Don't Bring Me Down (The Animals song)
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"Don't Bring Me Down" is a song composed by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and recorded as a 1966 hit single by the Animals. It was the group's first release with drummer Barry Jenkins, who replaced founding member John Steel as he had left the band in February of that year.
History
"Don't Bring Me Down" was one of a series of Animals renditions of
The Animals had always had a somewhat contentious relationship with such songs, knowing they gave them hits but preferring the more straightforward
The Animals' arrangement is led by a pulsating
- When you complain and criticize
- I feel I'm nothing in your eyes
- It makes me feel like giving up
- Because my best just ain't good enough
- Girl, I want to provide for you
- And do all the things that you want me to
before sliding into a loud, pleading voice on the chorus:[3]
- Oh oh no!
- Don't bring me down
- No no no no
- Oh babe oh no
- Don't bring me down
Billboard called the song an "emotional ballad wailer."[4]
Chart performance
"Don't Bring Me Down" was a solid hit, reaching the Top 10 (#6) in the
Later versions
- New York Dolls singer David Johansen's Animals medley from his 1982 live album Live It Up gained considerable MTV exposure; "Don't Bring Me Down" was in the middle, following "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" and before "It's My Life".
- The Guess Who did this song on the bootleg live album "Live in Winnipeg" in 1967.
- Pack up the Plantation: Live!.
- Eric Burdon has performed it with Shaffer, Robby Krieger and Brian Auger, as well as in his own bands of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.
- The song has also been recorded by Riki Maiocchi, Paul Shaffer, and Southside Johnny.
Similarly titled songs
Some websites erroneously claim the song has earlier been recorded by Pretty Things in 1964; in fact, that "Don't Bring Me Down" was a different song, written by Johnny Dee, manager of British band The Fairies, that was a Top 10 hit in the UK.
There also are two subsequent songs by the same title: the pop hit "Don't Bring Me Down" by Electric Light Orchestra in 1979, and an R&B/dance hit "Don't Bring Me Down" by Spirits in 1995.
Notes
- ^ a b "Chrome Oxide - Music Collectors pages - Animals - 05/12/2018".
- ^ "Songwriter Carl D'Errico Interviewed by Mick Patrick". Spectropop. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
- Crawdaddy!. Retrieved 2010-04-01.
- ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. May 7, 1966. p. 18. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
- ^ Landau, Jon (1971-04-29). "Carole King: Writer". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2007-10-02. Retrieved 2007-04-07.
- Allmusic. Retrieved 2007-04-07.
- ^ "CHUM Hit Parade - July 4, 1966".
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - July 4, 1966" (PDF).
External links
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