For the first time in more than 35 years, The Zombies have
recorded a new album. Titled “As Far As I Can See…,”
the new record is the result of the recent reunification of
vocalist Colin Blunstone and songwriter Rod Argent. The two are
supporting the album’s Sept. 14 U.S. release on a tour with
Love, featuring Arthur Lee, that swings by the Wilshire Ebell
Theatre on Sept. 29 and The Grove of Anaheim on Oct. 1.
Best known for their hit singles “She’s Not
There” and “Time of the Season,” The Zombies were
an overlooked British Invasion group from the ’60s whose
skill with melodies was rivaled perhaps only by the Beatles and the
Beach Boys. As with Love, the stature and influence of the Zombies
only grew after their breakup, in spite of a relative lack of
commercial success. Just last year, Rolling Stone ranked the
group’s psychedelic swan song, “Odessey &
Oracle,” at number 80 in its list of the 500 Greatest Albums
of All Time.
Despite pressure and monetary offers, the group always resisted
re-forming, according to Argent, because it seemed wrong to force a
reunion for a quick buck. But all that began to change three years
ago at one of Argent’s performances.
“I was doing a charity show,” Argent recalled.
“Colin was in the audience and got up and on the spur of the
moment began singing the old Zombies tunes. We had such a good time
that we found ourselves working together more and more. We started
touring and we were just having a ball.”
The two experimented in the studio, and came out with a joint
project of mostly pre-existing songs called “Out Of The
Shadows.” By their next recording session, they began to feel
the old Zombies magic again.
“It’s extraordinary ““ it was exactly the same
as it was in the mid-’60s,” he said. “We
didn’t know if it was going to work out, but then the first
time in the studio it felt like we had recorded two weeks ago. The
dynamic that used to be there was remarkably similar,” he
explained, comparing the experience to riding a bike again.
But it wasn’t until they listened to the first mixes that
they decided to attach the Zombies name to the project.
“We looked at each other and I said, “˜Listen to
those harmonies there ““ listen to how that melody cuts
across. That could have been what we were doing back in
’67,’ and it made us chuckle,” he said. “It
felt honest for the first time for it to be called The
Zombies.”
Indeed, for the first time in more than three decades, Rod
Argent was writing songs both within a band context and with
Blunstone’s voice in mind. Though none of the other members
returned to their former roles ““ none had played
professionally during that time span ““ former member Chris
White contributed guest vocals and guitarist-turned-music-executive
Paul Atkinson received a special A&R credit on the new record.
And once again, Argent’s trademark Zombies sound ““ lush
harmonies, minor key melodies, jazz and classical stylings ““
was on full display.
The sophistication of this sound owes a debt, impressively
enough, to Argent’s self-taught study of jazz and classical
forms. Argent credits Miles Davis’ 1958 recording
“Milestones” for inspiring his interests in those
fields.
“It blew me away completely and started my love of jazz. I
learned to play by ear. I was experimenting all the time, working
out things, finding how to make the sounds I was hearing,” he
said. “When I was 30, I finally decided to teach myself how
to sight read. I did nothing for a year but play for 3 hours a day
whatever was in front of me. I worked with jazz books and jazz
improvisation just through interest, because it absolutely
fascinates me.”
In 1998, Argent recorded and released “Classically
Speaking,” which featured classical piano pieces and a few
originals as well. The new recordings have re-energized
Argent’s enthusiasm for the old Zombies material as well.
“It’s a real privilege to be 59 years old and feel
like it’s possible to carve a new path. In that context,
I’m very happy to play the old stuff,” he said.
“What the audience is not going to get is people going
through the motions. There’s more energy on stage now than
there was when we were first playing.”