Original Zombies reunite for three-night Odessey :: Music News :: Articles

Fans of The Who know how this goes: all it takes are two original members of a long-deceased group and suddenly you have a semi-official reunion on your hands. So it has been with Zombies vocalist Colin Blunstone and keyboardist Rod Argent. The two have been recording and touring under the Zombies moniker since 2004, playing a mix of their group’s classic material and newer compositions.

But no matter what group it is that’s reuniting, purists will always defend the sanctity of the “original lineup.” So, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Zombies’ celebrated album Odessey and Oracle, the four surviving band members will take the stage at London’s Shepherds Bush Empire for three nights and play Odessey in its entirety. The shows take place March 7, 8 and 9. Blunstone and Argent will welcome back their old rhythm section of bassist Chris White (who actually composed the majority of Odessey’s tracks) and drummer Hugh Gondry. The reunion will not be complete, however. Original Zombies guitarist Paul Atkinson passed away in 2004. His replacement for the shows, Keith Airey, has played on Blunstone and Argent’s reunion tour.

Interestingly enough, this marks the first time the whole group will play the songs of Odessey live. Owing to commercial shortcomings, the group decided to disband after completing the album. This decision liberated them from the constraints of trying to craft a commercial-sounding record, and the result was an exquisitely constructed tableau of psychedelic baroque pop. The album’s final track, “Time of the Season,” became a fluke hit in 1969, but the group had long since broken up. You can still find the tune soundtracking TV ads to this day.

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