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The Animals’ 1965 hit “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” is this week’s Song of the Week.

The Animals had achieved their first chart success in 1964, including their smash hit “The House of the Rising Sun”, and were at the height of their powers when “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” was released in July 1965. The song was released two months later in the US and a different take was mistakenly used for the US single.

The US version of “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” also appeared as the lead track on the Animals’ third US album, “Animal Tracks”, which brought together the group’s recent hit singles and a number of other tracks that hadn’t made it onto their first two US albums. The album was released in September 1965 and should not be confused with the UK album of the same name released in May 1965. The two albums have only two tracks in common, namely “Roberta” and “For Miss Caulker.”

“We Gotta Get Out of This Place” is notable for its classic bass intro and lead singer Eric Burdon’s brilliantly varied vocals. The lyrical content and dark mood of the song made it an anthem for soldiers serving in Vietnam.

“The Animals – “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” (UK version)

Authorship

“We Gotta Get Out of This Place” was written by the legendary husband and wife songwriting team Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and originally intended for the Righteous Brothers for whom the pair had already written “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'”. Mann was also intent on recording the song himself, but the Animals got there first after they were sent the demo by their manager Mickie Most.

Recording details

“We Gotta Get Out of This Place” was recorded on June 15, 1965. “I Can’t Believe It”, which was written by Eric Burdon, was recorded on the same day and would become the B-side.

Musicians

The following musicians appeared on “We Gotta Get Out of This Place”:

• Eric Burdon – vocals
• Dave Rowberry – keyboards
• Hilton Valentine – guitar
• Chas Chandler – bass
• John Steel – drums.

The Animals’ original keyboard player, Alan Price, had left the band the previous month due to personal and musical differences, as well as fear of flying on tour.

Bassist Chas Chandler went on to manage and produce Jimi Hendrix.

Chart performance

“We Gotta Get Out of This Place”, backed with “I Can’t Believe It”, reached number 13 in the US and number two in both the UK and Canada.

The album on which “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” appeared, “Animal Tracks”, peaked at number 57 on the US album chart.

Covers

Blue Öyster Cult – “We Gotta Get Out of This Place”

Blue Öyster Cult included the song on their live album “Some Enchanted Evening” in 1978. Eric Bloom’s lead vocals are strongly influenced by Eric Burdon’s approach.

Bon Jovi – “We Gotta Get Out of This Place”

Bon Jovi performed a strong version of “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” as part of a medley with “It’s My Life” on their 1992 appearance on MTV Unplugged.

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The Angels – “We Gotta Get Out of This Place”

Australian rockers The Angels featured “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” on their 1986 album “Howling”. Their guitar-driven cover, complete with saxophone instrumental, is a good effort.

There will be a new Song of the Week on November 8.

“We Gotta Get Out of This Place” is available on several compilations including “Best of the Animals”. The US single version is on the 2004 compilation “The Animals – Retrospective.”

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