Eric Burdon and War--Spill the Wine (1970)

     The band War had it's beginnings with Howard E. Scott and Harold Brown as The Creators in 1963. They added a few more musicians in the next couple of years and spent much of their time playing clubs and absorbing the diverse sounds of the L.A. ghetto. They cut a few singles in 67, then in 68 became the backing band for football player/singer Deacon Jones in 1968, when they also changed their name to Nightshift. 
     Record producer Jerry Goldstein heard the group while out one night, and was impressed by the sound of the group. He suggested the band to Eric Burdon, who's "New Animals" had been disbanded and was considering getting out of the music business entirely. Burdon warmed to the idea of going with a fresh sound and with another name change became Eric Burdon and War.
     They recorded two albums together, and "Spill the Wine" was their first and only top 10 single before Burdon left to follow his muse once again. The group stayed together and had great success throughout the early/middle 70's.