Eric Is Here

History

The album was released in the United States only, by MGM Records, during the gap between the time that the original incarnation of The Animals broke up, and the new incarnation, billed as Eric Burdon & The Animals, was created. Eric Is Here featured Burdon and drummer Barry Jenkins recording the works of various pop songwriters, accompanied by an orchestra; it is possible that some members of the first incarnation Animals were present during the sessions.

Song backgrounds

"Help Me Girl" reached No. 29 in the US and No. 14 on Decca F12502 in the UK. The Outsiders also had a version of the song, which hit No. 37 in the UK.

"It's Not Easy" was also a No. 95 hit for the pop group The Will O Bees. It was composed by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, who co-authored the Animals' earlier hit "We Gotta Get Out of This Place."

"The Biggest Bundle of Them All" was featured on the soundtrack for the movie of the same name, with an alternate version of the song in the film.

"This Side of Goodbye" is the Gerry Goffin and Carole King composition "On This Side of Goodbye", originally recorded by The Righteous Brothers (1966).

Side one

1. "In the Night" (Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart) 2:28
2. "Mama Told Me Not to Come" (Randy Newman) 2:15
3. "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today" (Randy Newman) 2:01
4. "This Side of Goodbye" (Gerry Goffin, Carole King) 3:24
5. "That Ain't Where It's At" (Martin Siegel) 2:58
6. "True Love (Comes Only Once in a Lifetime)" (Bob Haley, Nevel Nader) 2:33

Side two

1. "Help Me Girl" (Scott English, Larry Weiss) 2:39
2. "Wait Till Next Year" (Randy Newman) 2:15
3. "Losin' Control" (Carl D'Errico, Roger Atkins) 2:45
4. "It's Not Easy" (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil) 3:07
5. "The Biggest Bundle of Them All" (Ritchie Cordell, Sol Trimachi) 2:11
6. "It's Been a Long Time Comin'" (Jimmy Radcliffe, Joey Brooks) 2:42

Personnel

Additional Personnel