Odessey And Oracle

Formed in 1962 in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, The Zombies comprised the talents of keyboardist Rod Argent, vocalist Colin Blunstone, bassist Chris White, guitarist Paul Atkinson and drummer Hugh Grundy. Like most bands of the British Invasion, they combined equal parts soul and beat, yet The Zombies had that something extra: incredible musicality. Released in July 1964, "She's Not There" b/w "You Make Me Feel So Good" was their first and only chart hit in the UK, reaching No. 12. But it eventually rose to No. 2 in the US in December, quickly followed by "Tell Her No" b/w "What More Can I Do," which rose to No. 6. However, further singles faltered and their 1965 album Begin Here (released as The Zombies in the US) only managed to reach No. 39 in the US. In 1967, the band signed with Columbia and entered EMI Studios on Abbey Road to record what would be Odessey And Oracle. Awashed in Mellotron, "Care of Cell 44" opens, telling the tale of an incarcerated girlfriend. "A Rose for Emily" follows, based on the story of the same name by James Faulkner. "Beechwood Park" is both delicate and beautiful, with a haunting vocal from Blunstone, while "Butchers Tale (Western Front 1914)" ambles under Argent's harmonium. Throughout the album, the songwriting of Argent and White is unparalleled, building upon the influence of The Beach Boys and the sophistication of The Beatles, and the execution from the band is perfectly captured on record. But the pressure of self-financing a required stereo mix broke The Zombies' will, and well before the album's release in 1968, the group had split up. Only after being re-released as a single in February 1969 did their "Time of the Season" b/w "Friends of Mine" reach No. 3 in the US, and the album eventually entered the US Top 100. However, there would be no afterlife for The Zombies.