Follow us and share your results!
About The Zombies
The British rock group The Zombies was established in St. Albans in 1961. The band, led by vocalist Colin Blunstone and keyboardist Rod Argent, scored their first British and American hit with “She’s Not There” in 1964. Two other singles, “Tell Her No” from 1965 and “Time of the Season” from 1968, also achieved success in the US.
On Rolling Stone’s 2012 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and on Rolling Stone’s 2020 list, their 1968 album Odessey and Oracle came in at number 100 and number 243, respectively. In 2019 saw the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induct The Zombies.
Post-era
During the period from 1969 to 1988, the original members of The Zombies declined to reunite for concerts despite the belated success of their song “Time of the Season.” This led to the emergence of fake Zombie bands trying to capitalize on their name. In 1969, two fake Zombie line-ups, one from Texas and another from Michigan, were touring simultaneously. Notably, the Texas group included future ZZ Top members Dusty Hill and Frank Beard. In 1988, another fake Zombie group even trademarked the band’s name and recruited a bassist with a similar name to an original member.
During this time, the original members pursued various endeavors. Rod Argent formed the band Argent, while Colin Blunstone started a solo career. In 1989, Blunstone, White, and Grundy briefly reunited as The Zombies and recorded an album called “The Return of The Zombies.” In 1997, a compilation of the original band’s work called “Zombie Heaven” was released, and the surviving members performed together in London.
Blunstone and Argent reunited in 2000 under their names and moved to the U.S., recording an album called “Out of the Shadows” in 2001. Later, they resumed performing as “The Zombies” in 2004, with a new line-up that included Keith Airey, Jim Rodford, and Steve Rodford. They released new material in 2004, but it received mixed reviews.
In 2004, guitarist Paul Atkinson passed away, and in 2005, Blunstone and Argent released a live album. They continued touring and marked the 40th anniversary of “Odessey and Oracle” with a series of concerts in 2008. In 2010, they released new material and continued touring.
The band went through several tours and collaborations, including performing with Ringo Starr in 2006. In 2017, the original surviving members reunited for a North American tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of “Odessey and Oracle.” They were nominated multiple times for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and were inducted in 2019.
Recent tours and announcements indicate that The Zombies continue to perform and tour, with various activities and appearances in the 2020s.
