<P> It has often been said they were dubbed "animals" because of their wild stage act, and the name stuck . In a 2013 interview, Eric Burdon denied this, stating it came from a gang of friends they used to hang out with, one of whom was "Animal" Hogg and the name was intended as a kind of tribute to him . The Animals' success in their hometown and a connection with Yardbirds manager Giorgio Gomelsky motivated them to move to London in 1964 in the immediate wake of Beatlemania and the beat boom take - over of the popular music scene, just in time to play an important role in the so - called British Invasion of the US music charts . </P> <P> The Animals performed fiery versions of the staple rhythm and blues repertoire, covering songs by Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker, Nina Simone, and others . Signed to EMI's Columbia label, a rocking version of the standard "Baby Let Me Follow You Down" (retitled "Baby Let Me Take You Home") was their first single . </P> <P> It was followed in June 1964 by the transatlantic number one hit "House of the Rising Sun". Burdon's howling vocals and the dramatic arrangement, featuring Alan Price's haunting organ riffs, created arguably the first folk rock hit . There is ongoing debate regarding the Animals' inspiration for their arrangement of the song, which has variously been ascribed to prior versions by Bob Dylan, folk singer Dave Van Ronk, blues singer Josh White (who recorded it twice in 1944 and 1949), and singer / pianist Nina Simone (who recorded it in 1962 on Nina at the Village Gate) </P> <P> It has been said that the intense arrangement of the song owes much to their desire to be the most memorable band on the multi-act tours of the U.K. they were booked on in the early days . The repeating guitar riff and Burdon's screaming vocals did seem to ensure that of all the bands a crowd might see, the Animals were the group that people couldn't stop talking about and the song the one they couldn't get out of their heads . </P>

Who had a hit in 1964 with the house of the rising sun
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