After the Beatles, my favorite group is the Zombies. For a long time they were sort of overlooked. However, by the 1980s they began to turn up on every "under-rated" or "under-appreciated" act list put together. Their story and history is almost as interesting as the Fabs. Here's a sorta (LOL) condensed version:
Up for possible inclusion into the R&R HOF again this year (I believe the third time nominated) this at least has some semblance of timeliness (for a group who were active 50 years ago). And last week was Halloween, so there's that (Zombies/Halloween). During their period of activity in the 60's they only released 2 LPs. Remember, the period was still ruled by the hit single - and they rolled out many, singles, not hits - resulting in a decent quantity of vintage material.
The group were from St Albans, approximately 20 miles NW of central London. A typical tale of musically talented school chums who got together in those halcyon days of English Beat Groups and made it big internationally on the heels of the Beatles' breakthrough. The group consisted of Rod Argent (writer, keyboards); Chris White (writer, bass); Colin Blunstone (lead vocals); Paul Atkinson (guitar) and Hugh Grundy (drums). Though initially as interested in athletics (also excelling in academics) the thought was they would give up the music sideline once it was time for college.
However, after winning a record deal with Decca in a local competition Rod Argent decided he'd better write a hit single, so naively, that's exactly what he did. She's Not There was their first release and was top 12 in the UK and number 2 in the US (Number 1 Cashbox) in late 1964.
The single releases continued first in the UK with a fine albeit nondescript Leave Me Be, which their US Label (Parrot) passed on - then another great Argent penned pop single, Tell Her No, also charting top 10 in the US but only reached 42 in the UK.
The quality singles continued to come but their chart action seemed to weaken on each release. An LP was released (Begin Here [UK], The Zombies featuring She's Not There and Tell Her No [US]) but eventually Decca cut them loose after their hit-making potential seemed to have bottomed out. But before we go further in the story let me share a favorite side released during this stretch. Indication starts out like a typical pop production, but by the end the swirling vocal/organ led conclusion seems almost otherworldly. Getting from point A to point B seems natural as it goes but I can't help being impressed by the naturalness of the progression. (Inexplicably and sadly, Parrot decided to FADE OUT this ending on the US release. All I can think is that maybe somebody thought the record was too long to get play on AM radio.)
As their popularity waned slowly in America and their native England they remained quite popular in Scandinavia, Holland, Japan, South Africa and especially the Philippines. Yes, the Philippines! This was an indirect result of the Beatles inadvertent snub of Imelda Marcos on their stopover during their final (1966) World Tour. Suddenly in Manila the Beatles were personae non gratae and the vacuum was filled, quite adequately, by the Zombies! The group sold out 10 concert appearances at the Araneta Coliseum in early 1967.
Soon thereafter a San Jose group on Capitol Records called People discovered the Chris White penned Zombies version of I Love You on the B side of Whenever You're Ready and put it out in a psychedelic version, charting at #14 in 1968.
After leaving Decca the group in 1967 were signed to CBS and were given free artistic reign in EMI Abbey Road studio (where John Lennon's mellotron was still sitting). The result was their opus "Odessey and Oracle" ranked by Rolling Stone in the top 100 albums of all time. CBS did limit their budget and nothing was left when it came time to mix the stereo version of the LP, so the songwriters of the group (who make a bit more from their writing royalties) forked over the funds for the stereo mix.
But alas, the success for O&O was not immediate. The group had hung their futures in pop music on the success of the LP; and when it initially went largely unnoticed in the UK - true to their word - the group broke up. A single from the LP was also released and did nothing worldwide. In the US that incredibly rare single Care of Cell 44/Maybe After He's Gone is on the US Columbia label (I've never seen a copy, only images on the web)].
Meanwhile Al Kooper, a label mate at CBS, heard O&O and convinced the US label to release the LP on its Date subsidiary - where it did nothing. Date SUPPOSEDLY released Time of The Season in 1968 as catalog single #1604. This listing has turned up in record collecting price guides and discographies since the 1970's. I've yet to see any real evidence that the disc was ever pressed in stock or promotional form. No images are on line. I'm convinced it does NOT exist.
Nevertheless, Date DID eventually release the single Time of the Season/Friends of Mine as catalog #1628, after an initial release from the album, A Butchers Tale (an incredibly depressing WWI dirge!) not surprisingly, failed.
A radio station in Boise, Idaho picked it up to strong audience response. Then ever so slowly it began to break nationwide, eventually topping out at number 2 in early 1969. By then the group had been non-existent for 18 months. Offers to regroup were made but the band stuck by their word as each had moved on with their lives - including Argent forming his own band bearing his surname. Odessey and Oracle was repackaged with a different front cover and sold respectable quantities in the US on the strength of Time of the Season.
[Another interesting factoid to add to this already TL;DR post... Time of the Season joins Peter Paul and Mary's Leaving On a Jet Plane, and The Youngbloods' Get Together as 3 songs recorded AND released in 1967 to become top 10 hits two years later in 1969.]
In the early 70's CBS/Epic packaged the group's early hits and some out takes along with the complete Odessey and Oracle LP and sold it as a double album called Time of the Zombies. (Other than my single copy of Time Of The Season this was the first Zombies record I owned and for a long time the only thing available). The album was a steady seller and eventually as the 60's faded into the rear-view mirror the O&O LP slowly gained some rep. Now it is considered among the must haves of the 60's pop genre along and often compared with Rubber Soul, Pet Sounds and Forever Changes.
This is my favorite cut of the album. Very much a psychedelic dreamlike feel but still more substantive than much of the music in that style of the era. Definitely need to boost a bit of volume to appreciate the brilliance of this one. Simply one of the best pop tracks ever IMHO..
Up for possible inclusion into the R&R HOF again this year (I believe the third time nominated) this at least has some semblance of timeliness (for a group who were active 50 years ago). And last week was Halloween, so there's that (Zombies/Halloween). During their period of activity in the 60's they only released 2 LPs. Remember, the period was still ruled by the hit single - and they rolled out many, singles, not hits - resulting in a decent quantity of vintage material.
The group were from St Albans, approximately 20 miles NW of central London. A typical tale of musically talented school chums who got together in those halcyon days of English Beat Groups and made it big internationally on the heels of the Beatles' breakthrough. The group consisted of Rod Argent (writer, keyboards); Chris White (writer, bass); Colin Blunstone (lead vocals); Paul Atkinson (guitar) and Hugh Grundy (drums). Though initially as interested in athletics (also excelling in academics) the thought was they would give up the music sideline once it was time for college.
However, after winning a record deal with Decca in a local competition Rod Argent decided he'd better write a hit single, so naively, that's exactly what he did. She's Not There was their first release and was top 12 in the UK and number 2 in the US (Number 1 Cashbox) in late 1964.
The single releases continued first in the UK with a fine albeit nondescript Leave Me Be, which their US Label (Parrot) passed on - then another great Argent penned pop single, Tell Her No, also charting top 10 in the US but only reached 42 in the UK.
The quality singles continued to come but their chart action seemed to weaken on each release. An LP was released (Begin Here [UK], The Zombies featuring She's Not There and Tell Her No [US]) but eventually Decca cut them loose after their hit-making potential seemed to have bottomed out. But before we go further in the story let me share a favorite side released during this stretch. Indication starts out like a typical pop production, but by the end the swirling vocal/organ led conclusion seems almost otherworldly. Getting from point A to point B seems natural as it goes but I can't help being impressed by the naturalness of the progression. (Inexplicably and sadly, Parrot decided to FADE OUT this ending on the US release. All I can think is that maybe somebody thought the record was too long to get play on AM radio.)
As their popularity waned slowly in America and their native England they remained quite popular in Scandinavia, Holland, Japan, South Africa and especially the Philippines. Yes, the Philippines! This was an indirect result of the Beatles inadvertent snub of Imelda Marcos on their stopover during their final (1966) World Tour. Suddenly in Manila the Beatles were personae non gratae and the vacuum was filled, quite adequately, by the Zombies! The group sold out 10 concert appearances at the Araneta Coliseum in early 1967.
Soon thereafter a San Jose group on Capitol Records called People discovered the Chris White penned Zombies version of I Love You on the B side of Whenever You're Ready and put it out in a psychedelic version, charting at #14 in 1968.
After leaving Decca the group in 1967 were signed to CBS and were given free artistic reign in EMI Abbey Road studio (where John Lennon's mellotron was still sitting). The result was their opus "Odessey and Oracle" ranked by Rolling Stone in the top 100 albums of all time. CBS did limit their budget and nothing was left when it came time to mix the stereo version of the LP, so the songwriters of the group (who make a bit more from their writing royalties) forked over the funds for the stereo mix.
But alas, the success for O&O was not immediate. The group had hung their futures in pop music on the success of the LP; and when it initially went largely unnoticed in the UK - true to their word - the group broke up. A single from the LP was also released and did nothing worldwide. In the US that incredibly rare single Care of Cell 44/Maybe After He's Gone is on the US Columbia label (I've never seen a copy, only images on the web)].
Meanwhile Al Kooper, a label mate at CBS, heard O&O and convinced the US label to release the LP on its Date subsidiary - where it did nothing. Date SUPPOSEDLY released Time of The Season in 1968 as catalog single #1604. This listing has turned up in record collecting price guides and discographies since the 1970's. I've yet to see any real evidence that the disc was ever pressed in stock or promotional form. No images are on line. I'm convinced it does NOT exist.
Nevertheless, Date DID eventually release the single Time of the Season/Friends of Mine as catalog #1628, after an initial release from the album, A Butchers Tale (an incredibly depressing WWI dirge!) not surprisingly, failed.
A radio station in Boise, Idaho picked it up to strong audience response. Then ever so slowly it began to break nationwide, eventually topping out at number 2 in early 1969. By then the group had been non-existent for 18 months. Offers to regroup were made but the band stuck by their word as each had moved on with their lives - including Argent forming his own band bearing his surname. Odessey and Oracle was repackaged with a different front cover and sold respectable quantities in the US on the strength of Time of the Season.
[Another interesting factoid to add to this already TL;DR post... Time of the Season joins Peter Paul and Mary's Leaving On a Jet Plane, and The Youngbloods' Get Together as 3 songs recorded AND released in 1967 to become top 10 hits two years later in 1969.]
In the early 70's CBS/Epic packaged the group's early hits and some out takes along with the complete Odessey and Oracle LP and sold it as a double album called Time of the Zombies. (Other than my single copy of Time Of The Season this was the first Zombies record I owned and for a long time the only thing available). The album was a steady seller and eventually as the 60's faded into the rear-view mirror the O&O LP slowly gained some rep. Now it is considered among the must haves of the 60's pop genre along and often compared with Rubber Soul, Pet Sounds and Forever Changes.
This is my favorite cut of the album. Very much a psychedelic dreamlike feel but still more substantive than much of the music in that style of the era. Definitely need to boost a bit of volume to appreciate the brilliance of this one. Simply one of the best pop tracks ever IMHO..
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