Alan Price (born 19 April 1942) is an English musician, best known as the original keyboardist for the British band the Animals and for his subsequent solo work.
Price was born in Fatfield, Washington, County Durham, and was educated at Jarrow Grammar School, South Tyneside. He is a self-taught musician and was a founding member of Tyneside group the Alan Price Rhythm and Blues Combo, which was later renamed the Animals. His organ-playing on songs by the Animals, such as "House of the Rising Sun", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" and "Bring It On Home To Me" was a key element in the group's success.
After leaving the Animals, Price went on to have success on his own with his own band the Alan Price Set and later with Georgie Fame. He introduced the songs of Randy Newman to a wider audience. Later, he appeared on his own television show as well as achieving success with film scores, including winning critical acclaim for his musical contribution to the 1973 film O Lucky Man! as well as writing the score to the stage musical Andy Capp. In addition, he has appeared as an actor in films and television productions. (Read more at Wikipedia)
Links to Peel[]
Alan Price never seemed to be a special favourite of John Peel's; he never recorded a session for a Peel show, and tracks by him in Peel's British playlists are scarce, although the DJ would certainly have played Price's material when hosting daytime shows on Radio London during the spring and summer of 1967. However, the Alan Price Set's version of "I Put A Spell On You" entered the KMEN British Pop Top Ten, compiled by John Ravencroft, as the DJ was then known, on May 13, 1966,[1] and remained in the chart for four more weeks. The follow-up, "Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo" entered the station's British Top 10 on 5 August 1966 [2] and spent ten weeks in the chart. In addition, Peel wrote an appreciative piece on Alan Price for the Kmentertainer of December 17, 1966 [3], which showed that the DJ was well aware of Price's records. Most of them were chart successes in the UK but sold less well in America.
Alan Price Set - Simon Smith & his amazing dancing bear 1967
But Alan Price's most important link to Peel came about when the leader split from the Alan Price Set in 1967, in order to follow a solo career. One of the band members, trumpeter John Walters, applied for a job as a production assistant at the BBC, hoping to find work on the new pop station, Radio One. He was successful and the news was reported in Disc & Music Echo, with Price quoted as saying "It is quite a feather in our cap that he got the job"[4]. In 1969, Walters took over as producer of Peel's Top Gear, becoming a key figure in the DJ's subsequent career. Some of the clips from their hit period, including one of their version of Randy Newman's "Simon Smith And The Amazing Dancing Bear", feature a trumpeter who may be the young Walters.
Alan Price's later career didn't appeal much to Peel, although in his Singles Reviews column in Sounds of April 26, 1975 he reviewed Price's new single "Mama Divine". He gave it three stars, describing it as "A good pop single...although in no way my cup of tea", and regretted that the singer hadn't come up with anything to equal his 1974 "Jarrow Song", which JP thought was "a marvellous record" - "Perhaps he didn't want to anyway".[5]
Festive Fifty Entries[]
- None
Sessions[]
- No sessions for Peel, although Price did many others for the BBC, both before and after the start of Radio One. He also had his own TV series, Price To Play (1968) and Monster Music Mash (1969). The latter was described in Radio Times as "Pop, Blues, Folk, Whoopee!". Guests included Slade, Shirley Collins, Fleetwood Mac, Pentangle, Duster Bennett - and, every week, Bob Kerr's Whoopee Band.
Other Shows Played[]
- 21 January 1968: Don't Stop The Carnival (7" - Don't Stop The Carnival / The Time Has Come) Decca
- 20 July 1969: The House That Jack Built (a short snippet that may not be from this show as the announcer at the end doesn't sound like Peel)
- 30 June 1978 (Round Table): I Wanna Dance (7") Jet
- 13 May 2004: Iechyd-Da (7" EP - The Alan Price Set) Decca [6] (JP: "I'd never heard it before, and it was composed by the man who produced this programme for 20 years or more and was best man at our wedding - John Walters. And in all the time that I knew him, he never mentioned that he'd done that. And I think that's quite an achievement - I think that's excellent. And there is another track by Walters on the other side which is called 'Never Be Sick On Sunday' - sound advice I would suggest - and that unfortunately jumps a bit, but I might play it to you nevertheless. But that was the Alan Price Set and 'Iechyd-Da' - and very pleased to hear that.")
- 13 May 1966: I Put A Spell On You (10)
- 20 May 1966: I Put A Spell On You (7)
- 27 May 1966: I Put A Spell On You (6)
- 03 Jun 1966: I Put A Spell On You (9)
- 10 Jun 1966: I Put A Spell On You (7)
- 05 Aug 1966: Hi-Lilo, Hi-Ho (8)
- 12 Aug 1966: Hi-Lilo, Hi-Ho (7)
- 19 Aug 1966: Hi-Lilo, Hi-Ho (6)
- 26 Aug 1966: Hi-Lilo, Hi-Ho (6)
- 02 Sep 1966: Hi-Lilo, Hi-Ho (5)
- 09 Sep 1966: Hi-Lilo, Hi-Ho (4)
- 16 Sep 1966: Hi-Lilo, Hi-Ho (4)
- 23 Sep 1966: Hi-Lilo, Hi-Ho (6)
- 30 Sep 1966: Hi-Lilo, Hi-Ho (8)
- 07 Oct 1966: Hi-Lilo, Hi-Ho (10)
See Also[]
- John Peel's Record Box: Peel's box of favourite 45s featured the Alan Price Set single "I Put A Spell On You / Iechyd-Da" (Decca Records, 1966), featuring b-side written by Walters.
- Look Out, It's Alive!: Walters-presented documentary on Radio One sessions. Features “'Barefootin’ " (Saturday Club session) by Alan Price Set.
- KMEN British Pop Top Ten
- 1974 Top Fifty One Singles
- Singles Reviews
- Gigography 1967
- Gigography 1968
- Disc & Music Echo: Peel Columns
- Sounds
External Links[]
- Wikipedia
- Alan Price Online
- [7] Other