Alan Price

Alan Price (born 19 April 1942) is an English musician and actor, who was the original keyboardist for the British band the Animals, and who is also known for his subsequent solo work.^[1]

Price was born in Fatfield, Washington, County Durham, and was educated at Jarrow Grammar School, County Durham. He is a self-taught musician, and 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]

After leaving the Animals, Price went on to have success with his own band the Alan Price Set and later with Georgie Fame. He introduced the songs of Randy Newman to a wider audience. Later, he appeared on his own television show and achieved success with film scores, including winning critical acclaim for his musical contribution to the film O Lucky Man! (1973), as well as writing the score to the stage musical Andy Capp. Price has also acted in films and television productions.^[2]

Music[]

Price formed the Animals in 1962 and left the band in 1965 to form the Alan Price Set, 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 Dont Look Back, which featured Bob Dylan on tour in the UK.^[3]

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".^[4] "Don't Stop the Carnival" followed in 1968, and rose to number 13 in the UK singles charts.^[5]

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. In August 1967, he appeared with The Animals at the hippie love-in that was held in the grounds of Woburn Abbey.

A later association with Georgie Fame resulted in "Rosetta", which became a top-20 hit (1971), reaching number 11 in the UK Singles Chart.^[5] An album followed, Fame and Price, Price and Fame Together. During this period, Price and Fame secured a regular slot on The Two Ronnies show produced by BBC Television, and also appeared on the Morecambe and Wise Show.^[3] 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.^[5] 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 participated in three reunions of The Animals between 1968 and 1984. In July 1983, they started their last world tour. Price's solo performance of "Oh Lucky Man" was included in their set. In 1984, they broke up for the final time, and the album Greatest Hits Live (Rip It to Shreds) was released, comprising recordings from their concert at Wembley Arena in London supporting The Police.

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 TV[]

Price appears in the acclaimed 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 Lindsay Anderson. He wrote the music for Anderson's film O Lucky Man! (1973), which he performs on screen in the film and appears as himself in one part of the storyline. The score won the 1974 BAFTA Award for Best Film Music.^[12]

Later, he wrote the score to 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".^[3]

In 1979 he composed and sang the theme song to the ATV series Turtle's Progress, and in 1981, he composed the score for the musical Andy Capp based on the eponymous comic strip. Price also wrote the lyrics, together with the actor Trevor Peacock. The play transferred from the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, to London's Aldwych Theatre in September 1982.^[13] Price later provided the theme to Thames Television's 1988 sitcom adaptation of Andy Capp in the form of a rewritten "Jarrow Song". Other TV theme work includes a re-recorded version of his 1974 single "Papers", which was used as the theme tune to the London Weekend Television situation comedy Hot Metal and the song "Changes", soundtrack to a popular TV commercial for the VW Golf.^[14]

In 1992, Anderson included an episode in his autobiographical BBC film Is That All There Is?, with a boat trip down the River Thames to scatter Rachel Roberts and Jill Bennett's ashes on the waters, while Price accompanied himself and sang the song "Is That All There Is?"

Personal life[]

Price is believed to have two children and has been married twice. He married Maureen Elizabeth Donneky at Fulham towards the end of 1971.^[15] The couple divorced. Price and Donneky had one daughter, Elizabeth.^[16][17]

In 1990, Price married again and they had a daughter.^{[citation needed]} In 1992, he was living in London with his wife and two daughters.^[18]

Price is a Sunderland A.F.C. supporter, though ironically Newcastle United often used his version of "Blaydon Races" at matches.^[19][20] In 2011, he took part in the Sunderland A.F.C. charity Foundation of Light event.^[21]

In media[]

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Film appearances[]

• Dont Look Back (1967), Himself
• O Lucky Man! (1973), Alan, Soundtrack
• Alfie Darling (1975), Alfie Elkins, Soundtrack
• Britannia Hospital (1982), Soundtrack
• The Plague Dogs (1982), Soundtrack
• Is That All There Is? (1993), Himself

TV appearances[]

• Ready, Steady, Go! – as the Alan Price Set (9 December 1966)
• Beat-Club – 1967–68
• Top of the Pops – 7 April 1966, performing "I Put a Spell on You" with the Alan Price Set
• Top of the Pops – 14 July 1966, performing "Hi Lili, Hi Lo" with the Alan Price Set
• Top of the Pops – 15 February 1968, performing "Don't Stop The Carnival" with the Alan Price Set.^[22]
• Disco – Episode No. 1.5 as Price and Fame (1971)
• The Two Ronnies – as himself (1972) eight episodes
• Saturday Night Live – as himself (April 1977)
• Heartbeat – Frankie Rio (a "shifty" musician) "In the Bleak Midwinter" (2004)

Discography[]

^[23][24]

Studio albums[]

• The Price to Play (Decca) 1966
• A Price on His Head (Decca) 1967
• O Lucky Man! (Warner Bros.) 1973 – US no. 117,^[25] AUS no. 34^[26]
• Savaloy Dip (Reprise) 1974 (on 8-track tape only, recalled and never released until 2016) – (Omnivore Recordings) 2016^[27]
• Between Today and Yesterday (Warner Bros.) 1974 – UK no. 9^[5]
• Metropolitan Man (Polydor) 1975
• Shouts Across the Street (Polydor) 1976
• Alan Price (Polydor) 1977 – US no. 187^[25]
• England My England (Jet) 1978, released in the US as Lucky Day
• Rising Sun (Jet) 1980
• Geordie Roots & Branches (MWM Productions) 1983
• Travellin' Man (Trojan Records) 1986
• Liberty (Ariola) 1989
• Based on a True Story (Apaloosa) 2002

Live albums[]

• Performing Price (Polydor) 1975
• A Rock'n'Roll Night at the Royal Court Theatre (Ket Records) 1980

Collaborative albums[]

• Fame and Price, Price and Fame: Together! with Georgie Fame (CBS) 1971
• Two of a Kind with Rob Hoeke (Polydor) 1977
• Andy Capp with Trevor Peacock (Key Records) 1982
• Covers with The Electric Blues Company (AP Records) 1994
• A Gigster's Life for Me with The Electric Blues Company (Indigo) 1995

Compilations[]

• This Price is Right (Parrot) 1968
• The World of Alan Price (Decca) 1970
• Geordie Boy: The Anthology (Castle Music) 2002

Singles[]

Awards[]

• 1974 Golden Globe nomination for O Lucky Man!^[3]
• 1974 BAFTA (Anthony Asquith Memorial Award) for O Lucky Man^[12]

Notes[]

References[]

• Burdon, Eric. I Used to Be an Animal, but I'm All Right Now. Faber and Faber, 1986. ISBN 9780571129522
• Burdon, Eric (with J. Marshall Craig). Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood: A Memoir. Thunder's Mouth Press, 2001. ISBN 1-56025-330-4

External links[]

• Making Time. "Alan Price and the Animals". Making Time.com. Archived from the original on 20 February 2009. Retrieved 20 January 2009.
• Absolute Elsewhere. "Alan Price (WIP)". Web Works Unlimited. Archived from the original on 4 February 2009. Retrieved 21 January 2009.
• Dawn Eden. "Alan Price interview". Goldmine 1995-12-01. Archived from the original on 21 November 2008. Retrieved 20 January 2009.
• "Alan Price full credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
• "Live version of "Rosetta" with Price and Fame". youtube.com. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
• Alan Price unofficial website