I featured the Nina Simone version of this song, which is the original recording of this haunting ballad. ( I thought it was the other way around!)
It was Eric Burdon and his group that put the song on the charts, reaching Number 3 in 1965 in the UK Charts and Number 15 in the USA.
Here's some background, from Wikipedia:
Composers: Bennie Benjamin, Gloria Caldwell, Sol Marcus
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" was one of five songs involving the writing of Benjamin and Marcus, presented for Nina Simone's 1964 album Broadway-Blues-Ballads. There, it is taken at a very slow tempo and arranged around harp and other orchestral elements; a backing choir appears at several points. Simone sings it in her usual hard-to-categorize style. Horace Ott's involvement did not end with his initial songwriting; he was the arranger and orchestral conductor for the entire album. Backed with "A Monster", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" was released as a single in 1964, but failed to chart.
To some writers, this "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" carried the subtext of the American Civil Rights Movement that concerned much of Simone's work of the time; while to others, this was more personal, and was the song, and phrase, that best exemplified Simone's career and life.
... and Elvis Costello introduced me to the song in the mid 80s (http://ianevans2.multiply.com/journal/item/36/Three_of_the_Best..._Cover_Versions_by_Elvis_Costello)
ReplyDeletehe took the tension of The Animals version and turned it up a notch!
You're right on there, Ian. EC's version was a worthy addition indeed. Thanks for reminding me.
ReplyDeleteTo me The Animals did the best rendition of this song. It is a classic. As much as I love EC his version cannot touch Eric Bergman and the gang.
ReplyDeleteTakes me back....the Animals were one of the best British bands of the 1960s I think. I remember seeing them during their post hippy phase at an all nighter in Birmingham around 1969 when their brilliant San Francisco Nights was their most recent hit. By that time the line up had changed, bassist Chas Chandler was by then managing Jimi Hendrix and keyboard player Alan Price was playing MOR hits with his own band. I used to like the way Eric Burden's Geordie accent could be heard in his singing 'Young chaild, old chaild ..will be alright on a warm San Francisco Night
ReplyDelete'Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood' is the title of Burden's autobiography (which I haven't yet read) but he is still at it.....currently touring North America in the 'Hippiefest' tour (playing the Molson Amphitheater Toronto tomorrow night). Great track.... thanks for posting it Doug.
Thanks for the updates on Burdon on the recent tour...must have been great to see these guys, with slight personnel changes, back in Birmingham. I been wanting to get to Burdon's book myself...heard him interviewed a few months ago on public radio and he had a lot of interesting things to say about his experiences in America--especially how pop music fame, guns and drugs are not always an ideal trifecta in a happy life. Seems like he's out of the woods now, and I'm happy he's still performing.
ReplyDelete