Alan Price is an
EnglishThe English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
musician, best known as the original
keyboardistA keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
for the
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
band
The AnimalsThe Animals were an English music group of the 1960s formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during the early part of the decade, and later relocated to London...
, and for his subsequent solo work.
Price is a self-taught musician and was educated at
Jarrow Grammar SchoolJarrow School is a secondary school located in Jarrow, Tyne and Wear admitting pupils aged 11 to 16.-Admissions:It is around a half-mile south-west of the southern entrance of the Tyne Tunnel, in Jarrow.- History :...
,
South TynesideSouth Tyneside is a metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear in North East England.It is bordered by four other boroughs - Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead to the west, Sunderland in the south, and North Tyneside to the north. The border county of Northumberland lies further north...
and was a founding member of the Tyneside group The Alan Price Rhythm and Blues Combo, which was later renamed
The AnimalsThe Animals were an English music group of the 1960s formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during the early part of the decade, and later relocated to London...
. His organ playing on songs by The Animals, such as "House of the Rising Sun", "
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" is a song written by Bennie Benjamin, Gloria Caldwell and Sol Marcus for the singer/pianist Nina Simone, who first recorded it in 1964. "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" has been recorded or performed by many artists, and is widely known by the 1965 blues rock hit...
" and "
Bring It On Home To Me"Bring It On Home to Me" is a 1962 soul song written and recorded by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke. The song, about infidelity, was a hit for Cooke and has become a pop standard covered by numerous artists of different genres. It is one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped...
" was a key element in success of the group.
After leaving the Animals, Price went on to have success on his own and with
Georgie FameGeorgie Fame is a British rhythm and blues and jazz singer and keyboard player. The one-time rock and roll tour musician, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still a popular performer, often working with contemporaries such as Van Morrison and Bill Wyman.-Early life:Fame took piano lessons from the...
. He introduced the songs of
Randy NewmanRandall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores....
to a wider audience. Later he appeared on his own television show and made television guest appearances. He also had success with film scores and acting parts, and wrote the score to the stage
musicalMusical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
Andy Capp.
More recently Price performed and recorded with The Electric Blues Company, and has made other appearances with other artists such as
The ManfredsThe Manfreds are a British pop group, formed in 1991 as a reunion of former members of the 1960s pop group Manfred Mann, however without their eponymous founder Manfred Mann himself.-Personnel:*Paul Jones - vocals, harmonica...
.
Career
Price formed
The AnimalsThe Animals were an English music group of the 1960s formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during the early part of the decade, and later relocated to London...
in 1962 and left the band in 1965 to form The Alan Price Set, with the line-up of Price, Clive Burrows (
baritone saxophoneThe baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece...
),
Steve GregorySteve Gregory is an English jazz saxophonist and composer. He plays tenor, alto, soprano and baritone saxophone as well as the flute.Steve Gregory was born in the UK. At St. Paul's School he learned guitar and piano and played clarinet in the school orchestra. He turned down a place at the...
(
tenor saxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
), John Walters (
trumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
), Peter Kirtley (guitar), Rod "Boots" Slade (bass) and "Little" Roy Mills (drums). In the same year, he appeared in the film
Dont Look BackDont Look Back is a 1967 documentary film by D.A. Pennebaker that covers Bob Dylan's 1965 concert tour in the United Kingdom.In 1998, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically...
, which was filmed featuring
Bob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
on tour in the
UKThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
During 1966, he enjoyed
singlesIn music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
success with "
I Put A Spell On You"I Put a Spell on You" is a 1956 song written by Screamin' Jay Hawkins, whose recording was selected as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It was also ranked #320 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.Although Hawkins'...
", the
Randy NewmanRandall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores....
song "
Simon Smith and His Amazing Dancing Bear"Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear" is a song written by Randy Newman, about a sincere young man of modest means named Simon Smith who entertains affluent members of the public with his dancing bear, which may or may not be real....
", the original "
The House That Jack BuiltThe House That Jack Built may refer to:* "This Is the House That Jack Built", English nursery rhymeBooks* The House that Jack Built Music* "The House That Jack Built" , by Aretha Franklin...
" and "Don't Stop The Carnival" followed in 1968. He went on to host shows such as the musical
Price To Play in the late 1960s, which featured Price performing and introducing the music of guests such as
Fleetwood MacFleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
and
Jimi HendrixJames Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
. His second album,
A Price On His Head (1967) featured seven songs by
Randy NewmanRandall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores....
, who was virtually unknown at that time. In August 1967, he appeared with The Animals at the
HippieThe hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
"Love-in", in the grounds of
Woburn AbbeyWoburn Abbey , near Woburn, Bedfordshire, England, is a country house, the seat of the Duke of Bedford and the location of the Woburn Safari Park.- Pre-20th century :...
.
A later association with
Georgie FameGeorgie Fame is a British rhythm and blues and jazz singer and keyboard player. The one-time rock and roll tour musician, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still a popular performer, often working with contemporaries such as Van Morrison and Bill Wyman.-Early life:Fame took piano lessons from the...
resulted in "Rosetta", which became a Top 20
hitA hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in 1971 in the
UK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. Two albums followed,
Fame and Price and
Price and Fame Together. During this period Price and Fame secured a regular slot on
The Two RonniesThe Two Ronnies is a British sketch show that aired on BBC1 from 1971 to 1987. It featured the double act of Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett, the "Two Ronnies" of the title.-Origins:...
show produced by
BBC TelevisionBBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
. He recorded the autobiographical album
Between Today and YesterdayBetween Today and Yesterday is an autobiographical album released in 1974 by Alan Price. In its original LP format, Side One was titled "Yesterday" and Side Two was titled "Today." The "Yesterday" side featured 6 songs about the working class environment in which Price was raised...
(1974) from which the single "Jarrow Song" was taken, returning Price to the singles chart.
Price participated in three reunions of
The AnimalsThe Animals were an English music group of the 1960s formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during the early part of the decade, and later relocated to London...
between 1968 and 1984. In July 1983, The Animals started their last world tour. Price's solo performance of "O Lucky Man" was included in their set. In 1984, they broke up for the final time and the album
Rip It To Shreds - Greatest Hits Live was released, comprising recordings from their concert at Wembley Stadium in
LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Price recorded two albums with The Electric Blues Company featuring guitarist and vocalist
Bobby TenchRobert Tench , also known as Bob Tench, Bobby Tench and Bobby Gass is a British vocalist and guitarist. Originally a bass player he began singing with Gass influenced by artists such as Sam Cooke and Ray Charles...
and keyboardist
Zoot MoneyGeorge Bruno Money, known as Zoot Money is a British vocalist, keyboardist and bandleader best known for his playing of the Hammond organ and association with his Big Roll Band...
, the first of which was
Covers (1994). The second,
A Gigster's Life for MeA Gigster's Life for Me is the second album recorded by Alan Price and The Electric Blues Company, following Covers . It was recorded between July and August 1995 at Olympic Studios London and released as part of Sanctuary Records's Blues Masters Series in 1996.-Track listing:#"Boom Boom Boom Boom"...
(1996) was recorded as part of
SanctuarySanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest independent music management company in the world...
's
Blues Masters Series.
Price still tours the
UKThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
with his own band,
The ManfredsThe Manfreds are a British pop group, formed in 1991 as a reunion of former members of the 1960s pop group Manfred Mann, however without their eponymous founder Manfred Mann himself.-Personnel:*Paul Jones - vocals, harmonica...
,
The SearchersThe Searchers are an English beat group, who emerged as part of the 1960s Merseybeat scene along with The Beatles, The Fourmost, The Merseybeats, The Swinging Blue Jeans, and Gerry & The Pacemakers....
and
The HolliesThe Hollies are an English pop and rock group, formed in Manchester in the early 1960s, though most of the band members are from throughout East Lancashire. Known for their distinctive vocal harmony style, they became one of the leading British groups of the 1960s and 1970s...
.
Film, stage and TV
Price has been closely involved with the work of film director
Lindsay AndersonLindsay Gordon Anderson was an Indian-born, British feature film, theatre and documentary director, film critic, and leading light of the Free Cinema movement and the British New Wave...
. In 1973 he wrote the music for Anderson's film
O Lucky Man!O Lucky Man! is a 1973 British comedy-drama fantasy film, intended as an allegory on life in a capitalist society. Directed by Lindsay Anderson, it stars Malcolm McDowell as Mick Travis, whom McDowell had first played as a disaffected public schoolboy in his first film performance in Anderson's...
, which he performs on screen in the film and appears as himself in one part of the storyline. In 1987, he wrote the score to Anderson's final film,
The Whales of AugustThe Whales of August is a 1987 film starring Bette Davis and Lillian Gish as elderly sisters. Also in the cast were Ann Sothern as one of their friends, and Vincent Price as a peripheral member of the former Russian aristocracy. The film was shot on location on Maine's Cliff Island. The house...
.
In 1992 Anderson included a touching episode in his autobiographical
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
film
Is That All There Is?, with a boat trip down the River Thames to scatter Jill Bennett's ashes on the waters while Price accompanied himself and sang the song "
Is That All There Is?"Is That All There Is?" is a song written by American songwriting team Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller during the 1960s. It became a hit for American singer Peggy Lee from her recording in November 1969...
".
He acted in
Alfie DarlingAlfie Darling is a 1975 British comedy drama film directed by Ken Hughes. It is the sequel to the 1966 film Alfie. This time Alan Price takes over Michael Caine's role of Alfie....
, a sequel to the film
Alfie, during the course of which he became romantically involved with his co-star,
Jill TownsendJill Townsend, born 25 January 1945 in Santa Monica, California, United States, is an actress best known for her roles as Elizabeth Warleggan in Poldark and Dulcey Coopersmith in the 1967 western television series Cimarron Strip...
. He also composed and sang the theme tune to the 1982 film adaptation of
The Plague DogsThe Plague Dogs is a 1982 animated film based on the 1977 novel of the same name by Richard Adams. The film was written-for-screen, directed and produced by Martin Rosen, who also directed Watership Down, the film version of another novel by Adams, produced by Nepenthe Productions and released by...
, "Time and Tide".
In 1981 he composed the score for the
musicalMusical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
Andy Capp, based on the
eponymous comic stripAndy Capp is a British comic strip created by cartoonist Reg Smythe , seen in The Daily Mirror and The Sunday Mirror newspapers since 5 August 1957. Originally a single-panel cartoon, Smyth later expanded it to four panels....
. Price also wrote the lyrics, together with the actor
Trevor PeacockTrevor Peacock is an English stage and television character actor. He was born in Tottenham, London, the son of Alexandria and Victor Edward Peacock.-Television and Film Career:...
. The play transferred from the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester to London's
Aldwych TheatreThe Aldwych Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Aldwych in the City of Westminster. The theatre was listed Grade II on 20 July 1971. Its seating capacity is 1,200.-Origins:...
in September 1982.
In 1986 he wrote and performed the theme tune to the successful
LWTLondon Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
/
ITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
situation comedyA situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
Hot Metal-External links:* at BBC Online Comedy Guide...
.
Film appearances
- Britannia Hospital
Britannia Hospital is a 1982 black comedy film by British director Lindsay Anderson which targets the National Health Service and contemporary British society...
, Soundtrack
- Alfie Darling
Alfie Darling is a 1975 British comedy drama film directed by Ken Hughes. It is the sequel to the 1966 film Alfie. This time Alan Price takes over Michael Caine's role of Alfie....
(1975), Alfie Elkins, Soundtrack
- O Lucky Man!
O Lucky Man! is a 1973 British comedy-drama fantasy film, intended as an allegory on life in a capitalist society. Directed by Lindsay Anderson, it stars Malcolm McDowell as Mick Travis, whom McDowell had first played as a disaffected public schoolboy in his first film performance in Anderson's...
(1973), Alan, Soundtrack
- Don't Look Back
Dont Look Back is a documentary about Bob Dylan.Don't Look Back may also refer to:-Film and television:* Don't Look Back , an action/thriller television film* Don't Look Back , a Japanese film...
(1967), Himself
TV appearances
- Ready, Steady, Go! - as Alan Price Set (9 December 1966)
- Beat Club - 1967/1968
- Disco (TV series)
Disco was a pop music program that aired in Germany on the ZDF network from 1971 to 1982. It generally aired on the first Saturday of each month at 7:30PM, each show running 45 minutes. 133 shows were produced. The show was hosted by German actor and comedian Ilja Richter...
- Episode #1.5 as Price and Fame (1971)
- Heartbeat (UK TV series) - Frankie Rio (a "shifty" musician) "In the Bleak Midwinter" (2004)
- The Two Ronnies
The Two Ronnies is a British sketch show that aired on BBC1 from 1971 to 1987. It featured the double act of Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett, the "Two Ronnies" of the title.-Origins:...
- Himself (1972) eight episodes
- Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
- Himself (April 1977)
Discography
- The Price to Play The Alan Price Set (Decca
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
) 1966
- A Price on His Head (Decca) 1967
- This Price is Right (Parrot) 1968
- Fame and Price, Price and Fame: Together! w/Georgie Fame
Georgie Fame is a British rhythm and blues and jazz singer and keyboard player. The one-time rock and roll tour musician, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still a popular performer, often working with contemporaries such as Van Morrison and Bill Wyman.-Early life:Fame took piano lessons from the...
(CBSCBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
) 1971
- O Lucky Man! (Warner Bros.
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
) 1973
- Between Today and Yesterday
Between Today and Yesterday is an autobiographical album released in 1974 by Alan Price. In its original LP format, Side One was titled "Yesterday" and Side Two was titled "Today." The "Yesterday" side featured 6 songs about the working class environment in which Price was raised...
(Warner Bros.) 1974 - UKThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#9
- 'Savaloy Dip' (Reprise
Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
) 1974 withdrawn
- Metropolitan Man (Polydor) 1975
- Performing Price Live (Polydor) 1975
- Shouts Across the Street (Polydor) 1976
- Alan Price (Polydor) 1977
- Rainbows End (Jet
Jet Records was a small British record label set up by Don Arden with artists like Electric Light Orchestra , Roy Wood, Gary Moore, Ozzy Osbourne, Riot and Magnum. The first release on the "Jet Records" label was "No Honestly", a UK top 10 for its singer and writer Lynsey De Paul in November 1974...
) 1977
- England My England (Jet) 1978
- Lucky Day (Jet) 1979
- Rising Sun (Jet) 1980
- Andy Capp (Key Records) 1982
- Geordie Roots & Branches (MWM Productions) 1983
- A Gigster's Life for Me
A Gigster's Life for Me is the second album recorded by Alan Price and The Electric Blues Company, following Covers . It was recorded between July and August 1995 at Olympic Studios London and released as part of Sanctuary Records's Blues Masters Series in 1996.-Track listing:#"Boom Boom Boom Boom"...
(Indigo/Sanctuary Blues Masters) 1996
- A Rock 'N' Roll Night at the Royal Court ... (Edsel) 2001
- Willow Weep for Me (Magic) 2001
- Based on a True Story (Apaloosa) 2002
- Geordie Boy: The Anthology (Castle Music) 2002
Awards
- 1974 Golden Globe for O Lucky Man!
O Lucky Man! is a 1973 British comedy-drama fantasy film, intended as an allegory on life in a capitalist society. Directed by Lindsay Anderson, it stars Malcolm McDowell as Mick Travis, whom McDowell had first played as a disaffected public schoolboy in his first film performance in Anderson's...
(nomination)
- 1974 Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music for O Lucky Man
External links
| author=Allmusic|title=Alan Price |publisher=Allmusic.com|accessdate=2009-02-20}}