Odessey & Oracle

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Of recording live in the studio, Colin says, “We all wanted to be in the same room at the same time. There’s a different energy in the studio when you’re all playing together.” The album sleeve contains a short text by Argent quoting William Shakespeare's The Tempest. [14] The misspelling of "odyssey" in the title was the result of a mistake by the designer of the LP cover, Terry Quirk (a friend of White's). [15] The band tried to cover this up at the time of release by claiming the misspelling was intentional. [15] Release history [ edit ]

The Zombies, having been dropped from Decca Records, financed these sessions independently. After signing with CBS, two singles and later the album itself were released to critical and commercial indifference, and the band quietly dissolved. A third single from the album, " Time of the Season", became a surprise hit in the United States in early 1969 after CBS staff producer Al Kooper recommended it be released on Date Records. Blistein, Jon (7 May 2019). "Brian Wilson, Zombies Plot 'Something Great From '68' Tour". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 17 May 2021. I met Ringo for the first time. We did a press conference at the beginning of the tour. And they said it must be great to reunite your acquaintance with Rod again, because “She’s Not There,” in fact, was the first No. 1 in Cashbox after the Beatles with a self-written song. And Ringo said, “I’ve never met him before.” And they couldn’t believe it. But that was how it was in those days, because bands were worked to death, really. We were all on separate concerts all the time. So, we very often didn’t meet people. We were very keen on U.S. soul music,” Blunstone says. “At one time, in our semi-pro days, we were known as the Zombies R&B. Most of the music we played then were covers. We had no idea Rod and [bassist] Chris White would write songs until the spring of ’64 after we won this band competition in the U.K. When they came up with ‘She’s Not There’ and ‘Tell Her No,’ no one was more surprised than I was. That started our career.”

verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ Odessey and Oracle – The Zombies". rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012 . Retrieved 10 February 2012. Album, Paul (1 February 1969). "Records". Rolling Stone. San Francisco: Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. The makeup of the band now, it’s only Colin and me that are from the original Zombies, but the other guys have been with us for a long time. Apart from the bass player [Søren Koch], who came on board when Jim Rodford sadly passed away. But they always surprise me, constantly, because everyone seems to just get better. Blunstone’s angelic, soulful voice remains remarkably intact, which is perfect for Argent, who laughs, “I refuse to write songs in any lower keys than I’ve done in the past.”

Den of Geek: You’ve been working with these musicians since you were very young. Do they still surprise you? Donaldson, Jonathan (9 October 2015). "Live Review: The Zombies stand the test of time, and the season, at the Wilbur Theatre". Vanyaland . Retrieved 24 April 2017. Date released "Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)" as a single in the US, feeling that the song's anti-war theme would resonate with record-buyers due to the Vietnam War. [12] The next single, "Time of the Season," slowly gained popularity before finally hitting big on the US charts in March 1969. After the song became a hit, Date re-released Odessey and Oracle with severely cropped artwork. This time the album charted, reaching number 95 in the US. By then Rod Argent and Chris White were busy with their new band, Argent. Rediscover” sounds like a timeless Torch Song. What songwriters gave you that feeling and how did that feel coming out?The album gradually achieved critical praise and a cult following, and has since become one of the most acclaimed albums of the 1960s. It was ranked 100th on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. [7] When Rolling Stone revised their list in 2020, the album ranked 243rd. [8] Recording and production [ edit ] It just happened to be the most perfect, tropical night – still and warm – and he started singing “Salty Dog,” and he said, “I was having a chat with Rod, and he said, maybe I should do this song, so I am. I’m gonna play it.” He said “This is for Rod,” and he played it and honestly, I just melted. It was just a real real joy. And it was a real joy talking to him, particularly about the album he did with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. He was telling me about how he wrote the score for “Conquistador” on the plane going over to Edmonton, which I thought was extraordinary. Because, like me, he’s a self-taught guy, but I could never do that on a plane, just do that. So, it was just lovely having a chat with him. Oh yes, and you know what? I had to walk up, I think it was on “Give Him a Great Big Kiss,” and I had to walk on stage and kiss Mary [Weiss, lead singer of The Shangri-Las] on the cheek. Odessey and Oracle was released in the UK on 19 April 1968. Clive Davis, the head of CBS in the US, initially decided not to release the album. However, the US Columbia label had released the single "Care of Cell 44" on 21 November 1967 to complete indifference. A little of both really. The trigger could be anything. It can be just hearing a groove and thinking, “Oh, I’d love to write something in that sort of groove,” and then just messing around on the piano.

Top 100–200 Favourite Albums Ever: The Stylus Magazine List". Stylus Magazine. 22 March 2004. Archived from the original on 28 December 2016 . Retrieved 10 February 2012. You name some great artists on the song “New York” from Still Got That Hunger . What artists floored you at the Murray the K shows? Johansen, Claes (1 September 2001). The Zombies: hung up on a dream: a biography 1962–1967. SAF Publishing Ltd. p.174. ISBN 9780946719341 . Retrieved 28 March 2012. We did meet the Moodies, actually, and went to a couple of social things with them. Because we lived in St. Albans, which was only 18 miles from London, we didn’t stay in London, like a lot of the bands who’d come down from the north of England. So, we would just go home, not just not just stay in London and then go down to the Bag of Nails Club or Cromwellian or whatever. So, it’s extraordinary, we seem to meet more people now than we ever did when we were first on the road all those years ago. Morale within the band was at a low point at the end of the recording. Two singles, " Care of Cell 44" and "Friends of Mine", had been unsuccessful, and the band had a declining demand for live appearances, so after a final gig in mid-December 1967, the band split up. [13] Album sleeve [ edit ]Boehme, Mike (17 November 1994). "The Zombies"Odessey and Oracle" (1968)". LA Times . Retrieved 19 January 2022. a b Lynch, Joe (21 July 2015). "Exclusive: The Zombies Reteam With 'Odessey & Oracle' Illustrator for New Album Cover Art". Billboard . Retrieved 23 September 2016. Johansen, Claes (1 September 2001). The Zombies: hung up on a dream: a biography 1962–1967. SAF Publishing Ltd. p.201. ISBN 9780946719341 . Retrieved 28 March 2012.

Blunstone, now 77 — bandmate Argent is 10 days older — reflects: “Of course it was fabulous people were saying positive things about us, but strangely, we didn’t hear it ourselves. We were running around doing so many things, we were the last to know about that. There’s more energy on-stage with this incarnation of the band than there was when we were teenagers. It’s an unexpected pleasure.” The very first thing I wrote on ‘She’s Not There’ was the bass melody, which went against the root of the chord, as well as the vocal harmonies, which was something Brian always did, particularly on ‘Pet Sounds’,” says Argent. “Hearing that made me want to develop my own enthusiasms. He just expanded the canvas of what was possible. It had very classical forms and feelings, and wonderful chord sequences not typical of pop music at that time.”

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The past few years have been a virtual fountain of youth for the pair. Says Blunstone: “We both know the time will come that we’re physically unable to do this, and I know we’ll be honest with one another. But right now, we feel as good as we’ve ever felt.” Umile, Dominic (15 January 2013). "Mods and Mellotrons: The Zombies at Abbey Road, PopMatters". PopMatters . Retrieved 17 May 2021. Larkin, Colin, ed. (2000). All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rded.). Virgin Books. p.210. ISBN 0-7535-0493-6. Rod Argent: Colin surprises me. His voice has obviously changed a little because he’s now 77, as I am, but in many ways, it’s got stronger because he works at it. He doesn’t just let it go. He really practices, and does exercises. When we’re on the road, he does three exercises a day before we even play. And you can see the results of that. It’s like a muscle, and he really keeps it as good as he can get it.