Eric Burdon Declares "War"

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[3]

Eric Burdon Declares "War" is the first of two original albums by funk band Eric Burdon and War, released on MGM Records in April 1970. It peaked at number 18 on record charts in the USA, number 50 in the UK, and number 7 in Australia. The back cover includes this declaration: "We the People, have declared War against the People, for the right to love each other". The album received a gold record award.

In 1981, LA Records (producer Jerry Goldstein's own label) reissued the album under the title Spill the Wine.^[4] It has also been reissued under its original title on CD by Avenue / Rhino Records.

Cover art

The cover, credited to The Visual Thing (with Burdon credited for the concept), depicts two disembodied but joined arms, one white and one black, both giving a three finger salute, similar to the peace sign which uses two fingers. The three fingers may represent the letter "w" in the word "war". This salute was also used on the cover of a future album, War. The use of a background sun also appears as a recurring theme on both front and back covers of The Black-Man's Burdon and the innersleeve of Deliver the Word.

Track listing

All tracks written by War (Papa Dee Allen, Harold Brown, Eric Burdon, B.B. Dickerson, Lonnie Jordan, Charles Miller, Lee Oskar, Howard E. Scott) except where noted. Note: Memphis Slim composed music under the name of Peter Chatman which was actually his father's name; on the original album the composer credit is misprinted as "P. Chapman".

Side one

"The Vision of Rassan" - 7:40
1. "Dedication"" – 2:33
2. "Roll on Kirk" – 5:07
"Tobacco Road" - 13:44
1. "Tobacco Road" (John D. Loudermilk) – 3:47
2. "I Have a Dream" – 6:39
3. "Tobacco Road" (Loudermilk) – 3:58

Side two

"Spill the Wine" – 4:38
"Blues for Memphis Slim" - 13:30 (individual times not accurate)
1. "Birth" – 1:31
2. "Mother Earth" (Peter Chatman) – 2:46
3. "Mr. Charlie" – 3:05
4. "Danish Pastry" – 3:18
5. "Mother Earth" (Chatman) – 2:28
"You're No Stranger" (Thomas C Carter) – 1:55

Personnel

Eric Burdon – lead vocals
Lee Oskar – harmonica
Charles Miller – tenor sax, flute
Howard Scott – guitar, backing vocals
Lonnie Jordan – organ, piano
Bee Bee Dickerson – bass, backing vocals
Harold Brown – drums
Dee Allen – conga, percussion

Production

Jerry Goldstein – producer
Chris Huston – engineer

References

^ Eric Burdon Declares "War" at AllMusic
^ Steve Hochman (1999). Popular Musicians. Salem Press. p. 1138. ISBN 978-0-89356-990-7.
^ Allmusic review
^ Umphred, Neal, Goldmine Price Guide to Collectibble Record Albums, Fifth Edition, 1996; but note that Umphred misreads label name as "Lax"

[1] Eric Burdon Declares "War" at AllMusic

[Hochman1999-2] Steve Hochman (1999). Popular Musicians. Salem Press. p. 1138. ISBN 978-0-89356-990-7.

[3] Allmusic review

[4] Umphred, Neal, Goldmine Price Guide to Collectibble Record Albums, Fifth Edition, 1996; but note that Umphred misreads label name as "Lax"

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