Aside from
the Beatles and perhaps the
Beach Boys, the Zombies can be considered one of the most important beat groups of the mid 60s. Dominated by Colin Blunstone's haunting vocals and Rod Argent's
jazz-influenced organ and piano skills, the band definitely sounded unique for ist era. They formed in the London suburb of St. Albans in the early '60, first performing under the stage name "The Mustangs", until they noticed that many other UK-based bands were already using that same name. When bass player Paul Arnold came up with the term for the undead from Haiti as a band name, the rest was history. Nevertheless, Bluntstone said later in an interview that the name "The Zombies" was more suitable for a
heavy metal project, although that music genre did not exist yet in 1965. Arnold eventually left the band and became a physicist, but the name stayed. The band parted ways in 1968 until a reunion in 2004 after Arnold's death. Interestingly, the group had their biggest hit after they first broke up: "Time of the Season" became a huge success in 1969, months after the band had already disbanded. Despite the song's widespread acclaim, the band did not want to re-unite, even leading to fake "Zombies" groups without any of the original members touring the US. Today, their unreleased material from the 60s has been made available and the band is active with varying lineups until today. In the 21st century, they have thrilled old and new fans alike with their captivating performances and untameable spirit. Their revival speaks volumes of their enduring legacy and their timeless influence on music history.
