Once in awhile, a cover comes along that absolutely knocks you on your ass! Well, this is one of those covers. The Animals are a great band who is probably best known for the song, “House of the Rising Sun” but they have another great song called “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.”
While researching “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” I actually discovered that though the Animals made this song popular, they are not the original artists! The same is true for “House of the Rising Sun.” The song is actually a folk song that many believe to date back several centuries but the first known recording was by Clarence “Tom” Ashley. If you read the comments under the song, you’ll find that there are many theories as to who recorded it and when. So I guess you could say that the Animals’ most popular songs aren’t even theirs! Those frauds! Oh well; they made these songs their own and for the sake of this blog, we will cover Santa Esmeralda’s cover of the Animals’ cover!
Horace Ott, Bennie Benjamin and Sol Marcus wrote the song (though Ott credited his wife Gloria Caldwell since the song was inspired by a temporary falling out between the two) for Nina Simone, who performs the song beautifully.
But the Animals made “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” famous. They added their own flavor to the song by featuring electric guitar and cryptic organs while speeding up the tempo. This gave the song a more rock and roll sound on top of their bluesy sound. Lead singer Eric Burdon’s voice only makes this version more amazing, especially when you see what he actually looks like. His strong, almost mournful voice doesn’t seem to match his baby face.
Now on to the knocking-you-on-your-ass part. As I said, the Animals are a great band, but DAMN! Santa Esmeralda and Leroy Gomez’s disco/Spanish twist on the song is freakin’ amazing! I’m a sucker for horns and some good Spanish guitar. Throw in an awesome guitar solo/melody and soul claps and you have yourself a hit!
I first heard the song on “Kill Bill, Vol. 1” so it probably sounds familiar to you. A ten minute version of the song is featured on the soundtrack (believe it or not, that’s not even the entire version) and it is by far my favorite song from both movie’s soundtracks.
The song was released in 1977 so along with Spanish flair, Santa Esmeralda’s version has the perfect dance beat for when you’re working off your buzz on the dance floor at the local discotheque. The bridge quiets things down a bit with a bit of bongos and soul claps but some funky guitars and loud horns speed up the pace and get you going all over again! But watch out! This isn’t just any ol’ version of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” The song also incorporates an added original piece called “Esmeralda Suite” which basically consists of Leroy Gomez calling out Esmeralda’s name over some beautiful strings. After a bit of pining for his gal, the protagonist gets back into the cover song in question.
You definitely have to be in tip-top shape to shake your ass to this ten minute song (I gotta find the 16-minute complete version), but it’s totally worth working up a sweat. Seriously, I LOVE this song. I think it’s amazing and worth giving a try because it pumps me up for anything whenever I hear it. It’s completely different from the Animals’ version and I hesitate to say … It’s better! Although, it’s pretty difficult to say something is better than something else when it doesn’t even seem like it’s the same song.
On another note, did you ever think you’d learn anything at EnterTheShell.com? Who knew that the origins of “House of the Rising Sun” would turn into a history lesson? Or that the Animals’ most famous songs aren’t even really theirs? Ah, the joys of music opening up new doors for our brains!
The Animals – “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”
Santa Esmeralda – “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”
Bonus: Santa Esmeralda performing “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” on some awesome TV special in the 70s!
Bonus, Pt. Deux: Nina Simone performing “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” (is it me or does she seem bitter when she mentions the Animals?)