Remember When Eric Burdon Fashioned a Funky Follow-up to The Animals With an Eclectic Band in 1970?

Most artists follow a somewhat predictable trajectory throughout their careers. The styles of music they play might deviate slightly from time to time. But they generally revert to what they do best.

That’s why the move that Eric Burdon made by fronting the band War for a couple of years in the early 70s was such a stunner. Even more impressive was how the unusual combination delivered a sparkling album in 1970.

Burdon’s Next Move

Eric Burdon came firing out of the gate as lead singer of the British band The Animals with a historic vocal on the band’s version of “House Of The Rising Sun” in 1964. Here was a singer who didn’t sound as if he was mimicking the blues so much as he was tortured by them in every waking moment.

The Animals parlayed that initial success into a run of standout singles in the mid-60s. Band infighting soon led to some turnover. At that point, Burdon pivoted, dubbing this new version of the group Eric Burdon & The Animals. As the 60s progressed, this unit went in a psychedelic direction.

In 1969, the latter version of the group had run its course as well. But Burdon didn’t sit around waiting very long. He went to see a band in San Francisco that was backing up Deacon Jones, the NFL football star who also did some singing on the side. This was the group that would become War.

War Games

Burdon’s manager Jerry Goldstein made the introductions, and Burdon was soon playing live shows with the band. War developed an eclectic style, featuring instrumentation that went beyond the normal parameters of rock. They could do the blues, but they could also spin out Latin grooves or deliver a funk vibe.

Burdon was like a kid in a candy store singing over all those different genres. Despite having formed less than a year earlier, War began earning rave reviews for their thrilling live performances. They also found time to make it into the studio to record their debut album, titled Eric Burdon Declares War.

The title was certainly ironic because Burdon and his new cohorts spun peace and love vibes at every turn. Long songs comprised most of the record, with Burdon improvising lyrics over extended, highly engaging jams laid down by the band.

A Special “Spill”

Meanwhile, the album’s lone song-length offering, “Spill The Wine”, became an unlikely hit single. Burdon and War tried revving it up again for The Black Man’s Burdon later in 1970, the latter a reference to the band’s multiracial makeup. That album didn’t capture quite the same magic as its predecessor.

Health problems prevented Burdon from continuing with War past that. Meanwhile, War delivered a string of hit albums and singles that married their versatility to sneaky pop smarts. In so doing, they proved that they were far from just another backing band. They were a powerhouse in their own right.

(Photo by NCJ/Mirrorpix via Getty Images)