The Zombies | She's Not There (Single)

In the spirit of Halloween I thought this Friday's Classic Waxxx post should tie into the holiday of spooks and goblins, although there probably is nothing remotely scary about this British import.

The Zombies formed in 1959 and produced a minor catalog of hit songs during the life of the band, up through 1968, the year the original lineup disbanded. "She's Not There" was the band's first top ten hit, the second tune ever written by Zombie's keyboard player, Rod Argent, a song specifically written for the band's first Decca Records recording session. Even though The Zombies didn't receive as big of a following as The Beatles or The Rolling Stones, they do have their devout cult following. The band's writing and musicianship rivaled many of their contemporaries, with song writing chores shared by principle writers Argent and Chris White.

The hooks of this song latch in deep from the get-go, "So no one told me about her, the way she lied", an opening line that has since stayed with me since hearing the song for the first time, maybe 15 years ago. Arget's electric piano solo, which is the most distinctive sound to resonate on the record, was certainly made for 1960s Brit Pop tunes such as this, and truly makes you wonder why The Zombies didn't enjoy more fanfare in their heyday. The chorus is one of those that you simply wish to scream out at the top of your lungs, especially about the perfect girl who is no where to be seen. "She's Not There" would reach #2 in the US charts and #12 in the British charts in August 1964, a pretty good feat considering that 'other British band' that would dominate the pop charts for the next few years.

One of the band's last, and probably most well-known singles during their tenure was "Time Of The Season", a soul psychedelic gem of a tune that became a hit after the band had already called it quits, taken from the now classic "Odessey And The Oracle" ('Odyssey' was originally misspelled on the original LP cover.) The song became a nationwide hit reaching #3 on the Billboard charts.

Sadly, I wasn't around to experience first hand the impact The Zombies had on the music scene, but it has been a pleasure to be able to dive into their catalog at once, without the excruciating pain of having to wait for new material. Though, I often wonder what The Zombies' music would have sounded like if performed by a more soulful and powerful vocalist, such as Eric Burdon from The Animals. I think that may have been a great recipe for larger fanfare.

RECORD NOTES | The Zombies "She's Not There" (Single)

Parrot CAT# 45-PAR 9695
Released: 1964
Song Credit: R. Argent
Recorded: UK
Personnel:
Rod Argent (Vocals, Electric Piano)
Paul Atkinson (Vocals, Guitar)
Colin Blunstone (Lead Vocals)
Chris White (Bass, Vocals)
Hugh Grundy (Drums)

SIDE A: "She's Not There" 2:25
SIDE B: "You Make Me Feel So Good" (C. White) 2:40