Profile: The Zombies

1962 (St. Albans, Herts, London, England)

British Invasion, Pop-Rock, Psychedelia

Rod Argent (b. June 14, 1945, St. Alban's, Hertfordshire, England): organ and keyboards
Colin Blunstone (b. June 24, 1945, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England): lead vocals
Chris White (b. Christopher Taylor White, March 7, 1943, Barnet, Hertfordshire, England): bass guitar
Paul Atkinson (b. March 19, 1946, Cuffley, Hertfordshire, England): guitar
Hugh Grundy (b. March 6, 1945, Winchester, Hampshire, England): drums

The Zombies were centered around St. Albans' school in Hertfordshire, where Argent, Grundy, and guitarist Paul Atkinson began playing together in 1961. Eventually, bassist Paul Arnold was added, and introduced the others to singer Colin Blunstone, persuaded to leave his job at an insurance firm. Colin's fellow schoolmate Chris White soon took Arnold's place, and the group developed a local following; unsure as to whether they should continue after school ended, the band was persuaded by Argent and White to enter a local talent contest. The Zombies had a deal with Decca before the contest was even decided.

Argent showed up at the studios with a song he'd written specifically for the occasion, a dark brooder called "She's Not There." But a cover of Gershwin's "Summertime" was the heavy favorite for first single. Fortunately, label producer Ken Jones insisted that "She's Not There" was the hit, and while it did relatively well in the UK, heavy exposure by New York radio powerhouse WINS led it to sell two and a half million copies stateside. The same year "Tell Her No" did almost as well, but that appeared to be it for the group, who couldn't match their earlier successes.

In 1967, however, the band signed to CBS to cut one last album, and the result, Odessey and Oracle, was an instant classic. But the album languished, the band broke up, and the Zombies weren't heard from again until two years later, when DJs around the country began picking up on CBS' last Zombie single, "Time Of The Season." The die had been cast by that point, but it remains popular today, and along with their growing critical rep, allowed Argent and Blunstone to hit the road with a new lineup in 2001, which today performs as the Zombies. (The five original members reunited only once, for a two-song 1997 concert.)

Top 10 hits:
Pop:

• "She's Not There" (1965)
• "Tell Her No" (1965)
• "Time Of The Season" (1969)

Other important recordings: "Leave Me Be," "The Way I Feel Inside," "She's Coming Home," "Nothing's Changed," "I Want You Back Again," "Whenever You're Ready," "If It Don't Work Out," "I Love You," "Is This The Dream," "Remember You," "Just Out Of Reach," "Gotta Get A Hold Of Myself," "You Make Me Feel Good," "Woman," "What More Can I Do ," "I Must Move," "Don't Go Away," "Indication," "How We Were Before," "She Does Everything For Me," "I'll Call You Mine," "I Don't Want To Know," "I Remember When I Loved Her," "She Does Everything For Me," "Don't Cry For Me," "i Know She Will," "I'll Call You Mine," "Smokey Day," "She Loves the Way They Love Her," "Girl Help Me," "I Could Spend The Day," "Kind Of Girl," "Sometimes," "One Day I'll Say Goodbye," "I Don't Want To Worry," "A Love That Never Was," "Early One Morning," "Imagine The Swan," "Care Of Cell 44," "A Rose For Emily," "Maybe After He's Gone," "Beechwood Park," "Brief Candles," "Hung Up On A Dream," "Changes," "I Want Her, She Wants Me," "This Will Be Our Year," "Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)," "Friends Of Mine," "Walking In The Sun," "Telescope (Mr. Galileo)," "Unhappy Girl," "To Julia (For When She Smiles)," "Without Her," "World Of Glass," "Conversation Off Floral Street"
Covered by: Tim Curry, The Posies, Of Montreal, Vanilla Fudge, UK Subs, Santana, Fastbacks, Zumpano, Scared Of Chaka, Loist
Appears in the movies: "Bunny Lake Is Missing" (1965)