The Zombies are coming

After 38 long years, The Zombies are coming back to Manila in February for a series of concerts that will surely bring back memories of the times when Baby Boomers of the ’60s swooned to the music of She’s Not There, Tell Her No, The Way I Feel Inside, I Love You, Leave Me Be and Nothin’s Changed.

Steve O’Neal (who is behind the recent concerts here of The Cascades, Peter and Gordon, and Pat Upton of Spiral Starecase, among others) is promoting the return of The Zombies, and The Philippine STAR columnist Quinito Henson, swears they sound just as good, if not better, than they did way back then.

Quinito, a ’60s British Invasion buff, recently watched The Zombies perform in London and raved about them. He even got to meet lead singer Colin Blunstone backstage. No wonder the favorite singer of Quinito is Blunstone and nobody can beat his collection of over 30 Zombies and Zombies-related CDs.

It was in 1967 when The Zombies performed 10 shows before sell-out crowds at the Araneta Coliseum and four more at The Plaza Restaurant in Makati City and at The Nile and El Dorado on Roxas Blvd. in Pasay City.

The voice of the popular British Invasion band continues to haunt audiences the world over. According to Quinito, "Blunstone is as brilliant as ever and he is looking forward to a reunion with Filipino fans of The Zombies. He is pairing with keyboard artist Rod Argent in the forthcoming Manila tour.

Together, Blunstone and Argent made The Zombies one of the most durable rock bands of all time. The Zombies recorded a string of beautifully-crafted hits typified by the purity of Blunstone’s breathy vocals and Argent’s inventive piano and organ skills, and they remain an outstanding concert act today.

She’s Not There went to No. 1 in the Cashbox honor roll as The Zombies became the second English beat group after The Beatles to soar to the top of the charts in the United States in 1964. The song, a minor-key tale of heartbreak with a near-whispered vocal, has been described as "classic choral pop" and sold over two million copies. It went to No. 1 in Japan and Australia.

The Zombies received a BMI award for a million US airplays of She’s Not There in 1993 and, four years later, got another award for two million airplays of the same song.

Not too many music buffs know that The Zombies recorded She’s Not There in a single take.

"It must have been a God-given talent – the amazing voices for She’s Not There, lead and harmony – were recorded in one take with no overdubs," wrote Nicholas Schaffner in the book, The British Invasion. "Their harmonies were exquisite. When they sang in tandem, they soared."

The reference was to the vocal partnership of Blunstone and Argent.

Music lovers will always remember the opening lines of She’s Not There – "Well, no one told me about her, the way she lied, well, no one told me about her, the way she cried. But it’s too late to say, you’re sorry, how will I know, why should I care. Please don’t bother trying to find me, she’s not there."

Time Of The Season was another Zombies hit in 1969 and it stayed in the US charts for 13 weeks, topping the Cashbox list and selling over two million copies. It received its first BMI award for a million airplays in 1989, a second BMI award for two million airplays in 1994 and a third BMI award for three million airplays in 1998.

Only 32 British songs are in the record books as logging three million US airplays, so Time Of The Season is in elite company. By the way, The Beatles’ Eleanor Rigby was cited for three million airplays on the same day as Time Of The Season.

The original members of The Zombies were five young musicians from suburban St. Albans, north of London. They were students of a grammar school and brought up in an environment of a semi-elitist Victorian education. The band members were so well-educated that at one time, they were publicized as a group with more examination qualifications than any other.

The Zombies’ 1967 album, Odessey and Oracle, immortalized the group as it was recently included in Mojo Magazine’s best 100 LPs of all time.

At the height of their popularity, The Zombies even appeared in a cameo role in the Otto Preminger movie, Bunny Lake Is Missing, starring Laurence Olivier, Keir Dullea, Noel Coward and Finlay Currie. The movie soundtrack featured The Zombies songs, Remember You, Just Out of Reach and Nothin’s Changed.

After The Zombies disbanded in 1968, there were offers to reunite the band. A US promoter even put up $20,000 for one reunion concert in 1969, but Blunstone and Argent wanted no part of it.

Argent formed a band, aptly called Argent, and the group performed for 10 years. Blunstone became a clerk in an insurance agency, then returned to show business as a solo artist before teaming up with Argent once more to record two recent albums, Out Of The Shadows and As Far As I Can See.

Blunstone has a long list of solo albums, namely, One Year, Ennismore, Planes, Journey, Never Even Thought, Late Nights In Soho, Echo Bridge and The Light Inside, and also recorded songs for Keats, the Alan Parsons Project and Mike Batt. Among his popular solo hits are Old And Wise, I Don’t Believe In Miracles, Caroline, Goodbye and Say You Don’t Mind.

The Zombies cut 10 singles for Decca Records, the last of which was Goin’ Out Of My Head before switching to CBS Records for Time Of The Season. Their song, I Love You, was covered by the California group, People, and broke into the US Hot 100 in 1974.

Billed as The Zombies Live!, the forthcoming concert series of The Zombies featuring Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent kicks off on Feb. 11 with a show at Hard Rock Café in Makati City, followed by a live concert on Feb. 13 at the Araneta Coliseum and winding up with a dinner-show on Feb. 14 at the Manila Hotel.

It will have the MOBB Band and Ramon "RJ" Jacinto as featured guests.

(Tickets for the Araneta Coliseum concert are priced at P2,500, P2,200, P1,800, P1,500, P800, P500 and P200, while tickets for the Manila Hotel dinner show cost P5,000 and P3,000. They are available at Ticketnet outlets at all SM Malls and at the Araneta Coliseum box office, or call 911-5555. Reservations for the Hard Rock Café may be made by calling tel. nos. 893-4661 to 64.)

Manny Pacquiao’s powerhouse victory bash

So who was who at Manny Pacquiao’s victory party Sunday night? Here’s a first-hand report from Funfare contributor Macy Pineda, whose husband, Eric Pineda, is Pacquiao’s business manager:

Manny Pacquiao’s victory party was held at the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel’s "Lure Bar". Owned by hotelier Steve Wynn, his newest resort hotel on the Strip is also the most elegant. The hotel with its man-made rain forest and waterfalls attraction even houses a Ferrari & Maserati dealership on its main lobby floor. Wynn also built the Bellagio Hotel Las Vegas, made famous by its majestic Water Show and multi-million dollar renaissance art collection.

The Wynn, which also hosted the fight, was the official home of Team Pacquiao in Las Vegas. The hotel provided Manny with a luxurious two-bedroom suite complete with its own bar, massage room and home movie theater. The hotel even allowed our Team chef, Winchell Campos, to use their main kitchen for the special meals prepared for Manny.

After the fight, three super stretch limos took Manny and his entourage back to the Wynn Hotel for the victory party where throngs of Pacquiao fans were waiting for his arrival. The hotel security had a nightmare controlling the huge crowd wanting to get inside the Lure Bar which was already packed with celebrities, government officials and friends of Manny and his beautiful wife, Jinkee.

Seen during the party were no less than the First Gentleman, Mike Arroyo together with son, Rep. Mikey Arroyo and his wife Angela. Also present were Sen. Lito Lapid, Gov. Chavit Singson, PAGCOR Chair Efraim Genuino, PAGCOR Director Ret. Gen. Manuel Roxas, Rep. Monico Puentevella. Rudy Fernandez, Gabby Concepcion, Mark Nelson, Dyan Castillejo and sister Jackie, Lolit Solis, FLT boss Rose Flaminiano, Patrick Antonio, Manny’s American boxing managers Shelly Finkel, Nick Khan and Keith Davidson, sportsman Rex "Wakee" Salud, Filipino-Hawaiian boxing champ Brian Villoria, Team Pacquiao’s USA Liaison Joe Ramos with wife Joanna and Jayke Joson (Manny’s consultant and chief of staff), Lito Camo (composer of Manny’s song Para sa Iyo ang Laban na Ito), Bernard Cloma and 2004 Miss Earth Priscilla Meirelles (of Brazil) and many more.

The First Gentleman gave a heartwarming speech honoring our ring idol with his latest conquest and what his victory means to the Filipino people followed by another congratulatory message from Sen. Lapid and Gov. Singson. After the remarks, Manny thanked his many fans for their prayers and support. He also dedicated his victory to God and country.

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