Buy the new book about The Animals, endorsed by Johnny Steel and Eric Burdon

The Life That Gave Birth To The Animals

By

George Pearson

 

Contents

 

Eric Burdon, Club a Go-Go, 1963

Abstract

 

A chance meeting in a Newcastle Art College led Eric Burdon and Johnny Steel to form the nucleus of a band of hell raisers and musicians who carved out a name for themselves in the North East of England. From jazz, to rock-&-roll, to rythmn-&-blues, they played, drank and fornicated their way through a decade that was intent on casting aside the traumas of the war years. Although their lifestyle was frenetic, the music always came first and led eventually to the formation of The Animals, a major musical phenomenon of the sixties. The story is told by one young man caught up in their hectic world while undergoing his own rite of passage in the era that was the fifties.

Book Details

 

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Reviews

Sex, Brown Ale and Rhythmn & Blues was written, printed and published by George Pearson in 1999. Always an avid reader, it occured to George that the early life of The Animals was much more interesting than many of the lives portrayed in the musical biographies he had read. At a dinner party attended by George, Johnny Steel and his wife Ann, the idea of writing the book was born. Johnny was able to provide his diaries containing the dates of every gig he had played since 1956, making it easier to accurately chart the events of those teenage years. George set about tracing other characters who were around at the time and was able to unearth a great many photographs depicting their frenetic lifestyle. Three years later the story was complete.

Follow the links below to read about the reaction to the book from Eric Burdon and Johnny Steel, the UK and US press and from readers themselves.

The Band

Press Reviews

Reader's Reviews

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The Author

 

Photograph by Eric Burdon 1958

George Pearson was born in 1940 and spent his teenage years serving an apprenticeship as a printer in a large print shop in Newcastle - upon -Tyne. During these formative years he met the young musicians who were destined to become The Animals. Drawn to them by their love of music, literature and a yen for a more bohemian way of life, they soon became firm friends. Although George was to settle down and live a comparatively conventional life while The Animals achieved world wide fame, the friendship survives to the present day.

Street address
9 High Street, Aycliffe Village, Newton Aycliffe, Co Durham, DL5 6JY England

Electronic mail address
george@ejpearson.freeserve.co.uk

Web address
http://mycompany.com

Office phone
212-555-1212

Home phone
01325 317372

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Order Details

You can order a copy of the book by sending a cheque for £5.95 (post free in the UK),$20 overseas to the address above. Or if you'd like further details, email me george@ejpearson.freeserve.co.uk

Alternatively you can order Sex, Brown Ale and Rhythm & Blues online from Amazon:

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Links

The Eric Burdon Connection Newsletter Web Site:

The Animals:

The Animals II Official Web Site:

Trans World '60s Punk:

Ride On My Boat -

 

 

Comments

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Copyright George Pearson 1999
Last revised: September 14, 1999.