'The Zombies' project

[Coatesy]

Hi guys,

I'm preparing for a comprehensive article exploring the legacy/influence of the Zombies. It struck me that there has been surprisingly little written about them in any great detail since Claes Johansen’s 2001 biography ‘Hung Up on a Dream’, especially in comparison to other respected bands of their era, so I can see a nice gap.

I thought I would put the feelers out here for any potential contributors/suggestions. Any comments/opinions about the band’s history, output and influence would be much appreciated. It would also be useful to know what you guys would like to see covered in an article like this.

A few thoughts on the angle so far:

I thought it would be interesting to discuss their music’s resurgence over the last 15 years or so. After initial hits, ’She’s Not There’ and ‘Tell Her No’, they arguably failed commercially as a band until right at the end of their first incarnation with sleeper hit 'Time of the Season', by which time they had split. Odessey & Oracle barely sold a copy and was largely forgotten for about 30 years, however recognition has since continually grown and the album is often labeled a true masterpiece, frequently appearing in 'Greatest albums of all time' lists etc. Judging by the audiences of recent tours they have a far wider reach of appreciation than your average "legacy" outfit - young and old, male and female in almost equal measure. A considerable amount of ‘hip’ young indie bands credit them as a key influence and the term “baroque pop” can pretty much be traced directly back to their material.

I wanted to discuss how perceptions of music can change. If the quality of the music is high enough and people find something ’special’ about it, chances are it will eventually catch on. This opens up a wider discussion - what is it about the music of the Zombies that makes it more accessible to modern ears? I could also touch on the culture of rediscovering artists with great ease due to advances in technology (Spotify, Youtube, Blogs etc). More modern “retro revival" trends and the fascination with digging out hidden gems and obscurities could also be discussed.

I’m in a fairly unique position having grown up in St Albans where the band originated. My parents and grandparents lived there all their lives and more than a few personal connections with the band have resulted from this over the years. I’m confident I’ll be able to uncover some fresh perspective about the band’s early history from sources others may not have considered.

I’m currently very much in the research stage, getting stuck in as deep as possible with their story and the culture surrounding it, both through written accounts and via networking on an informal level (mainly Facebook) with fans, connoisseurs and a few people loosely connected with the band.

It’s worth pointing out that I’m completely new to journalism so if anyone who has dabbled can offer tips in terms of the fundamental elements and how to effectively structure an article of this form, that would be great.

I would love to know your thoughts!

Cheers,

Adam

[PlasticRam]

It's great that you're doing this. Odessey and Oracle is my 2nd fav album of all time.

R.I.P. is an album that was supposed to be released in 1969, but it was cancelled. It got finally released in 2000. Maybe that could be mentioned in the article.

[Madzong]

You should get in touch with this guy:

He's been trying to reassemble the Zombies R.I.P. album:

http://albumsthatneverwere.blogspot.com ... p.html?m=1

[Zombeels]

The liner notes in the Box Set Zombie Heaven has tons of information. Odessey and Oracle is my #1 all time favourite album and had RIP had been an actual album, it would be my third behind Abbey Road.

[Jirin]

Who knows why music does it does not catch on? Might have been a marketing failure, they didn’t stand out among the similar styled bands with more crafted public personas.

[Hymie]

Odessey & Oracle barely sold a copy

I'd have to disagree there. The album was on the Billboard Top Albums chart for 13 weeks, peaking at #95. Not a BIG seller, but probably sold like 30,000 to 40,000 copies just in the US.