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Only the band’s organist, Alan Price, was given credit for arranging the track as the record company said that there wasn’t enough room to include all the members as arrangers. Price performed the organ solo that was shaped after jazzman Jimmy Smith’s hit, “Walk On The Wild Side”, on a Vox Continental. It remains, without a doubt, one of the songs that shaped the 60s and, to some extent, shaped rock music.
Anywhere But Here: House of The Rising Sun » Whalebone - Whalebone Magazine
Anywhere But Here: House of The Rising Sun » Whalebone.
Posted: Wed, 18 Jan 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Origin and early versions
The Doors’ rendition of House of the Rising Sun took the original folk song and transformed it into a psychedelic rock masterpiece. They infused the song with their unique sound, incorporating Jim Morrison’s distinctive vocals and Ray Manzarek’s mesmerizing organ playing. The band’s interpretation added a sense of depth and intensity to the track. The Doors’ rendition of House of the Rising Sun showcases the band’s unique sound and their ability to infuse their own emotions into a timeless folk song. The combination of Jim Morrison’s powerful vocals, Ray Manzarek’s haunting organ, and the band’s signature psychedelic sound creates a mesmerizing experience for the listener. The song is often heard in the soundtracks of popular TV shows (The West Wing and Supernatural) and movies (Suicide Squad).
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With its melancholic melody and Jim Morrison’s soulful vocals, the song captures the essence of desperation and hopelessness. It delves into the dark side of human nature, exploring themes of addiction, betrayal, and lost innocence. The lyrics evoke a sense of sadness and introspection, urging the listener to reflect on their own choices and actions.
Written and Recorded
It speaks to the universal human experience of being drawn into a life of vice and the subsequent consequences that follow. I suppose to an extent, that will depend on whether it is a man or a woman singing it. However, there is a major theme in “House of the Rising Sun” that is common to just about all versions. For most bands, when you had a big-name artist that was to follow, you usually end up with a bit of a rocker. In that version, you will find a similar tune and words, with Lowestoft, a seaside town in the UK, replacing New Orleans.
Blues
The song has its roots in traditional folk music and has been passed down through generations. The earliest recorded versions date back to the 1930s, and it has since been covered by numerous artists in various styles. House of the Rising Sun played a significant role in establishing The Doors as one of the leading bands of their time. It showcased their musical versatility and ability to put a fresh spin on a traditional song. The Doors’ version became one of their signature songs and helped solidify their place in rock music history.
The “ball and chain” may mean ‘prison’, but could also be a metaphor for addiction to gambling and booze. At the time, New Orleans businesses listed as coffee houses often also sold alcoholic beverages.
The House of the Rising Sun Lyrics
“The House of the Rising Sun” was a traditional folk ballad about a person’s life going wrong in New Orleans, with different versions using various narratives with the same themes. First, there was that iconic guitar arpeggio to start the song that every learning guitarist tried to play but couldn’t. Then there was a powerful organ solo in the middle that ‘Pricey’ dragged out of his shaking Vox Continental. However, it was the vocals that set the song apart, especially when Eric went up an octave. But, they rarely had three different “high points.” This song did, which is one reason why “House of the Rising Sun” is so unique. A song is written, and, if it’s special enough, it hangs around waiting for an artist to claim it, putting their indelible stamp on it so that all other versions are henceforth compared to that one unforgettable take.
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Producer Mickie Most was looking for a follow-up and wanted something different. The song was first recorded in 1933 by Clarence Ashley and Gwen Foster under the title “Rising Sun Blues.” In response to a question about the song’s origins, Ashley said that his grandfather had taught it to him. Grandfather Enoch was married at the time of the American Civil war, which places the timeframe we are looking at in context.
Nobody is sure who wrote “House of the Rising Sun.” But we do know that the Animals, powered by the blustery vocals of Eric Burdon, claimed it. I had learned it sometime in the 1950s, from a recording by Hally Wood, the Texas singer and collector, who had got it from an Alan Lomax field recording by a Kentucky woman named Georgia Turner. I put a different spin on it by altering the chords and using a bass line that descended in half steps—a common enough progression in jazz, but unusual among folksingers. By the early 1960s, the song had become one of my signature pieces, and I could hardly get off the stage without doing it. The song is also credited to Ronnie Gilbert on an album by the Weavers released in the late 1940s or early 1950s.
As a final note, the legacy of House of the Rising Sun lies in its ability to transcend time and connect with audiences on a deep emotional level. Its enduring popularity is a testament to the timeless nature of music and its power to evoke emotions and tell compelling stories. It is a great song for them to perform, but it wasn’t the only one that raised the roof. There were only two singers that could do that and make it work so well. “House of the Rising Sun” went to #1 on both sides of the Atlantic and was the first major Folk-Rock success.
The use of light and shade and a progressive atmospheric build was innovative. Those vocals, and the essential organ part from Alan Price, lifted this song way above anything else at the time. Eric Burdon heard this song sung in a Northeastern folk club and brought the song to the group as a suggestion.
The Animals were from the Northeast of England and were a well-known blues band even in London, 300 miles south. Their first single, “Baby Let Me Take You Home,” was an indication that they were going to be good. Released in 1964, it reached #21 in the UK and almost broke into the Top 100 in America.
Another popular theory goes that it was about a women’s prison in the city which had a gate that bore a rising sun motif (allegedly a reference to the “ball and chain” lyric in the song). A lot of people have sung the song over the years, and there will be a lot that still will sing it. The message in “House of the Rising Sun“ still has relevance today, which is why it is called a timeless song. However, I doubt anyone will ever come close to Eric Burdon’s rendition, which creates the feeling of the tortured soul the song is about. Burdon then lets rip with all the emotion and anguish he can muster for that last verse as he pummels our senses. The song then tapers off to a gentle ending, with Alan Price again taking the lead.
Colombian band Los Speakers covered the song under the title "La Casa del Sol Naciente", in their 1965 album of the same name. In 2014, Five Finger Death Punch released a cover version for their album The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 2. Five Finger Death Punch's remake reached number 7 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. The single also charted in Australia (number 14), France (number 36), and Italy (number 54). The song was first collected in Appalachia in the 1930s, but probably has its roots in traditional English folk song.
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