From Civil Service clerk to rock icon: The complex legacy of Alan Price
In short: Before he was the keyboardist for the Animals, Alan Price was a tax officer sitting at the same desk Sting would later occupy. His departure from the band in 1965 remains a point of contention, yet his career evolved into a prolific run of film scores, television hits, and solo success.
Born in 1942 in County Durham, Alan Price was a self-taught musician who helped define the sound of the Animals. His organ work on tracks like "The House of the Rising Sun" was central to the band's early success. However, his tenure was short-lived; he left the group in 1965, citing personal and musical differences, as well as a fear of flying that complicated touring.
The split left lingering bitterness. In a 2009 interview, former bandmates John Steel, Eric Burdon, and Hilton Valentine expressed frustration that Price had retained all songwriting royalties for "The House of the Rising Sun." They described the arrangement as a naive oversight, noting that the band had been told by their manager, Mike Jefferey, that the song was too long to list all members as arrangers, with a promise to sort the royalties later. Price has declined to discuss the matter publicly.
Following his departure, Price formed the Alan Price Set and enjoyed a string of chart successes, including "I Put a Spell on You" and "The House That Jack Built." He also became a versatile creative force, composing the BAFTA-winning soundtrack for Lindsay Anderson's 1973 film O Lucky Man! and appearing in various television roles. His career spanned decades, from the 1960s pop charts to acting in films like Alfie Darling and composing for the stage.
Price's influence extended beyond his own recordings. He championed the work of Randy Newman early on and collaborated with figures like Georgie Fame. Despite the controversies surrounding his early years, Price remained an active performer and songwriter well into the 2000s, maintaining a career that navigated the worlds of rock, television, and film with consistent, if sometimes contentious, independence.
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