Hilton Valentine

Hilton Valentine
Valentine in 1964
Background information
Birth name	Hilton Stewart Paterson Valentine
Born	(1943-05-21)21 May 1943 North Shields,Northumberland,England
Died	29 January 2021(2021-01-29)(aged 77) Connecticut,U.S.
Genres	Rock,blues rock,folk rock
Occupation(s)	Guitarist
Years active	1963–2021
Website	hiltonvalentine

Hilton Stewart Paterson Valentine(21 May 1943 – 29 January 2021) was an Englishskiffleandrock and rollmusician who was the original guitarist inThe Animals.He was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Famein 1994 and into Hollywood’s Rock Walk of Fame in 2001 with the other members of The Animals.

Following The Animals' breakup in 1966, Valentine produced several solo albums includingAll in Your Head(1969) andIt’s Folk ‘N’ Skiffle, Mate!(2004). He also toured New England and participated in several The Animals reunions.

Early life

Valentine was born inNorth Shields,Northumberland,England, and was influenced by the 1950sskifflecraze. His mother bought him his first guitar in 1956 when he was 13, he taught himself some chords from a book calledTeach Yourself a Thousand Chords.

Early career

He continued to develop his musical talent at Tynemouth High School and formed his own skiffle group called the Heppers.They played local gigs and a newspaper described them at the time as, "A young but promising skiffle group". The Heppers eventually evolved into a rock and roll band, the Wildcats in c. 1959. During this period Valentine played a Futurama III solid guitar,this was the UK brandname of importerSelmer,his next guitar was aBurnsVibra-Artiste which he bought in 1960–61.The Wildcats were a popular band in the Tyneside area, getting a lot of bookings for dance halls,working men's clubs,church halls etc., and it was during this period that they decided to record a 10 "acetateLPtitledSounds of the Wild Cats(sic).

Professional career

The Animals

In 1963, the Animals were starting to form andChas Chandlerheard about Hilton Valentine's wild guitar playing and asked him to join what was then theAlan Price Combo.Eric Burdonwas already a member andJohn Steeljoined immediately following Valentine's arrival. Within a few months, this group changed their name to the Animals.

While the Animals are often remembered most for Burdon's vocals and Price'sorgan,Valentine is credited with the electric guitararpeggiointroduction to the Animals' 1964signature song"The House of the Rising Sun",which inspired countless beginner guitarists.It was playedon hisGretschTennesseanguitar which he bought in Newcastle in early 1962 while he was still with the Wildcats, and a Selmer amplifier. Later, in 1964,Rickenbackergave him a 1964 Rose Morris guitar to use along with a 12-string model.Valentine continued to play andrecordwith the Animals, until the first incarnation of the band dissolved in September 1966.

Reunions

In 1977, Valentine rejoined the group and recorded a reunion album calledBefore We Were So Rudely Interrupted.

Along with Eric Burdon, Chas Chandler, Alan Price and John Steel, Valentine was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Famein 1994. Along with the other Animals, Hilton was inducted into Hollywood's Rock Walk of Fame in May 2001.

Later career

After he left The Animals, Valentine moved to California and in 1969 recorded a solo album entitledAll In Your Head,which was not successful.The album was produced and arranged by later Animals memberVic Briggs.Not long after the album was fully complete and released, Valentine then returned to the UK. He released a new album,It's Folk 'n' Skiffle, Mate!in 2004.

From that release until October 2009 he played throughoutNew England,New York andSouth Carolina,with his Skiffledog solo project. As well, from February 2007 to November 2008 Valentine toured with Eric Burdon. In 2011, Valentine released a new album titledSkiffledog on Coburg Streetand a Christmas album withBig Boy Pete Miller(ex-Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers) titledMerry Skifflemas!.

Valentine's last recording was "River Tyne", a 2019 video that celebrated the river close to his boyhood home.

Personal life and death

In his later years, Valentine and his wife Germaine lived inConnecticut,where he died on 29 January 2021 at the age of 77; no cause of death was given. His body was returned to England and is interred at Preston Cemetery and Tynemouth Crematorium, North Shields. He is survived by his wife and daughter.

Legacy

The Animals' version of the "House of the Rising Sun" is generally considered to be the definitive version of the song, and was cited byBob Dylanas one of the reasons why he transitioned from acoustic to electric sound. Speaking of Valentine's opening riff for the song,Ian MacDonaldnoted that "It is one of the most instantly recognizable introductions to one of the most memorable songs of the 60s. A seemingly simple, but technically perfect execution of an on-goingarpeggiofigure over a repeated chord progression in A minor, which countless budding guitarists have tried to emulate over the decades, though rarely with such accuracy and precision. "

Honours

On 16 November 2021, ablue plaquewas placed byNorth Tyneside Councilon Valentine's childhood home at 42 Coburg Street, North Shields, where he lived between 1944 and 1960. The plaque was unveiled by Valentine's widow.

Discography

The Animals

Main article:The Animals discography

Solo

• All in Your Head(1969)
• It’s Folk 'N' Skiffle, Mate!(2004)

See also

• List of guitarists

External links

• Official website
• Skiffledog on Coburg ST
• 2007 Hilton Valentine interview @ Modernguitars
• Hilton Valentine obituary in Best Classic Bands
• Hilton Valentinediscography atDiscogs
• Hilton ValentineatIMDb