While I'm maybe a little younger than the Zombies' "target market," I once found myself at a club watching Blunstone and Argent (the precursor to the modern tours under the Zombies name) and could not stop talking about Blunstone's voice afterward. He's a testament to the ability to preserve one's vocal chords through life, with a little care.
Colin took some vocal chord maintenance instruction from an opera singer teacher and has practiced vocal exercises every day since. His voice is actually stronger now than in the 60's..
Colin Blunstone has one of the richest, series, most provocative voices in rock ever. Women love it! ❤️ His early work & harmonizing w/Zombies on songs like I Love You, She's Not There, and Time of the Season is magical. Amazing voice!
I just recently read an interview with Colin Blunstone where he talked about rehearsing for Odessey & Oracle. He said the only audience they had during the reherasals was the cleaning woman and they got frustrated cause she never really said anything or reacted to any of the songs.
What a bumpy history and a tribute to the band's tenacity! "This Will Be Our Year" is my wife and I's special song, and it also seems to reflect the band's career. Great historical detail as ever, thanks!
The current guitarist in The Zombies; Tom Toomey used to front a Santana Tribute Band, is a prolific studio musician in the UK, and is the guitarist on most of Robert Plants Solo Albums. Tom also has his own solo band and does music camps in Africa with his wife.
'Odessey and Oracle' is my favourite British album of all-time, hands down. The Kinks are my favourite group, the Beatles are the greatest that ever was, but that album is just so special. If it wasn't for Love's 'Forever Changes' it would be my all-time #1 album.
I was very young when the early Zombies singles hit. I loved the Beatles of course, but after "She's Not There," the Zombies were my second favourite band (above the Stones, Rascals, Who, etc.) The deal was sealed with "Tell Her No" and "Time of the Season." Even now, I think their musical sensibilities, harmonic twists, unique vocal and arrangement style, makes them one of the most original bands of the sixties, and I can hear echoes of their music in many artists from 1967 onwards. I love the Zombies, and have learned much from these two videos about their artistic struggles. Thank you.
Enjoying this documentary of The Zombies history and evolving changes in their music and arrangement. ❤🙏 Lots of hard work and blood sweat and tears pouring into their songs.
When one considers the limitations of studio recording back then, the rich quality of the Zombies’ sound is nothing short of remarkable. It reveals just how talented they were. Aside: The People’s version of I love You, which got a lot of airtime, was a favorite song when I was in the 9th grade. Thanks again for a well-researched and thought-provoking video, Matt!
@@popgoesthe60s52 Matt, that would be an interesting group to cover, especially in regards to Larry Norman. If you haven’t seen the documentary about him, “Fallen Angel, The Outlaw Larry Norman” it’s definitely worth the watch. It has a few interviews with former People! members. Fantastic episodes about The Zombies BTW!
Well the Beatles, all 2 & later 4 track. Couldn't be bettered. Now there's far too much tracks in scores. We need to go back to the simpler times. I mean Sgt Pepper. Say no more.
Russ Ballard is one of the greatest songwriters in British history. Famous for “since you’ve been gone” for rainbow, “there’s something going on” by Frida from ABBA, and “can’t shake loose” by Agnetha from ABBA
Thanks again for a great series on the Zombies! All the Beatles dug the Zombies: George Harrison was on the BBC's Jukebox Jury and declared correctly that She's Not There would be a hit. Also, as an A&R man, Paul Atkinson later had business with Paul McCartney during the 1970s Wings era. Atkinson apparently never let McCartney forget that he was once a Zombie!
I know it easy to say years later that this song or that song should have been a hit in regard to any band, one has to look at the time period in which a band recorded an album and release a single and what they were up against on top 40 stations at the time. that being said in my opinion the Zombies work hard to get the recognition that they got in the 60's and should be better known then just three songs (She Not There, Tell Her No, Time of the Season) Rod Argent, Colin Blunstone, Hugh Grundy, Chris White are talented musicians in their own rights and Paul Atkinson was. the Zombies recorded some very overlook songs at the time (Is This the Dream, She's Coming Home, Summertime, Whenever You're Ready, Butcher's Tale Western Front 1914) just to name a few. Thanks, Matt, for giving the Zombies their due credits that they deserve.
Another wonderful review from an underrated but highly respectable band. They were all very intelligent in their craft and their dedication is admirable. Thank you very much. BTW RIP to Gary Brooker of Procul Harum. Another great band that needs to be reviewed.
I've just read that Brooker has died. Very sad - I saw him 20 years ago (already) with Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, but never with Procol Harum, who were so much more than that classic single!
The Zombies were a great pop band with an edge. Most obvious was the jazz influence. They also featured keyboards as the instrumental solos instead of guitars. Their vocals were top shelf. Extremely underrated band.
2:30 Rod Argent actually wrote I Want Her She Wants Me for the Mind Benders, but they didn't play the chords right the way Rod intended, so he decided they would do it themselves after all
Matt, I'm glad you covered the Zombies. My highschool bandmate Michael Fennelly turned me on to them. We covered several of their songs while we were building our own songbook. We studied each of their new singles (A and B sides) as soon as they were released. Since we did not want to be a top 40 cover band, their lack of chart success was a point in their favor, as far as we were concerned. In one of life's nice coincidences, when Epic signed Mike for a solo LP, after being in The Millennium and fronting Crabby Appleton, he got to choose his own producer and flew to London, where Chris White produced him (with Jim Rodford on bass). In a bit of symmetry, his solo LP didn't chart much better than the Zombies had, despite some excellent songs and an uncredited solo by Jeff Beck on one track.
Thanks for another great video Matt! I've always heard of The Zombies as "She's not there" would play regularly at my job. I appreciate that you've been able to open up to my eyes to more of their work and more works of artists that I now enjoy like Buffalo Springfield and The Turtles.
"Predictably 'Butcher's Tale' didn't chart" I love some of your toss away lines like that ... these series are some of the better stuff out there. Really solid! Keep on keeping on 😎
I've always considered the first Argent album to be kind of a "lost" Zombies album. It has much more in common sonically with "Odessey and Oracle" than it does with Argent's heavier progressive music on later albums. Very tuneful, and full of playful keyboard work, Zombies fans who never took a shine to Argent might want to give that first LP a try.
Agreed. I thought the same thing when I heard that first Argent album. I could hear Colin's vocals all over those songs. I saw the Zombies live twice after they reformed, both times with Jim Rodford and it was great to hear the Zombies do a few of the Argent songs... yes, including Hold Your Head Up.. LOL.
White had an unerring ear for melody. One of the best songwriters of the '60s. Thanks for doing this. The A's and B's disc is great, but so is something called "The Decca Stereo Anthology." All of it is must-have.
The Zombies perseverance and dedication to their craft is very admirable. Bands like The Zombies, The Turtles, The Hollies, The Faces and The Troggs, all left their mark on modern music. History has proven they were far more than "One Hit Wonders". But their collective body of work overall, was pretty hit and miss (imho). I think this is why they are not placed in the pantheon of "Greatest Bands" ever. That's no shade. They've accomplished more than most bands ever did, or ever will. For that, they've earned their well respected reputations. Thanks Matt. I really enjoyed both parts on the Zombies. Take care, RNB
Matt Thanks for all of your great videos, this included, as I've always LOVED The Zombies! I had another serendipitous discovery the other day when I commented on a Cavern performance of The Beatles (audio only) accompanied by photos, a few of which showed them accompanying a black performer, I thought it might be Lord Woodbine but wasn't sure and asked for information, the channel host informed me it was Davy Jones who had a small 'hit' with the song Amapola. So, I looked for it in vain, but accidentally discovered The Spotnicks (thelir Amapola hit #1 in Sweden) !!! Since then I've been binging on The Spotnicks and am glad ! I don't think they got much air time in America when I was kid in the sixties, because I was fan of The Surfaris, Ventures, Chantays, and I did know of The Shadows (due to my being a Beatlemaniac, as The Shadows weren't heard much on American radio as far as I knew at the time). Anyway, if you do a video about these instrumental guitar groups it would be SUPER !
This is a fascinating story I did not know. "Time of the Season" would not have been released if not for Al Kooper??? That's a really mind-blowing story about a classic song I always took for granted. Show business is a tough grind, man. So many great talents never make it or almost miss like this. It's not as glamorous as people think. THANK YOU for this great series.
Thank you for your episode on The Zombies. I don’t have any of the band on vinyl, but enjoyed you showing us your vinyl journey. Your first (double) album purchase ‘Time Of The Zombies’ appears to be the perfect one stop shop. I bought the CD -Zombies in Stereo, the Ken Jones era. They meticulously did Stereo mixes for the first time,from the master tapes,that they owned.’Afterlife’ is a treasure trove, assembling Post Zombies rarities by Colin,Chris & Rod. Russ Ballard needs a episode on his own. Master songwriter and the guitarist & vocalist in Argent, of course.
Dude, just wanna briefly say that I've been hooked to your channel for some weeks now. Seen most of your stuff and now always look forward to new releases. Keep it up!
You made my Night!!!!!! As the Bass Player in a Regional popular New England band known as the Century I adored these guys. We used to do quite a lot of Zombies material in fact. While doing a gig with the Vanilla Fudge, Tim came up to me after our set and we chatted about the Zombies for quite awhile as he loved them as well and we became fast friends as a result. The Zombies were absolutely Fabulous.......as is your Show here on RUclips. Thanks so much for what you do....... (psst. 10 C.C.)
I was 10 years old in 1968. Really appreciate your channel. Have learned so much about the music time period that I have so many fond memories of since I discovered Pop goes the 60’s. Thanks.
Greetings Matt ✌ Fantastic series on The Zombies, I enjoyed both parts very much👍Your Always insightful in your presentations and I always learn something New on these great artists on Pop Goes 60's ,-One thing that stands out for me is Colin Blunstone's voice -Love his voice on songs like I Love You and The Zombies cover of The Look of Love and Blunstone's version of Harry Nilsson's Without Her are Superb!!!
Great to have you cover these guys, and mention some of the strong songs, "If it don't work out", etc. that sadly weren't hits... And well done in mentioning Hugh Grundy, often overlooked, but his drums were always tuned well and sounded great !
I'm a long-time Zombies fan, but have to confess that I was completely unaware of the post-Odessey material discussed here. Similarly, the examples of Colin's early solo work were eye opening (and gorgeous). Thanks for more time well spent!
More Caroline! when I first heard Caroline Goodbye I wondered if it was the same girl as Carline No from Brian Wilson. I am still amazed at what struggles this awesome band had charting...makes more sense now than when I was 13 and 14 and the only kid in my Indiana grade school talking about them. I loved them. Everyone else thought I was nuts! Thanks so much...once again for another stellar episode! I follow a lot of people on here, but I am most excited always by what you post!
@@popgoesthe60s52 Always ready to provide the thoughts and opinions of an Indiana kid who was in the midst of the 64 invasion at age 8! Thank goodness, though my body has predictably (wink) failed me, my brain has not!
Minor correction. "Time Of The Season" peaked at #3 in Billboard, not #2. Of course, it deserved the heralded #1 position as it is the ultimate radio friendly song.
Matt, yet another perfect episode, this is the best, most thorough history of yet another one my favorite bands! Lots of information in this that I wasn't aware of. 0Some somewhat random thoughts: 1. I've always thought Freddy Mercury must have been a Zombies fan, his vocal style is similar in places, I'm basing this on "Imagine The Swan" and "She Loves The Way They Love Her", a la the "when she smiles" part. 2. Thank you for giving Hugh Grundy a shout out, I had a feeling you'd give him some mad props! One of my favorite drummers, easily. 3. Colin dated Caroline Munro? Hello! 4. Their lack of chart success is baffling, I can't help but wonder how the charts were really decided back then. 5. I'm so glad their getting the attention they deserve, from a younger generation. 6. I've seen them twice, in the early 00's, it was stunning, Colin's voice was still there and Argent too! Thank you, my friend! 🎶🎵🎼💿🎸
Thank you, David. The Mercury comparison hadn't occurred to me but makes total sense. Excuse me but I have to go through more Carline Munro clippings....
I'm a bit of a freak fan when it comes to The Zombies. In listening to and reading countless interviews about them, Rod has said the management team was really incompetent in marketing and image creation of the band. Also the management team ripped the band members off on their incomes from gigs and concerts. The Zombies did a tour in The Philippines before the recording of Odessey and Oracle. Much to the bands surprise many of their failed singles in the rest of the world, were massive hits in the Philippines. They played multiple concerts to 30, 40 thousand people and got paid 80 pounds split 5 ways. After the failure of Odessey and Oracle in 68, there just wasn't any money for the non songwriters in the band.
Matt, I think what’s going to happen after watching this two-part series is what happened to me after I watched your ACTION videos. I will have to go and buy a boxed set. 😂 I know that I am late to the party here, but as usual, you’ve blown my mind. Thank you.
I am a huge zombies fan , started listening to them in 1990 , I really like their later album 2004 As Far As I Can See , Argent is utterly brilliant, thanks for posting!
Matt, thanks for re-introducing us to so many under-appreciated great bands from the '60s. Just bought tickets to see The Zombies (for the first time) this Spring.
What did you think? I saw them again about a month ago, and it was one of my favorite concerts this year. At one point, people wouldn't stop clapping, and they finally had to start the next song! I uploaded video from my front row seat. The long jam on She's Not There was killer.
Very nice overview here! I think one of the major points about the Zombies reunions shows -- which have been going on in earnest since the late 1990s at this point -- is the quality of Colin Blunstone's voice. I first caught a reunion show in NYC in about 1999 or 2000 (Colin and Rod were the only original members... along with Jim Rodford... so there were just as many Argent members on stage as Zombies!), and even at that time, I was floored that Blunstone's voice had lost no power, depth, or character. The "Odessey & Oracle" shows (with Hugh Grundy and Chris White in tow) later on down the road were just as magical.
Nice series! Enjoyed it. Several years ago I started a 'project' to collect all the albums in Rolling Stone's top 500 album list (the first version). Odessey and Oracle is on it, so in time I collected it. Looking at the wikipedia page for Odessey and Oracle, I noticed that, at least for that album, the Zombies had multiple lead vocalists, wrote their own material, and had multiple writers. How Beatles-like! So I took a quick think on bands that do that, and I threw in playing their own instruments. Here is my list, which of course is not definitive: The Beatles The Eagles The Grateful Dead Pink Floyd (except for final years) Fleetwood Mac (Buckingham/Nicks era) BTO The Allman Brothers Chicago And some bands that don't meet all the criteria, but are close: The Rolling Stones (Richards does not sing often enough, imo) The Doors And some bands (that I like) that do not fit the bill: Jethro Tull Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Note that all the bands listed above are 'classic'. I am a classic guy.
As a kid, growing up in the 1960s we were right in the thick of it all being acutely aware and keen on all things mod and psychedelic. And the Zombies were a big part of it! As an adult in my mid 60s, I’m still stuck there and I have a great Zombies compilation CD along with my vinyl and other CDs that are 99.999% ‘60s pop/rock music. As a photographer, I use my Nikon F film SLR on my photoshoots, the iconic camera used in the film “Blow Up.” Another great informative video, Matt!
Back in the Sixties, we (my high school rock band) loved the Zombies. We covered Tell Her No, She's NotThere, and I Love You (we never heard the Zombie original, but knew of it. We bought the People version which is virtually identical). I was elated when they got into the Hall.
Thank you so much for reviewing this band, Matt. You have opened up my ears to new (old) music. I have a few of the high charting singles that the Zombies released on 60s compilations and Argent's "Hold Your Head Up" remains one of my fave Juke box tunes from when I was a teen (btw, I will never forgive Kiss for their dismal cover of another Argent tune). I was always unsure of which music of the Zombies I should pursue and dive into. Now, I can see the answer is pretty well much all of it. Thanks Again.
So glad to see a video showing some appreciation to one of my favorite 60s bands. I remember having arguments with my friends in high school who said the zombies only have one or two songs.
When I first got my copy of meet the Beatles, it was in 1974 my father bought me a used copy of it and it was the mono release and to this day I still have it and I recently got my turntable fixed and I played with the Beatles on there and it really took me back when I was 10 years old. Listen to it during that time frame.😊
Odyssey and oracle has got to be one of the greatest pop albums of all time. Also just listened to my copy of 'wake up.. it's tomorrow' right before watching your video, noticed it on your wall!
The Zombies are one of my all-time favorite bands. This two-part program has made me see even more why I'm such a fan. Their jazzy sophistication always impressed me as it is the sound that always stops me in my tracks and makes me listen. That kind of thing always grabbed my attention. Thanks for this! I'm going to have to watch it again sometime soon.
Thank you for this great review! I'm turning 70 in Sept. Time Of The Season is one of those songs that when I hear it, the song takes me back to that point in time in my life. I'm going to see them in October in Portland OR. I'm so looking forward to this concert.
Another bit of trivia is some of those 1965 tracks they recorded for a possible 2nd LP were some of the tracks that were brought out of the vaults and 'fixed up' by adding some instrumentation for the proposed "R.I.P." LP! ("Don't Cry for Me", "If It Don't Work Out", "I'll Call You Mine", for example)
Excellent job, once again Matt. "Odessey and Oracle" an undoubted masterpiece. Just an idea, but it might be worth your time looking at the British Immediate record label in the future. Regardless, keep up the good work. Thanks
Thank you so much for this 2-part offering. The Zombies had a unique sound and made some incredible music. The story of John Lennon's Mellotron use by them is very interesting. Keep up the good work!
Great channel grew up in the 60’s and feel very lucky I did. An overlooked band I loved was Spirit and few people know much if anything about them. It would make for a great show. Please keep up the great work it’s fantastic.
Another Amazing British Artist that no one seems to know outside of Europe is: John Miles. Guitarist, Pianist, Composer, Vocalist. An outstanding talent. The go to guy for any benefit concert featuring Led Zeppelin, because he can cover both the vocals and guitar.
I had the vinal LP of One Year by Colin Blunstone with Caroline Goodbye being the reason to buy it, hearing it on an underground FM station one day. If you can get your hands on it get it! It is full of wonderful ballads and orchestration, and of course his signature vocals.
A great video Matt I’m really glad you focussed on them. Very unique ‘English’ sounding songs. Love how you picked out and highlighted the mellatron sounds on O & O. 👍
Nice coverage, I learned a lot, and apt free association on the heels of your broadcast on the Turtles and the 5th Dimension overtones: I hear their sounds ricocheting off each other. Makes me think how integral to a 'Sixties' sound, aside from the guitars, was heady uplifting vocal harmonies. God help me I include Honeybus in all that. It all has a heartbreaking poignancy now that it didn;t have then, because the bird crashed in 1969. No more protest, these days, I just feed the birds out back and tell the squirrels to stop squabbling.
Great job Matt! The Zombies are tremendous. Thanks for sharing their story. I always end up buying cd's from the groups you do videos on. You certainly do your homework! Thank you for your efforts. Always ment to buy Odyssey and Oracle. Getting it now!
Thanks for another solid presentation, Matt. Shocked to hear that “Odessey” did not get released initially in the US! But their story is a lesson in perseverance for a band if there ever was one. I love seeing the record sleeves as well.
I always learn something from you video' s Matt. Thank you for this excellent trip through "Zombie Heaven." I like that you mentioned the LP "Time Of The Zombies" as that was the first LP I got by them also. It was impossible to get any Zombies recordings in the Mid 70s and when I saw that 2-LP set, I grabbed it, but was a little hesitant, as the cover was so weird.. LOL. That was a killer compilation! Nice to see they're getting some overdue recognition. Great band. I'm excited to see who you'll be covering next. :- )
Of all the British bands that produced an album worth of BBC recordings, the Zombies may have the winning entry. Their stuff for the BBC just has a wonderful feel, and I love their covers.
Thanks, Matt. I always liked the Zombies known hits but never really did a deep dive on the work until around 15 years ago. Odessey and Oracle was a mindblowing. It is one of my favorite albums now. I saw them live in 2017 and was really impressed.
Thanks for sharing this history Matt! I discovered Odessey and Oracle recently and it’s a such a great record. I was thinking of picking something up with their singles. Thanks for the recommendations. Take care!
Thank You, Matt, for the depth and breadth of your podcast. Rediscovering The Zombies Music is always a joyful experience. The Zombies must hold the record for stretching their music career, over the longest timeframe, with only 3 USA chart hit singles, and no hit albums. Love to learn more about what sustained their efforts, especially when the music market rejected them, time and time again. Are there any books on The Zombies that you highly recommend? The Zombies are another classic example of why other key players and factors are important to lasting artistic and commercial success. As you showed, the collective recordings of The Zombies is most impressive.
In the Box Set Zombie Heaven there is an accompanying book documenting their story. In essence they love to create, write and perform; what They Like and Feel, whether anyone else likes it or not. I'd recommend their Album from the 21st century; Breathe In Breathe Out. A favorite of mine.
Well done bringing The Zombies to the forefront Matt ... When looking for music that captures the sound of the 60s ... you would be hard pressed not to include at least one Zombies track ... such an underrated band ... Time of the Season is one of those tracks that still after all these years sounds fresh, innovative and in these troubled times ... poignant ...
I saw them in Belgium around the time of Out of the Shadows under the name of Argent and Blunstone or the other way around.🙂 The crowd was no more than 50 people I estimate but they played as if they were performing for the queen. Such a great band and truly professional. Jim Rodford (RIP) on bass and Steve Rodford (Son of) on drums. I had a chance to talk to Collin and got my cd signed. A memory that will last. BTW, great story telling. I enjoyed part 1 and 2.
The first Zombies LP I bought isn't mentioned in the video. It's an odd release called Meet The Zombies and was brought out by Razor Records in 1988. The track listing is as follows: 1 Conversation Off Floral Street 2 Don't Cry For Me 3 She's Not There 4 Imagine The Swan 5 She Loves The Way They Love Her 6 Walking In The Sun 7 If It Don't Work Out 8 I Could Spend The Day 9 Girl Help Me 10 Time Of The Season 11 I Know She Will 12 Hung Up On A Dream 13 A Rose For Emily 14 This Will Be Our Year 15 Tell Her No Rather bizarre, I now realise, but it hangs together as an LP nonetheless. I first got into them when I started my first job as the mail boy to a building society. There I met a guy named Paul who loved them and had the LP with all their A/B-sides and Odessey And Oracle. We formed a band with some other guys who worked there, me on drums and Paul on bass. I remember one night at his parents' place where we played the A/B-sides LP and sang along, killing ourselves laughing as we tried to imitate Colin Blunstone's polite Rock 'n' Roll screams. Two final thoughts- Hugh Grundy is a wonderful drummer, as you say. His drumming on She's Not There is so similar to In My Life that I thought he might've influenced Ringo until I realised that Ringo had already drummed on All I Gotta Do before The Zombies' first single came out. - Have you ever noticed how similar the rhythm on Time Of The Season is to Spencer Davis Group's I'm A Man? It's like minor vs major in feel. I wonder if Rod Argent was thinking of that song when he wrote his?
@@popgoesthe60s52 He thanks for posting this. Return of the Zombies, or New World came out in '91 to protect the copyright of name The Zombies, without Rod Argent who was contractually obligated to other projects. Breathe Out Breathe In 2011, Rod Argent, Colin Bluestone of The Zombies; As Far As I Can See, 2004. Some other Albums not mentioned.
Thanks for another great video Matt! Out of all of the Zombies releases “Into the After Life” has to be my favorite cd out of there discography! It has such great songs in it like Colins time as Neil McArthur with the string arrangement behind him at times as well as fuzz box guitar. Also don’t get me started about the Argent/White demos because they also sound amazing! But unfortunately they didn’t get released at the time but no matter luckily we have them now. 👍 One curios song on there however that I really like is “Mr. Galileo” which I find quite catchy despite its weird tale. Heck I even ask Chris about it one time and he said it was about a guy he knew go figure!
I have about 5 tracks from RIP and thought they were recorded earlier than Odyssey & Oracle as demos. Thanks for clearing that up. Time to update the playlist! I think the Zombies She's Not There, which I inherited from my stepdads wurlitzer along with about 50 killer singles, was something else..utterly transcending anything before and after. It gave me the chills and I was only 12 years old which really helped me move away from contemporary music..which was no bad thing! Thanks again for a great history of a great band. 👍
Actually the songs "If It Don't Work Out" and "I'll Keep Trying" were earlier songs that got some new bits added during these sessions. The rest were new.
Who could not love this exposé by Matt on a band that was just ahead of their time and would be a targeted band played on progressive FM stations in the '70s.
_Odessey & Oracle_ is my favorite album of all time, and I listen to a lot of music from many different genres. Almost everything. This album is _beyond_ mere greatness. I bought 'The best and the rest of the Zombies' on cassette in the 80s, and unfortunately for me, it only had one song from _O&O_ on it: 'Time of the Season'. If I had heard that album _then,_ I'd have played it until the tape stretched.
While I'm maybe a little younger than the Zombies' "target market," I once found myself at a club watching Blunstone and Argent (the precursor to the modern tours under the Zombies name) and could not stop talking about Blunstone's voice afterward. He's a testament to the ability to preserve one's vocal chords through life, with a little care.
He does operatic exercises to take care of his voice. Robert Plant should have taken a page from that book.
Colin took some vocal chord maintenance instruction from an opera singer teacher and has practiced vocal exercises every day since. His voice is actually stronger now than in the 60's..
@@mrnobody3161 Very audibly so, even in just that tiny "Yesterday" sample.
Colin had such a rich textured voice, one of the best! Girls found his voice sexy.
Colin Blunstone has one of the richest, series, most provocative voices in rock ever. Women love it! ❤️ His early work & harmonizing w/Zombies on songs like I Love You, She's Not There, and Time of the Season is magical. Amazing voice!
Alright The Zombies. A truly underrated band. Rod Argent is a genius. Odessey and Oracle is in my top 10 of all time great records.
Zombies are in my top 10 of all time great bands
such a shame care of cell 44 never got the recognition it deserved, easily their best song and one of the best psychedelic songs of the 60s imo
I just recently read an interview with Colin Blunstone where he talked about rehearsing for Odessey & Oracle. He said the only audience they had during the reherasals was the cleaning woman and they got frustrated cause she never really said anything or reacted to any of the songs.
What a bumpy history and a tribute to the band's tenacity! "This Will Be Our Year" is my wife and I's special song, and it also seems to reflect the band's career. Great historical detail as ever, thanks!
It seems that there is always something new to discover with this band.
The current guitarist in The Zombies; Tom Toomey used to front a Santana Tribute Band, is a prolific studio musician in the UK, and is the guitarist on most of Robert Plants Solo Albums. Tom also has his own solo band and does music camps in Africa with his wife.
Argent is one of my secret bands... you know, the band you let someone else ask you about... loved their music in the 70's.
Another (then) underrated band who's legacy will outshine most of the million-sellers of the time forever. To be cherished by generations to come.
'Odessey and Oracle' is my favourite British album of all-time, hands down. The Kinks are my favourite group, the Beatles are the greatest that ever was, but that album is just so special. If it wasn't for Love's 'Forever Changes' it would be my all-time #1 album.
I was very young when the early Zombies singles hit. I loved the Beatles of course, but after
"She's Not There," the Zombies were my second favourite band (above the Stones, Rascals, Who, etc.) The deal was sealed with "Tell Her No" and "Time of the Season." Even now, I think their musical sensibilities, harmonic twists, unique vocal and arrangement style, makes them one of the most original bands of the sixties, and I can hear echoes of their music in many artists from 1967 onwards. I love the Zombies, and have learned much from these two videos about their artistic struggles. Thank you.
Thank you for commenting, SullivanWorks!
Everything The Zombies ever did was a masterpiece. Sad that so many of their songs didn’t get more airplay.
Enjoying this documentary of The Zombies history and evolving changes in their music and arrangement. ❤🙏 Lots of hard work and blood sweat and tears pouring into their songs.
When one considers the limitations of studio recording back then, the rich quality of the Zombies’ sound is nothing short of remarkable. It reveals just how talented they were. Aside: The People’s version of I love You, which got a lot of airtime, was a favorite song when I was in the 9th grade. Thanks again for a well-researched and thought-provoking video, Matt!
Thank you, Ed! I had People's version of _I Love You_ as a kid!
@@popgoesthe60s52 Matt, that would be an interesting group to cover, especially in regards to Larry Norman. If you haven’t seen the documentary about him, “Fallen Angel, The Outlaw Larry Norman” it’s definitely worth the watch. It has a few interviews with former People! members. Fantastic episodes about The Zombies BTW!
The Zombies regularly perform I Love You in their concert tours.
Well the Beatles, all 2 & later 4 track. Couldn't be bettered. Now there's far too much tracks in scores. We need to go back to the simpler times. I mean Sgt Pepper. Say no more.
Russ Ballard is one of the greatest songwriters in British history. Famous for “since you’ve been gone” for rainbow, “there’s something going on” by Frida from ABBA, and “can’t shake loose” by Agnetha from ABBA
I love his voice too - great singer.
Very cool songs!
Also Liar Three Dog Night I'm winning Santana New York Groove Ace frehley
Thanks again for a great series on the Zombies! All the Beatles dug the Zombies: George Harrison was on the BBC's Jukebox Jury and declared correctly that She's Not There would be a hit. Also, as an A&R man, Paul Atkinson later had business with Paul McCartney during the 1970s Wings era. Atkinson apparently never let McCartney forget that he was once a Zombie!
Thanks for those additions, Matthew! Much appreciated.
I know it easy to say years later that this song or that song should have been a hit in regard to any band, one has to look at the time period in which a band recorded an album and release a single and what they were up against on top 40 stations at the time. that being said in my opinion the Zombies work hard to get the recognition that they got in the 60's and should be better known then just three songs (She Not There, Tell Her No, Time of the Season)
Rod Argent, Colin Blunstone, Hugh Grundy, Chris White are talented musicians in their own rights and Paul Atkinson was. the Zombies recorded some very overlook songs at the time (Is This the Dream, She's Coming Home, Summertime, Whenever You're Ready, Butcher's Tale Western Front 1914) just to name a few. Thanks, Matt, for giving the Zombies their due credits that they deserve.
Odessey and Oracle is such a beautiful record! I’ve really enjoyed these episodes, thank you.
Another wonderful review from an underrated but highly respectable band. They were all very intelligent in their craft and their dedication is admirable. Thank you very much. BTW RIP to Gary Brooker of Procul Harum. Another great band that needs to be reviewed.
I've just read that Brooker has died. Very sad - I saw him 20 years ago (already) with Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, but never with Procol Harum, who were so much more than that classic single!
Procol Harum deserves Matt's attention
Their first album, and "A Salty Dog" are both masterpieces.
Very nice tribute, good to hear you give the fine drummer some credit, very underated position!
The Zombies were a great pop band with an edge. Most obvious was the jazz influence. They also featured keyboards as the instrumental solos instead of guitars. Their vocals were top shelf. Extremely underrated band.
2:30 Rod Argent actually wrote I Want Her She Wants Me for the Mind Benders, but they didn't play the chords right the way Rod intended, so he decided they would do it themselves after all
Matt, I'm glad you covered the Zombies. My highschool bandmate Michael Fennelly turned me on to them. We covered several of their songs while we were building our own songbook. We studied each of their new singles (A and B sides) as soon as they were released. Since we did not want to be a top 40 cover band, their lack of chart success was a point in their favor, as far as we were concerned. In one of life's nice coincidences, when Epic signed Mike for a solo LP, after being in The Millennium and fronting Crabby Appleton, he got to choose his own producer and flew to London, where Chris White produced him (with Jim Rodford on bass). In a bit of symmetry, his solo LP didn't chart much better than the Zombies had, despite some excellent songs and an uncredited solo by Jeff Beck on one track.
Wow, that is a great connection to the Zombies you have!
Anyone who likes Colin Blunstone's singing will love "Old And Wise", where he joined The Alan Parsons Project.
Thanks for another great video Matt! I've always heard of The Zombies as "She's not there" would play regularly at my job. I appreciate that you've been able to open up to my eyes to more of their work and more works of artists that I now enjoy like Buffalo Springfield and The Turtles.
My pleasure - thanks for the comment!
Thank you so much I was born in 2005 and have just recently found this band and would never have knew their backstory. Definitely an underrated band
"Predictably 'Butcher's Tale' didn't chart" I love some of your toss away lines like that ... these series are some of the better stuff out there. Really solid! Keep on keeping on 😎
Thank JayHawk - I will keep 'em coming!
It's a great song but weird choice a single.
"Butcher's Tale" is the only black eye on the album. It's like if the Beatles had included "Only A Northern Song" in the middle of Sgt. Pepper.
I've always considered the first Argent album to be kind of a "lost" Zombies album. It has much more in common sonically with "Odessey and Oracle" than it does with Argent's heavier progressive music on later albums. Very tuneful, and full of playful keyboard work, Zombies fans who never took a shine to Argent might want to give that first LP a try.
Agreed. I thought the same thing when I heard that first Argent album. I could hear Colin's vocals all over those songs. I saw the Zombies live twice after they reformed, both times with Jim Rodford and it was great to hear the Zombies do a few of the Argent songs... yes, including Hold Your Head Up.. LOL.
Matt , Great take on the Zombies! Caroline Munro is very easy on the eyes TOO!
Odessey and Oracle often finds it’s way onto the turntable when my friends and I are partying out on the patio at night. It’s that kind of record…
White had an unerring ear for melody. One of the best songwriters of the '60s. Thanks for doing this. The A's and B's disc is great, but so is something called "The Decca Stereo Anthology." All of it is must-have.
The Zombies perseverance and dedication to their craft is very admirable. Bands like The Zombies, The Turtles, The Hollies, The Faces and The Troggs, all left their mark on modern music. History has proven they were far more than "One Hit Wonders". But their collective body of work overall, was pretty hit and miss (imho). I think this is why they are not placed in the pantheon of "Greatest Bands" ever. That's no shade. They've accomplished more than most bands ever did, or ever will. For that, they've earned their well respected reputations. Thanks Matt. I really enjoyed both parts on the Zombies. Take care, RNB
Matt
Thanks for all of your great videos, this included, as I've always LOVED The Zombies!
I had another serendipitous discovery the other day when I commented on a Cavern performance of The Beatles (audio only) accompanied by photos, a few of which showed them accompanying a black performer, I thought it might be Lord Woodbine but wasn't sure and asked for information, the channel host informed me it was Davy Jones who had a small 'hit' with the song Amapola. So, I looked for it in vain, but accidentally discovered The Spotnicks (thelir Amapola hit #1 in Sweden) !!! Since then I've been binging on The Spotnicks and am glad ! I don't think they got much air time in America when I was kid in the sixties, because I was fan of The Surfaris, Ventures, Chantays, and I did know of The Shadows (due to my being a Beatlemaniac, as The Shadows weren't heard much on American radio as far as I knew at the time). Anyway, if you do a video about these instrumental guitar groups it would be SUPER !
This might be a good time to do my favourite 60s Band- Procol Harum
This is a fascinating story I did not know. "Time of the Season" would not have been released if not for Al Kooper??? That's a really mind-blowing story about a classic song I always took for granted. Show business is a tough grind, man. So many great talents never make it or almost miss like this. It's not as glamorous as people think. THANK YOU for this great series.
My pleasure - more to come.
Thank you for your episode on The Zombies. I don’t have any of the band on vinyl, but enjoyed you showing us your vinyl journey. Your first (double) album purchase ‘Time Of The Zombies’ appears to be the perfect one stop shop. I bought the CD -Zombies in Stereo, the Ken Jones era. They meticulously did Stereo mixes for the first time,from the master tapes,that they owned.’Afterlife’ is a treasure trove, assembling Post Zombies rarities by Colin,Chris & Rod. Russ Ballard needs a episode on his own. Master songwriter and the guitarist & vocalist in Argent, of course.
Thanks for the insight into this great band. Zombies unsung heroes for sure.. Lots of life in them yet !!
Dude, just wanna briefly say that I've been hooked to your channel for some weeks now. Seen most of your stuff and now always look forward to new releases. Keep it up!
Thanks Florian!
Every single Zombies recordings are sublime. Seek them out🎶😎👍
One of my favorite tracks from this great band is “I’ll Call You Mine” - not a track from O&O, but worthy of that classic imho.
You made my Night!!!!!! As the Bass Player in a Regional popular New England band known as the Century I adored these guys. We used to do quite a lot of Zombies material in fact. While doing a gig with the Vanilla Fudge, Tim came up to me after our set and we chatted about the Zombies for quite awhile as he loved them as well and we became fast friends as a result. The Zombies were absolutely Fabulous.......as is your Show here on RUclips. Thanks so much for what you do....... (psst. 10 C.C.)
Thank you, Rich! I appreciate you sharing the Fudge story.
I was 10 years old in 1968. Really appreciate your channel. Have learned so much about the music time period that I have so many fond memories of since I discovered Pop goes the 60’s. Thanks.
Thanks for commenting, Steve. More to come.
Greetings Matt ✌ Fantastic series on The Zombies, I enjoyed both parts very much👍Your Always insightful in your presentations and I always learn something New on these great artists on Pop Goes 60's ,-One thing that stands out for me is Colin Blunstone's voice -Love his voice on songs like I Love You and The Zombies cover of The Look of Love and Blunstone's version of Harry Nilsson's Without Her are Superb!!!
Odessey & Oracle is a great album ! One of my favorites of that time
We got to see them in MYC one of the first tours in the early 2000´s. They are masters.
Great to have you cover these guys, and mention some of the strong songs, "If it don't work out", etc. that sadly weren't hits... And well done in mentioning Hugh Grundy, often overlooked, but his drums were always tuned well and sounded great !
Absolutely fantastic videos on the Zombies.
I'm a long-time Zombies fan, but have to confess that I was completely unaware of the post-Odessey material discussed here. Similarly, the examples of Colin's early solo work were eye opening (and gorgeous). Thanks for more time well spent!
Thanks for watching, Daniel!
More Caroline! when I first heard Caroline Goodbye I wondered if it was the same girl as Carline No from Brian Wilson. I am still amazed at what struggles this awesome band had charting...makes more sense now than when I was 13 and 14 and the only kid in my Indiana grade school talking about them. I loved them. Everyone else thought I was nuts! Thanks so much...once again for another stellar episode! I follow a lot of people on here, but I am most excited always by what you post!
Hey William - always great to get your comments!
@@popgoesthe60s52 Always ready to provide the thoughts and opinions of an Indiana kid who was in the midst of the 64 invasion at age 8! Thank goodness, though my body has predictably (wink) failed me, my brain has not!
Minor correction. "Time Of The Season" peaked at #3 in Billboard, not #2. Of course, it deserved the heralded #1 position as it is the ultimate radio friendly song.
Time of the Season now holds the record for most radio plays in the USA at 6 million and counting.
Plus all the samples
Matt, yet another perfect episode, this is the best, most thorough history of yet another one my favorite bands! Lots of information in this that I wasn't aware of. 0Some somewhat random thoughts:
1. I've always thought Freddy Mercury must have been a Zombies fan, his vocal style is similar in places, I'm basing this on "Imagine The Swan" and "She Loves The Way They Love Her", a la the "when she smiles" part.
2. Thank you for giving Hugh Grundy a shout out, I had a feeling you'd give him some mad props! One of my favorite drummers, easily.
3. Colin dated Caroline Munro? Hello! 4. Their lack of chart success is baffling, I can't help but wonder how the charts were really decided back then. 5. I'm so glad their getting the attention they deserve, from a younger generation. 6. I've seen them twice, in the early 00's, it was stunning, Colin's voice was still there and Argent too!
Thank you, my friend! 🎶🎵🎼💿🎸
Thank you, David. The Mercury comparison hadn't occurred to me but makes total sense. Excuse me but I have to go through more Carline Munro clippings....
@@popgoesthe60s52 Caroline Munro these days presents the Friday night horror movies on the UK Talking Pictures TV channel!
I'm a bit of a freak fan when it comes to The Zombies.
In listening to and reading countless interviews about them, Rod has said the management team was really incompetent in marketing and image creation of the band.
Also the management team ripped the band members off on their incomes from gigs and concerts.
The Zombies did a tour in The Philippines before the recording of Odessey and Oracle. Much to the bands surprise many of their failed singles in the rest of the world, were massive hits in the Philippines. They played multiple concerts to 30, 40 thousand people and got paid 80 pounds split 5 ways.
After the failure of Odessey and Oracle in 68, there just wasn't any money for the non songwriters in the band.
It’s the time of the season my daughter loves this songs she is 38 and my granddaughter who is 25 This song is timeless
Matt, I think what’s going to happen after watching this two-part series is what happened to me after I watched your ACTION videos. I will have to go and buy a boxed set. 😂 I know that I am late to the party here, but as usual, you’ve blown my mind. Thank you.
You are right on time! Glad you liked it.
I am a huge zombies fan , started listening to them in 1990 , I really like their later album 2004 As Far As I Can See , Argent is utterly brilliant, thanks for posting!
Their arrangements became more daring & sophisticated...just at the right time when psychedelia grew.
Matt, thanks for re-introducing us to so many under-appreciated great bands from the '60s. Just bought tickets to see The Zombies (for the first time) this Spring.
You'll love 'em, Kenneth!
What did you think? I saw them again about a month ago, and it was one of my favorite concerts this year. At one point, people wouldn't stop clapping, and they finally had to start the next song! I uploaded video from my front row seat. The long jam on She's Not There was killer.
Very nice overview here! I think one of the major points about the Zombies reunions shows -- which have been going on in earnest since the late 1990s at this point -- is the quality of Colin Blunstone's voice. I first caught a reunion show in NYC in about 1999 or 2000 (Colin and Rod were the only original members... along with Jim Rodford... so there were just as many Argent members on stage as Zombies!), and even at that time, I was floored that Blunstone's voice had lost no power, depth, or character. The "Odessey & Oracle" shows (with Hugh Grundy and Chris White in tow) later on down the road were just as magical.
Nice series! Enjoyed it.
Several years ago I started a 'project' to collect all the albums in Rolling Stone's top 500 album list (the first version). Odessey and Oracle is on it, so in time I collected it.
Looking at the wikipedia page for Odessey and Oracle, I noticed that, at least for that album, the Zombies had multiple lead vocalists, wrote their own material, and had multiple writers. How Beatles-like!
So I took a quick think on bands that do that, and I threw in playing their own instruments. Here is my list, which of course is not definitive:
The Beatles
The Eagles
The Grateful Dead
Pink Floyd (except for final years)
Fleetwood Mac (Buckingham/Nicks era)
BTO
The Allman Brothers
Chicago
And some bands that don't meet all the criteria, but are close:
The Rolling Stones (Richards does not sing often enough, imo)
The Doors
And some bands (that I like) that do not fit the bill:
Jethro Tull
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Note that all the bands listed above are 'classic'. I am a classic guy.
Phenomenal job Matt!! Awesome..thanks for another great show..ZOMBIES..go 60s
As a kid, growing up in the 1960s we were right in the thick of it all being acutely aware and keen on all things mod and psychedelic. And the Zombies were a big part of it! As an adult in my mid 60s, I’m still stuck there and I have a great Zombies compilation CD along with my vinyl and other CDs that are 99.999% ‘60s pop/rock music. As a photographer, I use my Nikon F film SLR on my photoshoots, the iconic camera used in the film “Blow Up.” Another great informative video, Matt!
Thanks for the comment, Henry!
Back in the Sixties, we (my high school rock band) loved the Zombies. We covered Tell Her No, She's NotThere, and I Love You (we never heard the Zombie original, but knew of it. We bought the People version which is virtually identical). I was elated when they got into the Hall.
Thank you so much for reviewing this band, Matt. You have opened up my ears to new (old) music. I have a few of the high charting singles that the Zombies released on 60s compilations and Argent's "Hold Your Head Up" remains one of my fave Juke box tunes from when I was a teen (btw, I will never forgive Kiss for their dismal cover of another Argent tune). I was always unsure of which music of the Zombies I should pursue and dive into. Now, I can see the answer is pretty well much all of it. Thanks Again.
Colin Blundstone - what a tremendous singer - I Don’t Believe In Miracles is awesome - what a great vocal performance!
As the reviewer says, he had a "breathy tone", but, actually, he had different ways of singing. A tremendously talented singer!
Thanks for turning me on to more music by the Zhombies.
So glad to see a video showing some appreciation to one of my favorite 60s bands. I remember having arguments with my friends in high school who said the zombies only have one or two songs.
Their catalog is short but deep! Thanks for the comment, Bobby.
When I first got my copy of meet the Beatles, it was in 1974 my father bought me a used copy of it and it was the mono release and to this day I still have it and I recently got my turntable fixed and I played with the Beatles on there and it really took me back when I was 10 years old. Listen to it during that time frame.😊
Odyssey and oracle has got to be one of the greatest pop albums of all time.
Also just listened to my copy of 'wake up.. it's tomorrow' right before watching your video, noticed it on your wall!
Great 60s pop history! Well done!
The Zombies are one of my all-time favorite bands. This two-part program has made me see even more why I'm such a fan. Their jazzy sophistication always impressed me as it is the sound that always stops me in my tracks and makes me listen. That kind of thing always grabbed my attention. Thanks for this! I'm going to have to watch it again sometime soon.
Thank you, Michael. I appreciated them even more after I did these videos.
Thank you for this great review! I'm turning 70 in Sept. Time Of The Season is one of those songs that when I hear it, the song takes me back to that point in time in my life. I'm going to see them in October in Portland OR. I'm so looking forward to this concert.
Another bit of trivia is some of those 1965 tracks they recorded for a possible 2nd LP were some of the tracks that were brought out of the vaults and 'fixed up' by adding some instrumentation for the proposed "R.I.P." LP! ("Don't Cry for Me", "If It Don't Work Out", "I'll Call You Mine", for example)
Thanks for this Zombies history, you did a great job. We have got to find Afterlife.
I have a link to it in the description under the video. Check it out - it's very afforable.
We'll never know how some of those great songs didn't chart. They're very welcome ear candy. An excellent look at them.
Excellent job, once again Matt. "Odessey and Oracle" an undoubted masterpiece. Just an idea, but it might be worth your time looking at the British Immediate record label in the future. Regardless, keep up the good work. Thanks
Thank you so much for this 2-part offering. The Zombies had a unique sound and made some incredible music. The story of John Lennon's Mellotron use by them is very interesting. Keep up the good work!
Great channel grew up in the 60’s and feel very lucky I did. An overlooked band I loved was Spirit and few people know much if anything about them. It would make for a great show. Please keep up the great work it’s fantastic.
Thank you, Robert!
Another Amazing British Artist that no one seems to know outside of Europe is: John Miles.
Guitarist, Pianist, Composer, Vocalist. An outstanding talent.
The go to guy for any benefit concert featuring Led Zeppelin, because he can cover both the vocals and guitar.
The 12 Faces of Sr. Sardonicus? “Nature’s Way” “Mr. Skin.”
All the little details you share add so much colour and life to the stories, making them so interesting.
Thank you, Matt - I really enjoyed this one!
@@popgoesthe60s52 Yeah, me too, thanks Matt. The Zombies have some great songs, I am now looking into their catalog further.
I had the vinal LP of One Year by Colin Blunstone with Caroline Goodbye being the reason to buy it, hearing it on an underground FM station one day. If you can get your hands on it get it! It is full of wonderful ballads and orchestration, and of course his signature vocals.
A great video Matt I’m really glad you focussed on them. Very unique ‘English’ sounding songs. Love how you picked out and highlighted the mellatron sounds on O & O. 👍
Thank you, Nigel - this was a fun one to do because I really enjoy the Zombies music.
Nice coverage, I learned a lot, and apt free association on the heels of your broadcast on the Turtles and the 5th Dimension overtones: I hear their sounds ricocheting off each other. Makes me think how integral to a 'Sixties' sound, aside from the guitars, was heady uplifting vocal harmonies. God help me I include Honeybus in all that. It all has a heartbreaking poignancy now that it didn;t have then, because the bird crashed in 1969. No more protest, these days, I just feed the birds out back and tell the squirrels to stop squabbling.
Great job Matt! The Zombies are tremendous. Thanks for sharing their story. I always end up buying cd's from the groups you do videos on. You certainly do your homework! Thank you for your efforts. Always ment to buy Odyssey and Oracle. Getting it now!
Thank you, st.rose2002. I have some purchase links in the description that give me a small chunk of the sale if you are so inclined. :)
Thanks for another solid presentation, Matt. Shocked to hear that “Odessey” did not get released initially in the US! But their story is a lesson in perseverance for a band if there ever was one. I love seeing the record sleeves as well.
Thank you, Tom - plenty more sleeves to come!
Plus having Al Kooper in the right place at the right time.
I always learn something from you video' s Matt. Thank you for this excellent trip through "Zombie Heaven." I like that you mentioned the LP "Time Of The Zombies" as that was the first LP I got by them also. It was impossible to get any Zombies recordings in the Mid 70s and when I saw that 2-LP set, I grabbed it, but was a little hesitant, as the cover was so weird.. LOL. That was a killer compilation! Nice to see they're getting some overdue recognition. Great band. I'm excited to see who you'll be covering next. :- )
I'm so glad I didn't that album by that terrible cover - one of the best values I ever got.
Of all the British bands that produced an album worth of BBC recordings, the Zombies may have the winning entry. Their stuff for the BBC just has a wonderful feel, and I love their covers.
Thanks, Matt. I always liked the Zombies known hits but never really did a deep dive on the work until around 15 years ago. Odessey and Oracle was a mindblowing. It is one of my favorite albums now. I saw them live in 2017 and was really impressed.
They are still great live! I last saw them in 2019.
Thanks for sharing this history Matt! I discovered Odessey and Oracle recently and it’s a such a great record. I was thinking of picking something up with their singles. Thanks for the recommendations. Take care!
Thank You, Matt, for the depth and breadth of your podcast. Rediscovering The Zombies Music is always a joyful experience.
The Zombies must hold the record for stretching their music career, over the longest timeframe, with only 3 USA chart hit singles, and no hit albums. Love to learn more about what sustained their efforts, especially when the music market rejected them, time and time again. Are there any books on The Zombies that you highly recommend?
The Zombies are another classic example of why other key players and factors are important to lasting artistic and commercial success.
As you showed, the collective recordings of The Zombies is most impressive.
I appreciate the comment Vital Marco Ortiz!
In the Box Set Zombie Heaven there is an accompanying book documenting their story. In essence they love to create, write and perform; what They Like and Feel, whether anyone else likes it or not. I'd recommend their Album from the 21st century; Breathe In Breathe Out. A favorite of mine.
I have Still Got That Hunger on vinyl signed by Rod Argent & Colin Blunstone. Helped crowdfund it!
I Would really like for you to do a complete History of The Hollies, and Badfinger.
I believe Pop Goes the 60s DID review the group, Badfinger, if I'm not mistaken.
Well done bringing The Zombies to the forefront Matt ...
When looking for music that captures the sound of the 60s ... you would be hard pressed not to include at least one Zombies track ... such an underrated band ...
Time of the Season is one of those tracks that still after all these years sounds fresh, innovative and in these troubled times ... poignant ...
Awesome as always Matt...Great analysis. thanks so much for bringing these legends to life.
I saw them in Belgium around the time of Out of the Shadows under the name of Argent and Blunstone or the other way around.🙂 The crowd was no more than 50 people I estimate but they played as if they were performing for the queen. Such a great band and truly professional. Jim Rodford (RIP) on bass and Steve Rodford (Son of) on drums. I had a chance to talk to Collin and got my cd signed. A memory that will last.
BTW, great story telling. I enjoyed part 1 and 2.
id love to see you do a deep dive of The Byrds. they dont seem to get the reverence they deserve. love this series !
I am working on my Byrds series now! Should be out in about a month.
Love this Zombies series! I am a major Zombies fan, but had no idea that some of these albums existed. Wow!
I appreciate you watching, Robin!
Great video, man! I really need to check out & pick up their whole catalog.. I only have the Odessey & Oracle on wax. ✌️
The first Zombies LP I bought isn't mentioned in the video. It's an odd release called Meet The Zombies and was brought out by Razor Records in 1988. The track listing is as follows:
1 Conversation Off Floral Street
2 Don't Cry For Me
3 She's Not There
4 Imagine The Swan
5 She Loves The Way They Love Her
6 Walking In The Sun
7 If It Don't Work Out
8 I Could Spend The Day
9 Girl Help Me
10 Time Of The Season
11 I Know She Will
12 Hung Up On A Dream
13 A Rose For Emily
14 This Will Be Our Year
15 Tell Her No
Rather bizarre, I now realise, but it hangs together as an LP nonetheless.
I first got into them when I started my first job as the mail boy to a building society. There I met a guy named Paul who loved them and had the LP with all their A/B-sides and Odessey And Oracle. We formed a band with some other guys who worked there, me on drums and Paul on bass. I remember one night at his parents' place where we played the A/B-sides LP and sang along, killing ourselves laughing as we tried to imitate Colin Blunstone's polite Rock 'n' Roll screams.
Two final thoughts- Hugh Grundy is a wonderful drummer, as you say. His drumming on She's Not There is so similar to In My Life that I thought he might've influenced Ringo until I realised that Ringo had already drummed on All I Gotta Do before The Zombies' first single came out.
- Have you ever noticed how similar the rhythm on Time Of The Season is to Spencer Davis Group's I'm A Man? It's like minor vs major in feel. I wonder if Rod Argent was thinking of that song when he wrote his?
Great comments about the Grundy-Ringo comparison. I'm not aware of that album Meet the Zombies but it's got a great track selection!
@@popgoesthe60s52
He thanks for posting this.
Return of the Zombies, or New World came out in '91 to protect the copyright of name The Zombies, without Rod Argent who was contractually obligated to other projects.
Breathe Out Breathe In 2011,
Rod Argent, Colin Bluestone of The Zombies; As Far As I Can See, 2004.
Some other Albums not mentioned.
Anthem of the Sun on the wall, Nice!
Thanks for another great video Matt! Out of all of the Zombies releases “Into the After Life” has to be my favorite cd out of there discography! It has such great songs in it like Colins time as Neil McArthur with the string arrangement behind him at times as well as fuzz box guitar. Also don’t get me started about the Argent/White demos because they also sound amazing! But unfortunately they didn’t get released at the time but no matter luckily we have them now. 👍 One curios song on there however that I really like is “Mr. Galileo” which I find quite catchy despite its weird tale. Heck I even ask Chris about it one time and he said it was about a guy he knew go figure!
Thank you, Eli!
I have about 5 tracks from RIP and thought they were recorded earlier than Odyssey & Oracle as demos. Thanks for clearing that up. Time to update the playlist!
I think the Zombies She's Not There, which I inherited from my stepdads wurlitzer along with about 50 killer singles, was something else..utterly transcending anything before and after. It gave me the chills and I was only 12 years old which really helped me move away from contemporary music..which was no bad thing!
Thanks again for a great history of a great band. 👍
Actually the songs "If It Don't Work Out" and "I'll Keep Trying" were earlier songs that got some new bits added during these sessions. The rest were new.
@@popgoesthe60s52 this must be how I made my error!
Who could not love this exposé by Matt on a band that was just ahead of their time and would be a targeted band played on progressive FM stations in the '70s.
_Odessey & Oracle_ is my favorite album of all time, and I listen to a lot of music from many different genres. Almost everything. This album is _beyond_ mere greatness.
I bought 'The best and the rest of the Zombies' on cassette in the 80s, and unfortunately for me, it only had one song from _O&O_ on it: 'Time of the Season'. If I had heard that album _then,_ I'd have played it until the tape stretched.