Photo: Wardrums, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
War came together in Long Beach, California, after Eric Burdon connected with a group of local players, and they quickly became their own thing. Their sound pulls R&B and soul into rock, with a loose, road-ready feel that made songs like “Spill the Wine,” “Low Rider,” and “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” stick. They matter because their best records turn everyday city life into something warm, funny, and sharply observed.
Start here
Why Can’t We Be Friends? (1975). It’s an easy entry point because the band sounds fully settled into their mix of R&B, soul, and rock. The title song, “Low Rider,” and “Don’t Let No One Get You Down” are all here, and they show the range from laid-back groove to big, open-hearted hooks.
Biography
War (originally called Eric Burdon and War) is an American funk/soul/rock band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1969.
The band is known for several hit songs in the 1970s (including "Spill the Wine", "The World Is a Ghetto", "The Cisco Kid", "Why Can't We Be Friends?", "Low Rider", and "Summer"). A musical crossover band, War became known for its eclectic blend of different musical styles, an amalgam of the sounds and styles the band members heard living in the racially diverse ghettos of Los Angeles.
Their album The World Is a Ghetto was Billboard's best-selling album of 1973. The band transcended racial and cultural barriers with a multi-ethnic lineup. War was subject to many lineup changes over the course of its existence, leaving member Leroy "Lonnie" Jordan as the only original member in the current lineup; four other members created a new group called the Lowrider Band.
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Studio albums
Discography
Official studio albums and EPs.
- 1996Spill the Wine (Junior Vasquez Remixes)EP
- 1994Peace SignAlbum
- 1983Life (Is So Strange)Album
- 1983The Music Band JazzAlbum
- 1982OutlawAlbum
- 1979The Music BandAlbum
- 1979The Music Band 2Album
- 1977GalaxyAlbum
- 1976Love Is All AroundAlbum
- 1975Why Can’t We Be Friends?Album
- 1973Deliver the WordAlbum
- 1972The World Is a GhettoAlbum
- 1971All Day MusicAlbum
- 1971WarAlbum
- 1970The Black-Man’s BurdonAlbum
- 1970Eric Burdon Declares "War"Album
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