Chasing the Rising Sun
I've been reading Ted Anthony's enjoyable new book from Simon & Schuster, "Chasing the Rising Sun," which is a travel book of sorts about the author's quest to find the origin of the song 'House of the Rising Sun.' The best-known version of the song was recorded by The Animals in 1964, but dozens if not hundreds of other artists have recorded their own versions. I wondered how an entire book could be written about a single song, but there is enough interesting history here to more than merit the treatment he gives it.
I know Anthony and worked with him at the Harrisburg (PA) Patriot-News. He started as an intern out of Penn State University in 1990 and worked into a regular reporting job. From here, he went to Associated Press in 1992. His goal was to be a foreign correspondent in China and cover the British handover of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China. He did both and much more, serving as an AP foreign correspondent in China from 2001-2004 and news editor in Beijing for the last two years he was there.
Anthony devoted more than five years to off-and-on research for this book, his first, and manages to incorporate even China (hilariously) into his quest. But most of his research takes place in the United States, and not just in New Orleans, the locale celebrated (or not) in the song. He traces the modern version of the song to one collected by Library of Congress folk song researcher Alan Lomax in 1937. Lomax recorded 16-year-old Georgia Turner singing "our song" in Middlesboro, Ky. While versions of 'House of the Rising Sun' date back as far as the beginning of the 20th century, it is Turner's version that evolved into New York folk singer Dave Van Ronk's version, which became Bob Dylan's version, which, in 1964, classicly and hauntingly, was recorded by Eric Burdon and the Animals, a band from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England.
Anthony wasn't able to interview Van Ronk or Dylan, but did talk to Burdon at length in New Orleans, where he was staying for a time. Burdon and most of the other band members never got any publishing royalties from the song because it was credited to "Trad: Arr. A. Price." Alan Price was the organist for the Animals, and his playing is heard prominently in the song. He profited handsomely, but Burdon and the others never saw a dime. That hasn't stopped Burdon from performing the song at every concert he gives, and then some. Anthony tells a story about how Burdon wandered into a non-descript and nearly empty Seattle karaoke bar one night and, unannounced and unrecognized, went up and did his song.
The bartender commended Burdon for his performance, offering him a free margarita. "Chasing the Rising Sun" is full of good stories like this, enlivened by Anthony's wry humor and obvious devotion to American pop culture. The danger in reading it is that you won't be able to get the song out of your head.