The Zombies were an English art-pop/psych band that was active from 1962 to 1968. Distinguished by the breathy vocals of Colin Blunstone and the moody keyboards of Rod Argent, they were among the first bands to infuse rock with melodrama and jazz chordal phrasings. As central players in the first British Invasion, they stormed American radio with the arresting theatrics of “She’s Not There,” a now-evergreen followed by the emotionally heady “Tell Her No.”

Beset with business-side problems, the band released many further singles but only managed two proper albums during their existence. Nonetheless, their 1968 swansong Odessey and Oracle gained comeuppance upon its overdue release in the U.S., where lead-off single “Time of the Season” became an era-defining mood-rock anthem. But the time it charted stateside, Colin had gone solo and Rod formed Argent with songwriter Russ Ballard.

Members: Rod Argent (keyboards, 1961-69, 2004-present), Paul Atkinson (guitar, 1961-68), Hugh Grundy (drums, 1961-69, 1990), Paul Arnold (bass, 1962), Colin Blunstone (vocals, 1962-68, 1990, 2004-present), Chris White (bass, 1961-68, 1990), Jim Rodford (bass, 1969, 2004-present), Rick Hayward (guitar, 1969)

Background

The nucleus of The Zombies formed during a 1961 jam between three musicians from St Albans, Hertfordshire: keyboardist and songwriter Rod Argent, guitarist Paul Atkinson, and drummer Hugh Grundy. Argent invited his older cousin, bassist Jim Rodford, to join the band but Rodford was busy in another act, The Bluetones (the cousins would later team in Argent.) The new band initially wished to call itself The Mustangs but quickly realized it had been claimed by multiple other acts.

The lineup rounded out in early 1962 by bassist Paul Arnold and singer Colin Blundstone. Though Arnold’s tenure was brief, it was he who suggested they call themselves The Zombies. Later that year, he cleared for guitarist–songwriter Chris White.

1964

As the beat boom swept England, The Zombies won a band competition hosted by the Evening News. Their prize was a recording deal with Decca, which issued the Argent-penned “She’s Not There” as their debut single in July 1964.

“She’s Not There”

On July 24, 1964, The Zombies released their debut single, “She’s Not There,” and Argent original backed with White’s “You Make Me Feel Good.”

In September, “She’s Not There,” became The Zombies’ first of eight singles on Parrot, a division of London Records.

“Leave Me Be”

On October 16, 1964, The Zombies released their second single, “Leave Me Be,” a White original backed with Argent’s “Woman.”

“Tell Me No”

On December 28, 1964, “Leave Me Be,” appeared as the b-side of The Zombies’ second American single, the Argent composition “Tell Me No.”

1965

The Zombies

The Zombies’ first US album appeared in January 1965 on Parrot, a division of London Records. It features twelve songs, including the recent hits “She’s Not There,” “Tell Her No,” and the UK b-side “Woman,” plus two new originals each by Argent (“It’s Alright With Me,” “Sometimes”) and White (“I Don’t Want to Know,” “What More Can I Do”).

The Zombies also covers of R&B chestnuts by Muddy Waters (“I Got My Mojo Working”), Solomon Burke (“Can’t Nobody Love You”), and a medley of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (“You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me”) and Sam Cooke (“Bring It On Home to Me”).

“Summertime” is the much-covered George Gershwin aria from the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. Rod Argent co-produced the album with conductor Ken Jones, who submitted the track “Work ‘n’ Play.”

1. “She’s Not There” (2:20)
2. “Summertime” (2:17)
3. “It’s Alright With Me” (1:49)
4. “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me/Bring It On Home to Me” (3:36)
5. “Sometimes” (2:05)
6. “Woman” (2:24)
7. “Tell Her No” (2:09)
8. “I Don’t Want to Know” (2:03)
9. “Work ‘N’ Play” (2:01)
10. “Can’t Nobody Love You” (2:12)
11. “What More Can I Do” (1:38)
12. “I Got My Mojo Working” (3:32)

The Zombies EP

On January 29, 1965, Decca issued The Zombies, an EP with a new Argent number (“Kind of Girl”) and three songs from Parrot release: “Summertime” “Sometimes,” and “It’s Alright” — a retitled “It’s Alright With Me,” not The Impressions recent hit “It’s Alright” (though The Zombies did perform the Impressions song on a BBC radio session).

The EP appeared simultaneously with the UK release of “Tell Her No,” backed with “What More Can I Do.”

Begin Here

The Zombies’ first UK album, Begin Here, appeared on April 9, 1965, on Decca. It too features “Summertime” and eight tracks from the US Parrot release: “Work ‘n’ Play,” “She’s Not There,” “Can’t Nobody Love You,” “Woman,” “I Don’t Want to Know,” “What More Can I Do,” “I Got My Mojo Working,” and the Robinson–Cooke medley.

Begin Here also contains covers of Bo Diddley (“Road Runner”), Titus Turner (“Sticks and Stones”), and three new originals: White’s “I Can’t Make Up My Mind” and the Argent compositions “The Way I Feel Inside” and “I Remember When I Loved Her.”

“She’s Coming Home”

On April 9, 1965, The Zombies released “She’s Coming Home,” an Argent original backed with White’s “I Must Move.”

“Whenever You’re Ready”

On September 3, 1965, The Zombies released “Whenever You’re Ready,” an Argent original backed with White’s “I Love You.”

“Is This the Dream”

On November 26, 1965, The Zombies released “Is This the Dream,” an Argent original backed with White’s “Don’t Go Away.”

1966

“Remember You”

On January 21, 1966, The Zombies released “Remember You,” a White original backed with the Argent composition “Just Out of Reach.”

“Indication”

On June 17, 1966, The Zombies released “Indication,” an Argent original backed with the Blunstone composition “How We Were Before.”

“Gotta Get a Hold of Myself”

On September 23, 1966, The Zombies released a cover of “Gotta Get a Hold of Myself,” a song by American composer Clint Ballard Jr., first recorded in 1965 by singer Dee Dee Warwick. The b-side, “The Way I Feel Inside,” is an Argent original.

1967

“Goin’ Out of My Head”

On March 17, 1967, The Zombies released a cover of “Goin’ Out of My Head,” a 1964 hit for Little Anthony & the Imperials by American Brill Building writers Teddy Randazzo and Bobby Weinstein. The b-side, “She Does Everything for Me,” is an Argent original. This would be their final release of new material on Decca.

“Friends of Mine”

On September 22, 1967, The Zombies released “Friends of Mine,” backed with “Beechwood Park,” both White compositions. This was their first of three singles on UK CBS.

“Care of Cell 44”

On November 24, 1967, The Zombies released “Care of Cell 44” an Argent original backed with White’s “Maybe After He’s Gone.”

1968

Odessey and Oracle

The Zombies long-awaited second album, Odessey and Oracle, appeared on April 19, 1968, on UK CBS. It features both sides of the “Friends of Mine” and “Care of Cell 44” singles, plus the just-released a-side “Time of the Season” and seven new originals: three by Argent (“A Rose for Emily,” “Hung Up on a Dream,” “I Want Her, She Wants Me”) and the White compositions “Brief Candles,” “Changes,” “This Will Be Our Year,” and “Butcher’s Tale (Western Front 1914).”

1. “Care of Cell 44” (3:57)
2. “A Rose for Emily” (2:19)
3. “Maybe After He’s Gone” (2:34)
4. “Beechwood Park” (2:44)
5. “Brief Candles” (3:30)
6. “Hung Up on a Dream” (3:02)
7. “Changes” (3:20)
8. “I Want Her, She Wants Me” (2:53)
9. “This Will Be Our Year” (2:08)
10. “Butcher’s Tale (Western Front 1914)” (2:48)
11. “Friends of Mine” (2:18)
12. “Time of the Season” (3:34)

“Time of the Season” appeared as the third advance single on April 5, 1968; backed with the non-album White composition “I’ll Call You Mine.”

“I Love You”

In June 1968, before “Time of the Season” renewed their international popularity, Decca paired two 1966 Zombies b-sides, “I Love You” and “The Way I Feel Inside,” as a new single in the UK, Netherlands, and New Zealand. “I Love You” was newly popular due to a recent cover by American psych-rockers People, whose version topped local US charts and reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. In Japan, the song became a huge hit for Tokyo Group Sounds band The Carnabeats.

1969

“Imagine the Swan”

In April 1969, CBS–Date culled two Argent–White songs from a vaulted third Zombies album. “Imagine the Swan” (b/w “Conversation Off Floral Street”) appeared as a single in Western Europe, North America, Oceania, and South Africa.

In North America and the Philippines, Date records issued two further songs from the shelved album: Argent’s “If It Don’t Work Out” and White’s “Don’t Cry for Me.” Dusty Springfield cut “If It Don’t Work Out” earlier for a 1965 single.

R.I.P.

In October 2000, the proposed third Zombies album appeared as R.I.P –The Lost Album on the Japanese Imperial label. Side one contains both sides of the “Imagine the Swan” single and four additional Argent–White originals: “Smokey Day,” “Girl, Help Me,” “I Could Spend the Day,” and “She Loves the Way They Love Her,” the last reused on Colin Blunstone’s debut solo album. Rod Argent and Chris White recorded these songs with a proto-Argent lineup comprised of Jim Rodford, guitarist Rick Birkett, and drummer Hugh Grundy.

Side two contains “I’ll Call You Mine” and both sides of the 1969 Date single, plus three old outtakes: White’s “I Know She Will” and the Rod Argent demos “I’ll Keep Trying” and “Walking In the Sun.”

1. “She Loves the Way They Love Her” (3:00)
2. “Imagine The Swan” (3:09)
3. “Smokey Day” (2:24)
4. “Girl, Help Me” (2:21)
5. “I Could Spend the Day” (2:32)
6. “Conversation Off Floral Street” (2:43)

7. “If It Don’t Work Out” (2:29)
8. “I’ll Call You Mine” (2:39)
9. “I’ll Keep Trying” (2:27)
10. “I Know She Will” (2:35)
11. “Don’t Cry for Me” (2:18)
12. “Walking In the Sun” (2:39)

Albums: