Was it The Doors???
2007-02-09 13:46:22 · 9 answers · asked by vinyl_chloride_9 1 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Music
Folklorist Alan Lomax, author of the seminal 1941 songbook Our Singing Country, wrote that the melody was taken from a traditional English ballad and the lyrics written by a pair of Kentuckians named Georgia Turner and Bert Martin.
So sayeth Wikipedia
Bob Dylan recorded a version of the AMERICAN FOLK SONG
Eric Burdon and the Animals made a hit of it in 1964 or 1965
2007-02-09 13:48:52 · answer #1 · answered by WhatAmI? 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Which version? House of the Rising Sun in the version most people know is by The Animals.
The original lyrics is very close, but it's sung be a female playing the prostitute at House of the Rising Sun. Obviously the Animals had to either change the lyrics or get a female singer.
You can find the original lyrics, writer information here. The Music itself comes from a traditional English ballad.
2007-02-09 14:01:31 · answer #2 · answered by gregory_dittman 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good question!
The others are correct in quoting it as deriving from old English sources. - "In the United States, The Rising Sun, a song with roots in 17th century British folk melody -- the rising sun has been a longtime symbol for brothels in British and American ballads -- circulated widely among Southern musicians, black and white."
"Black bluesman Texas Alexander first recorded it in 1928. [Roy] Acuff [who commercially recorded the song on Nov 3, 1938] may have learned this number from such neighboring Smoky Mountain artists as versatile entertainer Clarence Tom Ashley or the Callahan Brothers, an influential duet team of the '30s and '40s."
I have a version by Woodie Guthrie, but am not sure when he recorded it.
2007-02-09 13:58:33 · answer #3 · answered by mattzcoz 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As a classic American folk song, it is difficult to say who the original artist was. There are many theories on it. Though the authorship of the song is questionable, the oldest known existing recording is by Clarence Ashley and Gwen Foster and was released in 1934.
Many other artists have gone on to make their versions of it including The Animals, Joan Baez and most recently, Shawn Mullins.
2007-02-09 14:01:31 · answer #4 · answered by trinity_essence_of_femininity 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Animals
2007-02-09 13:49:06 · answer #5 · answered by Miss 61348 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The Animals and Eric Bourdon in the mid 60's made the version you want.
the original was a old ***** blues song from the early 20th century
2007-02-09 13:55:42 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Eric Byrdon and the Animals.
2007-02-09 13:48:51 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
No it wasn't the Doors.... For some reason I thought it was "alabama" but i'm really not sure.
2007-02-09 13:49:53 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋
yes
2007-02-09 13:48:42 · answer #9 · answered by cuhemafa 2 · 0⤊ 5⤋