History of the ZOMBIES part one |  

So underrated. Vocally alone they're a cut above most.

Highly underrated band. That first album didn’t have a single bad song on it. Thanks Matt for another great documentary on another great band.

"She's Not There" remains an amazing mid-60s classic! Great work Matt to make the call of profiling this group!

Loved the unique sound of The Zombies. "Summertime" is a unknown gem, probably my favorite rendition of the Gershwin tune.

I have always felt that Colin Blunstone had one of the best voices in the business.

That is one of my favorite bands; they got inducted into the RnR Hall of Fame way too late. The bass player had died recently and didn’t get to see it. Sad.

As much as I love The Beatles I’m gonna have to say The Zombies are my Favorite Band Their sound is so different from mixtures of Jazz, R&B,Pop, Rock and Roll,Baroque Pop I’m so happy The Hall of Fame inducted them.

One of my favorite 60's British Invasion bands...Argent's keyboards, Blunston's vocals...they were a haunting, compelling combination. And those harmonies....oh, those harmonies! Amazing. They dabble in jazz, romantic pop, blues. Just a great band with a great sound & great songs!!! 👍

“Tell her no” supposedly held some type of record for “the most negative song of all time” because of the number of times “No” was repeated

Since first hearing the Zombies - decades ago - I got to know their few top radio hits quite well. In my head, I always thought; "the rest of their stuff has gotta be really good." In the midst of collecting other bands, I didn't get around to dig deep in to the rest of their catalog until I was in my late 40s. I continue to be blown away by these guys, and I even deeply respect their work from 1990 on out. It's amazing the struggles that this band endured, we're very lucky to have them around today. Totally worthy of their place in the rock and roll hall of fame.

Their later stuff had such a gorgeous,autumnal feel to it.Great band, Great upload..

One of the most underrated bands of the 60s.

That is true greatness... Rod planning to sing what he wrote And then Realizing that Colin's voice was just too amazing And Colin saying that they should add keyboards recognizing Rod's talent for that You can see it in Rod's back up vocals What a key part he is... His energy is a huge part of vocals even though he is considered back It reminds me of Lou Rawls stunning back up to Sam Cooke In Bring it On Home to Me

I was lucky enough to interview Colin Blunstone a couple of years ago for a documentary film on the late, great Clifford T.Ward..Colin really is the nicest gentleman you could wish to meet..and after we had finished filming he took us all to a spot by the canal behind his house and we spent an hour feeding the ducks and chatting about absolutely everything except himself ..no big ego or idea of himself as a star..and genuinely humble...a day I will always remember

Ah, man...thanks so much for this! When I was introducing my teenage son to the Beatles he found my old Zombies record, which I admit was so scratchy I was embarrassed, and ended up buying a new version at a used record store because he was so impressed! Thanks for this...this, the Banke...you are hitting all my faves!

Colin Blunstone had a seriously charismatic voice -- my son sings and plays guitar and everyone says he sounds just like Colin. Thanks for this,

Saw the Zombies live several years back in Albany, NY. One of my favorites.

The animals also had a keyboard sound thanks to Alan Price, and when he went solo a majority of his songs had a keyboard vibe to it

Sometimes one unique voice makes all the difference. Timeless.

Great look into the Zombies 🧟. Always loved “ She’s not there” . There is more to them than I knew…

I can't believe they weren't bigger in the States. What a great band! Odessey and Oracle was an overlooked classic.

One of the most underrated bands of all time. I can’t believe they didn’t have tons of number one hits. Just saw them live and still sound great.

OMG their "The Look of Love" sounds excellent! It's perfect for them!

'Is This The Dream' is such a sublime pop record, and oh man, their version of 'The Look of Love' -- Colin Blunstone is quite simply the male equivalent of Dusty Springfield on that. So much breathiness. I hope you've got something special in store for part two. I've got a feeling it'll be a good 'un. Cheers!

The Zombies was like an added Goodie thrown into the mix in the flood of The British Invasion. The Beatles sang sounding American while The Zombies had/have that genuine British sound. I spent a couple of my Air Force years in England, enjoyed every second of the experience. A band that never made it big across the pond, though they tried, check out The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band.

About 15 years ago, was my first of about 7 Zombies concerts. What a special night that was, having since connected with several people who were at that same show. Considering the 1000's of artists I've seen live, they recieved the only triple standing ovation I've ever witnessed; for, Time of the Season!!! There were 2 older women ahead of me in the outside lineup. We started talking & the quiet one got immediately animated when the Zombies topic came around. "Did you see them last time they were here?" "No, when was that?" * May 26, 1965, Vancouver, BC (Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars '65). She then produces an instamatic photo of both herself & her girlfriend, posing with both Colin & Rod, outside the venue. I was five years old, then. So ahead of their time, never getting their due, back in the day...Odessey and Oracle is one of rock's greatest albums, a masterpiece.

I really felt that their drums were the really interesting element in an already fascinating band -I’d have thought they were related the way the vocals sounded SO similar like the same person Double Tracked!

Time of The Season is an alltime 60's "flower power" peace & love psychedelic classic! It's timeless!!

This is one of my favorite bands. Unsung....and VERY underrated

Excellent information Matt. Thank you. I was lucky enough to see the Zombies about 7 years ago in there home town of St Albans Argent and Blunstone still cut it, they looked and sounded brilliant. Such an underated 60s band...Obviously now the collectors all want to own original copy's of there UK LPs there worth £$££$....including me! Keep up the good work 👏

Love the Zombies and their 60s sound. Can’t wait for part 2 !

I was an Am DJ in the late 60's through the late 80's. I interviewed many groups from Freddyand the Dreamers the Zombies Strawberry Alarm clock etc. I had no clue the intricacies of these bands not the background. Absolutely FACINATING

This will come up a lot but "Odyssey And Oracle" is truly a milestone. The album flows wonderfully. Underrated, except by the freaks who know.

I "discovered" the Zombies in 1998 when I went to the Import area of Tower Records and I saw the cover of "Odyssey And Oracle". I purchased it for a crazy $25.00 on CD at the time and I became obsessed. It was the 30th Anniversary release of the album and it's incredible. I've seen them live twice and Colin's voice and even Rod's are amazing. If you're getting into the band's early material I'd recommend "The Decca Stereo Anthology". 2 CDs of early Zombies in the best sound quality in my opinion. Why this hasn't been released on Vinyl is beyond me. I'd also recommend "The EP Collection". It's a bit pricey but it does include some rare mixes that are really cool to have. Can't wait for Part 2.

I have nothing but love for The Zombies, they are my second favorite British Band after The Beatles. You can totally get lost in the amazing musicianship and the great chord structure they employed into their songs, and we as the seductiveness of Colin’s vocals. They truly are underrated and do deserve more praise and recognition. So can’t wait for Part Two!!!

The beat of some of their hits like Tell Her No and She's Not There are complex syncopation, yet catchy & danceable. A hidden gem is "I Love You". Buy their greatest hits and enjoy!

The Zombies are one of my all time favorite bands. I have been waiting for this for awhile. Rod Argent deserves to he recognized for his talent on keyboards, he is extremly talented nevermind his age. I believe his keyboards are really what made them successful. He really is a spectacular pianist.

i saw the Zombies about 10 years ago in a small Edinburgh club - small but packed. They were great, it's almost needless to say! She's Not There must have been one of the few singles with prominent electric piano to make a mark at that stage - apart from Ray Charles, of course.

Keyboards are probably the second most underrated instrument (after the harmonica. RIP Keith Relf). When Steve Winwood brought the organ to the Spencer Davis group it really rounded out their sound. Great retrospective, my favorite of theirs is their version of Tell Her No. I had tickets to see them in Seattle on the 50th anniversary of O and O but I got terribly I’ll (precovid of course).

What is interesting to me is that a couple of their most successful songs had very pointed powerful lyrics No one told me about her And Time of the Season As well as covers like Summertime Rod Argent was said to be very picky about phrasing And its possible some of the later songs did not have the same power in lyrics This said with huge love as i listen to them all the time And adore Colin's voice past all reason ❤ But must confess that am left a bit cold by some later lyrics Rod said that he wrote those 2 songs practically overnight And Colin had to record Time the very day he saw it for the first time It goes to show that sometimes when the brain is under great pressure to produce in little time, The subconscious can sometimes take over And throw out great depth

I saw the "Odessey and Oracle" reunion tour in probably 2017 or 2018 with all the surviving original members. Amazing show!!!!! They still have got it.

It's amazing how 60's bands could continue to grow under a record contract deal and not like today's music where it's a million one hit wonder bands.

Some of their early songs seemed to signpost the coming psychedelia from late 1965 onwards.

So excited you're profiling this under-appreciated group. Thank you, Matt!

Hey Matt. Great job (as usual) on the Zombies. I did not realize they had no hits for a few years. In one previous email I told you I went to see them 2 years ago in Detroit. AMAZING! Colin has not lost a note off that incredible voice, all the same keys and harmonies from the other guys. I had goose bumps. They played the Whole Oracle album. Rod was killer on the keyboards and having a blast. As a keyboard player I can tell you he is right up there with Emerson and Wakeman. Looking forward to part 2. Pianoman Craig.

Had Herman's Hermits or any of their ilk released "Whenever you're Ready" or "Just Out of Reach" they would've had two #1 hits on their hands, that's how good I feel those songs were/are.That's how criminally under rated this band was. People who were alive back then should feel ashamed that they didn't support bands like the Zombies and the Yardbirds because if they had , today's musical landscape might just be a little different in a good way IMHO (Great video as always Matt)

Tell her no is one of my favorite pop songs. I see Odyssey and Oracle is next in the pile… running to pt 2 with all haste :)

Great band to talk about. Look forward to part 2 and Odyssey and Oracle.

Wow, very underrated band. It is like the Beatles and Beach Boys teamed up. Only weakness would be the lyrics. Amazing compositions.

Another thoughtful portrait of an amazingly talented group that deserves more than the "Two-Hit Wonder" or "Cult Band" status currently has. My nomination for 'lost classic' is the song "If It Don't Work Out". Perfect pop!

I Want You Back Again didn’t exactly miss the UK singles chart, it wasn’t released as a single in the UK at all.

Thanks Matt for the great résumé ! It always struck me how She's not there doesn't sound like 1964 at all !

Thanks once again for highlighting one of my favorites. I had a chance to see the the Zombies a few years back at my local theater and they were just fantastic.

Great job. Another group I came to later in my life. I started listening in 66 to Beatles and out from there. I was in my 40s when I discoved groups like Pretty Things, LOVE, The Zombies and others. Keep up the good work so others won't have to wait so long to learn and enjoy these fantastic groups.

I have seen them 3 times since they regrouped 20 years ago.They always put on a great show.I agree that their music was mostly at the wrong time of the invasion. Now we see how good they were.Their latest 2 albums show they are not just an oldies band.If you get a chance to see them don’t hesitate-they are getting too old to play much longer

She’s Not There is such a standout song, still absolutely modern today. It sounded like nothing else on the radio. I have the 45 of it on the Parrot label. Such a timeless composition.

Indication is one of the most underrated/overlooked singles ever released by a "British Invasion" band! They were overlooked then, but thankfully it seems that The Zombies have been finally getting the credit they're due.

One of my all time favorite albums is gonna be featured in part 2. It's a masterpiece (except The Butcher's Song).

Excellent presentation! Love the zombies! No one like them.

I appreciate the clean arrangements with the vocals out front. Refreshing no matter what the decade.

Another great episode in this series. I bought the first Zombies album back in '65 when it came out, and it was one of the very albums that was more than listenable from start to finish. But finding more than that one album here in the US was virtually impossible. I think that it was Fusion Magazine that listed about 40 Zombies songs (all pre-Odessey & Oracle), and graded them - virtually all got good grades. (Stretching my memory, I do remember that the magazine's cover was mostrly yellow - with a cartoon of Nixon?). I see no listing for this, but I could swear that Parrot eventually put out a second album in the States, either to capitalize on People's "I Love You" cover or "Time of the Season."

Thanks for your interesting series on the history of various 60s groups. One suggestion, when you're talking about the success or lack of it of individual tracks or groups, it's worth remembering that in the early 60s music on the radio in Britain was severely limited on the BBC, and in the evenings by Rado Luxembourg. So promotion of music was dependent on its play in clubs, etc. Things changed with the arrival of the pirate stations in 1964 when all day or latterly 24 hour music could be heard on multiple stations on the radio.

I almost wonder if they were just a minute too early to the psychedelic era also. That jazzy vibe has similarities to the Doors, but Jimbo had the looks to get sophisticated sounds over on young people.

Matt, do you think you could do a video(s) of the UK session players who performed on the studio recordings in the '60s? Over the past few years the movies about the Wrecking Crew and the Swampers have created an interest in these musicians. It'd be interesting to see a similar story of the English players.

Argent was so young when he wrote and Colin's voice was sooo seductive

Love the sound of the Zombies! "Whenever You're Ready" is truly an underappreciated single. "Time of the Season" is sublime! "She's Not There" and "Tell Her No" are perfect pop singles. "Odessey and Oracle" is one of those albums I have played countless times over the years. Great video!!

The Zombies (flop) singles were all exquisite. "Indication" is a pretty heavy psych-rocker for them worth re-discovering.

Gus Dudgeon famous too for engineering John Mayall's Bluesbreakers with Clapton. Sadly, for British listeners this all passed us by - apart from 'She's Not There' and 'Time of the Season' their songs didn't register amid the storm of the other bands with great hits that you mention Matt. Looking forward to Part 2 - will give me time to play Odessey through, which I never have.

I Love You is my favorite Zombies song. Bluestones vocal on it is soooo good !

I caught the Zombies twice in the last two years and they were great.Colins voice is still amazing

I had no idea that I liked the Zombies! Eagerly awaiting part 2. Another great episode, thanks Matt!

"Is This The Dream" is one of those cuts I've encountered on several garage comps but had no idea it was originally a Zombies' tune. The chorus is hecking sublime. Great show! Yet another one that reminds me of empty pockets in my collection.

Hey Matt, thank you very much for this video, I love The Zombies, saw them live several years back, they were excellent! I know you're going to talk about their masterpiece "Odyssey And Oracle" in part 2, what an under appreciated and often overlooked album, I love every track on that album! Anyway, eagerly waiting for part 2! See ya! ✌🏼😎✌🏼

Colin Bluntstone was smooooth...💷

Very happy to watch your Zombies post, Matt. Always felt the Zombies were second only to the Beatles in composing beautiful minor key songs. Not many bands could rival And I Love Her, If I Fell, I'll Be Back, No Reply, I'll Follow the Sun. But the Zombies got close with She's Not There, Leave Me Be, I Remember When I Loved Her, I Want You Back Again. Looking forward to part two ! --- Stuart

An amazing band with incredible songs ! Got lucky to see them live they still play amazingly

Ah, The Zombies! A “group” that never wears thin. As Matt observes, their sound differed from other bands. Fresh vocals, good lyrics, and melodic arrangements made them among the best of the 60s. Thanks for featuring these musicians, Matt!

What a great band Matt, thanks for choosing this underrated sometimes forgotten band, but had lots of influence over other sixties bands

Good to see a new upload

Thanks for the pleasant, interesting review. The Zombies always catch my ear.

Great stuff Matt ! Always loved "She's Not There" which I got way back in 1975 when it appeared on the "Stardust" Soundtrack album (sequel to "That'll Be The Day" which featured Ringo). Just found a CD on Amazon called "Begin Here : The Complete Decca Mono Recordings 1964 - 1967" which contains all the tracks in your video (except "The Look Of Love") so have just ordered it. I always meant to find out more about the band so your vid was very timely. ta la

Other than the three American hits I never really heard them until the double album Time Of The Zombies. After that I became a lifelong fan. Great video and the best is yet to come for them.

Well, here I was, hoping to not be so talkative next time and you cover one of my all-time favourite bands. Gee, thanks, Matt ☺ I can't think of a single Zombies track I don't love. They always kept things interesting and creative and their Jazz and Classical roots have always been a draw to me. They're one of those blessed bands where every member has something of their own to bring to the table. Colin Blunstone's sublime voice, Rod Argent's keyboards and songwriting, Chris White's creative bass work and songwriting, Hugh Grundy's fantastic drumming, and Paul Atkinson's often subtle guitar. Grundy is an amazing drummer and his complicated syncopated rhythms belie the fact that he'd only begin learning to play a few years before. I love vocals and harmonies are a huge bonus for me, but I've always been drawn to the strength of the rhythm section, and The Zombies could stand up with the best of the decade. White would throw in some cool walking lines to follow the lyrics or drive the song with on beat hammers while Grundy would stay on the off beat. Meanwhile, while Atkinson was usually overshadowed by his bandmates, he did things that accentuated the songs perfectly. Check out his call and response acoustic playing to Blunstone's vocals in the chorus of I Love You. As for why they never really made it during their career as a group, it may have something to do with the penchant for more introspective lyrics that were never as happy as most Pop groups, as well as the fact they played a lot in minor keys. I do agree with your point about possibly being too Jazz for Pop audiences, too. I played sax and sung Jazz in high school so maybe this point never turned me off about them. I just loved their music. I had the joy of seeing the original band (less the deceased Atkinson) in 2017, during the tour to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the recording of Odessey And Oracle. They played the entirety of the album and no one had lost a step. It was a powerful concert, made even more emotional with an amazing performance from Chris White on his Butcher's Tale. My favourite part of the night was getting to meet Hugh and Chris before the show and we chatted for a good while on rhythm sections, songwriting, and the thrill of playing to such receptive crowds again. Honestly, they were the nicest guys and could have been the old guys living next door with their open friendliness. Being a musician myself, it was cool to get advice and share stories with two of my childhood heroes.

One of my favorite bands in junior high.

Thanks for doing a review over the Zombies Matt! They have a special place in my heart because they were the first and only band my dad and I liked together. For he is Dave Clark 5 fan and I’m a Beatles and Who fan lol

Very nice material so far by this talented group and well covered in part 1. The resurrection is definitely coming up in part 2 for sure...can't wait!

Love The Zombies. I've never heard of that first release EP before (I've heard them do Summertime but the Argent originals escaped me). Thanks for the information. Also, the fact that they were originally a Shadows-inspired instrumental combo called The Mustangs reminds me of a great South Australian band that started out as The Mustangs too but changed their name to The Masters Apprentices when (after seeing The Beatles) they took to singing. It would be great if you did a video on those guys one day. Cheers!

Such a great band to discover even these days...never knew any more of them except Shes not there plus Time 'o the season

I did not know Rod Argent was in the Zombies, learned something new.

I've always loved the Zombies so thanks for this one Matt. I knew it would be great and it was and I'm looking forward to part 2.

My goodness! Of course I've heard "She's Not There" all my life, but never had any inkling of the group beyond that. I have some ground to make up.

Wow! The Zombies really had a great sound, thanks for sharing your knowledge Matt, I’ll explore those songs you gave a little taste of.

I remember hearing "I Love You" on the radio and the on the charts it was credited to a group called "The People"

My favorite group from the 60s.

very good show...my son and i are looking forward to the second part

I love The Zombies, thanks for covering this! 😎

Loved this video, and very excited about part 2 to see about Odessey And Oracle. If you accept suggestions in this video category, I’d love to see you talking about The Hollies

Thanks for posting this. The Zombies are my favorite band, mainly because of their new recordings in the 21st century. I hope you acknowledge that they are still active creating really great music in part 2, or would that be part 3? 😎 The Zombies were formed on April 27th 1961, not 1962 as you mentioned.

Enjoyed the zombies history Matt I’ve seen the band live great musicians how they did not get more chat success is a shame excellent videos Matt

In 1970 my local record shop in Sunderland, UK, Atkinsons, decided to sell off all their unsold mono LPs as everyone had switched to stereo, and new stereo records could be played on mono record players. While sorting through the box of mono records, each priced at £1, I came across Odessey and Oracle. Although I had not heard it, I did like what I had heard of The Zombies, and for £1, it was worth a shot, so I bought it. What a great record it is! I still have it, and it is probably the most valuable record I have. Mono versions in mint conditions are worth over £1,000, and though mine is not mint, having been played many, many times, it is still very good, and probably worth a few hundred pounds. Not that I would sell it!