Eric Burdon And War - Eric Burdon Declares War (1970)

Eric Burdon Declares "War" is the first of two original albums by funk band Eric Burdon and War, released on MGM Records in April 1970. 

It peaked at number 18 on record charts in the USA, number 50 in the UK, and number 7 in Australia. 

The back cover includes this declaration: "We the People, have declared War against the People, for the right to love each other". 

The album received a gold record award.

The debut effort by Eric Burdon and War was an erratic effort that hinted at more potential than it actually delivered. 

Three of the five tunes are meandering blues-jazz-psychedelic jams, two of which, "Tobacco Road" and "Blues for Memphis Slim," chug along for nearly 15 minutes. 

These showcase the then-unknown War's funky fusion, and Burdon's still-impressive vocals, but suffer from a lack of focus and substance. "Spill the Wine," on the other hand, is inarguably the greatest moment of the Burdon-fronted lineup. 

Not only was this goofy funk, shaggy-dog story one of the most truly inspired off-the-wall hit singles of all time, it was War's first smash -- and Eric Burdon's last. 

The odd closing track, a short piece of avant-garde sentimentality called "You're No Stranger," was deleted from re-releases of this album for years. 

All tracks written by War (Papa Dee Allen, Harold Brown, Eric Burdon, B.B. Dickerson, Lonnie Jordan, Charles Miller, Lee Oskar, Howard E. Scott) except where noted. Note: Memphis Slim composed music under the name of Peter Chatman which was actually his father's name; on the original album the composer credit is misprinted as "P. Chapman".

 

Side one

1. "The Vision of Rassan" - 7:40
   1. "Dedication"" – 2:33
   2. "Roll on Kirk" – 5:07
2. "Tobacco Road" - 14:24
1. "Tobacco Road"  (John D. Loudermilk) – 3:47
2. "I Have a Dream" – 6:39
3. "Tobacco Road"  (Loudermilk) – 3:58

Side two

1. "Spill the Wine" – 4:38
2. "Blues for Memphis Slim" - 13:08
   1. "Birth" – 1:31
   2. "Mother Earth"   (Peter Chatman) – 2:46
   3. "Mr. Charlie" – 3:05
   4. "Danish Pastry" – 3:18
   5. "Mother Earth"  (Chatman) – 2:28
3. "You're No Stranger"  (Thomas C Carter) – 1:55

Personnel

• Eric Burdon – lead vocals
• Lee Oskar – harmonica
• Charles Miller – tenor saxophone, flute
• Howard Scott – guitar, backing vocals
• Lonnie Jordan – organ, piano
• Bee Bee Dickerson – bass, backing vocals
• Harold Brown – drums
• Dee Allen – conga, percussion

Production

• Jerry Goldstein – producer
• Chris Huston – engineer

Companies, etc.

• Record Company – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.
• Produced For – Far Out Productions
• Pressed By – H.V. Waddell Co.
• Printed By – Far Out Productions, Inc.
• Published By – Far Out Music, Inc.
• Published By – Cedarwood Music
• Published By – Arc Music
• Manufactured By – Far Out Productions, Inc.
• Manufactured By – MGM Records Division

Credits

• Art Direction – Bob Gordon 
• Composed By – John D. Loudermilk (tracks: A3, A5), P. Chapman (tracks: B3, B6), War (tracks: A1, A2, A4, B1, B2, B4, B5, B7)
• Design – The Visual Thing
• Drums – Harold Brown
• Engineer – Chris Huston
• Photography By – George Meyzunger
• Producer – Jerry Goldstein

Notes

Released:  April 1970 

Recorded:  January 2–4, 1970 at Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco, California 

Genre:  Funk rock, psychedelia

Length:  41:45 

Label - MGM Records

Eric Burdon And War - Love Is All Around (1976)

When War debuted as Eric Burdon's backing band in the late '60s, they were on ABC-Paramount. The group was still hot in 1976, and ABC reissued vault material from their early days in a deceptive package trying to coast on the band's hitmaker status. The album deservedly flopped, and ABC's clumsy attempt failed.

“Love Is All Around” is an album by Eric Burdon and War (credited as "War featuring Eric Burdon" on the original edition). Released in 1976 on ABC Records, it contains tracks recorded during the band's brief existence from 1969 to 1971, but not found on their two albums from 1970. Many years later it was reissued on CD by Avenue Records; this edition restores the original group name, Eric Burdon and War. Only two tracks had been released previously: "Magic Mountain" was the B-side to "Spill the Wine"; and "Home Dream", though performed by Eric Burdon and War, appeared in 1971 on the album Guilty by Eric Burdon and Jimmy Witherspoon. Of the remaining tracks, the title track had not been previously released in any form; "Tobacco Road" is an alternate and shorter version of the John D. Loudermilk song which appeared on Eric Burdon and War's first album, Eric Burdon Declares "War"; "A Day in the Life" is a previously unreleased cover version of the song by The Beatles; and "Paint It Black" is a live version (Whiskey, Los Angeles, September 8, 1969) of the group's suite arrangement of the song by The Rolling Stones which appeared in a studio version on Eric Burdon and War's second album, The Black-Man's Burdon. In 1977, "Magic Mountain" and an edited version of "Home Dream" were issued as a single.

Track listing

1. "Love Is All Around"  (War)  - 4:12
2. "Tobacco Road"  (John D. Loudermilk)  - 6:30
3. "Home Dream"  (Burdon)  - 7:15
4. "Magic Mountain"  (War, Jerry Goldstein)  - 4:18
5. "A Day in the Life"  (John Lennon, Paul McCartney)  - 11:05
6. "Paint It Black Medley"  (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards)  - 10:09

Credits
Eric Burdon – vocals, percussion
Papa Dee Allen – conga, bongos, percussion, vocals
Harold Brown – drums, percussion, vocals
B.B. Dickerson – bass, vocals
Lonnie Jordan – organ, piano, vocals
Charles Miller – tenor, baritone, and alto saxes, percussion, vocals, flute
Lee Oskar – harmonica, percussion, vocals
Howard Scott – guitar, vocals
Jerry Goldstein, Lonnie Jordan, Howard Scott – producer

Notes
Recorded: 1969–70
Genre:  Psychedelic Soul, Funk Rock
Length:  47:19
Label:  ABC Records

© 1976