I Put a Spell on You
It was Hawkins' greatest commercial success, reportedly surpassing a million copies in sales,[5][6] even though it failed to make the Billboard pop or R&B charts.[14] The hit brought Hawkins together with Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed who promptly added him to his "Rock and Roll Revue".Freed suggested a gimmick to capitalize on the "demented" sound of "I Put a Spell on You": Hawkins wore a long cape, and appeared onstage by rising out of a coffin in the midst of smoke and fog.The reason for his departure from the group has been debated; though some sources claim it was a fear of flying stemming from their American tours,[21][22] others claim it was a feud between lead singer Eric Burdon and Price regarding royalties over their 1964 single "The House of the Rising Sun", which solely credited Price as an arranger thus leaving the other members without any payments for the song.[24] Price then decided on beginning a solo career while the Animals recruited a new keyboardist, initially Mick Gallagher for a short tour before settling on Dave Rowberry.[28] Price allegedly came to know about "I Put a Spell on You" through vocalist Chris Farlowe, who had a record collection comprising mostly rhythm and blues along with soul music.In Record Mirror, Peter Jones and Norman Jopling describe the single as having "sepulchral tones" set to the backing of Price's organ.[39] In a blind date for Melody Maker with Barry Fantoni, the record is described as having vocals similar to Eric Burdon.[40] He states that the "minor progressions are great" and ends on the notion that it "deserves to do well" due to its "big sound" reminiscent of James Brown.[44] Unterberger also claims that "I Put a Spell on You" is "his best early performance",[45] "marvellous",[46] while also stating that it was amongst the best British hits not to become big in America.The cover fit Fogerty's voice, whose own manic vocal delivery had much in common with Hawkins' powerful singing style.Scottish singer Annie Lennox recorded her own version of the song in 2013, and released it on September 15, 2014, as the lead single from her sixth studio album, Nostalgia.