Busy times for veteran singer
It’s a period of heightened activity for Eric Burdon. An autobiography, «Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,» has just been released, and the veteran singer has also just put out a new album, «My Secret Life,» his first with fresh material in almost two decades. Burdon, who was at the forefront of the British Invasion in the 1960s with the Animals and then went on to lead another great band, the funk-fusion act War, is currently touring in support of his new album and autobiography. Already here to present the book at a promotional event in the capital today, Burdon will perform two shows, at the Ydrogeios Club in Thessaloniki on Friday and the Gagarin 205 club in Athens the following evening. Just days prior to his arrival, Burdon, while in Italy, spoke to Kathimerini. It’s taken nearly two decades for new material. The reason is because I hadn’t found the appropriate people to work with. And I didn’t like the idea of collaborating with a machine. In your autobiography, you describe an unrelenting music industry. Is this one of the reasons behind your withdrawal? The music industry can stifle you. A song, whether good or bad, will stick in the mind if it gets continuous airplay. On the other hand, good compositions by unknowns may never manage to get airplay. That’s because conglomerates are behind radio stations, and they decide what gets played and what doesn’t. Unfortunately, the same goes for film. A sector you’ve been closely associated with. Yes, but things aren’t healthy there nowadays. I’m writing a script but don’t know what its fate will be. How did the new album’s title come about? When I was at school, there was a book by Frank Harris with the same title, about a young lover’s experiences. I liked the title a lot and it was always at the back of my mind. I’ve now found the opportunity to use it. In the book’s final chapter, you write about your visits to Athens and your experience of locals. Athens is chaotic, noisy and polluted. I don’t think I could live in this city, but, then again, Los Angeles is a lot like that, too. My extensive traveling saves me from it all. I like to take off with my motorbike or car and travel. As for the Greeks, I like the fact that they enjoy being Greek. One could say the Canadians do as well, without the historical background. By contrast, I don’t think the Americans do.
