Eric Burdon Declares "War" is the first of two original albums by American band Eric Burdon and War, released on MGM Records in April 1970. It peaked at number 18 on record charts in the USA, number 50 in the UK, and number 7 in Australia.[citation needed] The back cover includes this declaration: "We the People, have declared War against the People, for the right to love each other". The album received a gold record award.[citation needed]
In 1981, LA Records (producer Jerry Goldstein's own label) reissued the album under the title Spill the Wine.[6] It has also been reissued under its original title on CD by Avenue / Rhino Records.
Cover art
The cover, credited to The Visual Thing (with Burdon credited for the concept), depicts two disembodied but joined arms, one white and one black, both giving a three finger salute, similar to the peace sign which uses two fingers. The three fingers may represent the letter "w" in the word "war". This salute was also used on the cover of a future album, War. The use of a background sun also appears as a recurring theme on both front and back covers of The Black-Man's Burdon and the inner sleeve of Deliver the Word.
