Welcome to a breath of fresh air with Sandy Kaye. Can you imagine what it feels like to be the voice behind some of the most iconic songs of the 60s and still be performing them today with perfect pitch? My guest is Colin Blunstone, the unmistakable voice of the Zombies. From timeless classics like She’s Not There, Tell Her No and Time of the Season to a very successful solo career, Colin has certainly earned his place as one of rock’s most distinctive and enduring vocalists.
Colin Blunstone, welcome to a breath of fresh air. Thanks for having me on the show. I can’t believe that you’re on the road still and again and you’ve just celebrated your 81st birthday.
I know I have. I realize I’m probably sort of in the home straight of my career. It ain’t gonna go on forever, but you know I’m enjoying it.
Are you surprised about the audience reaction that it is still so good after 60 years? Well, I don’t know if I would say that. I’m surprised that I ever had a career in the music business. I mean, so much of it is chance.
The fact that Zombies came together is absolute chance. I just happened to be sitting behind someone. We were arranged in alphabetical order and the guy in front of me was Paul Arnold, the Colin Blunstone.
He knew someone not at our school, someone who lived in the next road who wanted to put a band together and that was Rod Argent and that band became The Zombies. If I hadn’t have been sitting in alphabetical order in that classroom, I wouldn’t have been in The Zombies in the first place. So, it’s been a wondrous surprise all the way through my career.
I mean, I’ve worked hard. I’ve tried. You know, I have tried.
You have to be there to get these opportunities. You have to make yourself available, but there’s a lot of chance and a lot of luck that is involved in everyone’s career. You obviously have loved it since you were boys in high school.
Well, that’s true. I mean, what are the chances of five strangers? Really, we didn’t know any. We might have said hello along the street or something like that.
I didn’t know the majority of them at all. What are the chances of them coming together and turning into a professional outfit? It’s millions to one. I remember our first ever rehearsal.
Rod Argent’s cousin was called Jim Rockford. He was 20 years in The Kinks, and eventually he did join the second version of The Zombies, which started in 1999. But Jim Rockford is a wonderful bass player.
He was in the biggest local band at the time. He helped us get our first rehearsal together. And as I said, he went on to be 20 years in The Kinks.
Jim told me very late on that when he saw us at that first rehearsal, his thought was, no chance. They have no chance, this lot. And I thought we sounded pretty good at our first rehearsal, much better than I was expecting.
But we just built bit by bit. We would beg for gigs. It’s so hard for a young band to get gigs.
It was hard then. It’s tougher now. And we built up a local following.
And then eventually we won a big rock and roll competition, which led to a record deal. It all seems so logical now, but looking back day by day, it wasn’t like that at all. We got this recording deal, and Rod discovered he could write songs.
I was absolutely, I didn’t know he could write songs. And he wrote She’s Not There, which is in our first session. And it was a worldwide hit.
One hit, we’re playing local clubs. A few weeks after that, we’re playing with the Searchers, Dionne Warwick and the Isley Brothers, a nationwide tour followed by a trip to America to play with other huge artists. This was all happened in just a few months.
And I think we just took it in our stride. It wasn’t exactly overwhelming, but you never knew what was going to happen next. And you just got up and did it.
How would I know? Why should I care? Please don’t bother trying to find her. She’s not there. Colin, when did you first pick up the guitar? I begged my parents to buy me a guitar.
And it wasn’t easy for them, because they didn’t have any money. But when I was about 12, I loved music. I particularly loved Elvis, Little Richard, Chuck Berry.
Those were the guys that got me really interested. And I joined the Zombies as a rhythm guitarist. So that was another thing.
I never expected to be the lead vocalist. I’m quite shy, actually. And I had visions of myself standing at the back of the stage, rhythm guitarist looking at my shoes, hiding.
And suddenly, in a very short order of time, I was pushed to the front and in the middle, which was not what I was expecting at all. So that was a bit of a switch. How did that happen? Well, at the first rehearsal, Rod Argent was going to be the lead singer.
He wasn’t going to play keyboards. It was his band, his vision. And he wanted three guitars and he wanted it to be a rock and roll band.
We had a coffee break in the middle of the morning, and there happened to be an old broken down piano over in the corner. And he just went over and he played Nut Rocker by B. Bumble and the Stingers, which is a rock and roll tape on a classical piece. And it was apparent, immediately apparent, that he was in a different class to us.
You know, we were fairly average musicians. No, I wouldn’t even use the word musicians, strugglers. He could have been a professional musician then.
He was 15. It was incredible. I didn’t know him.
I’d only just met him at the rehearsal. I went over and I said to him, you know, whoever you are, you should play in this band. And he said, no, no, no, no.
We want three guitars. It’s rock and roll. So we left it at that.
Because he was the lead singer, he didn’t do much. He didn’t do anything that morning except play the piano. We’re putting the gear away.
And I was just taking my guitar off. I always used to sing. I used to sing to myself.
And I sang a Ricky Nelson song called It’s Late to myself, just messing around. And he heard me and he came over to me and he said, he didn’t know my name either. He came over to me and he said, listen, if you’ll be the lead singer, I’ll play keyboards.
And essentially, that’s the zombies. That’s how it came about. What sort of music was happening around you? I think a lot of the music was American at that time.
The rock and roll greats, Chuck Berry, Richard Elvis. Later on, we started getting into rhythm and blues before we made our first record. And at one time, the zombies were called the zombies R&B because we were finding all these great rhythm and blues classics.
This is before we knew Rod and Chris could write songs. There was a huge change in 1964. And it was kind of difficult because Rod’s first song was a huge hit, but he didn’t have any other songs.
So the record company’s on to us. We need a follow up. We need a follow up.
But they didn’t have a catalogue of songs that they were writing. And we were touring at the same time. So they were trying to write in the back of the bus.
So we had to make a very quick change from being a rhythm and blues band into playing original material. And we had to do that in the spotlight of the world’s media because by then we had a number one all around the world. No, don’t hurt me now, for your love belongs to me.
And if she should tell you, I love you. And if she tempts you with a chance. No, don’t hurt me now, for your love belongs to me.
Were you still at school or you’d all dropped out? No, we just left. I was 18 when we recorded She’s Not There. Our lead guitarist, Paul Atkinson, he literally left school and went on the road with the band.
So it did feel strange. I’d had a few months just working in an office job at that point. And suddenly, yeah, we’re on the road.
We had to buy an old truck. It was all very casual. How did you first hear that that song had taken off? Well, one of the first things was it went on a TV program over here called Jukebox Juro, where they would get four celebrities to judge that week’s releases.
And they would say whether it was a hit or a miss. And this particular week, George Harrison was one of the guests. And the Beatles, it’s difficult to explain how big the Beatles were at this time.
They were just huge. No word explains. And George Harrison listened to She’s Not There, and he really liked it.
And I think then we knew that we were in with a chance. Sure enough, it was immediately a hit. What do you think it was about that song? Well, I think that, funnily enough, what made it a hit also made it quite difficult to get some kind of acceptance with record companies and even with the media, because it was so different.
It featured a very jazzy keyboard solo. And originally, it was twice as long. It was actually cut in half.
There was a wonderful rhythm track. The drum track is brilliant. And there’s a great bass, you know, the bass line is part of the song that wasn’t made up by Chris White.
That’s written as part of the song. The whole thing just comes together so well. It’s a very, very well written song, I think.
I don’t know if you know the story, but when we got to the studio, they booked an evening stroke nighttime session. It’s very fashionable at the time. I wouldn’t dream of doing that now.
I’ve been sleeping by now. So we didn’t start till seven. And the engineer, who was a very successful engineer, made many hit records.
Unfortunately, he’d been at a wedding all day because the session started at seven. He was absolutely blind drunk. But worse than that, he was very aggressive.
And it makes me laugh. I’ve been in this business now for whatever it is, six years. Within 20 minutes of being in the studio with this, my first professional studio with this guy, I thought to myself, this business is not for me.
I’ve got headphones on, and he’s screaming obscenities down the headphones at me, really ear piercing. I thought, I can’t stand this. But then we had a bit of luck.
He passed out cold. We carried him out of the studio, two flights of stairs, in a black London taxi. We waved him goodbye.
I never saw him again. Everything changed after that. What were the tangible changes that then took place? Well, you know, I had this job that I gave up.
I had a nice boozy last day in the office. So that was the end of my career in commerce. We got ourselves a manager and an agent.
And we started working. We held our own. We were okay.
New York came up Christmas that year. We were number one in America when we arrived. And we played the Murray the K Christmas show.
Murray the K was the most prestigious DJ in America. He was the most powerful DJ in America. And he used to have a Christmas show.
He’d have like 16 acts on. Shangri-La’s, Dionne Warwick, Benny King, wonderful artists. And in the wings, I must admit, I think the knees were knocking a bit, but we were okay.
We got away with it. We always say when we come off, fool them again. You had a bit of imposter syndrome.
Oh, yeah. I mean, I think I still have that now. No, I think most people do.
You just have to get on with it, don’t you? Just take it day by day. Don’t think too deeply about what’s going on, it’ll drive you mad. Are you serious? After 60 years of doing that, you still feel, what am I doing here? Yeah, I think so.
She’s coming home to me. I wake up some mornings and there’s no voice there. And then I read a review of the wonderful voice and timeless beauty and wonderful intonation and things like that.
I think, God, thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Because I’m here when I’ve just got a croak. And actually, even on the road, I’m a bit prone to getting coughs and colds on the road. And there’s times when I think, I can’t do it, mate.
I just can’t get on stage and do it. There’s no voice there. Doctor stage, I get on there and it’s fine.
And I come off and I’m croaking again. It’s really strange how things work out. Doctor stage is a very, very strong medicine.
What do you do for your voice, Colin? Well, the first bit is common sense, which I had none of at 18 or 19. So the most important thing is to stay hydrated, drink plenty of water. I never drank any water when I was 18 or 19.
Why drink water when there’s beer? I lived on. Eat sensibly, get plenty of sleep. I never slept when I was 18 or 19.
The evening began when the show ended. We’ve done the show. OK, we’ve got that out of the way.
Where’s the party? None of that happens now. So common sense is the first thing. That must have really been one of your greatest fears all these years, that the voice wouldn’t be up to scratch.
Most singers lose their range as they get older. I haven’t. I don’t know why.
In the Zombies show, we sing everything in the original keys.
This is a breath of fresh air with Sandy Kaye. It’s a beautiful day. As long as I keep doing my exercises and working at it, I think my voice will stay there.
So you had that first single, it went into a global number one hit. You bought your van with the sliding doors that came off the hinges. Did you start to make money at that point? Very little.
When you’ve got writers in the band, if they don’t, and there’s no reason why they should, but if they don’t split the writing royalties, the earnings will very much divide into two because the writers really don’t have any expenses. They will learn roughly, in very rough terms, the same as the band. The band has to pay a manager, an agent.
Then we have to split it five ways. After we’ve paid flights, hotels, the crew, the truck. It goes on and on and on.
So the three non-writers have never really earned any money, ever. That was a big factor in why the band ended, because we were broke. I was absolutely broke.
And yet you’d managed to have four hit singles. Yeah, we’ve had hit singles all around the world. I think that we could… You see, there was no internet at that time, so it’s very difficult to know where you were having hits.
This sounds really strange, but people didn’t know where they were having hits. Some people don’t think you ever learn about some places, but you’d often know, like six months later, people would say, you know, the information just wasn’t available. After the band finished, we realised that we always had a hit somewhere in the world.
Always. But we perceived ourselves as being unsuccessful at that time because we hadn’t had a recent hit in the UK or the States. But we had had hits in France, in Holland, in Canada.
Certainly in the Philippines, we’ve had many hits in the Philippines. And if you’ve got a hit, then there’ll be live work. MUSIC CONTINUES I love you, yes, I do I love you, I love you I love you, yes, I do But the words won’t come And I don’t know what to say We weren’t well-managed, that’s another thing.
You know, our manager was pretty hopeless, really. It’s amazing when you think about it, it was really quite a short-lived career and you’ve had a lifelong impact. The Odyssey and Oracle record, that one, of course, gave us Time Of The Season, which was something else.
Well, it was probably the biggest hit we had. And that came, I think it was like 18 months after we’d finished. So unexpected.
I remember getting phone calls, I think not from America, but from people who knew people in America, saying, you know, Time Of The Season has been issued as a single. Oh, great. It’s, you know, number 90-something in the Billboard chart.
I don’t believe it, really? And it’s picking up air, but I couldn’t believe it, you know. It was a huge surprise, and it went up the charts very slowly, because I don’t think the record company was really behind it. So it just fought its way up there.
Famously, Al Cooper, who got Blood, Sweat & Tears together, he really fought for Odyssey and Oracle. He went to Clive Davis, the head of CBS, who’s very brave of him. It was his first day working for CBS.
And he went in to see the president of CBS, Clive Davis, and said, whatever it costs, you have to get this album. Odyssey and Oracle showed it to him. And Clive Davis said, we already own that album, and we were going to pass on it.
We weren’t going to even release it. And Al fought for it, got it released, but then they put out two singles that weren’t successful, and he went back and he said, Time Of The Season is the single. He really fought for it.
It was, we owe him so much. It’s the time of the season When love runs high In this time Give it to me easy And let me try With pleasured hands To take you in the sun To promised lands To show you everyone It’s the time of the season For love What’s your name? Who’s your daddy? Is he rich like me? Has he taken Any time To show you What you need to live Tell it to me slowly Tell you what I really want to know It’s the time of the season For love A DJ in Boise, Idaho would not stop playing Time Of The Season. And in a way, it could happen then.
I don’t think it could happen now. Other DJs picked up on it, and it was like a pebble going into a pond. It all went up for Boise, Idaho.
Well, you must have been very proud of it, but still you were in a position where the non-writers weren’t making money. Was it true that the band broke up before that single actually started to hit the charts? Oh, yeah. Probably about 18 months.
Certainly a year, anyway. There was no band. We weren’t playing live.
We didn’t have a manager. So, strangely enough, the first time I started earning money was when the band finished. And I got a sizable check, and I bought my first property with that.
It’s very weird. There was no band, and we start making money. What was the writing process like? Was there any collaborative effort in that at all? No, not really, I don’t think.
Especially Rod. Sometimes he would work on Chris White’s songs. You know, just put a shine on them.
He had no idea of his own brilliance, did he? No, possibly not. But he is a brilliant keyboard player and a brilliant songwriter. And he’s very tenacious.
He has a vision, and he sticks to it. And that really helped us on this. And it could get a little bit frustrating sometimes because he wanted to make a contribution.
He wouldn’t let you. But you couldn’t, no. But, I mean, he’s a genius.
Well, a picture in colour And it’s there in my room To remind me of you So it was with surprise That I saw you today And I did not recognise you, girl What more can I say? All the colours are gone You’ve become kind of grey I don’t think he’s had the accolades that he should have because he’s up there with the very best keyboard players in the world. He recorded a CD called Classically Speaking. He wrote a couple of the tracks, but most of it is very well-known classical piano.
It’s sensational, it’s wonderful. And he can play savage rock and roll. Are you still in touch with him today? And if so, how’s he doing? Oh, yeah, he’s okay.
So he’s fully recovered from his stroke? Yeah, but he’s never going to tour again. But I think he wants to keep writing and recording. Right.
So just going back again, when the band broke up you decided to go solo, but not under your own name. How come? Well, when the band finished, remember that we perceived ourselves as being unsuccessful. I remember driving home from that meeting, and I think I was 22.
My life was over. And I thought, what am I going to do with the rest of my life? I hadn’t got a lot of music business contacts, primarily because we were a working band. We were on the road all the time, and often abroad, not so much in the UK.
So I spent a few months at home with my parents, and I heard my dad say once, and it’s a very reasonable thing to say, well, he can’t just sit around at home doing nothing for the rest of his life, and not being aggressive, but he was just talking to my mother. And I thought, you know, he’s bloody right, you know. So I got on the phone like I did at the end when I finished school, phoned a lot of people for a job.
So I took the first job I was offered again, and worked in an office. And in a way, it was a bit bizarre, because people knew who I was. But it helped me, in a way, because it was quite emotional, finishing the band.
It was something I thought was going to take up the next part of my life. After about a year, the time of the season was going up a chart, and suddenly, when the phone was ringing, I’m picking the phone up, and it’s, have you thought about recording again? This is so-and-so record, we’d like to talk to you again. And it became apparent that there were going to be opportunities.
And one of those guys was a guy called Mike Hurst, who produced the early Cat Stevens records, Matthew & Son, I Love My Girl, and I’m Gonna Get Me A Gun. I think those were the three first big hits. The producer of those hits was Mike Hurst, and he called me, and he was a really successful producer at that time.
And he said, look, I’d really like to try something. And I wasn’t sure if I wanted to get back into it. I was so devastated after The Zombies.
And he said, well, look, I’ll record some tracks in Olympic Studio, very prestigious studio, The Stones have been recording there, and you come along after work. So I think I used to go along in a suit, you know, after work, and I would put vocals on these tracks. And he had this idea of re-recording She’s Not There, which seemed a little weird to me.
It’s in a different key, and it’s a totally different arrangement, but it’s the same song. And so we did it, and that came out as a choice for the single. And then somewhere along the line, Mike thinks it was my idea, and I think it’s his idea, to change my name.
And then someone came up with the idea of a phony name. It certainly wasn’t me. Originally, it was going to be James MacArthur.
I know not where that name came from. Out of the phone book, probably. And then a few days before the record pressing was taking place, they said, no, there’s a James MacArthur in Hawaii Five-0.
You can’t be James MacArthur. He’s an actor. You’re going to be Neil MacArthur.
Oh, okay. I’m Neil MacArthur. And so the next year, that record was a small hit.
It was a top 30 single in the UK. So I’m back in the record industry. Tell me about the way she lied About her But it’s too late to say I’m sorry How would I know Why should I care Please don’t bother trying to find her She’s not there Well, let me tell you about the way she looked, the way she acted, the color of her hair Her voice was soft Her eyes were clear But she’s not there Well, no one told me about her What could I do Oh, no one told me about her Though they all knew But it’s too late to say I’m sorry How would I know Why should I care Please don’t bother trying to find her She’s not there Well, let me tell you about the way she looked, the way she acted, the color of her hair Her voice was soft and clear, her eyes were clear and bright But she’s not there So the next year I was Neil MacArthur.
I never got used to being called that name. So if someone said Neil to me, I never knew if it was a noun or a verb. Are they calling you by name? Well, dear old Neil had two more singles that weren’t successful Yeah, everyone did lose interest After a year, I was coming back from a party with Chris White in his car.
He said, Chris White was the original bass player of the Zombies He said, why don’t you drop this Neil MacArthur stuff? And Rod and I have got a production company. We’d like to produce a solo album for you under your name. And so that’s what we did.
And it was an album called One Year. And we did a Denny Lane song on there called So You Don’t Mind. And that was a huge hit in the UK.
And so I was off and running I realize that I’ve been in your eyes some kind of fool What I do, what I did, stupid fish I drank the pool I’m doing some dying Now I’m doing some trying So say don’t mind, don’t mind and let me off this time I came into this scene where my dreams were getting bad And who rides with the tide and who’s glad with what it had I’ve been doing some whining Now I’m doing some finding So say don’t mind don’t mind and let me off this time To you I’m blind So princess So you don’t mind Rod had convinced you to drop the Neil McArthur and go back under your name with that sublime voice that you carried. And then you started having hits under your own name with some beautiful tracks. It worked really well, yeah.
It’s funny because different countries know different tracks, depending on whether they were successful or not. So you always have to search when you go abroad which songs people know. We’ve got terribly caught up, particularly in the Zondas when we went to the Far East because they know all these romantic songs that often were B-sides and they want you to play them.
And Rod has always wanted to be rock and roll, hard-edged, you know, tough. They want to play these little romantic ditties and Rod’s going to be playing that. That’s ridiculous.
But then the promoter starts putting the pressure on. And we’ve got to learn it on the spot and go out and play to big audiences. There was one in particular.
It was a hit of mine called Miles Away. It was only a hit in the Philippines but it was a big hit. Huge.
And Rod said, we’re not playing that. And we had to play it. The first thing we did when we got there was a live TV.
And they insisted we play Miles Away. We never rehearsed it. No one knew it.
I got the words on the floor, pinned down on the floor. I didn’t know it. I did it as a session.
It was an hour out of my life, years before. And as soon as I left the studio, I couldn’t remember. I’d forgotten it.
I got all the words on the floor. Clive Davis.
This is a breath of fresh air with Sandy Kaye. It’s a beautiful day. You became part of Elton John’s record label itself, didn’t you? The Rocket Record Company.
Yes. And released then three studio albums with them that also were really successful for you. Well, they were successful airplay-wise, but not so successful chart-wise.
And I always regret that because Rocket Records really believed in their artists. They were a wonderful label. I never even thought it could happen From the others you see I’m in love Do I keep it to myself or should I let her know I’m in love My nursing in my heart, hold it back in my eyes Hide it all inside or put on a disguise I’m in love Have I gotta play games, even suffer the pain Let the secret out, even suffer the doubt I’m in love As luck would have it, I did three albums for them.
The contract ended and my next record was What Becomes of the Broken Hearted with Dave Stewart, which was a huge hit. Did you feel a bit guilty? I did feel a bit guilty, but I had something else on my mind as well because of a contractual detail. CBS chose to sue me at that time.
And in many ways, that could have been the end of my career because it was like three or four years out of my life I couldn’t work. I had contracts, but I couldn’t honour them because I was being sued. As a worker’s land with broken dreams I have visions of many things But happiness is just an illusion Filled with sadness and confusion What becomes of the broken hearted Who had love but’s now departed I know I’ve got to find Some kind of peace of mind Maybe Points of love go all around But for me they’re coming to run down Everyday heartaches grow no stronger I can’t stand this pain much longer I walk in shadows searching for light Cold and alone, no comfort inside Hoping and praying for someone who cares Always moving and going nowhere What becomes of the broken hearted Who had love but’s now departed I know I’ve got to find Some kind of peace of mind Every breeze A wonderful thing happened.
I was quite involved with the Alan Parsons Project and I sang on some of their albums and got to know Alan. Alan actually worked on Odyssey and Oracle. He was an engineer at Abbey Road.
Yeah, I remember him telling me that, yeah. He got the idea of getting some guys out of the Alan Parsons Project with me singing and forming a band. The band became Keats and they only made one album but anyway, he needed me out of the CBS court case and over lunch he arranged for it all to be dropped.
So once that was sorted out then you continued to make your own music under your own name and got back together with Rod. When and where was it decided to start doing reunion concerts and tours of the Zombies? Well, I mean there was a big gap. I’d lost the momentum in my career.
So it was a very tough time. That band I mentioned, Keats, which was Eric Wilson’s idea. With David Peyton? With David Peyton, yeah.
Ian Benson, Stuart Elliott, Peter Bardens from Camel was in it because we’d been working together. He’s nothing to do with the Alan Parsons Project. He was the outsider who was working with me.
After that finished, that was a really tough time for me the next few years. You have to learn how to survive in this business. It’s as important as learning how to play music.
Rod remembers this differently. So I’m just going to tell you how I remember it. I started a solo band with a guy called Don Airey.
He’s been in many huge heavy rock bands like Rainbow and Gary Moore. And at the moment he’s in Deep Purple. He’s a keyboard player in Deep Purple.
He started calling me up and saying, you know, you should be out on the road playing. And I just completely lost my momentum. Probably lost my confidence too.
He phoned three or four times. And I said, I can’t. How am I going to do this after all these years? My last concert was in 1973 or 74, I think.
But he kept calling. Okay, I’ll do it. He said, fine, I’ll put a band together.
You don’t have to come to rehearsals. We’ll sort it. And that’s what happened.
That was the first time I’d been on stage for 23 years. That was in 1997. How did that feel on that stage? A little bit strange.
But more than scared, I was intrigued because I didn’t know if any sound was going to come out when I started singing. I just didn’t know what was going to happen. So we got a band going.
I got another keyboard player in. But he had an Achilles heel in that he wrote songs. And if anybody asked him to go and play his songs, he would just not turn up for my concerts.
Well, this happened three or four times. And the last time, I don’t know how we got through it. The keyboard player didn’t even know who I was.
And I came off stage, and my heart was going so fast. I thought, if we go on like this, I’m going to have a heart attack. So I phoned Rod, and I said, Rod, I’ve got six dates left on this tour.
And Rod said, OK, I’ll help you out. I’ll do the six gigs. But I don’t want to go back on that road.
So he did. And he loved it. And those six gigs lasted from 1999 to 2024, when he was ill.
People say I’m the life of buzz. I tell a joke or two. Although I might be laughing deep inside, I’m new.
So take a good look at my face. You’ll see my smile looks out of place. And if you look closer, it’s easy to trace.
The tracks of my tears. I need you. Since you left me, I’ve just seen you with another girl.
Seeming like I’m having fun. Although she may be cute, she’s just a substitute. You’re all I’ve ever wanted.
So take a good look at my face. You’ll see my smile looks out of place. And if you look closer, it’s easy to trace.
The tracks of my tears. I need you. The world was adamant that we wouldn’t call it The Zombies.
Because the original meant it was only him and me. I mean, man, there are so many bands out there. There are bands out there claiming to be The Zombies that have no members of The Zombies in them.
And we both had hits in our own name. But we played zombie tracks. And we were amazed, the interest in The Zombies.
We thought that had all long gone. It took seven years, I think. And eventually, we talked it through with the other guys.
Chris White, Hugh Grandi, Paul Atkinson sadly had died. And they gave us their blessing. And then we started going out as The Zombies.
And we built it up. And then we went to the States. And we were amazed at the reaction there.
Building, building, building, 2019, we’re inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was a big deal. The glow of your love’s like the warmth from the sun And this will be our year, took a long time to come Don’t let go of my hand now the darkness has gone This will be our year, took a long time to come And I won’t forget the way you held me up when I was down And I won’t forget the way you said, Darling, I love you, you gave me faith to go on Now we’re there and we’ve only just begun This will be our year, took a long time to come The Zombies was always Rod’s idea.
It was always Rod’s band. He was the musical director, arranger, leader of the band. Absolutely.
So Colin, you’ve just wrapped up a 16-date headline tour of the UK. And now you’re getting ready to hit the US. I don’t know where you take the energy from.
Well, also I’m recording a solo album at the moment. So I don’t have much time to think about. Sorry, I’ve got to go.
Is that the time? I don’t know if there was time to chat yet. I’m really pleased because you don’t know how an album… An album is like a painting. You don’t know how it’s going to end up when you start.
So I don’t know what’s going to happen. But so far it sounds pretty good. We’re recording all my songs.
Saw your picture in the paper My, you’re looking pretty good Looks like you’re going to make it in a big way Well, I always knew you would But I should have known better And I should have seen sooner Please No use pretending I’ve been far in a long time Your love is ending Kind goodbye Kind goodbye By the saying how and where we went Time changes till we meet and I know I’m left with all the possible lies Here’s your song to help make it last I just think your story and your career and your humility are all just fabulous, Colin. And I’m so glad that you didn’t stay in your boring insurance job or your commerce job or anything. There’s so much creativity and spunk about you.
Even at 81 years of age, you’re just like a kid. Well, I’m as far as music is concerned. I am, you know, I think the business does keep you young.
But I think there’s a lot of downsides to the music industry. But one of the great upsides is you absolutely do not know what’s going to happen next. So if ever you’re interviewing a manager or a record exec, they’ll tell you, you know, if we do this, this will happen and then that’ll be a hit record and then they’ll do this big thing.
They don’t know. I’ll tell you. It’s a little secret.
They don’t know. So I’ve told you one of the big secrets about the music business that no one knows what’s going to happen tomorrow. And I like that.
It’s exciting. It is exciting. But as you alluded to earlier, it’s a skill that you have to develop to handle the ups and downs.
Coming off a number one hit and then being in the wilderness for a while is not an easy place to be. And you don’t know what happens next. Then you back up again with another number one hit.
Who knows? Yeah, it pays not to get too carried away with the successes because you know that the dips are going to come. So, I mean, when we have hit records, you know, I mean, just recently in the Heritage Chart here, Caroline Goodbye was number two about four weeks ago. So that was wonderful.
And there have been other hit records over the years. But what I’m interested in is the next record. You know, I’m not going to sit here saying, isn’t it great this record’s in the charts? I’m worried about the next or excited, a little bit worried, about the next one.
That’s the important thing, you know, what comes next. I love it. And you just get better and better and better with age.
I just love it. Yeah. Well, there we are.
You’ve got to get used to these things. Yes, you do. It’s a bit of a seesaw.
Colin Blundstone, I’ll let you go. You’ve been so generous with your time and with your stories. I have really enjoyed chatting with you and I wish you the best of luck.
You don’t need it because you’re going to knock them dead everywhere that you play. And I’m looking forward, perhaps we can chat again when that next album comes out. I’d love to hear all about that.
Absolutely. I look forward to that. Thanks for having me on your show.
I’ve really enjoyed our chat. Cheers. Thank you so much.
Me too. Bye now. Bye.
Bye. Bye. Bye.
Bye. Bye. Bye.
Bye. Bye.