The Zombies

The Zombies were an influential British rock band of the 1960s consisting of Rod Argent (keyboards, vocals), Chris White ( bass), Colin Blunstone (vocals, guitar ), Paul Atkinson ( lead guitar ) and Hugh Grundy (drums). The commercial success of the band was limited, as the sophisticated compositions and arrangements for the musicians at that time were perhaps too advanced. The only hits of the zombies were She's Not There, Tell Her No and Time of the Season.

Band History

The band was founded in 1961 in St Albans, near London, found after some live performances but only in 1964 in a recording studio. Your principal songwriters were approximately equal parts Argent and White.

The career began promisingly with the two hit singles She's Not There and Tell Her No, the other publications, however, flopped including the debut album. The Begin Here -titled work was produced by Ken Jones and appeared in 1965, it consisted of individual, covers -. Among other things, a successful version of Gershwin's Summertime - and further interesting original material as I Remember When I Loved Her, I Can not Make Up My Mind and of Blunstone (almost ) a cappella put forward the Way I Feel Inside. The sound of the record strongly reminiscent of the Beatles, while Argent's organ playing already partially anticipated the Doors.

After more than half a dozen single- flops the band from their old label Decca received no contract extension in June 1967 and moved to CBS. But even before, in April 1968, co-financed self- concept album Odessey and Oracle appeared, the zombies had already dissolved. This second LP did not sell, but is considered in retrospect as a classic. Produced by Argent and White work is stylistically somewhere between the Beach Boys of Pet Sounds - era Procol Harum and and is characterized by harmony vocals, piano and mellotron. The famous typo in the title ( " Odessey " instead of " Odyssey " ) goes back to the designer of the cover. By the critics celebrated the album surfaced today frequently in lists of the " 100 best albums of all time".

When the single release Time Of The Season is late and surprisingly the last hit of the band developed (except in the UK), parts of the zombies found in December 1968 briefly reunited in the studio. A third album with the working title R.I.P. was in the pipeline, which would have passed half of neubearbeiteten Zombies outtakes of Decca phase. Although completed, it remained unpublished at the time, as the band members now had other interests and it soon went their separate ways. The ten pieces were used later as a CD bonus tracks were all assembled for the first time in the CD box set Zombie Heaven and finally published in 2008 as an independent CD release.

Rod Argent had already in 1968 with his cousin Jim Rodford formed the band Argent (whose original members were partially skipped during the RIP pieces ). Chris White also participated as pure songwriters in the new band project. Paul Atkinson was A & R manager at CBS and took, among other Abba under contract. He died in 2004 at the age of 58 years in Santa Monica, California. Hugh Grundy also worked as an A & R man at CBS, but was later moved from the music business. Colin Blunstone started a solo career in 1969 and released three singles under the pseudonym of Neil MacArthur, starting with a contemporary recording of the Zombies hit She's Not There. In 1971, he published under his real name, which henceforth were working nearly every solo projects Argent and White as a musician, producer and songwriter for him.

Reunions

1990 gathered Chris White, Hugh Grundy and Colin Blunstone new musicians around him to pick up as zombies the album The Return of The Zombies (in some countries only appeared in 1991 under the name New World). Rod Argent and Paul Atkinson were involved only as a guest musician.

In 2001, Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent brought as a joint project out the album Out Of The Shadows. On the production and subsequent tour for the album the musicians Mark Johns, Jim Rodford ( Ex-Argent/-Kinks ) and his son Steve Rodford were involved. As Mark Johns also collaborated with Ray Davies at the same time, he was soon replaced by Keith Airey. At the next collaboration of Blunstone and Argent 2004, the old name of the band The Zombies was reactivated for the album As Far As I Can See ....

In 2008, the four surviving original members of the band ( Blunstone, Argent, White and Grundy ) found for a series of live performances together again, in which, among other things - for the first time presented the pieces of Odessey and Oracle album - on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of its appearance were.

2010 into Tom Toomey Keith Airey on guitar and from 2011 published " The Zombies featuring Colin Blunstone & Rod Argent" with Breathe Out, Breathe In another album, which received good reviews everywhere.

Occupation

Founding members

(see table)

Other band members

  • Rick Birkett - guitar (1969 )
  • Sebastian Santa Maria - Keyboards (from 1990)

Occupation 2001-2007

  • Rod Argent - keyboards
  • Colin Blunstone - vocals, guitar
  • Mark Johns and Keith Airey - Guitar
  • Jim Rodford - Bass
  • Steve Rodford - drums

Current occupation

  • Rod Argent
  • Chris White
  • Colin Blunstone
  • Hugh Grundy
  • Keith Airey - guitar (until 2010)
  • Tom Toomey - guitar (from 2010)

Discography

Studio albums:

  • Begin Here ( 1965) ( first album in Europe) The Zombies ( 1965) ( first album in the U.S., some other pieces as Begin Here)

Live albums:

  • Five Live Zombies (1989 )
  • Odessey & Oracle { Revisited } - 40th Anniversary Concert ( 2008)

Compilations:

  • Time of the Zombies (1972 )
  • 1964-1967 (1995 )
  • Zombie Heaven ( 1997) ( 4 CD collection with all the shots from the 1969 resolution)
  • Singles Collection (1964-1969) (2000)
  • The Singles As and Bs (2005)
  • The Ultimate Zombies - Original Hits (2007)
  • Into the Afterlife (2007) (early demos Argent, Blunstone solo material Spezialmixe )
  • R.I.P. (2008)

Singles ( UK):

  • She's Not There / You Make Me Feel Good (1964 )
  • Leave Me Be / Woman ( 1964)
  • Tell Her No / What More Can I Do ( 1965)
  • She's Coming Home / I Must Move ( 1965)
  • Whenever You're Ready / I Love You (1965 )
  • Is This The Dream / Do not Go Away (1965 )
  • Remember You / Just Out Of Reach (1966 )
  • Indication / How We Were Before ( 1966)
  • Gotta Get A Hold Of Myself / The Way I Feel Inside (1966 )
  • Goin ' Out Of My Head / She Does Everything For Me (1967 )
  • Friends Of Mine / Beechwood Park ( 1967)
  • Care Of Cell 44 / Maybe After He's Gone (1967 )
  • Time Of The Season / I'll Call You Mine (1968 )
  • Imagine The Swan / Conversation Off Floral Street (1969 )

Additional U.S. singles:

  • I Want You Back Again / I Remember When I Loved Her ( 1965)
  • Butcher 's Tale / This Will Be Our Year ( 1968)
  • If It Do not Work Out / Do not Cry For Me (1969 )

EP:

  • The Zombies (1965 - Kind of Girl, Sometimes, It's Alright With Me, Summertime )

Solo albums

Colin Blunstone

  • One Year (1971 )
  • Ennismore (1972 )
  • Journey ( 1974)
  • Plan ( 1976)
  • Never Even Thought ( 1978)
  • Late Nights In Soho (1979 )
  • Echo Bridge (1995 )
  • The Light Inside (1998)

Rod Argent

  • Moving Home (1978 )
  • Red House (1988 )
  • Classically Speaking (1999)

Chris White

  • Mouth Music (1976 )

With White Circle:

  • The Key ( 2007)

Argent ( band )

  • Argent (1970 )
  • Ring of Hands ( 1971)
  • All Together Now (1972 )
  • In Deep (1973 )
  • Nexus (1974 )
  • Encore: Live in Concert (1974 )
  • Circus (1975 )
  • Counterpoints (1975 )
Rock music Beat music Singing Bass guitar Chris White (musician) Electric guitar George Gershwin Summertime (song) Decca Records Columbia Records Argent (Band) Discogs Integrated Authority File
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