A self-taught musician, primarily a keyboard player, Alan Price was a founding member of the Tyneside group The Alan Price Rhythm and Blues Combo, then renamed The Animals. His playing on their international hit "House of the Rising Sun" and other tracks was a key element in the Animals' success. His arrangement of "House of the Rising Sun," a traditional folk song, has become more recognisable than previous incarnations. He left the band in May 1965, to form the highly successful Alan Price Set, which included Price keyboards and vocals, Clive Burrows on baritone saxophone, Steve Gregory on tenor saxophone, John Walters on trumpet, Peter Kirtlry on guitar, Rod "Boots" Slade on bass guitar and "Little" Roy Mills on drums. In the same year, he appeared in the film Dont Look Back, which followed Bob Dylan on tour. Starting in 1966, he enjoyed singles success with "I Put A Spell On You", the Randy Newman song "Simon Smith And His Amazing Dancing Bear", and the original "The House That Jack Built", following it up in 1968 with the jazzy "Don't Stop The Carnival". A partnership with Georgie Fame resulted in a Top 20 single in 1971, "Rosetta", and an album Fame and Price, Price and Fame Together, as well as a regular slot in one series of The Two Ronnies on BBC television, where he hosted more shows such as the musical Price To Play in the late 60s explaining and performing the music of some famous guests such as Fleetwood Mac, Jimi Hendrix, etc. His second album, A Price On His Head in 1967 features seven songs by Randy Newman, at a time when he was virtually unknown.
