Don't Bring Me Down

While The Who, The Beatles and The Kinks wrote most of their own material when they came to America in the British Invasion, The Animals producer Mickie Most looked to the New York songwriters in the Brill Building for material, and this was one of the songs he was pitched. Written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, it's about a guy trying real hard to make a relationship work, and pleading for understanding with his girl. With Eric Burdon's growling, echoed vocals and a prominent organ, it didn't sound like a Goffin/King composition by the time The Animals were done with it. Heck, even Burdon didn't know. He told us: "I didn't realize that it was a Goffin, King song until I was in a doctor's office in Beverly Hills and Ms. King came in and sat next to me. I didn't know it was her, I was just reading a magazine and she turned to me and said, 'You know, I hated what you did to my song.' I didn't know what to say, so all I said was, 'well, sorry.' and then as she got up to go into the doctor's office, she turned around and said, 'but I got used to it.'" (Read more in our interview with Eric Burdon.)