The Zombies are an iconic British rock band. The peak of the group's popularity was in the mid-1960s. It was then that the tracks occupied leading positions in the charts of America and the UK.
Odessey and Oracle is an album that has become a real gem of the band's discography. Longplay entered the list of the best albums of all time (according to Rolling Stone).
Many call the group "pioneer". The musicians of the group managed to soften the aggressiveness of the British beat, which was set by the band members. The Beatles, into smooth melodies and exciting arrangements. It cannot be said that the band's discography is rich and varied. Despite this, the musicians have contributed to the development of such a genre as rock.
The history of the creation and composition of the group The Zombies
The team was formed in 1961 by friends Rod Argent, Paul Atkinson and Hugh Grundy in a small provincial town not far from London. At the time of the formation of the group, the musicians were in high school.
Each of the members of the team "lived" music. In one of the later interviews, the musicians admitted that they did not plan to "promote" the group seriously. They just liked the amateur game, but later this hobby was already at a professional level.
The first training sessions showed that the band lacked a bass player. Soon the band was joined by musician Paul Arnold, and everything fell into place. It was thanks to Arnold that The Zombies went to a whole new level. The fact is that the musician brought vocalist Colin Blunstone to the band.
Paul Arnold did not stay long as part of the team. When The Zombies began active touring, he left the project. Soon his place was taken by Chris White. The guys began their creative path by singing popular hits of the 1950s. Among them was Gershwin's immortal composition Summertime.
Two years after the creation of the group, it became known that the guys were going to disband the lineup. The fact is that each of them graduated from high school and planned to get a higher education. The creation of professional sound recordings was the lifeline that helped The Zombies to continue their creative path.
Soon the band won the music competition The Herts Beat Contest. This made the musicians more recognizable, but most importantly, Decca Records offered the young band to sign their first contract.
Signing with Decca Records
When the band's musicians got acquainted with the terms of the contract, it turned out that they could record one single at a professional recording studio. The band originally planned to record Gershwin's Summertime. But within a few weeks, at the insistence of producer Ken Jones, Rod Argent took up writing his own composition. As a result, the musicians recorded the track She's Not There. The composition hit all kinds of music charts in the country and became a hit.
On the wave of popularity, the guys recorded the second single. The work was called Leave Me Be. Unfortunately, the composition turned out to be a “failure”. The situation was corrected by the single Tell Her No. The song topped the US chart.
After recording three singles, the band went on tour with Patti LaBelle and the Bluebells and Chuck Jackson. The team was joyfully greeted by fans of heavy music. Concerts were held with great "furor". The work of the British rock band was well received in Japan and the Philippines. When the musicians returned to their homeland, they suddenly realized that Decca Records, having released only one longplay, began to forget about their existence.
In the mid-1960s, the band's debut album was presented. The album was called Begin Here. The LP includes previously released singles, cover versions of rhythm and blues songs and several new tracks.
After some time, the team worked on the creation and recording of the accompanying composition for the film Bunny Lake is Missing. The musician recorded a powerful promotional jingle called Come On Time. The film featured live recordings by a British rock band.
Signing with CBS Records
In the late 1960s, the musicians signed a contract with CBS Records. The company gave the green light to the recording of the Odessey and Oracle LP. After that, the band members disbanded the line-up.
The basis of the album includes new tracks. The authoritative edition of Rolling Stone recognized the disc as the best. The composition Time of the Season was very popular among music lovers and fans. Interestingly, Rod Argent worked on the creation of the track.
The musicians were offered a large fee, if only they did not leave the stage. It was impossible to convince the team members.
The life of musicians after leaving the band
After the dissolution of the composition, the musicians went their separate ways. For example, Colin Blunstone decided to pursue a solo career. As a result, he wrote several worthy LPs. The last album of the celebrity was released in 2009. We are talking about the album The Ghost of You and Me.
Rod Argent decided to start his own musical project. He spent several years to create the group that fit his idea. The brainchild of the musician was called Argent.
Band reunion
In the early 1990s, it became known that The Zombies, consisting of Colin Blunstone, Hugh Grundy and Chris White, recorded a new LP in a recording studio. In 1991, the musicians presented the New World album. The record was warmly received not only by fans, but also by music critics.
On April 1, 2004, one unpleasant news became known. One of the founding members of the band, Paul Atkinson, has died. In honor of the memory of a friend and colleague, the group played several farewell concerts.
The real revival of the group took place in the early 2000s. It was then that Rod and Colin released the joint album Out of the Shadows. A few years later, under the creative pseudonym Colin Blunstone Rod Argent the Zombies, the presentation of the LP As Far As I Can See ... took place. As a result, Colin and Rod combined their projects into a single whole.
Soon Keith Airey, Jim and Steve Rodford joined the new team. The musicians began performing under the name Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent of the Zombies. After the formation of the line-up, the musicians went on a large-scale tour, which began in the UK and ended in London.
After the tour, the band members presented a live CD and video DVD. The work was called Live at the Bloomsbury Theatre, London. Fans warmly received the collections. On the wave of popularity, the musicians gave their concerts in England, America and Europe. In 2007-2008 a joint tour with The Yardbirds took place. At the same time, a concert took place in the city of Kyiv.
A few years later, it became known that Keith Airey had left the band. By that time, he positioned himself as a solo artist. Keith recorded a solo album and appeared in the musical. Keith's place was taken by Christian Phillips. In the spring of 2010, Tom Toomey took his place.
Anniversary concert of The Zombies band
In 2008, the musicians of the group celebrated a round date. The fact is that 40 years ago they recorded the LP Odessey and Oracle. The team members decided to celebrate the festive event. They held a gala concert at the London Shepherd Bush Empire.
The whole "golden composition" of the group gathered on the stage, except for Paul Atkinson. The musicians performed all the songs that were included in the LP. The audience thanked the group with loud applause. Six months later, recordings from the anniversary concert appeared. In addition, they played concerts for British fans in various cities of their native country.
Interesting facts about The Zombies
- The Zombies are called the most "brainy" group of the "British Invasion".
- According to music critics, thanks to the track She's Not There, the band gained worldwide popularity.
- According to music critic R. Meltzer, the team was "a transitional stage between The Beatles and The Doors".
The Zombies at present
The group currently consists of:
- Colin Blunstone;
- Rod Argent;
- Tom Toomey;
- Jim Rodford;
- Steve Rodford.
Today the team is focused on concert activities. Most of the performances take place in Britain, America and Europe. Concerts that were scheduled for 2020, the musicians were forced to reschedule to 2021. This measure was taken in connection with the exacerbation of the coronavirus infection.
