The Zombies are an English rock band formed in 1962 in St Albans and led by keyboardist and vocalist Rod Argent and vocalist Colin Blunstone. The group scored British and American hits in 1964 with "She's Not There". In the US, two further singles — "Tell Her No" in 1965 and "Time of the Season" in 1968 — were also successful. Their 1968 album Odessey and Oracle is ranked number 100 on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The Zombies were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
Links to Peel[]
In John Peel's Record Collection, inside the Zombies' 1968 Odessey and Oracle LP, the sleeve contained a letter from Rod Argent and Chris White from the band, thanking John for all his plugging of their previous material and gifting him this stereo mix of the album for his personal collection.
According to currently available playlists, John played ‘The Way I Feel Inside’, from the Zombies previous LP ‘Begin Here,’ on Top Gear in 1970. It is likely that he would have played tracks from Odessey and Oracle as new releases on Top Gear. The album was well-reviewed but made little impact in the UK and only after its US success did it gain a lasting reputation as a cult LP. By late 1968 the Zombies had broken up - "it was our fault that they broke up - we shouldn't have let it happen" wrote Peel in his "ABC of Beauty"[1] in Disc and Music Echo - so they never recorded a Peel session.
The band's initial commercial highpoint was in the mid-1960s, when Peel was living in the USA, so he may well have featured their records in his shows for the various American radio stations he worked at between 1964 and 1967. He revisited two of their hits from this period, "She's Not There" and "Tell Her No", much later in his radio career.
After Peel's death, four of the band's albums were later found in his record collection. 'Odessey and Oracle' was subsequently featured as the "Hidden Gem" for the letter Z at the John Peel Archive blog.[2] A video interview with band members on the album was also recorded by John Peel Archive.[3]
Sessions[]
- None by Zombies as a band.
- Colin Blunstone solo (3 sessions, 1972-73).
- Rod Argent, with Argent (1 session, 1972; plus two concert shows, 1970, 1971).
Shows Played[]
The Zombies - The Way I Feel Inside
- 1968
- 21 April 1968: Time Of The Season (7") CBS 3380
- 1970
- 11 April 1970: The Way I Feel Inside (b-side of single Gotta Get A Hold Of Myself) Decca
- 1979
- 26 November 1979: She's Not There (7") Decca
- 2000
- 02 February 2000: Tell Her No (CD-The Singles Collection - As & Bs 1964-1969)' (Big Beat)
- 10 February 2000 (Radio Eins): Tell Her No (CD-The Singles Collection - As & Bs 1964-1969)' (Big Beat)
Covered[]
(The list below was compiled only from the Cover Versions page of this site. Please add more information if known.)
Performing Artist | Song | First Known Play
- UK Subs: She's Not There 26 November 1979