Interview With a Zombie
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Ask any music fan who led the British Invasion in the 1960s and they’ll tell you it was the Beatles. But many would struggle to name the second British act to top the charts in America.
That band was The Zombies, formed at St. Albans Prep School outside London in 1961, and famous for hits like “Tell Her No” and “Time of the Season.” They had a #1 hit with “She’s Not There” in December, 1964 soon after the Beatles became the first British group to reach #1 in America.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST50 years later, the band is heading to Rhode Island, scheduled to play Cranston’s Park Theatre on October 10th. Last week, I spoke to original member Colin Blunstone who shared stories about the band’s past and future. Blunstone is the lead singer of the iconic band, and his voice, along with main songwriter Rod Argent’s lyrics, propelled the band to greatness.
Odyssey and Oracle
In addition to the aforementioned hits, The Zombies recorded a classic album, Odyssey and Oracle, which was actually released after the band broke up in 1968. The album didn’t sell well at the time, but has since been recognized as a classic, ranking #100 in the Rolling Stone top 500 albums of all time.
The highlight of the tour, confirmed Blunstone, is a complete performance of Odyssey featuring all surviving original members. A listen to the album reaffirms that it’s a psychedelic pop masterpiece, heavily influenced by the Beach Boys Pet Sounds and the Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
This is the first time the album is being played in total on tour but not the first time it’s been played through completely. Blunstone explains “we did three shows in London in 2008. They were instant sell-outs so we did a few more around the UK the next year. This is a rare opportunity to hear it in the US.”
The acclaimed album was recorded in the summer of 1967 at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London, literary right after the Beatles recorded Sgt. Pepper. Blunstone noted that The Zombies played on some of the very instruments the Beatles used on Pepper, including percussion instruments and a mellotron John Lennon had used. With money tight, the band rehearsed most of the songs and arrangements before entering the studio.
As a result, “We were all playing live in the studio at the same time” instead of recording separate tracks, noted Blunstone.
As often happens with classic releases like Odyssey, the album didn’t sell very well at the time, although the single “Time of the Season” became a major hit. The record had a cult following for many years. “It wasn’t fully appreciated at the time,” said the singer.
The band broke up in 1967 soon after recording the album, and toured infrequently until recently. In recent years, The Zombies have undergone a resurgence in the US.
“We’ve toured extensively in the States, from playing really small venues to major theaters and festivals. The band has been building (a fan base) on live performances. It’s really rewarding to see our early work paying dividends.”
New Album – Still Got That Hunger
The Cranston show comes one day after the expected release of their new album, Still Got That Hunger. The album mixes the classic Zombies sound with modern producing and engineering. An early listen suggests it’s a promising release with a sophisticated jazzy vibe, full of well-crafted guitar and keyboard leads. According to Blunstone, the band did the same for the new album as they did with Odyssey, working out all the kinks in rehearsals before going into the studio.
Its clear The Zombies appeal to a wide audience. At shows, “there is a cross section of ages from young kids to our fans from the 60’s,” explained Blunstone. Indeed, they've recently played popular festivals like South by Southwest and Glastonbury. Touring is a lot different today than when the band started out in the mid-60’s. “It’s easier now, we’ve got our own crew and our staff helps with the arrangements.”
This will be a very special show, featuring Zombie hits, songs from the new album, and the complete Odyssey and Oracle. Tickets are still available for the show to be held Saturday October 10th at the Park Theatre. Click here for details.
Ken Abrams reviews Roots, Rock and Blues for GoLocal. E-Mail him here.
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