Alan Price

Alan Price (born 19 April 1942) is an English musician who first found prominence as the original keyboardist of the English rock band the Animals. He left the band in 1965 to form the Alan Price Set; his hit singles with and without the group include "Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear", "The House That Jack Built", "Rosetta" (with Georgie Fame) and "Jarrow Song". Price is also known for work in film and television, taking occasional acting roles and composing the soundtrack of Lindsay Anderson's film O Lucky Man! (1973). He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 as a member of the Animals.

Early life and career

Price was born in Fatfield, Washington, County Durham. He was educated at Jarrow Grammar School, County Durham.

Music

The Animals

A self-taught musician, he was a founding member of the Tyneside group the Alan Price Rhythm and Blues Combo, which was later renamed the Animals. His organ 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 including Ready Steady Go!, The Ed Sullivan Show, Hullabaloo, and Top of the Pops. Price left the band in 1965 because of personal and musical differences, as well as his fear of flying while on tour.^[2]

In August 1967, he appeared with the Animals at the

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 album Greatest Hits Live (Rip It to Shreds) was released, composed of recordings from the band’s concert at Wembley Arena in London supporting the Police.

Price was inducted as a member of the Animals into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

The Alan Price Set

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 film Don't Look Back which featured Bob Dylan on tour in the UK.

Solo

During 1966, he enjoyed singles 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 musical Price To Play in the late 1960s, which featured him performing and introducing the music of guests such as Fleetwood Mac and Jimi Hendrix. His second album, A Price on His Head (1967), featured seven songs by Randy Newman, who was virtually unknown at that time.^{[citation needed]} Also in 1967, Price was no. 1 in the Keyboard Player category of the 1967 Beat Instrumental Gold Star Awards.^[5]

A later association with

He recorded the autobiographical album Between 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 vocalist Bobby Tench and keyboardist Zoot Money, the first, Covers, was recorded in 1994. A Gigster's Life for Me followed in 1996 and was recorded as part of Sanctuary's Blues Masters Series, at Olympic 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, including the 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 album Between Today and Yesterday was taken from the original Savaloy Dip recording.^[11]

Film, stage and television

Price appears in the D. A. Pennebaker documentary Don'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 has been closely involved with the work of film director

Later, he wrote the score of Anderson's final film, The Whales of August (1987).

He acted as the lead in Alfie Darling (1975), a sequel to the film Alfie (1966), during the course of which he became romantically involved with his co-star, Jill Townsend. He also composed and sang the theme tune to the film adaptation of The Plague Dogs (1982), "Time and Tide".^{[citation needed]}

In 1979, Price composed and sang the theme song of the ATV series