Sky Pilot (pt.1) - Eric Burdon & the Animals (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)

Sky Pilot (Eric Burdon & the Animals, 1968). Live performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2021-01-14. "Keeping the Oldies Alive"

Eric Burdon and the Animals released "Sky Pilot" in 1968 as a 7:27 minute single; however, the song had to be cut into two parts to fit onto a 45 rpm record, hence part 1 and part 2 (songfacts.com, 2020). "Sky Pilot (pt. 1)" reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (Whitburn, 2008), which is the version I perform here. Because of its length, the record did not get as much airplay as other anti-war songs of the time (alphahistory.com, 2018). The song focuses on a military chaplain who provides the troops with spiritual guidance before they head off to war. Interestingly, the term Sky Pilot does not refer to airmen, but instead to these military Chaplins (alphahistory.com, 2018). This song was the Animals 10th top 20 hit in the US (Whitburn, 2008). The same year, the Animals disbanded (Whitburn, 2008).

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