"House Of The Rising Sun" (Traditional) - Frijid Pink; Parrot label, # 7 Billboard Hot 100 - 1970. Inducted in 2009.
Although Frijid Pink may not immediately come to mind when the subject of Detroit rock and roll is brought up, the band had a bigger hit single and a bigger hit album than most of its better-known Motor City brethern. The band was formed in 1967, and they were originally called the Detroit Vibrations.
After changing their name to Frijid Pink, the band signed with Parrot Records in 1969. Following the release of two singles that were minor regional hits, Parrot to put out "House Of The Rising Sun" as a single on the advice of Paul Cannon, program director of Detroit's powerful radio station WKNR.
Frijid Pink's rousing, guitar-drenched version of the Animals' 1964 hit, "House Of The Rising Sun", was recorded in just one take and was at first considered just filler for their eponymous LP, "Frijid Pink". The song got such a strong response from both AM and FM radio, however, that it became the band's only Top Ten hit after Parrot released it as a single early in 1970.
"House Of The Rising Sun" was an even bigger smash for the band in Germany where it reached # 1 and stayed at the top of that country's chart for 11 weeks. It was also a hit in Canada at # 3 and in Great Britain, where it peaked at # 4. The presence of the song on their debut LP also helped push "Frijid Pink" to # 11 on the Billboard Pop Album chart.
