Eric Burdon is indisputably one of rock’s greatest survivors. Often misunderstood and certainly underrated, the original lead singer of the Animals who rode the first wave of the British Invasion alongside the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Dave Clark Five has persevered through sheer will, instinct and talent. He’s no longer out in front for the Animals, but he’s earned the respect he deserves as the band’s most identifiable figurehead. One key shout-out came from Bruce Springsteen, who singled out Burdon as a major influence in his captivating keynote speech at the South by Southwest festival (SXSW) in 2012.
SXSW proved to be a ripe opportunity for Burdon in more ways than one. In addition to the praise and a jam session with the Boss, he played a few Animals songs with the Greenhornes from Ohio. Togehter, they went to Nashville to record a spunky four-song EP in late 2012. Burdon followed up with his tenth studio album, ‘Til Your River Runs Dry, a magnificent 12-song disc that finds the 71-year-old singer as passionate and fiery as ever, his blues-hardened voice omnipresent, assured. A tour on the rise and more honors to be had, it would seem as if Burdon is in a good place.
In the following conversation, the singer digs into the inspiration behind some of the songs on ‘Til Your River Runs Dry. He also touches briefly on his illustrious past, likely saving the juicier stories for his upcoming third book. The group of musicians currently calling itself the Animals isn’t something Burdon will even acknowledge, but he feels close to the music the band made when he was with them. It really is hard to imagine anyone else singing “We Gotta Get Out This Place,” “It’s My Life” and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” and pulling it off quite as well as Eric Burdon.
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