As one of the leading charges in the British Invasion of the early 1960s, The Animals’ grittier, R&B sound tinged with pop melodies connected with not only the youth of America at the time but also featured heavily on the U.S. charts. Their haunting version of “The House of the Rising Sun” earned them their first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as the honor of becoming the third English act to top the U.S. pop-singles chart after The Beatles (British duo Peter and Gordon hit No. 1 with the Lennon-McCartney-penned “A World Without Love” just before The Animals).
The current incarnation of The Animals features co-founder and drummer John Steel at the helm. They recently toured Australia, and Goldmine writer/guitarist Joe Matera — who was also the opening act for the band at their two Melbourne shows — sat down with Steel for an exclusive interview.
GOLDMINE: Do you think The Animals should have gotten more credit for the British
