Alan Price facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alan Price
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Price c. 1966
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| Background information | |
| Born | 19 April 1942 Fatfield, Washington, Durham, England |
| Genres | Rock, blues rock, psychedelic rock, pop |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, songwriter, musical arranger |
| Instruments | Keyboards, vocals |
| Years active | 1961–present |
| Labels | Decca, Parrot, Deram, CBS, Vertigo, Cotillion, Sanctuary, United Artists, Jet, Ariola, Polydor, Warner, Indigo, BGO, AP, Mooncrest |
| Associated acts | The Alan Price Rhythm and Blues Combo, the Alan Price Set, Price and Fame, Alan Price and Friends, the Animals, Eric Burdon, the Electric Blues Company, Bobby Tench, Zoot Money |
Alan Price (born 19 April 1942) is an English musician. He first became famous as the keyboard player for the rock band the Animals. He left the band in 1965 to start his own group, the Alan Price Set.
Alan Price had many hit songs, both with and without his group. Some of his well-known songs include "Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear" and "The House That Jack Built". He also sang "Rosetta" with Georgie Fame and "Jarrow Song". Besides music, Price has worked in movies and TV. He sometimes acted and wrote music for films, like O Lucky Man! (1973). In 1994, he was honored by being added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Animals.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Alan Price was born in Fatfield, a town in County Durham, England. He went to Jarrow Grammar School when he was younger.
Music Career Highlights
Playing with The Animals
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Alan Price taught himself how to play music. He was a founding member of a group called the Alan Price Rhythm and Blues Combo. This group later changed its name to the Animals. His amazing organ playing was a big part of the band's success. You can hear his unique sound on famous songs like "The House of the Rising Sun" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood".
As a member of the Animals, he appeared on many popular TV shows. These included Ready Steady Go!, The Ed Sullivan Show, and Top of the Pops. Price left the band in 1965. This was due to some disagreements and his fear of flying during tours.
Price joined the Animals for three reunion tours between 1968 and 1984. In July 1983, the band began its final world tour. Price performed his song "O Lucky Man" during these concerts. The band officially broke up in 1984. An album of their live performances, Greatest Hits Live (Rip It to Shreds), was released that year.
In 1994, Alan Price was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Animals.
Forming The Alan Price Set
After leaving the Animals, Alan Price started his own band in 1965. It was called the Alan Price Set. The band included Price, Clive Burrows, Steve Gregory, John Walters, Peter Kirtley, Rod "Boots" Slade, and "Little" Roy Mills. In the same year, Price appeared in the film Don't Look Back. This movie showed Bob Dylan on tour in the UK.
Solo Success and Collaborations
In 1966, Alan Price had solo hits with "I Put a Spell on You" and "Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo". Both songs reached the top 11 on the UK singles chart. In 1967, his version of the Randy Newman song "Simon Smith and His Amazing Dancing Bear" became a number four hit. His own song, "The House That Jack Built", also reached number four. "Don't Stop the Carnival" followed in 1968, reaching number 13.
Price also hosted a musical TV show in the late 1960s called Price To Play. On this show, he performed and introduced other artists like Fleetwood Mac and Jimi Hendrix. His second album, A Price on His Head (1967), featured seven songs by Randy Newman. At that time, Randy Newman was not very well known.
Later, Alan Price worked with Georgie Fame. Their song "Rosetta" became a top-20 hit in 1971. They also had a regular spot on The Two Ronnies TV show. They even appeared on Morecambe and Wise Show.
In 1974, Price released the album Between Today and Yesterday. The song "Jarrow Song" from this album became a number six hit in the UK. In the late 1970s, some of his singles were released on special heart-shaped vinyl records.
Price recorded two albums with the Electric Blues Company. This group included guitarist Bobby Tench and keyboardist Zoot Money. The albums were Covers (1994) and A Gigster's Life for Me (1996).
Since 1996, Alan Price has continued to perform, write songs, and create music. He has toured the UK with his own band and with other musicians like the Manfreds and Maggie Bell.
His album Savaloy Dip was officially released in 2016. This album was actually recorded in 1974 but was not properly released back then.
Film, Stage, and Television Work
Alan Price appeared in the 1965 documentary Don't Look Back. He is seen with Bob Dylan and his group in several scenes.
Price worked closely with film director Lindsay Anderson. He wrote the music for Anderson's film O Lucky Man! (1973). Price performs his music on screen in the movie and even appears as himself. The music for this film won a BAFTA Award for Best Film Music in 1974. He also wrote the music for Anderson's last film, The Whales of August (1987).
In 1975, Price acted as the main character in Alfie Darling. This movie was a follow-up to the film Alfie (1966). He also wrote and sang the song "Time and Tide (I Don't Feel No Pain No More)" for the animated film The Plague Dogs (1982).
On April 23, 1977, Price appeared on the TV show Saturday Night Live. He sang songs from the O Lucky Man! soundtrack.
In 1979, Price wrote and sang the theme song for the TV series Turtle's Progress. He also composed the music for the musical Andy Capp in 1981. This musical was based on the famous comic strip. Price later used a new version of his "Jarrow Song" as the theme for the 1988 Andy Capp TV show. Other TV theme songs he created include a re-recorded version of his song "Papers" for the sitcom Hot Metal. He also wrote "Changes" for a popular car commercial.
In 2004, Price appeared in a Christmas episode of Heartbeat. He played Frankie Rio, a musician.
Film Appearances
- Get Yourself A College Girl (1964) – Himself
- Dont Look Back (1967) – Himself
- O Lucky Man! (1973) – Alan, also wrote the music
- Alfie Darling (1975) – Alfie Elkins, also wrote the music
- Britannia Hospital (1982) – Wrote the music
- The Plague Dogs (1982) – Wrote the music
- Is That All There Is? (1993) – Himself
TV Appearances
- Ready, Steady, Go! – as the Alan Price Set (1966)
- Beat-Club – (1967–68)
- Top of the Pops – (1966, 1968)
- Disco – as Price and Fame (1971)
- The Two Ronnies – as himself (1972)
- Saturday Night Live – as himself (1977)
- Pop Quiz – as himself (1984)
- Heartbeat – Frankie Rio (2004)
Personal Life
Alan Price has been married twice and has two children. He married Maureen Elizabeth Donneky in 1971, and they had a daughter named Elizabeth. They later divorced. In 1992, he was living in London with his second wife, Alison, and their two daughters.
Price is a fan of the Sunderland A.F.C. football team. In 2011, he took part in a charity event for the Sunderland A.F.C. Foundation of Light.
Awards
- 1974 Golden Globe nomination for O Lucky Man!
- 1973 BAFTA (Anthony Asquith Memorial Award) for O Lucky Man
See also
In Spanish: Alan Price para niños
