The Zombies is back

The Zombies will be back in town again for some shows and I am not at all surprised these guys are doing repeats here. The British pop band from the ’60s remains a big favorite among us Pinoys. Why, its hits like She’s Not There and Time of The Season are still being played on the radio. The band’s first visit in 1967 required three shows at the Araneta Coliseum to accommodate the fans. Thirty-nine years later, Zombies’ last visit in February 2006 had them performing in successful shows at the Manila Hotel, the Hard Rock Café and at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

Hit songs and the memories associated with the band are what make the concert market a lucrative venue for nostalgia acts like The Zombies. This time around, the band composed of Colin Bluntstone on lead vocals; Rod Argent, organ and vocals; Tom Tooney, guitar and vocals; Jim Rodford, bass and vocals; and Steve Rodford, drums, will be at the Pacific Ballroom of the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu on Oct. 17 and at the Plenary Hall of the Philippine International Convention Center on Oct. 19. I am sure that the fans, which now number several generations, as in Dad and Mom, grandparents and the new younger recruits, will surely be on hand to once more enjoy its music.

The Zombies made a lot of hits but I must say that the best proof of what great musicians they are is She’s Not There. The song has been covered lots of times and includes versions as diverse as Santana and Crowded House. This was not the sort of tune that bands of the fabled British Invasion during the ’60s would have recorded. But the Zombies were in truth more musically sophisticated than the Beatles or even the American Beach Boys. She’s Not There, composed by Argent was laid-back, jazzy and Latin-tinged. It was a burst of fresh air then and it soon became a pop masterpiece with Bluntstone’s sexy vocals. Now many years later, I am sure that you will agree that She’s Not There is as current today as it was when it debuted in 1961. 

Maybe the fact that The Zombies was no garage band of punks was what later drove the fans away from the band. The Zombies members were classmates from St. Albans who grew up with the school choir. The Zombies knew music and was experimenting with it in its recordings. Radio wanted bubble gum and fans wanted something to scream at. Perhaps, The Zombies decided it couldn’t do that and disbanded. No matter. The Zombies is back and the fans have also returned worldwide. Musically, I can say that they are better appreciated today than when they were kids.

The Zombies released Breathe In, Breathe Out, its first album in over 40 years last year. It has also released several DVDs of live performances. Bluntstone also has a new solo CD, The Ghost Of You And Me. And it is great to know the band is touring regularly again. The US has, in fact, became an excellent market for The Zombies shows and the band is arriving in Manila after a three-night stint in Japan. Manila is of course very special to The Zombies. It came here that first time out, expecting a so-so gig in some hotel lobby but was instead welcomed as big pop idols and booked at the Big Dome. Why not, The Zombies had four or five songs in the local Top 10 hit list. To this day, I still hear people recalling how much they enjoyed watching the Zombies then. 

And so here now are the hit Zombies sounds you might want to check out before watching these guys live at the Waterfront or the PICC. Aside from She’s Not There, there are also Leave Me Be, Gotta Get A Hold of Myself, Sticks and Stones, I Can’t Make Up My Mind, Summertime, Woman, You Really Got A Hold of Me, Nothing’s Changed, Miles Away, You Make Me Feel Good, How We Were Before, Hang Up On A Dream, Tell Her No, Whenever You’re Ready, Indication, Goin’ Out Of My Head, Time of the Season and I Love You.

Tickets to The Zombies are now available at TicketWorld (891-9999) and at SM Tickets (470-2222).