The Eric Burdon Band – Sun Secrets

Sun Secrets is an album by the Eric Burdon Band recorded in 1973 and released in December 1974.

It includes some re-recordings of well-known songs, with which lead singer Eric Burdon topped the charts a few years ago. The band included Aalon Butler on guitar, Randy Rice on bass, and Alvin Taylor on drums.

The tracks “The Real Me”, “Ring Of Fire” and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” were also released as singles. The album went to #51 on the Billboard album charts in 1975.

The group formed in 1971 after Burdon had left his previous band War to record a blues-jazz album with the great Jimmy Witherspoon. They recorded the Guilty album together and then, without Witherspoon, recorded the Stop album.

Sun Secrets was released without the authorization of Eric Burdon, but in any case the album is nothing to embarrass him artistically. At around 24 minutes per side, Sun Secrets may be a long way from The Black Man’s Burdon and War beats, but it’s still an excellent album. As Mountain guitarist Leslie West did a year after leaving the group to form the Leslie West Band, Burdon packs a punch with an album rocking harder than both Animals and War.

Besides being innovative and revamped, it’s also quite enjoyable, not only to hear this three-piece group, but to play along behind Burdon as he performs classic Animals tracks like “When I Was Young,” “It’s My Life,” or the ala Hendrix/Cream guitar version of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” but the title track instrumental as well.

The tragedy of the whole affair is that, according to the singer’s biography, Burdon did not want to release this material. The master tapes were signed to Capitol Records and released without his permission. It was produced by Jerry Goldstein under the name “rehearsal tapes”.

Capitol released two different versions of this record, the full commercial LP and one titled “Radio Programming Aid” which contained various rehearsals of all the tracks except the 13-minute long “Letter From The County Farm”. It is heartbreaking to read about this artist’s anguish during these recordings and tours from this period of his life, but it is also refreshing to hear these rhythms with which Eric Burdon, under adverse circumstances, he was still at the top of the artistic firmament.

Through this powerful rock album we select the track “It’s My Life”.

Tracklist

A1. It’s My Life 4:43
A2. Ring Of Fire 6:09
A3. Medley : When I Was Young / War Child 8:25
A4. The Real Me 3:33
B1. Medley : Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood / Nina’s School 8:18
B2. Letter From The Country Farm 12:58
B3. Sun Secrets 3:00