EARLY 1960s SEEMINGLY OUT OF THE ETHER, OUT OF THE CHEAP SPEAKERS OF AMERICAN RADIO
CAME THE SOUND OF REBELLION, THE SOUND OF MAGIC: A NEW SOUND. IT WAS MUSIC,
IT WAS AMAZING AND IT WAS OUR OWN.
WHETHER
IT WAS THE BEATLES, THE ROLLING STONES OR THE ZOMBIES; THE SUPREMES, MARVIN
GAYE OR THE TEMPTATIONS; THE BEACH BOYS, THE BYRDS OR BOB DYLAN -- IT DOMINATED
THE TIMES THE WAY IT DOMINATED OUR PERSONAL LIVES.
THE
LASTING INNOCENCE AND POWER OF THE CREATIVE WRITERS, PERFORMERS AND MUSICIANS
OF THAT ERA STAND AS A TESTAMENT TO THE SPECIALNESS OF THEIR MUSIC.
THIS
PACKAGE IS DEDICATED TO CAPTURING ON ONE ALBUM THE SPECIALNESS AND INNOCENCE
OF THE ZOMBIES. "SHE'S NOT THERE" DIDN'T JUST BLAST OUT OF OUR RADIOS, IT CAME
FROM OUT OF THE ETHER AND WITH IT THE PROMISE OF A NEW GENERATION.
SHE'S
NOT THERE
written by THE ZOMBIES founder ROD ARGENT
It was only the second song he had ever written. It peaked on the BILLBOARD POP
SINGLES chart in October of 1964 at number 2 and hit number 1 in Cashbox. Since
that time it has become recognized as a classic and has been recorded by several
other artists. ROD ARGENT'S favorite cover recording was the SANTANA version
released in 1977. It was one of SANTANA'S biggest singles.
GOTTA
GET A HOLD OF MYSELF
written
by CLINT BALLARD JR + ANGELA RIELA
In
1966 THE ZOMBIES recorded this song having heard it on a DEE DEE WARWICK album.
On this terrific track notice the harmonies which are characteristic of many
ZOMBIES recordings. Even before the group heard the BEATLES, it was standard
at live ZOMBIES' gigs for COLIN to sing lead while CHRIS and ROD shared a second
microphone during harmonies.
I
REMEMBER WHEN I LOVED HER
written
by ROD ARGENT
This
recording captures the moody, haunting, melodic qualities that made these new
BRITISH BANDS so mysterious and seductive to the American teenager. The organ
solo creeps along the rhythm track as plaintively as the vocals. Producer KEN
JONES is heard on tambourine.
TELL
HER NO
written
by ROD ARGENT
THE
ZOMBIES were actually recording this song late one night when a telephone call
came from America to say that SHE'S NOT THERE had just hit number 1 on the
CASHBOX charts. It was released as the second ZOMBIES single in January of
1965 and peaked at number 2 in BILLBOARD. In 1983 it was a top thirty hit for
country/pop artist JUICE NEWTON.
SHE'S
COMING HOME
written
by ROD ARGENT
It
was the group's third single in America but only reached number fifty-eight
on the Billboard charts. Fantastic singing by COLIN, fantastic record. Parrot
Records, THE ZOMBIES American label couldn't get the job done.
I
LOVE YOU
written
by CHRIS WHITE
This
was the B-side in England (1965) of WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. Obviously this B
side should have been a hit ZOMBIES single. It is a great recording of a great
song. In 1968 the song was a hit by pop/rock group PEOPLE on Capitol Records.
SUMMERTIME
written
by GEORGE GERSHWIN for his musical PORGY & BESS
Many
artists have recorded this song -- it has had many different interpretations.
THE ZOMBIES totally unique live version of SUMMERTIME caught the attention
of DECCA RECORDS in the U.K. and helped the group win the HERTS BEAT COMPETITION
in Hertfordshire-England, as well as a DECCA recording contract. Their live
version of the song was much longer and jazzier than their recorded version.
This version was actually the second recording of this song that THE ZOMBIES
did for Decca. SUMMERTIME was originally slated to be their first single until
the birth of SHE'S NOT THERE.
WHENEVER
YOU'RE READY
written
by ROD ARGENT
One
of the great ZOMBIES recordings, this record was released as a single in America
and in the UK. Everyone involved thought it would be a hit, but it did nothing
anywhere. The frustration of this record not being a hit began to erode the
band's confidence in their own songs. Their songwriting, of course, was one
of the main ingredients of their success.
YOU'VE
REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME written by SMOKEY ROBINSON
BRING
IT ON HOME TO ME written by SAM COOKE
These
two songs were more about where THE ZOMBIES were coming from than about where
they were going. They were songs that almost all up and coming British bands
included in their live performances. The BEATLES versions of rhythm and blues
songs turned a lot of British bands on to the songs and the artists from whence
they came. Ironically a lot of Americans were exposed to American R& songs
for the first time by hearing the cover versions of them recorded by British
bands. YOU'VE REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME was originally a hit by THE MIRACLES
in 1963/BRING IT ON HOME TO ME was a hit by SAM COOKE in 1962.
LEAVE
ME BE
written
by CHRIS WHITE
It
was the second ZOMBIES single released in England and was recorded at the same
session as TELL HER NO. COLIN BLUNSTONE'S breathy vocals were encouraged by
producer KEN JONES. The group felt this was to the detriment of the song which
never charted. However, this recording stands today as classic ZOMBIES music.
TIME
OF THE SEASON
written
by ROD ARGENT
The
song was recorded in 1967 and "escaped" on to the American charts in 1969 after
the group had called it quits. It was a million selling single and peaked on
the Billboard singles chart at number 3 and at number 1 in Cashbox. The jazzish,
pre-DOORS keyboard playing and songwriting of ROD ARGENT was most certainly
influenced by his love for American jazz. He was listening to the bebop sounds
of MILES DAVIS, JOHN COLTRANE & BILL EVANS, to name but a few. It is interesting
to note that although the band had been fighting with past producer KEN JONES
about his keenness to stress COLIN'S breathy vocals, this record [that ROD
+ CHRIS produced] seems to drip with it -- even including breathy vocal percussion
parts.
I
CAN'T MAKE UP MY MIND
written
by CHRIS WHITE
Released
originally on their first U.K. album BEGIN HERE it echoes the essence of the
period during which TELL HER NO & SHE'S NOT THERE were being created. Just
one listen and you know . . . . this has to be a ZOMBIES record.
CAN'T
NOBODY LOVE YOU
written
by JAMES MITCHELL
THE
ZOMBIES first heard this song by Atlantic Records recording artist SOLOMON
BURKE. PAUL ATKINSON accompanies COLIN on the twelve string guitar as the song
begins. It gradually builds into a British pop/R& atmosphere piece which was
magic to the primitive ears of emerging teenage American audience.
I
WANT YOU BACK AGAIN
written by ROD ARGENT
It was released as a single in America in June of 1965 where it barely made the
charts, disappearing after only three weeks. It was probably rejected by American
radio at that time because of the band's hard, spare approach. It seems now
to have been one of the first clues to one of the new directions pop music
would take. It's almost the prototype upon which the much harder JOHN LENNON
song -- I WANT YOU (SHE'S SO HEAVY) [from THE BEATLES ABBEY ROAD LP] is based.
The LENNON song was recorded a few years later than THE ZOMBIES song and a
lot happened musically during those years. But this ZOMBIES track was unusual
for pop music then -- and well ahead of it's time.
SOMETIMES
written by ROD ARGENT
British Invasion 1965!