View source for Alan Price

{{Short description|English musician}}
{{for|the investigator of scientific or research misconduct|Alan R. Price}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name             = Alan Price
| image            = Alan Price 1966 headshot.jpg
| caption          = Price {{circa|1966}}
| image_size       = 
| birth_name       = 
| birth_date       = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1942|04|19}}
| birth_place      = [[Fatfield]], Washington, Durham, England
| death_date       = 
| instrument       = {{hlist|[[Keyboard instrument|Keyboards]]|[[vocals]]}}
| genre            = {{hlist|[[Rock music|Rock]]|[[blues rock]]|[[psychedelic rock]]|[[pop music|pop]]}}
| occupation       = {{hlist|Musician|singer|songwriter|musical arranger}}
| years_active     = 1961–present
| label            = {{hlist|[[Decca Records|Decca]]|[[Parrot Records|Parrot]]|[[Deram Records|Deram]]|[[Columbia Records|CBS]]|[[Vertigo Records|Vertigo]]|[[Cotillion Records|Cotillion]]|[[Sanctuary Records|Sanctuary]]|[[United Artists Records|United Artists]]|[[Jet Records|Jet]]|[[Ariola Records|Ariola]]|[[Polydor Records|Polydor]]|[[Warner Bros. Records|Warner]]|Indigo|BGO|AP|[[Mooncrest Records|Mooncrest]]}}
| associated_acts  = The Alan Price Rhythm and Blues Combo, the Alan Price Set, Price and Fame, Alan Price and Friends, [[the Animals]], [[Eric Burdon]], the Electric Blues Company, [[Bobby Tench]], [[Zoot Money]]
| website          = 
}}

'''Alan Price''' (born 19 April 1942) is an English musician who first found prominence as the original keyboardist of the English rock band [[the Animals]]. He left the band in 1965 to form the '''Alan Price Set'''; his hit singles with and without the group include "[[Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear]]", "[[The House That Jack Built (Alan Price song)|The House That Jack Built]]", "Rosetta" (with [[Georgie Fame]]) and  "Jarrow Song". Price is also known for work in film and television, taking occasional acting roles and composing the soundtrack of [[Lindsay Anderson]]'s film ''[[O Lucky Man!]]'' (1973). He was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1994 as a member of the Animals.

==Early life and career==
Price was born in [[Fatfield]], Washington, County Durham, and educated at [[Jarrow School|Jarrow Grammar School]], County Durham.

==Music==
{{refimprove section|date=September 2025}}
===The Animals===
{{Main|The Animals}}
[[File:Alan Price - the Animals (cropped).jpg|thumb|Price with the Animals, 1964]]
A self-taught musician,{{cn|date=September 2025}} Price was a founding member of the Tyneside group the [[Alan Price Rhythm and Blues Combo]], which was later renamed [[the Animals]].{{cn|date=September 2025}} Playing [[Hammond organ|organ]] on the Animals "[[The House of the Rising Sun]]", "[[Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood]]", and "[[Bring It On Home to Me]]",{{cn|date=September 2025}} Price was a key element in "the first Animals lineup['s]" success.<ref name="Alan Price Allmusic biog">{{cite web |last=Unterberger |first=Richie | date = 7 September 2025 |  title=Alan Price Biography | work=[[AllMusic]]| url = https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alan-price-mn0000931804#biography | access-date=7 September 2025}}</ref>

As a member of the Animals, Price appeared on numerous television shows including ''[[Ready Steady Go!]]'', ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'', ''[[Hullabaloo (TV series)|Hullabaloo]]'', and ''[[Top of the Pops]]''. Price left the band in 1965 because of personal and musical differences, as well as his [[fear of flying]] while on tour.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Making Time- The Animals |url=http://www.makingtime.co.uk/animals.html |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=www.makingtime.co.uk}}</ref>

In August 1967, he appeared with the Animals at the [[hippy|hippie]] [[love-in]] that was held in the grounds of [[Woburn Abbey]].{{cn|date=September 2025}}

Price participated in three reunions of the Animals between 1968 and 1984.{{cn|date=September 2025}} In July 1983, the band started its last world tour. Price's solo performance of "O Lucky Man" was included in its set.{{cn|date=September 2025}} In 1984, the band broke up for the final time, and the album ''[[Greatest Hits Live (Rip It to Shreds)]]'' was released, composed of recordings from the band's concert at [[Wembley Arena]] in London supporting [[the Police]].{{cn|date=September 2025}}

Price was inducted as a member of the Animals into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1994.{{cn|date=September 2025}}

====Controversy over "Rising Sun" credit====
{{one source|date=September 2025}}
When interviewed in 2009, John Steel described broad participation by members of [[the Animals]] in the arrangement of this traditional work, for instance, with Hilton Valentine developing the characteristic guitar [[arpeggio]], Eric Burdon rewriting the usual female fallen protagonist as a man, and John Steel adopting his drum-pattern from [[Jimmy Smith (musician)|Jimmy Smith]]'s "[[Walk on the Wild Side (David and Bernstein song)|Walk On The Wild Side]]".<ref name=HastedUncut/> Likewise, all band members in that 2009 interview—Steel, Burdon, and Valentine—expressed uniform harsh judgment regarding Price's departure from the group while holding all songwriting royalty proceeds from their biggest hit. Valentine described the matter, thus:<blockquote>We were in a rehearsal studio in London when [manager] Mike Jefferey came in and said [Rising Sun] was too long to put "Trad[itional]. Arranged by"... with all our names on the record[,]<ref name=HastedUncut/></blockquote> indicating that an actual division of the royalties would be later sorted.<ref name=HastedUncut/> Burdon then expressed, "Can you believe that we were so naïve? Well... we were", noting that all in the group needed the income, but that he guessed that "Alan... felt he needed it more than anyone else".<ref name=HastedUncut/> Valentine then noted that in 1965,<blockquote>One day... Pricey up and left the band. He didn’t give any notice. [Valentine then notes] that Chas [Chandler] said, 'He must’ve got his first royalty cheque.' We were five guys from Newcastle. We were all buddies and we started to realise we were getting ripped off by everybody and his mother, but to be ripped off within the group, our circle—it was a bit sad.<ref name=HastedUncut>{{cite magazine | last= Hasted |first=Nick | date = 25 March 2013 | orig-date = May 2009 | title = The Making Of... The Animals' The House Of The Rising Sun | magazine = [[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]] | issue = Take 144 | url = https://www.uncut.co.uk/features/the-making-of-the-animals-the-house-of-the-rising-sun-24476/ | access-date = 7 February 2025}}</ref></blockquote> According to the writer of the ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]'' piece, "Price refused to talk" to them about the making of "Rising Sun".<ref name=HastedUncut/>

===The Alan Price Set===
[[File:Alan Price Set.jpg|thumb|The Alan Price Set in 1966. Clockwise from bottom centre: Alan Price, Roy Mills, Steve Gregory, John Walters, Rod Slade, Clive Burrows.]]
Price formed the Alan Price Set in 1965, with the line-up of Price, Clive Burrows ([[baritone saxophone]]), [[Steve Gregory]] ([[tenor saxophone]]), [[John Walters (broadcaster)|John Walters]] (trumpet), Peter Kirtley (guitar), Rod "Boots" Slade (bass) and "Little" Roy Mills (drums). In the same year, he appeared in the film ''[[Dont Look Back|Don't Look Back]]'' which featured [[Bob Dylan]] on tour in the UK.

===Solo===
During 1966, he enjoyed [[Single (music)|singles]] success with "[[I Put a Spell on You]]", which reached number 9 in the UK singles chart, and "[[Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo]]" which reached number 11 in the same chart. In 1967, the Randy Newman song "[[Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear|Simon Smith and His Amazing Dancing Bear]]" reached number four in the chart, as did his self-penned song, "[[The House That Jack Built (Alan Price song)|The House That Jack Built]]".<ref name="45cat.com">Not the same song as "[[The House That Jack Built (Aretha Franklin song)|The House That Jack Built]]" (Lance-Robbins) recorded by Aretha Franklin (1968): [https://www.45cat.com/record/f12641 Alan Price - "The House That Jack Built"] at 45cat.com. Retrieved 14 January 2019</ref> "Don't Stop the Carnival" followed in 1968, and rose to number 13 in the UK singles charts.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book| first= David| last= Roberts| year= 2006| title= British Hit Singles & Albums| edition= w19th| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London| isbn= 1-904994-10-5| page= 438}}</ref>

Price went on to host shows such as the musical ''Price To Play'' in the late 1960s, which featured him performing and introducing the music of guests such as [[Fleetwood Mac]] and [[Jimi Hendrix]]. His second album, ''A Price on His Head'' (1967), featured seven songs by [[Randy Newman]], who was virtually unknown at that time.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}  Also in 1967, Price was No. 1 in the Keyboard Player category of the 1967 ''[[Beat Instrumental]]'' Gold Star Awards.<ref>''Beat Instrumental'', Feb. 1967 - [https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Beat-Instrumental/6802-Beat-Instrumental-1968-02-OCR.pdf Page 20 BEAT INSTRUMENTAL'S 1967 GOLD STAR AWARDS, Keyboard Player]</ref>

A later association with [[Georgie Fame]] resulted in "Rosetta", which became a [[Top 40|top-20]] hit in 1971, reaching number 11 in the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums" /> An album followed, ''Fame and Price, Price and Fame Together''. During this period, Price and Fame secured a regular slot on ''[[The Two Ronnies]]'' show produced by [[BBC Television]], and also appeared on the ''[[The Morecambe & Wise Show (1968 TV series)|Morecambe and Wise Show]]''.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

He recorded the autobiographical album ''[[Between Today and Yesterday]]'' (1974) from which the single "Jarrow Song" was taken, returning Price to the UK singles chart at number six.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums" /> The minor single hits by Price "Just For You" and "Baby of Mine" from 1978 and 1979, respectively, as well as being issued on the usual black vinyl, were also released as red, heart-shaped vinyl discs, which reflected the craze for coloured and oddly shaped vinyl records at the time.

Price recorded two albums with the Electric Blues Company featuring guitarist and vocalist [[Bobby Tench]] and keyboardist [[Zoot Money]]. The first, ''Covers'', was recorded in 1994. ''[[A Gigster's Life for Me]]'' followed in 1996 and was recorded as part of [[Sanctuary Records|Sanctuary]]'s ''Blues Masters Series'' at [[Olympic Studios]] in south-west London.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.discogs.com/Alan-Price-And-The-Electric-Blues-Company-A-Gigsters-Life-For-Me/release/7269574|title=A Gigster's Life. Alan Price and the Electric Blues Company|date=1995 | publisher=discogs.com |access-date=4 April 2017}}</ref>

Since 1996, Price has continued to perform regularly, arrange, write songs, and create other works. During the 2000s, he has continued to tour the UK with his own band and others, including [[the Manfreds]], [[Maggie Bell]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flyingmusic.com/maximum-rythm-n-blues|title=Flying Music tours|publisher=flyingmusic.com|access-date=3 March 2012|archive-date=14 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314033726/http://www.flyingmusic.com/maximum-rythm-n-blues|url-status=dead}}</ref> and Bobby Tench.<ref>{{cite book|author=Fran, Leslie|title=Bobby Tench to play tour with Alan Price|publisher=Blues in Britain|pages=18 Vol 1 issue 94|date=October 2009}}</ref>

The album ''[[Savaloy Dip]]'' was officially released in 2016. Due to an issuing error after the recording of this album in 1974, it was re-called by the record company and not re-released at that time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/savaloy-dip-mw0001148354|title=Savaloy Dip - Alan Price &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://omnivorerecordings.com/shop/savaloy-dip/|title=Alan Price – Savaloy Dip: Words & Music By Alan Price – Omnivore Recordings|website=Omnivorerecordings.com}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://theseconddisc.com/2016/01/review-alan-price-savaloy-dip-words-and-music-by-alan-price/|title=Review: Alan Price, "Savaloy Dip: Words and Music by Alan Price"|website=Theseconddisc.com|date=26 January 2016}}</ref> The title track for his album ''[[Between Today and Yesterday]]'' was taken from the original ''Savaloy Dip'' recording.<ref name="auto" />

==Film, stage and television==
Price appears in the D. A. Pennebaker documentary ''[[Dont Look Back|Don't Look Back]]'' (1965) and is in several scenes with Bob Dylan and his entourage, including one where his departure from the Animals is mentioned.

Price appeared with Georgie Fame in a series of TV shows scripted by [[Monty Python]]'s [[Terry Jones]] on BBC2 titled ''The Price of Fame or Fame at any Price''. They were broadcast on 17 September 1969, 20 November 1969 - 25 December 1969, 17 June 1970.

Price has been closely involved with the work of film director [[Lindsay Anderson]]. He wrote the music for Anderson's film ''[[O Lucky Man!]]'' (1973), which he performs on screen in the film and appears as himself in one part of the storyline. The score won the 1974 [[BAFTA Award for Best Film Music]].<ref name="BAFTA" />

Later, he wrote the score of Anderson's final film, ''[[The Whales of August]]'' (1987).

He acted as the lead in ''[[Alfie Darling]]'' (1975), a sequel to the film ''[[Alfie (1966 film)|Alfie]]'' (1966), during the course of which he became romantically involved with his co-star, [[Jill Townsend]]. He also composed and sang the song "Time and Tide (I Don't Feel No Pain No More)" for the animated film ''[[The Plague Dogs (film)|The Plague Dogs]]'' (1982).<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Plague Dogs (Original Soundtrack) by Various Artists |url=https://genius.com/albums/Various-artists/The-plague-dogs-original-soundtrack |access-date=2024-11-04 |website=Genius}}</ref>

On 23 April 1977, Price appeared on an episode of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', hosted by [[Eric Idle]]. He sang the songs "Poor People" (from the ''[[O Lucky Man!]]'' soundtrack) and "In Times Like These."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alan Price Setlist at Saturday Night Live, New York |url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/alan-price/1977/saturday-night-live-new-york-ny-6bc35a96.html |access-date=2024-11-04 |website=setlist.fm}}</ref> Also, in 1977, he appeared on another U.S. television show, ''[[Don Kirshner's Rock Concert]].''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bands Live – Don Kirshner's Rock Concert |url=https://donkirshner.com/bands/ |access-date=2024-11-04}}</ref>

In 1979 Price composed and sang the theme song of the ATV series ''[[Turtle's Progress]]''. In 1981 he composed the score for the musical ''Andy Capp'' based on the [[Andy Capp|eponymous comic strip]]. He also wrote the lyrics, together with the actor [[Trevor Peacock]]. The play transferred from the [[Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester]], to London's [[Aldwych Theatre]] in September 1982.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_a/andy_capp.htm|title=Alan Price Andy Capp credits|publisher=guidetomusicaltheatre.com|access-date=3 March 2012}}</ref> Price later provided the theme to [[Thames Television]]'s 1988 sitcom adaptation of ''[[Andy Capp (TV series)|Andy Capp]]'' in the form of a rewritten "Jarrow Song". Other TV theme work includes a re-recorded version of his 1975 single "Papers", which was used as the theme tune to the [[London Weekend Television]] situation comedy ''[[Hot Metal]]'' and the song "Changes", soundtrack to a popular TV commercial for the [[VW Golf]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/alan_price/|title=Alan Price|publisher=British Comedy Guide|access-date=24 April 2016}}</ref>

In 1992 Anderson included an episode in his autobiographical [[BBC]] film ''Is That All There Is?'', with a boat trip down the [[River Thames]] to scatter [[Rachel Roberts (actress)|Rachel Roberts]] and [[Jill Bennett (British actress)|Jill Bennett]]'s ashes on the waters, while Price accompanied himself and sang the song "[[Is That All There Is?]]"

In 2004 Price appeared in the [[Christmas]] edition of ''[[Heartbeat (UK TV series)|Heartbeat]]'' as Frankie Rio, the leader of a dubious band of musicians, the Franke Rio Trio, who are booked to appear in the [[Aidensfield]] Village Concert. The episode was entitled "In the Bleak Midwinter".

===Film appearances===
*"Get Yourself A College Girl" (1964). Himself
* ''[[Dont Look Back]]'' (1967), Himself
* ''[[O Lucky Man!]]'' (1973), Alan, soundtrack
* ''[[Alfie Darling]]'' (1975), Alfie Elkins, soundtrack
* ''[[Britannia Hospital]]'' (1982), soundtrack
* ''[[The Plague Dogs (film)|The Plague Dogs]]'' (1982), soundtrack
* '' Is That All There Is? '' (1993), Himself

===TV appearances===
* ''Ready, Steady, Go!'' – as the Alan Price Set (9 December 1966)
* ''[[Beat-Club]]'' – 1967–68
* ''[[Top of the Pops]]'' – 7 April 1966, performing "I Put a Spell on You" with the Alan Price Set
* ''[[Top of the Pops]]'' – 14 July 1966, performing "Hi Lili, Hi Lo" with the Alan Price Set
* ''[[Top of the Pops]]'' – 15 February 1968, performing "Don't Stop The Carnival" with the Alan Price Set<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvpopdiaries.co.uk/1968.html|title=TV Pop Diaries 1968|website=Tvpopdiaries.co.uk}}</ref>
* ''[[Disco (TV series)|Disco]]'' – Episode No. 1.5 as Price and Fame (1971)
* ''[[The Two Ronnies]]'' – as himself (1972) eight episodes
* ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' – as himself (April 1977)
* ''[[Pop Quiz]]'' – as himself (25 September 1984)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-aiyVN0Xz4|title=The Alarm - Mike Peters on Pop Quiz (aired 25th September 1984)|website=youtube.com|date=3 March 2019}}</ref>
* ''[[Heartbeat (UK TV series)|Heartbeat]]'' – Frankie Rio (a "shifty" musician) "In the Bleak Midwinter" (2004)

==Personal life==
Price is believed to have two children and has been married twice. He married Maureen Elizabeth Donneky in 1971;{{citation needed|date=February 2024}} they later divorced.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}} Price and Donneky had one daughter, Elizabeth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://apphotos.absoluteelsewhere.net/Portraits/3w_elizabeth.html |title=Alan Price Online &#124; Alan and daughter Elizabeth |publisher=Apphotos.absoluteelsewhere.net |access-date=11 July 2015}}</ref>

In 1992, he was living in London with his second wife Alison and two daughters.<ref>{{cite web |first=Carinthia |last=West |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/how-we-met-46-georgie-fame-and-alan-price-1539225.html |title=How We Met: 46. Georgie Fame and Alan Price |work=The Independent |date=9 August 1992 |access-date=11 July 2015}}</ref>

Price is a [[Sunderland A.F.C.]] supporter, although Sunderland's local rivals [[Newcastle United]] often used his version of "[[Blaydon Races]]" at matches.<ref>[http://ne4me.dev.visualsoft.co.uk/celebrities-3/animals-reveals-proudest-124.html] {{dead link|date=October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/7072489.its-all-red-and-white-to-former-animal-price/|title=It's all Red and White to former Animal Price|website=The Northern Echo|date=28 May 2002}}</ref> In 2011, he took part in the Sunderland A.F.C. charity [[Foundation of Light]] event.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dur.ac.uk/dialogue/signposts/students/?itemno=13224|title=Carols of Light charity fundraising event - Durham University|website=Dur.ac.uk}}</ref>

==Discography==
{{Main|Alan Price discography}}

==Awards==
*1974 [[Golden Globe]] nomination for ''[[O Lucky Man!]]''<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/alan-price | title=Alan Price|website=Goldenglobes.com}}</ref>
*1973 BAFTA ([[27th British Academy Film Awards|Anthony Asquith Memorial Award]]) for ''O Lucky Man''<ref name="BAFTA">{{cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1974/film/anthony-asquith-memorial-award|title=Film &#124; Anthony Asquith Memorial Award in 1974|publisher=British Academy of Film and Television Arts|access-date=21 November 2016}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{notelist-ua}}
{{reflist}}

==References==
* Burdon, Eric. ''I Used to Be an Animal, but I'm All Right Now''. Faber and Faber, 1986. {{ISBN|9780571129522}}
* Burdon, Eric (with J. Marshall Craig). ''Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood: A Memoir''. Thunder's Mouth Press, 2001. {{ISBN|1-56025-330-4}}

==External links==
*{{cite web|url=http://www.makingtime.co.uk/animals.html| author=Making Time|title=Alan Price and the Animals|publisher=Making Time.com|access-date=20 January 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090220102152/http://www.makingtime.co.uk/animals.html| archive-date= 20 February 2009 | url-status= live}}
*{{cite web|url=http://alanprice.absoluteelsewhere.net/biography.html| author=Absolute Elsewhere| title=Alan Price (WIP) |publisher=Web Works Unlimited|access-date=21 January 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090204003646/http://alanprice.absoluteelsewhere.net/biography.html| archive-date= 4 February 2009 | url-status= live}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.dawneden.com/price.html |author=[[Dawn Eden Goldstein|Dawn Eden]] |title=Alan Price interview |publisher=Goldmine 1995-12-01 |access-date=20 January 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121153101/http://dawneden.com/price.html |archive-date=21 November 2008}}
*{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p19963|pure_url=yes}}|title=Alan Price full credits|website=[[AllMusic]]| access-date=20 February 2009}}
* {{Discogs artist|Alan Price}}
* {{IMDb name|0696771}}
*{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no2ICU58Cgk|title=Live version of "Rosetta" with Price and Fame|publisher=youtube.com|access-date=3 March 2012}}

{{Navboxes
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{{BAFTA Award for Best Original Music}}
{{1994 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}
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{{The Animals}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Price, Alan}}
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:English male singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:English singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:English keyboardists]]
[[Category:English rock keyboardists]]
[[Category:English rock pianists]]
[[Category:English male organists]]
[[Category:The Animals members]]
[[Category:Parrot Records artists]]
[[Category:Deram Records artists]]
[[Category:Decca Records artists]]
[[Category:Polydor Records artists]]
[[Category:Warner Records artists]]
[[Category:People from Fatfield]]
[[Category:Musicians from Tyne and Wear]]
[[Category:British rhythm and blues boom musicians]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:English male film actors]]
[[Category:English blues singers]]
[[Category:21st-century English organists]]
[[Category:Best Original Music BAFTA Award winners]]