history. Anyone with corrections, insights or additional information should contact us.

Eric Burdon and The Animals hold a unique place in the 60s, since Eric Burdon was a star of the British Invasion who wholeheartedly identified with the psychedelic revolution in music. The very English Animals, reconstituted for psychedelia, largely relocated to Los Angeles. This narrative follows their transcontinental odyssey in the late 60s.

The Animals had a foot in both the popular British Invasion of the mid-60s and the burgeoning underground Fillmore scene that followed it. As a result, researching their tour history has been fascinating but surprisingly difficult. Most historical appreciations of Eric Burdon’s long career (including his own autobiographies I Used to Be an Animal, but I'm All Right Now and Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood) have to limit the attention paid to the final incarnations of Eric Burdon and The Animals.

Corry Arnold, Chapel Hill, NC

Ross Hannan, Wokingham, England

Eric Burdon and the Animals - Family Tree

Eric Burdon and the Animals - Some Art

Eric Burdon and the Animals - The Press

Eric Burdon and the Animals - A Performance History

Background

According to the excellent band biography Animal Tracks by Sean Egan, The Animals had agreed to break up in late July 1966.   However, the band was touring America at the time in support of Herman’s Hermits, so they soldiered on for another five weeks (for complete details of this period, see Appendix 2). The Animals indeed broke up for good on September 5, 1966, at the end of that tour. However, during an August break on the tour, Eric Burdon visited San Francisco and went to the Fillmore Auditorium and the Avalon Ballroom. He hung out with the musicians and generally soaked up the “vibe,” and of course experienced that rare event, a warm San Franciscan night. Yet Burdon had an insight into the coming wave of rock music, and in his own way determined how the Animals would be part of it.

Based on the schedule of the Animals Summer 66 tour, it appears that Burdon spent the weekend of August 12-13, 1966 in San Francisco. His own description in his autobiography (I Used To Be An Animal But I Am Alright Now) is somewhat garbled, suggesting that Janis Joplin greeted him at the Fillmore and that Jim Morrison was backstage, and Burdon appears to be confusing various events. However, Bo Diddley and Big Brother and The Holding Company were at the Avalon, and the Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead were at the Fillmore, and Burdon probably went to both places and met everyone involved. Burdon instantly took a liking to the freedom and exploration of the San Francisco ballrooms, and planned to re-make the Animals into a more free-flowing band.

On the tour, bassist Chas Chandler had discovered a spectacular guitarist in Greenwich Village, and gave up his performing career to become Jimi Hendrix’s manager, soon bringing him to England (they arrived in the UK on September 24). Animals’ manager Mike Jeffery also became Hendrix’s co-manager, along with Chandler. Thus when the Animals returned to London, already planning to break up, Chandler and Jeffery helped Burdon plan for a new band. In late 1966, MGM released some tracks recorded by the original Animals, as well as with Eric and session men. The US album Animalization reached #20 in the US, so the new group would have something to promote, even if it wasn’t exactly their own record.

ERIC BURDON AND THE NEW ANIMALS

October 15, 1966: Countdown Show, Southern Television, Southampton: The New Animals, David Garrick

Eric Burdon and The New Animals debuted on English Television, prior to the start of a fairly extensive British tour with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band.

In general, with English Television shows, the performances were live (for union reasons), but recorded a few days earlier. In some cases, we have been able to determine which dates shows were recorded versus broadcast. However, the show would likely have been recorded in Southampton.

David Dann, in his excellent Mike Bloomfield site has a chronology of The Paul Butterfield Blues Band’s 1966 English tour. The key details are reproduced below. Although the “official” name of the group was The New Animals, it is likely that local promoters billed the band as Eric Burdon and The New Animals.

October 20, 1966: Finsbury Park, London: The New Animals, Georgie Fame, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chris Farlowe, Eyes of Blue, Geno Washington

Managers Mike Jeffery and Chas Chandler had already spotted guitarist Vic Briggs playing with Brian Auger and The Trinity in Paris, while opening for Jimi Hendrix (on October 18), so the lineup for this tour (with Tom Parker on organ) was already subject to change, although whether this was communicated to the band members was unknown.

October 21, 1966: Odeon, Birmingham: The New Animals, Georgie Fame, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chris Farlowe, Eyes of Blue, Geno Washington

October 22, 1966: Odeon, Leeds: The New Animals, Georgie Fame, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chris Farlowe, Eyes of Blue, Geno Washington

October 23, 1966: Gaumont, Doncaster: The New Animals, Georgie Fame, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chris Farlowe, Eyes of Blue, Geno Washington

On October 24, which was a night off, Eric Burdon saw Jerry Lee Lewis perform at Newcastle’s Dolce Vita.

October 25, 1966: Odeon, Manchester: The New Animals, Georgie Fame, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chris Farlowe, Eyes of Blue, Geno Washington

October 26, 1966: Odeon, Liverpool: The New Animals, Georgie Fame, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chris Farlowe, Eyes of Blue, Geno Washington

October 27, 1966: Gaumont, Sheffield: The New Animals, Georgie Fame, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chris Farlowe, Eyes of Blue, Geno Washington

October 28, 1966: Colston Hall, Bristol: The New Animals, Georgie Fame, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chris Farlowe, Eyes of Blue, Geno Washington

October 29, 1966: Odeon, Cheltenham: The New Animals, Georgie Fame, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chris Farlowe, Eyes of Blue, Geno Washington

October 31, 1966: Gaumont, Southampton: The New Animals, Georgie Fame, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chris Farlowe, Eyes of Blue, Geno Washington

November 1, 1966: Odeon, Bolton: The New Animals, Georgie Fame, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chris Farlowe, Eyes of Blue, Geno Washington

November 2, 1966: ABC, Carlisle: The New Animals, Georgie Fame, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chris Farlowe, Eyes of Blue, Geno Washington

November 3, 1966: Odeon, Glasgow, Scotland Georgie Fame, The New Animals, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chris Farlowe, Eyes of Blue, Geno Washington

November 4, 1966: Odeon, Newcastle: The New Animals, Georgie Fame, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chris Farlowe, Eyes of Blue, Geno Washington

November 5, 1966: Gaumont, Hanley: The New Animals, Georgie Fame, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chris Farlowe, Eyes of Blue, Geno Washington

November 6, 1966: Odeon, Leicester: The New Animals, Georgie Fame, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chris Farlowe, Eyes of Blue, Geno Washington

November 18, 1966: Crackerjack Show, BBC-TV The New Animals

November 18, 1966: Ready Steady Go Show, Rediffusion Television Small Faces, Eric Burdon and The New Animals, The Breakaways, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Donovan, The Four Tops, Kathy McGowan interviewed the Kinks' Pete Quaife and Dave Davies, The RSG! Dancers: Sandy Sarjeant, Georgie Allen and Celia Hetherington

Burdon and The New Animals performed Jailhouse Rock and Help Me Girl.

ERIC BURDON AND THE ANIMALS

November 19, 1966: Saturday Club Show, BBC radio The New Animals

For reasons that remain murky, after the tour Burdon and manager Mike Jeffery continued to tinker with the line-up. Eventually, the permanent line-up took shape, along with a realistic admission about how the band’s name would be known in any case.

Vic Briggs recalls this show as the first one he played with Eric Burdon and the Animals. For this show, Zoot Money and Georgie Fame joined the group on piano and Hammond organ.

November 25, 1966: Birmingham University, Birmingham: Eric Burdon and The Animals

November 26, 1966: Ricky Tick, Hounslow, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Jimi Hendrix Experience

December 7, 1966: Big Apple Club, Munich, Germany: Eric Burdon and The Animals

December 10, 1966: Leeds University, Leeds: Eric Burdon and The Animals

December 13, 1966: Marquee, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals, The Syn

The Syn were regulars of London’s psychedelic scene and featured Chris Squire and Peter Banks who would go on to join Mabel Greer's Toyshop who would eventually evolve in to the progressive band Yes.

December 15, 1966: Pavilion, Worthing: Eric Burdon and The Animals

December 17, 1966: Bedford Corn Exchange, Bedford: Eric Burdon and The Animals

December 23, 1966 Ready Steady Go!  Show, Rediffusion Television (billed as Ready Steady GOES!)

Mick Jagger and Chris Farlowe with excerpts "Satisfaction" and "Out Of Time" played, The Who perfoming "Please Don't Touch" (an Eddie Cochran song that they never issued a studio version of) and "I'm A Boy", Paul Jones possibly performing "Baby Tomorrow", Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich – possibly playing "Save Me", Eric Burdon and The Animals, Alan Price,  Donovan, Lulu, Keith Relf and Paul Samwell-Smith from the Yardbirds, Julie Felix, Cat Stevens, The Merseys, Peter and Gordon, The Small Faces, Spencer Davis Group.

Some of the guests, such as Relf and Samwell-Smith, just made spoken appearances and did not provide musical performances.  December 23 was the broadcast date of the show, which was the final show of the programme. The Eric Burdon performance may have been recorded earlier.

Vic Briggs recalls Burdon doing Ready Steady Go! without the band around this time, and this seems like the most likely event, so despite the billing it probably wasn’t Eric Burdon and The Animals per se. Briggs had already appeared on RSG with three other bands (Peter’s Faces, The Echoes with Dusty Springfield, and Brian Auger & The Trinity) and he had been hoping to perform on the show with yet another band, but it was not to be.

December 23, 1966: Starlite Ballroom, Greenford, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals

December 24, 1966: The Upper Cut, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals

The Upper Cut in London’s East End was owned by British Heavyweight boxer Billy Walker. In addition to the Animals, other performers to appear in the opening week were The Who, Easybeats, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, and on December 26, advertised as Boxing Day For All The Family!, the Jimmy (sic) Hendrix Experience performed in the afternoon and the Pretty Things in the evening. The December 24 show was advertised as a Gala Christmas Eve.

December 25, 1966: [venue], Edinburgh, Scotland: Eric Burdon and The Animals

Briggs recalls “On Xmas day 1966, we flew to Edinburgh (or possibly Glasgow) for a gig that was sponsored by a local newspaper. The m/c was Stuart Henry who later became a big personality on BBC.”

In December 1966 the New Animals recorded the single “When I Was Young”, with lyrics by Burdon and music by Weider, in Barnes Studio in London, with Tom Wilson producing.  Sessions for their first album were held in January 1967, also at Barnes. Besides recording the band’s debut album, Briggs recalls some other work from that period

“The Animals recorded several tracks in Dec Jan 66-67, all in Barnes. We recorded Winds of Change and Poem by the Sea which appeared on the Winds of Change album.  We recorded Ain’t That So which was written (by me with words from Eric) for the James Mason/Bobby Darin movie Stranger in The House.  That was later released as a B side.

We recorded a Bacharach/David composition for the movie Casino Royale (first one) but Hal David rejected it because Eric did such a rotten job on the vocal.  Basically he wasn’t interested in learning the song.”

January 21, 1967: Beat Club German Television: Eric Burdon and The Animals, The Who (recorded)

The exact date of the broadcast is uncertain.

January 28, 1967: Saturday Club BBC Radio, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals (recorded)

Broadcast February 4, 1967.

Eric Burdon and The Animals left for their first American tour on February 2, 1967. They recorded a little bit in New York, producing A Girl Named Sandoz which was used as a B-side. Then they toured across the States through late March.

January 31, 1967: The Rum Runner, Birmingham: Eric Burdon and The Animals

The show is listed as "Eric Burdon" in the Birmingham Evening Mail, but it is tough to see it as being anything other than a warm up show for the full band prior to the US Tour.

February 10, 1967: Hunter College, New York, NY: Eric Burdon and The Animals, The Mydlle Class

A newspaper ad endures from The Village Voice. Hunter was at 69th St and Park Avenue. Vic Briggs recalls the tour as beginning at Hunter College.

We are missing numerous dates from this tour, and only have been able to pick up dates in bits and pieces. Briggs does recall driving to Philadelphia to perform on The Mike Douglas Show. The video of The Animals performing When I Was Young can be found on YouTube.

February ?, 1967 [venue], Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA Eric Burdon and The Animals

Vic Briggs recalls this show, though not the exact date. Mt. Holyoke is one of the Seven Sisters, a well-regarded women’s college in the Northeast.

February 17, 1967: [Probably the Gym], Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA: Eric Burdon and The Animals

Photographer Ron Karr took photos at this show.

February 20, 1967: Bambi’s, 1 Casino Terrace, Newport, RI: Eric Burdon and The Animals

This show has been seen advertised as happening on Friday February 10. However, further research has shown that it was rescheduled and occurred on February 20.

February 26, 1967: [venue], Hamilton, ON Eric Burdon and The Animals

February 28, 1967: Coliseum, Ottawa, ON Eric Burdon and The Animals, Eyes Of Dawn, Unit 5

Eric Burdon and The Animals refuse to come on stage until they are paid, and the fans riot for an hour, but with no money forthcoming the Animals never appear. Briggs:

“We immediately left the gig drove to NY City, crossing the US border without incident.  Our equipment (not guitars) was destroyed. Next day the police put out a warrant for the arrest of the promoter.”

In March, 1967 MGM released Eric Is Here, confusingly credited to Eric Burdon and The Animals, although no Animals besides Eric and Barry Jenkins appeared on the album, as it had been recorded in September 1966 before the band had been put together. While it is not a bad album, it had been produced to minimize the bluesy, wailing sound that characterized Eric’s performance with the Animals.

March 3, 1967: Drew University, Madison, NJ: Eric Burdon and The Animals, The Lords, The Sorts

The venue was probably Baldwin Gym.

March ?, 1967: Westbury Music Fair, Westbury NY: Eric Burdon and The Animals, The Vagrants

An ancient article on The Vagrants website (Leslie West’s old band, who ruled Queens back in the day) has a promotional picture of the Vagrants, and the caption says they would be opening the season at Westbury Music Fair, in Westbury, Long Island, opening for Eric Burdon and The Animals. Briggs recalls the show, although not the exact date.

Westbury Music Fair was a 3000-seat auditorium that opened its current facility in 1966. The venue is still active (at 960 Brush Hollow Road) and many rock bands have played there over the years.

March 6, 1967: [venue], Thunder Bay, ON: Eric Burdon and The Animals

Briggs: “We flew to Canada and did a gig, maybe in Thunder Bay, as I remember the next day we drove along the shore of whatever big lake that is there in brilliant sunshine and bitterly cold weather, spending the night in Eau Claire WI.  There followed gigs in Madison WI and Mason City, Iowa and then Chicago (Saturday gig).”

March 8, 1967: Orpheum Theater, Madison, WI: Eric Burdon and The Animals

Two shows 7:00 and 9:30 pm

March 9, 1967: [venue], Mason City, IA: Eric Burdon and The Animals

March 11, 1967 [venue], Northwestern University, Evanston, IL: Eric Burdon and The Animals

Briggs recalls a show in Chicago, after a day off there following the Mason City show. The Northwestern event is recalled from the biography of free lance lighting director Tom Mazzeo, and suburban Evanston is close enough to Chicago proper that I’m assuming this was the show that Briggs recalled.

March 12, 1967: [venue], Baton Rouge, LA: Eric Burdon and The Animals

Briggs: “We flew from Chicago to New Orleans on a Sunday; probably March 12^th for a gig in Baton Rouge that night.  Then there was a gig in Houston TX., San Marcos TX and maybe one other TX gig perhaps San Antonio (not sure).  Then we flew to LA, I think on March 17^th and drove to Santa Barbara for our first CA gig, Earl Warren Showgrounds, probably on March 18^th. (It was a terrible gig).”

Only the Santa Barbara date on March 18 is firm, so I have approximated the other dates.

March 14, 1967: [venue], Houston, TX: Eric Burdon and The Animals

March 15, 1967: [venue], San Marcos, TX: Eric Burdon and The Animals

March 16, 1967: [venue], San Antonio, TX: Eric Burdon and The Animals

March 18, 1967: Earl Warren Showgrounds, Santa Barbara, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals

March 19, 1967: Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa, CA:  Eric Burdon and The Animals, Oxford Circle, New Breed, Beatables

This show was presented by Sonoma State and KLPS.

March 20, 1967: Santa Barbara County Fairgrounds, Santa Maria, CA; Eric Burdon and The Animals

Briggs recalls this show.

March 21, 1967: Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals, The Art Collection

The Art Collection, a San Jose band, featured New Zealand pop star Ray Columbus.  According to Cream Puff War #2, after the Art Collection’s first few numbers, Columbus came out and sang, and the Animals management insisted he leave the stage.  Apparently Columbus and Eric Burdon had had a conflict Down Under some years earlier and Burdon resented his presence (Briggs does not recall this confrontation).

March 22, 1967: Horse Show Arena, Monterey County Fairgrounds, Monterey, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals

The band headlined the same venue they would play a few months later at the Monterey Pop Festival.

March 23, 1967: Civic Auditorium, Stockton, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals

March 24, 1967: Selland Arena, Fresno, CA Eric Burdon and The Animals

This show was reviewed in the March 26, 1967 Fresno Bee. While the reviewer was positive, his perception was colored by expectations of the earlier configuration of the Animals. Briggs has pointed out that it took some time for the “New” Animals to be taken on their own terms.

March 25, 1967: Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Association, Bola Sete Trio, Harbinger Complex, Baytovens, Sly and The Family Stone

The Animals and The Association headlined this radio-station sponsored event. Also on the bill was a popular jazz guitarist (Bola Sete) and three popular local bands, one of whom (Sly and The Family Stone) would go onto legendary status. At this time, Sly and The Family Stone were newly formed out of two other local bands (Sly and The Stoners and Freddie And The Stone Souls), and held down a regular residency at a club on the Peninsula called Winchester Cathedral, but they canceled their appearance for some reason.

March 26, 1967: Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service

Eric Burdon and The Animals showed up and played a few numbers on the Grateful Dead’s equipment. Burdon had met some of the San Francisco bands before and had arranged this event, so the Animals crew bought the band’s guitars. For Vic Briggs (and probably the other members), it was the first time they had met the Dead.

March 28, 1967: Freeborn Hall, UC Davis, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Oxford Circle

March 31, 1967: Grossmont College, San Diego, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Oxford Circle

Animals bassist Danny McCulloch broke his wrist this night during some onstage confusion, complicating the Animals situation somewhat.

April 1, 1967: City Auditorium, Colorado Springs, CO: Eric Burdon and The Animals

Although a Colorado date in between two California dates seems improbable, Vic Briggs clearly remembers flying from San Diego to Los Angeles, and then to Denver and Colorado Springs. He also remembers a terrifying flight back from Colorado Springs to Denver.

April 2, 1967: The Cheetah, Santa Monica, CA:  Eric Burdon and The Animals, Peanut Butter Conspiracy, Carl Holmes and The Commanders with Ruthie McFadden.

Because of Danny McCulloch’s broken wrist, bassist Pat Burke augmented the band by playing along. Briggs remembers clearly that this was the only show where Burke played, so presumably McCulloch’s wrist healed fairly rapidly. Presumably McCulloch was in a lot of pain from playing the night before.

In April 1967, MGM releases When I Was Young, which reaches #15 on the U.S. singles charts and number 45 in the UK. The B side, never released on an album, was A Girl Named Sandoz.

In late March and April 1967, Eric Burdon and The Animals had been recording their first album at TTG Studios in Hollywood, with Tom Wilson producing. The album was recorded in two weeks. Egan reported that former future Fleetwood Mac producer Keith Olsen played bass on at least two tracks. Keith Olsen had been the bassist for garage band legends The Music Machine, who were managed by Animals road manager Kevin Deverich, and Olsen was (at least informally) working on becoming an engineer and producer.

April 7, 1967 [venue], Denver, CO: Eric Burdon and The Animals

Briggs recalls flying back to San Francisco, as the band left SFO for New Zealand on April 8.  Briggs recalls the New Zealand trip: "We arrived on April 10th and flew to Christchurch the same day which made the journey even more exhausting."

April 11, 1967: Christchurch, New Zealand Eric Burdon and The Animals, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, Larry’s Rebels

Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich were a lightweight British Invasion-style pop group. Larry’s Rebels was a local band.

April 12, 1967: Wellington, New Zealand: Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mickand Tich, Eric Burdon and The Animals, Larry’s Rebels

April 13, 1967: Rotorua, New Zealand: Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, Eric Burdon and The Animals Larry’s Rebels

The Animals had a day off (April 14) in Auckland.

April 15, 1967: Auckland Town Hall, Auckland New Zealand: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, Larry’s Rebels

On April 16, the Animals flew to Sydney, Australia, and had a day off in Sydney on April 17.

April 18th, 1967: Barton Town Hall Adelaide, AUS Eric Burdon and The Animals, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, The Loved Ones (Aus)

The Loved Ones were an Australian band.

On April 19th, the Animals had a day off in Melbourne.

April 20-21, 1967: Festival Hall Melbourne, AUS Eric Burdon and The Animals, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, The Loved Ones

April 22 1967: Festival Hall Brisbane AUS Eric Burdon and The Animals, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, The Loved Ones

On April 23, the band returned to Sydney for a day off.

April 24-25, 1967: Sydney Stadium, Sydney, AUS: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, The Loved Ones

The Animals April 25 performance was broadcast on Australian radio. The brief tape suggests a band still grounded in R&B, but starting to broaden their sound. The Animals returned to the UK on April 26. Presumably they take a substantial break, as they have no shows until June.

Around June 1967, MGM releases the album The Best of Eric Burdon and The Animals, Vol. II.  Although a collection of singles recorded by different line-ups, none of the songs are available on other albums, so it is like a new album to fans.  Highlights of the record include When I Was Young (the first recording of the New Animals) and Don’t Bring Me Down (one of the last recordings of the previous Animals incarnation).

June 2, 1967: Blarney Club (UFO), London [Pink Floyd, Hydrogen Jukebox, The Sun Trolley, Tales of Olin]

Not an Eric Burdon performance, but IT#15 reported UFO RECORD CROWD AT UFO: The Pink Floyd played last week (June 2nd) to the largest crowd at UFO has ever held. At times queues stretched for yards up Tottenham Court Road, and twice the box office had to close because the floor was completely packed. The audience included Jimi Hendrix, Chas Chandler, Eric Burdon, Pete Townsend, and members of-the Yardbirds. Appeals by Suzy Creamcheese and Joe Boyd were made to the rather emotional crowd to prevent them taking any action against John Hopkin's imprisonment, until after his appeal has been heard. It is a pity that with all this happening the Pink Floyd had to play like bums. The Soft Machine also appeared briefly to perform a poem for John Hopkins. The Tales of Ollin dance group played for about 40 minutes and completely captured the audiences imagination, also on the bill was the Hydrogen Jukebox.

June ?, 1967: [venue], Milan, Italy; Eric Burdon and The Animals

Briggs recalls the three Italian dates right before the Monterey Pop Festival. Other Italian dates were canceled, and there were no other Continental dates at this time.

June ?, 1967: [venue], Bologna, IL; Eric Burdon and The Animals

June ?, 1967: [venue], Firenze, IL; Eric Burdon and The Animals

Mike Jeffery did his duty as a manager and got Eric Burdon and The Animals on the bill at Monterey Pop, as well as in the movie. The Animals finished up the dates in Italy and flew into Monterey for the show.

June 16-18, 1967: Monterey County Fairgrounds Monterey, CA: Pop Festival

June 16, 1967: Horse Show Arena, County Fairgrounds, Monterey, CA

Simon & Garfunkel, Eric Burdon and The Animals, Johnny Rivers, Beverly, Lou Rawls, The Paupers, The Association

The Animals perform four songs, Hey Gyp, Gin House Blues, the live debut of San Franciscan Nights and Paint In Black.  30-minute sets were in fact typical for Monterey Pop performers, with the exception of the headliners.

June 17, 1967: Athletic Field, Cypress Community College, Monterey, CA: Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service (Open Jam)

So many people showed up without tickets that the Junior College across from the Fairgrounds was used for a campground.  A little stage on the athletic field was commandeered by the Grateful Dead road crew, and a jam session went on intermittently throughout the weekend. Robert Christgau mentioned interviewing a camper who woke up at 4:00 am to hear Eric Burdon singing House of The Rising Sun. Members of Country Joe and The Fish recall jamming with the Animals in the Junior College parking lot. Whether this is the same, related to or separate from the Dead, Quicksilver jam is unclear.

Vic Briggs comments (in Egan’s book) that he played as well, and suggests that a number of the Animals joined the jamming. However, Briggs doubts that Burdon would have actually sung Rising Sun at a jam session, so the Burdon/Townshend story may have been apocryphal. Briggs also recalls that the band spent much of the weekend watching the other performers, so how much jamming the Animals actually did seems lost in the mists of time.

June 27-28-29-30, July 1-2, 1967: Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA: Chuck Berry, Eric Burdon and The Animals, Steve Miller Blues Band

While headlining at The Fillmore, the Animals hung out with The Grateful Dead and others in San Francisco. The still relatively new Steve Miller Blues Band backed Chuck Berry for his sets, and parts of their performances were released on a Chuck Berry album.

July 1, 1967: Mt. Tamalpais Outdoor Amphitheatre, Mill Valley, CA: Thunderheaven Presents the Festival of Growing Things with

Quicksilver Messenger Service, Blue Cheer, Youngbloods, Sandy Bull, Congress of Wonders, Charlatans, Wildflower, Freedom Highway, Melvin Q Watchpocket, Ace of Cups, Lamp of Childhood, Eric Burdon and the Animals

According to Ace of Cups bassist Mary Gannon, Eric Burdon and the Animals appeared on one of the days. Briggs recalls the event as well, and thinks the band played on Saturday July 1.

July 6-8, 1967: Whisky A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals

The Whisky was a prestige gig in Hollywood. Bands were paid union scale, but all of the cool people in Hollywood and the record industry came out to see what’s happening. The Animals subsequently returned to London. Research by Mark Skobac suggests that the Animals only played through July 8 (Saturday) although they were advertised to perform through July 9.

July 21, 1967: Orchid Ballroom, Croydon, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals

July 29, 1967: Alexandra Palace, London:, Eric Burdon and The Animals, Pink Floyd, Brian Auger with Julie Driscoll and The Trinity, Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Creation, Tomorrow, Blossom Toes, The Nervous System, Apostolic Intervention, Sam Gopal’s Dream, Ginger Johnson International Love-In Festival

This was a true underground event. The Animals headline over Pink Floyd, who at the time are just an underground sensation (as were Creation and Tomorrow).

In August 1967, MGM releases San Franciscan Nights, which reaches #9 on the US singles charts.  The English single, released in October (which reaches #7) features another b-side only song, Gratefully Dead.

August 4, 1967: UFO, London: Eric Burdon & The New Animals, Family, The Hydrogen Juke Box

Hydrogen Juke Box was an early version of Third Ear Band.

August 8, 1967: Marquee Club, London: Eric Burdon and The Animal, Timebox

The Animals spent August and September in London, but they only played intermittently.

August 11, 1967: The National Jazz, Pop, Ballads and Blues Festival, Windsor:  Eric Burdon and The New Animals, The Nite People, Syn, Tomorrow, The Marmalade, The Move , The Small Faces

The Animals played a 30 minute set beginning at 9:45pm. The National Jazz, Pop, Ballads and Blues Festival had started life back in 1961 in Richmond, just outside of London. After trying out at Kempton Park, Windsor and Plumpton racecourses for a few years, a long term home was foiund at Reading in 1971 where the festival has been held ever since.

August 26, 1967: The Saturday Club, BBC Radio Session, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals

August 26, 1967: Flamingo Club, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Paper Blitz Tissue

August 27, 1967: Woburn Abbey, Woburn: Festival of The Flower Children with the Small Faces, The Move, Eric Burdon (appearing with but advertised without The Animals), Jeff Beck Group, Denny Laine, Alan Price Set, Zoot Money & Dantalian’s Chariot, Marmalade, Tomorrow, The Gass, Tangerine Peel, Tiles Big Band, The Dream

This was a three day festival (August 26-28, 1967), and the headline acts were spread out over three days. The Small Faces headlined on Saturday (August 26) and Eric Burdon (appearing with but advertised without The Animals), headlined Sunday (August 27). The Animals set was filmed, and the song Hey Gyp appears in an obscure film called Rock City, which features assorted rock clips from 1964 to 1973.

Briggs recalls the Woburn Abbey Festival as “an excellent gig. This was the weekend Brian Epstein died, and Eric, who was very upset by his death, dedicated our set to Brian.”

August 29, 1967: Dee Time, BBC Television: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Keith West

For groups of the time, an appearance on Simon Dee’s hip talk show was essential.

In September, 1967 MGM releases the first album by Eric Burdon and The Animals, Winds of Change.  It features “San Franciscan Nights” and “Yes, I Am Experienced” among its various tracks.  Although an unfocused album, it still reaches #42 on the US album charts.

September 1-2, 1967: UFO Festival, London: Pink Floyd, Soft Machine, The Move, Arthur Brown, Tomorrow, Denny Laine, Eric Burdon and the Animals

September 3, 1967: Middle Earth at The Roundhouse, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals (UFO Festival)

September 4, 1967: Monday, Monday, BBC Television, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals

September 8, 1967: UFO at The Roundhouse, London: Eric Burdon & The New Animals, Aynsley Dunbar

September 10, 1967: Saville Theatre, London: Eric Burdon & the Animals, Dantalian's Chariot featuring Zoot Money, Denny Laine's Electric String Band, Sam & Bill

September 24-30, 1967: Club Fiesta, Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland: Eric Burdon & the Animals

The Animals made their cabaret debut (cabaret is roughly the equivalent of Supper Club to Americans) in the far north-east of England close to Burdon’s home town of Newcastle.

October 1, 1967: Mojo, Sheffield: Eric Burdon and The Animals

October 1, 1967: Happening Sunday, BBC Television, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals (broadcast date)

October 2, 1967: Rhythm and Blues, BBC Television, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals (broadcast date)

Both the TV broadcasts were probably recorded somewhat earlier.

October 6, 1967: Chislehurst Caves, Chislehurst, Kent: Eric Burdon and The Animals

October 6, 1967: Speakeasy, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals

The Animals retuned to the United States on October 8.

October 13, 1967: The Cheetah, Chicago, IL: Eric Burdon and The Animals

Vic Briggs recalls this show. The Cheetah, later The Aragon, was at 1106 W. Lawrence. Possibly the band played October 14 instead (which would have been Saturday night). From this point forward, the Animals shows are booked through Kevin Deverich, who effectively graduated from tour manager to manager, although Mike Jeffery retained a critical portion of the band’s revenues. According to Briggs, when Deverich discovered that the group had only been getting around $2500 a show, he was shocked. Deverich recognized the power of the band’s new hits and started getting closer to $10,000 a show, befitting the Animals stature at the time.

Briggs recalls a variety of shows throughout the West up through a December return to the UK, but he can’t recall many details, so there are quite a number of shows we have yet to uncover from this period.

October 17, 1967: Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, TX: with Eric Burdon and The Animals, Wink Kelso and Kaleidoscope, Neal Ford and The Fanatics, The Band Ayd

This may have been on October 15 or 16 (Sunday or Monday), but Tuesday October 17 seems the most likely. An enthusiastic review by Larry Kent in the San Antonio Express-News reported that 4,000 showed up “on a school night.” It seems the Animals were extremely popular in Texas.

October 18, 1967: Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, TX: Eric Burdon and The Animals/Neal Ford and The Fanatics/The Moving Sidewalks/The Chessmen

The Moving Sidewalks featured future ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons.

October 19-21, 1967: Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Mother Earth, Hour Glass

The Hour Glass featured Duane and Gregg Allman, who were then based in Los Angeles.

October 25-28, 1967: Whisky A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: Eric Burdon & Animals, Spirit

October 29, 1967: Century Plaza Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA: Artists and Models Ball

Eric Burdon and The Animals, Sue Rainey, Mike Clifford, with hosts Rowan and Martin

Briggs recalls: “I was vaguely aware of Halloween (not celebrated in UK in those days) but I didn’t know that Americans “dressed up” for it.  The Artists and Models Ball was an excuse for some of the most outrageous drag queens in Hollywood (Male AND Female) to strut their stuff.  I think I was rather shocked.”

November 4, 1967: Valley Plaza Park and Recreation Center, North Hollywood, CA KHJ-TV show Groovy! (filmed)

Acts included The Byrds (with Gene Clark), Eric Burdon and The New Animals, and various singers and actors. Filming continued on the next day (Sunday 5 November), and The Animals may have performed on either or both days. Broadcast date uncertain.

November 10-11, 1967: The Cheetah, Santa Monica, CA:  Eric Burdon and The Animals, East Side Kids

November 17, 1967: Swing Auditorium, San Bernardino, CA:  Eric Burdon and The Animals, Blues In A Bottle, Caretakers, Good Feelings

November 18, 1967: Cow Palace, Daly City, CA:  The Association, Eric Burdon and The Animals, The Who, The Everly Brothers, Sopwith Camel, The Sunshine Company “Festival of Music”

November 19, 1967: Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, CA:  The Association, Eric Burdon and The Animals, The Who, Everly Brothers, Sopwith Camel

November 26, 1967: “Happening Sunday” BBC Television, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals (broadcast date)

The November 24 issue of Go magazine carried an article about Eric Burdon buying a property on the West Coast (Briggs reports that it was in Laurel Canyon). 

In December, 1967 MGM released the single Monterey, a song about the Monterey Pop Festival.  Ultimately, it would reach #15. The band had been recording at TTG in Hollywood throughout this period. After a Thanksgiving in Los Angeles and Palm Springs, the group returned to the UK at the end of November.

December 2, 1967: Floral Hall, Southport: Eric Burdon and The Animals

December 4, 1967: Club A-Go-Go, Newcastle: Eric Burdon and The Animals

December 5, 1967: Oxford University, Oxford: Eric Burdon and The Animals

December 9, 1967: Coventry College, Coventry: Eric Burdon and The Animals

December 10, 1967: Eamonn Andrews Show, ABC-TV: Eric Burdon and The Animals

December 12, 1967: Exeter University, Exeter: Eric Burdon and The Animals

December 16, 1967: String of Beads, Bradford: UK Eric Burdon and The Animals

December 17, 1967: Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire: Eric Burdon and The Animals

The Kirk was run by local band leader John Benedict McCoy who managed to book major acts for his small north east venues including Cream, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Zoot Money.

December 19, 1967: The Marquee, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Eire Apparent

Cancelled: December 20-24, 1967: The Roundhouse, London, UK – Circus Alpha Centauri: Originally billed as Circus Alpha Centauri at the Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, London Eric Burdon and the Animals and Zoot Money; Light Shows; Films - Including the Bob Dylan film. Compere - Jiml Hendrix. To raise money for an art centre for underprivileged children. Tickets £1 from Galaxy Alpha Centauri, 6, Masons Yard, Duke Street, St James', SWI (WHI 1424) ARTS LAB. 242-3407/8.

December 22, 1967: Christmas On Earth Continued Grand and National Halls, Olympia, Kensington, London  - The  All-Night Christmas Dream Party with Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, The Move, Soft Machine, Tomorrow, Graham Bond Organisation, Sam Gopal and Paper Blitz Tissue.

The Who were originally billed but were no shows.  Poor publicity and bad weather made this a financial disaster.

December 23, 1967: Pier Ballroom, Hastings: Eric Burdon and The Animals

December 23, 1967: The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, London: Freedom, Procol Harum, The Animals, Denny Laine, Zoot Money, Fairport Convention [Vietnam Solidarity Campaign organised by Circus Alpha Centauri]

The advert says ALL NIGHT, so the Animals may have scheduled an evening gig in Hastings and then played early the next morning at The Roundhouse.  However, Vic Briggs believes the Animals played neither the Roundhouse show, nor the Pier Ballroom show, as he recalls that after the Olympia show (Dec 22) he did not see Eric Burdon again until after Christmas, a fact they remarked upon at the time.

The billing of Zoot Money is almost certainly actually Dantalian’s Chariot (the psychedelic metamorphoses of Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band).

Cancelled: December 24, 1967 The Roundhouse, London, UK – Circus Alpha Centauri

December 31, 1967 Top Gear, BBC Television Session, London, UK Eric Burdon and The Animals’ session for  (broadcast date)

The exact recording date of this New Year’s Eve broadcast is unknown.

1968

January 6, 1968: Pete’s People BBC Television, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals (broadcast date)

Pete Murray, then in his forties and one of the housewives favorites, hosted Pete’s People on Radio 1.

January 14, 1968: [venue], Copenhagen, Denmark

Briggs recalls that the brief Scandinavian tour began with a trip to Copenhagen, but he can’t recall the precise event—possibly a TV appearance.

January 16, 17 or 18, 1968: [venue], Jonkoping, Sweden

Briggs recalls the town but not the venue or precise date.

January 18, 1968: [venue], Stockholm, Sweden: Eric Burdon and The Animals

Four songs were broadcast on Swedish radio, and the surviving tape shows what a fine live band the Animals were at this time.

January 19, 1968: [venue], Goteburg, Sweden; Eric Burdon and The Animals

Briggs recalls that the Animals returned to the UK on Sunday January 20.

January 26, 1968: Bingley Hall, Birmingham: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Yardbirds, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich.

January 26, 1968: All Systems Freeman, BBC Television, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals (broadcast date)

The show was an early television vehicle for DJ Alan Freeman.

January 26, 1968: New Release, Southern Television, Southampton: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Toby Twirl (broadcast date)

January 29 or February 1 or 2, 1967:“David Symonds Show BBC Television, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals (broadcast date)

January 29, 1968: L’Olymia, Paris, France: Jimi Hendrix Experience, Eric Burdon and The Animals (two shows)

The single Sky Pilot (Parts 1 and 2) was released in January 1968, reaching #40 on the hit parade in the UK.

The Animals flew to New York on January 30. They were scheduled to have a press conference on top of the PanAm building, and Briggs looked forward to the helicopter ride to the building. However, bad weather prevented the ‘copter, and they limo’d over instead.

February ?, 1968: [venue], Jackson, MS: Eric Burdon and The Animals

Briggs recalls the show in Jackson. There were also a few other shows, possibly in Texas, on the way to Los Angeles. As of February 1968, Eric Burdon and The Animals relocated to Los Angeles permanently, the first major English band to do so.

February 9, 1968: Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA: Jimi Hendrix Experience, Eric Burdon and The Animals, Eire Apparent, Soft Machine

Mike Jeffery managed Hendrix and The Animals, although Kevin Deverich handled the day-to-day affairs of the Animals. The Anaheim show was the only American bill shared by Hendrix and the Animals. Jeffery used his headliners to promote his other bands. Usually the Soft Machine played with Hendrix, and Eire Apparent (formerly and Irish band called The People) played with the Animals.

February 10, 1968: [venue], Bakersfield, CA; Eric Burdon and The Animals

Briggs recalls:

“On February 10^th The Animals were at Bakersfield or somewhere else about two hours north of LA.  I know because there had been a big argument at Anaheim and you could have cut the atmosphere in the car with a knife going to the gig for two hours there and two hours back.”

February 11, 1968: Earl Warren Showgrounds, Santa Barbara, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals, The Fugs, Eire Apparent

February 16, 1968: Gym, Southwestern College, San Diego, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Eire Apparent

February 17-23, 1968: The Cave, Vancouver, BC: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Eire Apparent

The group opened on February 17 and typical bookings at the Cave ran through a full week. There were a number of hip, Fillmore-type ballrooms in Vancouver, but The Cave was a dinner theatre in Vancouver that briefly tried booking rock acts - the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band having played the previous week.

Eire Apparent guitarist Henry McCullough was busted in Vancouver around this time, and sent home to the UK.  Ironically, after a brief stint in an Irish band (Sweeney’s Men), he landed the gig as the guitarist for Joe Cocker’s Grease Band, and had more success than anyone in Eire Apparent.

February 25, 1968: Morecambe & Wise Show ATV, London: Eric Burdon & The Animals (broadcast date)

This would have recorded a month or so earlier.

February 25, 1968: Merced County Fairgrounds, Merced, CA Eric Burdon and The Animals, The Eire Apparent

February 28-March 3, 1968: Whisky A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Eire Apparent

March 3-4, 1968: Brass Ring, Sherman Oaks, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Uncle Tom

These were probably rehearsals, if they happened at all. The Brass Ring was a club out in the suburbs.

March 8, 1968: Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV: Eric Burdon and The Animals

March 9, 1968: VIP Club, Tucson, AZ: Eric Burdon and The Animals

March 12-13, 1968: [venue], Dallas, TX: Eric Burdon and The Animals

Briggs recalls there may have been additional Texas dates as well on this leg of the tour.

March 15, 1968: Gym, SUNY, Stony Brook, NY: Eric Burdon and The Animals

March 16, 1968: Anderson Theater, New York, NY Eric Burdon and The Animals, New York Electric String Ensemble, Jessie’s First Carnival (two shows)

It seems likely that the Animals played several more dates throughout the United States than we have listed here.

March 22, 1968: State Fair Coliseum, Detroit, MI: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Grateful Dead, Eire Apparent, Apostles, Jagged Edge

Billed as The Grande Scene at the State Fair Coliseum, this was effectively a Russ Gibb promoted Grande Ballroom show moved out to the State Fair Coliseum due to the size of the expected crowd for The Grateful Dead and the Animals.  When the expected numbers failed to materialize, the show was moved back to the Grande Ballroom for the Saturday night performance.

March 23, 1968: Grande Ballroom, Detroit, MI: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Eire Apparent, Apostles, Jagged Edge

After the poor attendance at the Grande, and with a blizzard coming, the Grateful Dead returned to San Francisco before the Saturday night show at the Grande.

March 24, 1968: CNE Coliseum, Toronto, ON: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Albert King, Ugly Ducklings, Eire Apparent

The Ugly Ducklings were a popular Canadian group, and supposedly Mick Jagger’s favorite Canadian band.

March 28, 1968: Freeborn Hall, University of California, Davis, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals

March 30, 1968: Exhibit Building, Phoenix Fairgrounds, Phoenix, AZ: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Blue Cheer

April 1, 1968: Circle Star Theater, San Carlos, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Brotherly Love, Main Attraction

In April, 1968 MGM released the band’s second album, The Twain Shall Meet.  Sky Pilot got airplay on the new underground rock radio stations, and soon became a hit single.

April 4-6, 1968: Winterland, San Francisco, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Sons of Champlin

Although the first show (April 4) was scheduled for the Fillmore, Briggs recalls:

“I think it was all at Winterland.  It was the day [Martin Luther King] was shot and tensions were running high as both the Fillmore and Winterland were in the black part of SFO.  I don‘t remember playing the Fillmore at that time.”

April 8, 1968: Carousel Theatre, West Covina, CA: Eric Burdon and the Animals

April 9, 1968: Sun Air Drive-In Cathedral City, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Blue Cheer, Sweetwater, The Collectors, Dirty Blues Band Barry Baldwin presents The Palm Springs Pop Festival

The venue (per an Ugly Things article about Sweetwater) was a drive-in movie theater at 68050 Highway 111, outside of Palm Springs.

April 11, 1968: El Paso Coliseum, El Paso, TX: Eric Burdon and The Animals

Briggs recalls:

“There was an interesting date down in South Texas, perhaps Corpus Christi or maybe Harlingen on a Sunday (don't ask me which Sunday). My best guess, April of 68. We flew to Houston and were due to catch a flight to wherever the gig was and get there just in time to play. The airline which I think was called Trans Texas Airways flat out canceled the flight; we were stuck. Kevin Deverich called around and found a charter company that flew us down there in an old DC3 that they told us used to belong to some British Lord.  We got down there late but made the gig…”

In the Spring of 1968, Eric recruited old pal Zoot Money, former leader of Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band and Dantalian’s Chariot, to join the group as a keyboard player. This was not discussed with other band members (although they all knew Zoot well), and it lent an air of confusion to the group.  Briggs, in particular, the arranger and de facto ‘bandleader’ felt crowded (as well as being upset with the financial machinations of Animals management).    Egan recounts a (friendly) difference of opinion between Money and Briggs, as Money remembers being brought in as a bandleader in anticipation of Briggs focusing on being a record producer in Los Angeles, while Briggs remembers no such discussions. 

Zoot Money’s last known date with Dantalian’s Chariot was April 19, 1968, at Beckenham's Mistrale Club in England, so he must have debuted with the Animals shortly after that.

Meanwhile the band had begun recording their latest album (with Money on keyboards), at TTG Studios in Hollywood, with Vic Briggs acting as producer in place of Tom Wilson.

May ? 1968: New Orleans, LA Eric Burdon and The Animals

The exact date of Money’s first show with the Animals is unclear, but it appears to be around late April or early May. Egan quotes Money and Briggs as remembering the show being in New Orleans, where the jovial Money asks the audience if they are all “pissed.”  The local constabulary, not knowing that “pissed” equals “drunk” in England, promptly shuts down the concert (Briggs thinks it was because “piss” was a 4-letter word).

In May 1968 MGM released Monterey b/w Anything as a UK single.

Presumably the Animals played additional dates in North America prior to returning to England in mid-May, but we only have a few known bookings. Vic Briggs does recall a show in Colorado Springs around this time, but no specific details. During this period, the band had 6 members, with two guitarists (Vic Briggs and John Weider) and Zoot Money on organ and keyboards.

May ? 1968: [venue], Colorado Springs, CO: Eric Burdon and The Animals

Vic Briggs recalls a show in Colorado Springs around late April or early May, soon after Zoot joined the band. Danny McCulloch was sick, and Briggs and John Weider had to cover the bass parts.

May 10-11, 1968: The Kaleidoscope, Los Angeles, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals

May 13 or 14, 1968: [venue], Montreal, QC: Eric Burdon and The Animals

Briggs recalls Montreal very clearly, as the band was on the way back to London. Briggs himself returned to Los Angeles to mix Everyone Of Us and returned to London a few days later.

May 18, 1968: Time For Blackburn, Southern Television, Southampton: Eric Burdon and The Animals, The Troggs (broadcast date)

May 18, 1968: Middle Earth, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Spice, Broomdusters

May 19, 1968: The Golden Shot, ATV, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals (broadcast date)

The Golden Shot was a game show where contestants directed a blindfolded marksman with a crossbow at a target.

May 20, 1968: Orchid Ballroom, Purley, Surrey: Eric Burdon and The Animals

May 21, 1968: BBC Television Session, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals’ session for Top Gear (broadcast date)

May 22, 1968: The Revolution, Bruton Place, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals

May 25, 1968: Glasgow University, Glasgow: Eric Burdon and The Animals

"A thoroughly miserable gig" Vic Briggs remembers.

May 26, 1968: Top Gear, BBC Television, London: Eric Burdon and The Animals (broadcast date)

May 30-31, 1968: Monsterkonzert, Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland:  Jimi Hendrix Experience, Eric Burdon and The Animals, The Move, Traffic, John Mayall, Koobas, Anselmo Trend

Billed as Eric Burdon and The New Animals. The Zurich show was somewhat of a madhouse, with stern Swiss police battling the fans, but by all accounts it was quite a spectacular event. Each band played both days.

June 1, 1968: Winnipeg Auditorium, Winnipeg, Manitoba: Eric Burdon and The Animals

After the May 31 show, Briggs recalls catching a few hours sleep in Zurich, then flying to London, then Toronto (first-class, fortunately) and then Winnipeg. Needless to say the tired band struggled to put on a good show in Winnipeg.

In June, 1968 MGM released Sky Pilot as a US single (it had been released in England in February 1968).  Whilst it would reach #14 in the US, it went only to #40 in the UK.

June 7, 1968: Joey Bishop Show, Hollywood, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Jean-Paul Vignon

Canceled-June 8, 1968: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA: Superscene 68 Eric Burdon and The Animals, Brotherhood, Lemon Pipers, Eastside Kids, Yellow Payges, Bonniwell Music Machine, Jim And Jean, The Hook

This was an early, and forgotten, attempt at an all-day rock concert in a stadium, preserved in a newspaper ad. The show was cancelled, as most LA events were, in the wake of Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination.

June 18, 1968: Community Concourse, San Diego, CA Eric Burdon and The Animals, Brain Police

June ?, 1968: [venue], El Paso, TX: Eric Burdon and The Animals

Briggs recalls an El Paso show around this time.

July 2, 1968: Memorial Coliseum Portland, OR: Eric Burdon and The Animals

Briggs recalls the sequence of cities for his final stint with Eric Burdon and The Animals, but the venues are uncertain and some of the dates may be a day earlier or later. In Portland Briggs recalled playing “some kind of basketball arena,” so I have assumed it was the Memorial Coliseum.

July 3, 1968: [venue], Spokane, WA: Eric Burdon and The Animals

July 4, 1968: [venue], Seattle, WA: Eric Burdon and The Animals

July 5, 1968: [venue}, Vancouver, WA: Eric Burdon and The Animals

July 7, 1968: Armory, Salem, OR: Eric Burdon and The Animals

Briggs recalls playing his final show with The Animals in Salem, the last of a five date swing through the Northwest, so I have assumed it was the Salem Armory. Briggs returned to Los Angeles to focus on producing albums, while the Animals regrouped and continued on without him.

July 19, 1968: Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, TX Eric Burdon and The Animals, Yellow Payges, Sweet Smoke

It appears that the Animals played a few shows as a quintet without two guitars, as Danny McCulloch must not have left the group at the same time as Vic Briggs. I had wondered if this show might have been canceled, but it was still being advertised on the day of the show. It does appear that the Animals were very popular in Texas, and the show may have been too lucrative to reschedule. There may be a few more dates as yet undiscovered for this configuration of the Animals (Eric, Weider, Zoot, McCulloch, Barry Jenkins).

An odd item in the August 30, 1968 San Antonio Light seems to suggest that the Animals had played San Antonio somewhat recently, with a brief item entitled “All Animals Aren’t In The Zoo.” It went on to say: “The little old lady stood patiently In line at the Municipal Auditorium wailing for a ticket to see Eric Burdon and the Animals. When she reached the window she asked for one ticket to see the animals. The sales girl looked at her and at the waiting crowd of long-haired youths, then called for assistance. It look two sales girls and several bystanders to convince the woman that Eric Burdon and the Animals was a rock 'n roll group —not a circus.”

July 26, 1968: How It Is, BBC Television Session, London (broadcast )

Eric Burdon and The Animals’ session for How It Is was with fellow guests Pentangle.  This must have been recorded much earlier (in May).

In August, 1968 MGM released Every One of Us.  Another unfocused album, it did not make an impact on the charts or FM radio stations.

August 3, 1968: Orange County Fairgrounds, Costa Mesa, CA: Newport Pop Festival  Tiny Tim, Eric Burdon and The Animals, The Byrds, Chambers Brothers,  Quicksilver Messenger Service, Butterfield Blues Band, Blue Cheer, James Cotton Blues Band

According to Egan’s very specific chronology, the new Animals line-up with Andy Summers debuted at the Newport Pop Festival. Although Egan has the show on August 4, 1968, I am inclined to prefer the date here (it was a two-day festival). Summers played guitar and bass, and Weider and Money also covered bass parts for certain songs.

August 8, 1968 Concord Coliseum, Concord, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals

Known from an Oakland Tribune interview with Eric on 13 August 1968.

August 9-11, 1968 Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Gypsy Wizard Band

August 16, 1968: Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Rascals, Tommy James & The Shondells, The Yellow Payges

The show was preceded by a celebrity picnic hosted by television presenter Steve Allen.

August 21-25, 1968 Whisky A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: Eric Burdon and Animals, A.B. Skhy

August 28, 1968: Civic Center, Oklahoma City, OK: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Sweetwater sponsored by YKO Radio

Presumably there were numerous other dates outside of California, but the activities of The Animals are somewhat vague during this period.

September 18, 1968: Whisky A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, CA: Buddy Miles Express

The Buddy Miles Express made their debut. Jimi Hendrix, Eric Burdon and Graham Bond showed up to jam.

September 21-22, 1968: San Antonio Arena, San Antonio, TX: Eric Burdon and The Animals

The Fillmore East date a few weeks later suggests that the Animals were touring across the country.

October 4, 5, 1968: Fillmore East, New York City, NY: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Sly & The Family Stone, Linn County

In October, 1968 Eric Burdon and The Animals recorded the double album Love Is, not released until December. The album was a single LP in the UK and a double in the US. (it was re-released on CD on Repertoire in 2004, with excellent liner notes by veteran British journalist Chris Welch). With Zoot Money firmly in control, the album was an interesting mixture of soul music and British psychedelia, but it was a change from the bluesy acid rock of the previous albums.

October 13, 1968: Tijuana Pop Festival, Mexico: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Iron Butterfly, Chicago Transit Authority, The Collectors, Yellow Payges, Patchwork Security Blanket

According to Burdon’s autobiography, he told the crowd that Mexico was famous for beautiful women and great pot, and this did not go over well with the local police forces. This was a very confusing event that received a lot of police interference, and the Animals may not have actually played.

October 19, 1968: Carbondale, IL: Eric Burdon

Attending “in person” Eric Burdon at the grand opening of The Rock – instrument retailers. A number of local acts played and maybe Eric sang a song or two. This weekend event in Carbondale suggest that there were some dates in Illinois around this time.

October 24, 1968: Elyria District Catholic High School Coliseum, Elyria, OH: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Burton Mason

October 26, 1968: Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton, CA: Johnny Rivers, Jose Feliciano, Eric Burdon and The Animals, Iron Butterfly, Fraternity of Man, Buddy Miles Express,  Rejoice, Lee Michaels, Mad River San Francisco International Pop Festival

This was part of a two-day event in the Bay Area. Originally the event was supposed to be held in Palo Alto (at Searsville Lake) on October 5-6, but Stanford University blocked the show after a few thousand tickets were sold. The event was rescheduled for a different site on the other side of the Bay. The Animals had not been part of the original booking (Traffic had been the headliner), but were added to the latter show to give the event an “International” flavor. Actually, the Animals were just another band from LA (to coin a phrase), but they were fairly perceived as English by California rock fans.

November 9, 1968: Fargo State College, Morehead, ND: Eric Burdon and The Animals

This is another indication that the Animals were playing a fair amount of shows throughout the country in late 1968, but we haven’t been able to uncover too much hard evidence.

November 1968—Eric Burdon and The Animals Japanese Tour

In November, 1968 Eric Burdon and The Animals toured Japan. According to Eric Burdon’s autobiography, after a few successful shows at major venues, the group was expected to put on two shows a night for Japanese gangsters for two weeks.  Eric and the band rebelled, and had to bribe their way out, so they abruptly left Japan without their equipment. Burdon, Egan and Summers’s books all understandably vary slightly on the details (although there are no conflicts), but the basic outline of the scary adventure remains pretty clear, and seems to have done in what enthusiasm was left for keeping the Animals together. A complaint was made to the Japanese consulate.

December 1968 is a murky period for Eric Burdon and The Animals. Although no less than three books that cover the topic (Burdon’s second autobiography, Egan’s book about The Animals and Summer’s autobiography), the drama associated with the Japanese tour was so great that whatever happened afterwards is hardly mentioned. After the Japanese tour, however, Burdon did declare that he wanted to quit the music business and become a film director.

December 7, 1968: Swing Auditorium, San Bernardino, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals, New Buffalo Springfield

The New Buffalo Springfield is Dewey Martin's version of Buffalo Springfield.

December 7, 1968: Community Concourse, San Diego, CA: Eric Burdon and The Animals, Jello’s Gas Band

The poster for this show says The Farewell Performance of Eric Burdon and The Animals. Presumably, the band had decided to break up but still had obligations, and presumably they would have had to borrow the equipment to play the show.

December 13, 1968: Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA: The Turtles, Eric Burdon and The Animals, Morning Sun

The newspaper ad says Christmas Concert with The Turtles presented by L&M Enterprises. It is not certain whether the band actually played this gig, and presumably it falls into the same category as the San Diego show, an existing obligation after the band had broken up. The ambiguity comes from the San Diego performance, which also listed that show as a Farewell Performance, but concert posters are hardly required to be scrupulously truthful. Zoot Money simply doesn’t recall whether or not the shows were played, as the aftermath of the Japanese “tour” and the stolen equipment were far more prominent memories.

In any case, the live performance history of Eric Burdon and The Animals seems to end in Southern California in December, 1968. In December, MGM released the album Love Is, but Eric Burdon and The Animals had already split up. The band had ground to a halt, its fine history of live shows worn down by difficult financial dealings and the changing interests of Eric Burdon and some of the band members.

December 22, 1968 Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle: The Animals

Members of the Animals returned to the UK for Christmas, even though most of them had moved their lives to California by this time. A charity show was organized to reunite the original Animals at Newcastle City Hall, in their hometown. Zoot Money’s keyboards filled out the sound for the original quintet (Burdon, Price, Hilton Valentine, Chas Chandler and John Steel).

According to Egan, old animosities resurfaced, and the minimal rehearsal did not compensate for the fact that Chandler and Steel had been in management rather than musicians for the previous two years. This show was a benefit for the Percy Hedley Spastic School and the Muscular Dystrophy Group of Tyneside.

December 28, 1968   Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, London:   Andy Summers, Zoot Money, Hugh Hopper, Robert Wyatt

This was billed as a jam between members of the Animals and Soft Machine. Money and Summers had returned to London, and Soft Machine (for reasons too complicated to address here) was planning to resuscitate itself after Kevin Ayers had departed. With Ayers gone, Wyatt was free to re-invite Andy Summers to play with him again. However, Summers, Money and Eric Burdon had all returned to California by January 1969.

Appendix 1: Aftermath-Animals Members 1969

Appendix 2: Prelude-The Animals Tour July-September 1966

Appendix 3: Dantalian’s Chariot Performance History 1967-68