Sept. 5, 1964 - Hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 today was “The House of the Rising Sun,” a single by the Animals. The B-side is “Talkin’ ‘bout You.”
“The House of the Rising Sun” is a traditional folk song, sometimes called “Rising Sun Blues.” It tells of a person's life gone wrong in the city of New Orleans.
Eric Burdon, lead singer of the Animals, first heard the song in a club in Newcastle, England, where it was sung by folk singer Johnny Handle. The Animals were on tour with Chuck Berry and chose it because they wanted something distinctive to sing.
The Animals started using it as their closing number to differentiate themselves from acts that always closed with straight rockers. It got a tremendous reaction from the audience, convincing initially reluctant producer Mickie Most that it had hit potential. Between tour stops, the group went to a London studio to capture it. The song was recorded in one take on May 18 of this year.
As recorded, “The House of the Rising Sun” ran 4½ minutes, regarded as too long for a pop single. The single, released on June 19, was a 2:58 version.
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