The Zombies

The Zombies are a British rock band from St Albans, active from 1961 to the present. The group is led by keyboardist and vocalist Rod Argent and vocalist Colin Blunstone. Its line-up includes Paul Atkinson, Hugh Grundy, Jim Rodford, Chris White and Tom Toomey, and the band is associated with CBS and Decca Records.

Early success and classic singles

The Zombies sign to Decca and first break through after winning a beat-group competition sponsored by the London Evening News. Their first hit, “She’s Not There”, becomes a major single in 1964 and reaches the Top 40 in the UK. It also becomes a hit in the United States, where “Tell Her No” in 1965 and “Time of the Season” in 1968 also achieve strong chart success. Other singles such as “I Love You”, “Indication”, “Whenever You’re Ready” and “Is This the Dream” do not match the success of those releases.

Albums and later recognition

Their first album, Begin Here (1965), gathers early singles alongside original material and R&B covers. In 1967 the band signs to CBS Records for a final album, Odessey and Oracle, which is recorded on a limited budget and uses a Mellotron rather than session musicians. The title is misspelt on the cover, and the band breaks up before the album appears in 1968. Although it sells poorly at first, it later becomes highly regarded and is placed by Rolling Stone among the 500 greatest albums of all time.

After the original split

After the group ends, Rod Argent forms Argent and Colin Blunstone begins a solo career. In 1991 Blunstone, Hugh Grundy and Chris White reunite briefly with guitarist Sebastian Santa Maria to record New World. The Zombies later reform around Blunstone and Argent, with Jim Rodford and Tom Toomey among the members.

Style and legacy

The Zombies work in art pop, baroque pop, beat music, British rhythm and blues, pop and pop rock. Their recordings are known for their sophisticated melodies, breathy vocals, choral backing and jazz-influenced keyboard parts. They are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019, and their songs continue to be cited by later bands as key pop touchstones.