|
The
Animals were formed in Newcastle, England, in 1962. With their
release of House of the Rising Sun
in 1964, which scored a number one position the Billboard Pop Chart for
three weeks, The Animals secured their place as an important part of the
British Invasion. The band would go on to chart a total of fourteen
songs from 1964 until 1968, with an ending lineup that consisted of lone
original band member Eric Burdon. The original Animals consisted of
Hilton Valentine on the guitar, Chas Chandler on the bass, John Steel on
the drums, Alan Price on the organ, and Burdon performing vocals. The
band was inducted in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
XMFan recently had a chance to enjoy an
Ask Ten Questions session with Hilton, and are happy to know he
is still very much involved in the music scene today.

XMFan: Your website details
several guitars you have owned over the years. Did you have any
favorites?
Hilton: I guess I would have to
say the Fender Telecaster and the Rickenbacker 12 String.
XMFan: Do you remember any
particularly strange circumstances that gave you the inspiration to
write a song?
Hilton: Well,
waaaay back when I used to drop
acid, there was this one time around '69 I was tripping at a friend's
place and I was looking at this girl across the room who was from
Germany. I felt we were communicating telepathically and I wrote a song
about it. I called it Girl From
Allemagne and put it on my first solo LP.
XMFan: Since many Americans are
unfamiliar with the English Skiffle movement of the '50s, would you
briefly explain what it was and how if affected you as a young musician?
Hilton: It had a huge effect on
me. It was a major factor in me wanting to play guitar. Basically,
skiffle was American folk music - jug band style without the jug. The
main instrument was the acoustic 6 string guitar, but it also had bass,
drums and electric guitar. For us kids, it was the acoustic complemented
by washboard, tea chest bass, comb & paper, and anything else we could
get our hands on. Although there were a few skifflers about, like The
Vipers and Chas McDevitt, it was Lonnie Donegan at the forefront of it
all. As a kid, seeing him move about with his acoustic and singing
wasn't all that different from seeing Elvis singing with his. The great
draw to skiffle was that just about any kid could play it really. The
instruments were basic as were the songs. One only needed to learn a few
chords to play a hell of a lot of songs. Skiffle really was as much a
part of early Rock & Roll in England as Bill Haley & His Comets, Buddy
Holly & The Crickets, and Elvis.
XMFan: How has the reception been
for your latest album, It's Folk 'N
Skiffle, Mate! (under the name
Skiffledog)
Hilton: The reception has been
very good. I just got a rave review from
HARP magazine in their August
edition. I've got it posted on the Press page of my website,
www.hiltonvalentine.com. It's been getting some airplay in the UK
and I've received many complimentary emails from people that have
purchased it through the site.
XMFan: You have mentioned that
your wife was a big reason for recording the new album. Would you tell
us a little about her?
Hilton: Well, I met Germaine in
1997 while touring the US. We met in July and were married by that
December. She is 22 years younger than me, but is very knowledgeable
about music - 60's in particular. Of the mainstream 60's bands she
likes, The Animals are one of them, and that's what caused our paths to
cross. It brought us together. Well, that and a bottle of Newcastle
Brown Ale (Laughs). She has this
incredible amount of drive and energy and I was really drawn to that.
Anyway, she quite liked listening to the stuff I was playing on my
acoustic guitar and really encouraged me to get it recorded, and to be
truthful, it would not have been done without her. I need a bit of
motivating and she's just the one to give it.

XMFan: Where do you call home
these days?
Hilton: Connecticut, USA.
XMFan: Name one musician you have
had the opportunity to meet over the years who really made an impression
on you.
Hilton: Hmmm, that's a tough one.
I've met so many musicians and most all have left some sort of
impression. But... I guess I would have to say George Harrison - as he
was the first guy who really seemed to understand what I had experienced
on an LSD trip. He had invited me to his home in Esher where we had an
in depth conversation about our similar "death like" experiences on
acid. That experience was like becoming aware of something greater than
this consciousness. He helped me realize that this state was attainable
without taking acid. This all sounds very "hippie" I suppose but those
were the times and it was what it was. What can I say?
XMFan: Any chance to see you play
live in the near future?
Hilton: Yeah, I'm scheduled to
perform at The New Haven Folk Festival in CT on September 18th and we're
working on putting some more dates in my calendar. Anyone who's
interested in catching me live can always visit my site for up to date
information. The 18th isn't listed at the moment because we're waiting
for the contract.
XMFan: What can fans expect to
find at your website?
Hilton: Well, we have all sorts
of interesting things. The page we get the most comments on would be my
Equipment page. I got a bit tired of answering individual emails about
what kind of guitars I played, etc., so Germaine and I put that page
together. She handles all the technical side of the website. I still
need to add more as people are still emailing me, asking about the type
of strings and pedals I used or am using today. There are p hotos,
links to interviews, a discography, a bio, audio clips and more. I've
got a Merchandise page where people can purchase not only Skiffledog CDs
and Ts but some Animals CDs and
books. There's also a consumer alert about bogus Animals CDs. We provide
links to Animals CDs that are legitimate because there are some out
there that have nothing to do with any of the original Animals, but are
being passed off as such. It's all explained on the site.
XMFan: What do you find more
satisfying - being a guitar legend enshrined in the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, or
the long road you traveled to get there?
Hilton: Of course it is an honour
to be recognized... but I'd have to say it was the long road I traveled
to get there. Looking back on hard work is always more satisfying isn't
it? I mean, the awards are just something tangible that say, "yeah,
you've done the hard work."
The Animals can be heard on Top Tracks,
Deep Tracks, 60s on 6, Bluesville, and VH1 Radio. |