Eric Is Here is a 1967 album billed to Eric Burdon & The Animals, although the actual bands with Burdon are the Benny Golson orchestra and the Horace Ott Orchestra. History The album was released in the United States only, by MGM Records, during the gap between the time that the original incarnation of The Animals broke up, and the new incarnation, billed as Eric Burdon & The Animals, was being formed. The "new" Animals were formed in November 1966, though MGM chose to focus on Eric Is Here during the initial period of the band's formation and performing career, releasing "Help Me Girl" as a single in December 1966, and the album Eric Is Here in March 1967. Eric Is Here featured Burdon and drummer Barry Jenkins recording the works of various pop songwriters, accompanied by the orchestras of Benny Golson and Horace Ott, with arrangements by Ott and Golson. Ott had co-written "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", which had been a 1965 hit for The Animals. Golson had previously co-led, with Art Farmer, The Jazztet. At the time of recording the album, Golson had given up jazz and was concentrating on orchestral work, as well as contributing to the music of various television series. It is possible that some members of the first incarnation Animals were present during the sessions, or that the record included material previously recorded by the group. Song backgrounds "Help Me Girl" reached No. 29 in the US and No. 14 on Decca F12502 in the UK. The Outsiders also had a version of the song, which hit No. 37 in the UK. "It's Not Easy" was also a No. 95 hit for the pop group The Will O Bees. It was composed by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, who co-authored the Animals' earlier hit "We Gotta Get Out of This Place." "The Biggest Bundle of Them All" was featured on the soundtrack for the movie of the same name, with an alternate version of the song in the film. "This Side of Goodbye" is the Gerry Goffin and Carole King composition "On This Side of Goodbye", originally recorded by The Righteous Brothers (1966). Track listing Side one "In the Night" (Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart) 2:28 (Arranged and conducted by Horace Ott) "Mama Told Me Not to Come" (Randy Newman) 2:15 (Arranged and conducted by Horace Ott) "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today" (Randy