This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
The Zombies in ’64. L-R: Chris White, Rod Argent, Paul Atkinson, Colin Blunstone and Hugh Grundy. Left: Rod Argent (top) and Chris White (below) around the time they were recording O&O in ’67. Below, Hugh Grundy takes to his bath for a ’67 photo shoot.


Road, and as it happened to be in the studio because The Beatles had been using it, I leapt on it!


SD: Was there a competitive edge as to whether yours or Chris's songs would be used or was there just a general consensus as to which were the best tracks?


RA: I certainly don't ever remember any bad feeling concerned with the choices. Up until O&O, it was generally a choice made by the producer or record company, and on O&O we used every song that Chris and I had at the time.


SD: Which mix of O&O, the mono or stereo, does the band prefer? Which one represents how you wanted the album to sound?


RA: My preference is the mono mix. As stereo was just becoming important at that time, the stereo mixes were an afterthought. Usually they were fine, but in one or two cases, such as ‘Maybe After He's Gone’, the rhythm section is too low in the mix.


SD: Were you ever tempted to reform The Zombies and tour the USA after ‘Time Of The Season’ became a belated hit?


RA: No. Both Chris and I were too involved by that time in setting up Argent (the band).


SD: Hugh, from some of the pictures and stories you seem to come out as the "wild man" of the band (for example drinking wine while in a bath, revving a motorcycle brought backstage as a sound effect for the band’s performance of ‘Leader Of The Pack’). Was this reflected in your personal life?


Hugh Grundy: I don’t think of myself as the wild man of the group although I must say I like the idea of it, but no I never thought of throwing a television set through the window of a hotel. I would quite like to try it though, but I hear they bolt them down now.


SD: Colin, what’s the secret for keeping your voice virtually intact over 40 years?


CB: For many years I had no practice regime or formal training. I then studied with a wonderful singing coach called Ian Adam who taught me some basic principles with regard to vocal technique. He gave me a tape of vocal exercises to help strengthen my voice and make it more accurate. I practice all the time, for at least a couple of weeks before we tour, and when we’re actually on the road, I sing these exercises twice a day and find it really helps my voice survive the rigors of the road.


SD: How was going back to work as an insurance clerk after the band split? How easy/hard was it to cope with the return to “straight” life? What did your new colleagues think about having a pop star in their midst?


CB: One of the reasons that The Zombies ended was that the three non-writers were absolutely broke. All three of us had to get a job. You do what you have to do! I phoned a job agency and the first thing they offered me was a job in a very big, busy insurance office. I didn't think too much about it. I was broke, I needed a job. Maybe there were a few surprised faces when I first walked in, but it was so hectic there wasn't really that much time to talk about what I'd done before and people soon get used to you.


RA: Did you ever meet Elvis?


SD: No, although we turned up unannounced at his house in the mid-60s, and were told to wander around, by either his father or his uncle… it was a long time ago and each of us tends to remember differently. We did discover, much later, that Elvis used to have our records on his jukebox. If I'd have realised that at the time, I think I’d have fallen over!


SD: You all seemed to enjoy last year’s O&O gigs. Was that the case and, if so, what is the chance of doing it again?


RA: We loved it. We honestly had no idea that it would work before the London shows, and turned down other offers because we wanted to be sure the template worked. Now we're sure it does, I think it's very possible that we will repeat the experience in the US, in other countries, and may even reprise the concerts in several UK cities – just one more time.


The Zombies perform Odessey & Oracle just four more times on Tuesday April 21st (Glasgow ABC), Thursday April 23rd (Bristol Colston Hall), Friday April 24th (Manchester Bridgewater Hall) and Saturday April 25th (London Hammersmith Apollo).


Questions submitted by Pat Long, Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills, Mole, Andy Morten, Vic Templar and Al Cozzi Lepri.


19


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84