document.writeln('');
document.writeln('LINKS');
document.writeln('TO SOME GREAT REVIEWS FOR THE THREE SOLD-OUT SHOWS OF "ODYSSEY AND');
document.writeln('ORACLE" AT SHEPHERD\'S BUSH EMPIRE MARCH 7,8, AND 9 2008
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document.writeln('GENERAL COVERAGE
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document.writeln('');
document.writeln('OLDER REVIEWS - 2004-2007
Colin and Rod\'s recent performances on the');
document.writeln('"Hippiefest" tour in the U.S garnered some fantastic reactions and');
document.writeln('reviews. (2007)
');
document.writeln('');
document.writeln('');
document.writeln(' Retro-Active correspondent Ken Sharp');
document.writeln('
');
document.writeln('');
document.writeln(' caught a recent electrifying set by the \'60s');
document.writeln(' phenoms and walked out a true believer. Blessed with one of the most');
document.writeln(' dynamic and versatile singers in Rock & Roll, Blunstone is a');
document.writeln(' marvel of vocal virtuosity, embracing the band\'s Poppier material');
document.writeln(' ("Tell Her No," "Rose For Emily," "Time Of The');
document.writeln(' Season") with a fine honed delicacy and immaculate interpretive skills');
document.writeln(' while attacking the more rock-oriented material (Argent\'s "Hold Your');
document.writeln(' Head Up," "God Gave Rock & Roll To You" and The Zombies');
document.writeln(' first chartbuster, "She\'s Not There" ) with the skill of a');
document.writeln(' seasoned master. Keyboardist Rod Argent, who penned much of the band\'s');
document.writeln(' material, is also a delight to behold, dazzling concertgoers with his');
document.writeln(' blazing flights of fast fingered keyboard wizardry. Be sure to catch The');
document.writeln(' Zombies when they come to your town. It\'s a show you won\'t want to miss.
');
document.writeln('
');
document.writeln(' "Reunited \'60s band play killer show" John Mackie, ');
document.writeln(' Vancouver Sun
');
document.writeln(' Thanks to the wonders of suburban casino showrooms, there seem to be');
document.writeln(' as many ’60s acts playing Vancouver today as there were in the 1960s.');
document.writeln(' Some still have it, some don’t. But you’d be hard-pressed to ever');
document.writeln(' find a ’60s act to match the show the Zombies put on Sunday night at');
document.writeln(' Richard’s on Richards. It was the band’s first local appearance');
document.writeln(' since 1965, and you could feel the anticipation in the sold-out crowd,');
document.writeln(' which was composed of hard-core music fans spanning several generations.');
document.writeln(' The original band broke up 40 years ago, but the Zombies’ music is so');
document.writeln(' distinctive and imaginative it seems to be as influential today as ever');
document.writeln(' — take a listen to modern indie pop faves the Shins or the New');
document.writeln(' Pornographers. The quintet that appeared Sunday only had two original members,');
document.writeln(' singer Colin Blunstone and keyboardist Rod Argent. But it’s');
document.writeln(' Blunstone’s ethereal voice and Argent’s wild solos that are the');
document.writeln(' hallmarks of the group, anyway, and the replacement members (including');
document.writeln(' long-time Kinks bassist Jim Rodford and his son Steve on drums) are all');
document.writeln(' ace musicians. They were playing oldies, but it wasn’t an oldies act,');
document.writeln(' if you know what I mean: they were playing music, not hits.
');
document.writeln('
');
document.writeln(' In a way, it was several concerts in one. There was a ton of vintage Zombies');
document.writeln(' stuff, but there were a few numbers from Argent’s progressive rock band,');
document.writeln(' Argent, and also a couple of songs from Blunstone’s solo career. One minute');
document.writeln(' they’d be doing a short, sharp pop song, then Argent would launch into some');
document.writeln(' crazy extended prog-rock organ solo. But somehow it all worked — you’ll');
document.writeln(' never, ever see so many alternative music fans joyously punching the air and');
document.writeln(' screaming along to a prog-rock staple like Argent\'s Hold Your Head Up.
');
document.writeln(' Argent turns 60 in May but looks a decade younger, with a big fuzzy mop of');
document.writeln(' hair and a little goatee that makes him look like record company mogul/mad');
document.writeln(' balloonist Richard Branson. He’s a show in himself, reeling off a dizzying');
document.writeln(' succession of jazzy solos. A very inventive player, he does tend to go off');
document.writeln(' into outer space at times:
');
document.writeln(' he benefits from the discipline of playing short pop songs, ’cause he looks');
document.writeln(' like he’d be happy just playing a two hour solo.Closing in on 62 years of');
document.writeln(' age, Blunstone sounds almost exactly the same as he did when he was 19.');
document.writeln(' Basically, he can trill like a bird, hitting all the high notes and');
document.writeln(' effortlessly shifting between pop,
');
document.writeln(' R&B and soul. Really, he’s one of the great singers in rock history.');
document.writeln(' It’s hard to believe that most of his solo records have never been released');
document.writeln(' in North America, but then, he is incredibly English — his neo-Nehru jacket');
document.writeln(' and pants ensemble and stage manner of standing at the mike and snapping his');
document.writeln(' fingers were oh-so-swinging-’60s-London. Highlights? There was a stirring');
document.writeln(' Goin’ Out of My Head, a lovely singalong of Summertime, a hypnotic take of I');
document.writeln(' Love You, and sublime renditions of What Becomes of the Broken Hearted,');
document.writeln(' Tell Her No and She’s Not There.');
document.writeln('
');
document.writeln('');
document.writeln('');
document.writeln('
');
document.writeln(' But the heart of the concert was a brilliant mini-set from their album Odyssey');
document.writeln(' and Oracle, including Care of Cell 44, This Will Be Our Year, A Rose For');
document.writeln(' Emily and Beechwood Park. It ended off with a letter-perfect version of Time');
document.writeln(' of the Season which had the audience giving a thunderous ovation for several');
document.writeln(' minutes. Judging by the
');
document.writeln(' smiles on the band’s faces, they won’t wait another 42 years before they');
document.writeln(' come back to town.
jmackie@png.canwest.com');
document.writeln('
');
document.writeln('
');
document.writeln(' THE GLOBE & MAIL (TORONTO)
');
document.writeln(' Almost every song performed on this night was a top-10 hit, although');
document.writeln(' odd circumstance sometimes changed the sound. As noted by M.C. Country Joe');
document.writeln(' McDonald, guitarist Joey Molland was the last surviving member of Badfinger.');
document.writeln(' But his broad Liverpudlian accent gave an abrasive edge to power-pop classics');
document.writeln(' like Day After Day and Come and Get It. Mitch Ryder barely seemed to have the');
document.writeln(' energy to shake his tambourine, yet alone supply the vocal power necessary for');
document.writeln(' Jenny Take a Ride and Devil With a Blue Dress. And Rascal Felix Cavaliere was');
document.writeln(' in great voice, but spent too much time revisiting Motown classics at the');
document.writeln(' expense of his own songs. No It\'s a Beautiful Morning? Shock! Travesty! Best');
document.writeln(' act of the night was undoubtedly the Zombies, with singer Colin Blunstone and');
document.writeln(' keyboardist Rod Argent in fit and fighting form on She\'s Not There, Tell Her');
document.writeln(' No and Argent\'s Hold Your Head Up, a trio of songs that earned them the');
document.writeln(' night\'s first and foremost standing ovation.
');
document.writeln('
');
document.writeln(' THE WASHINGTON TIMES
');
document.writeln(' The Zombies, the finest British-invasion-era band still touring that');
document.writeln(' doesn\'t have Mick Jagger as a frontman, was the class act of the night. Still');
document.writeln(' led by original keyboard wizard Rod Argent and featuring the smoked-silk');
document.writeln(' vocals of Colin Blunstone, it was the only band that bridged the gaps between');
document.writeln(' mid-\'60s pop-rock ("She\'s Not There") and the more psychedelic pop');
document.writeln(' of "Time of the Season" and the full-blown progressive rock of');
document.writeln(' "Hold Your Head Up," the latter a hit for Argent (the keyboardist\'s');
document.writeln(' post-Zombies band).');
document.writeln('
');
document.writeln('');
document.writeln('');
document.writeln('----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
');
document.writeln('
');
document.writeln('');
document.writeln('
2004
');
document.writeln('------------------------------------------------------------------------ FROM: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
(Also REUTERS)
Concert Review: the Zombies
Thu Sep 30, 2004 07:54 PM ET
The Zombies
By Tom Roland
LOS');
document.writeln('ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Lead singer Arthur Lee surveyed the');
document.writeln('quiet between Love songs and took issue: "This ain\'t no Love crowd.');
document.writeln('What\'d you come to see? The Zombies or somethin\'?"
As a matter of');
document.writeln('fact, yes. Love, which picked up a couple of standing ovations, had the');
document.writeln('biggest print on the ticket and the headliner\'s slot as show-closer,');
document.writeln('but it was clearly the Zombies who intrigued most of the crowd. And why');
document.writeln('not? Some 37 years ago, the group broke up just before its biggest hit,');
document.writeln('"Time of the Season," reached the airwaves. They doggedly turned down');
document.writeln('opportunities to reunite, and only in the past two years have fans had');
document.writeln('a chance to see keyboard player Rod Argent and vocalist Colin Blunstone');
document.writeln('in tandem.
In sharp contrast to the gritty, sometimes spastic');
document.writeln('offerings of Love, the Zombies came off as sophisticated purveyors of');
document.writeln('pop, often combining disparate attitudes and emotions within the same');
document.writeln('song to convey complex jumbles of feeling.
That was particularly');
document.writeln('evident in the juxtaposition of breezy verses and the punchy chorus of');
document.writeln('"Tell Her No" and in a rendition of the Tim Hardin-penned "Misty');
document.writeln('Roses," which began in a loungey vein and ended up with a string');
document.writeln('quartet creating a dark, dramatic sense of sonic vertigo.
Though the');
document.writeln('band had some backward-glancing moments, the Zombies\' music usually');
document.writeln('avoided the easy trip into nostalgia. The mostly fiftysomething crowd');
document.writeln('certainly appreciated the hits, including a slightly quickened');
document.writeln('rendition of Argent\'s post-Zombies "Hold Your Head Up." Occasional');
document.writeln('Beach Boys harmonies and guitar chording reminiscent of the Beatles\'');
document.writeln('"Getting Better" called immediate attention to the flower-power period');
document.writeln('in which the songs from the "Odessey & Oracle" album were recorded.
But');
document.writeln('more often than not, the combination of Blunstone\'s evocative');
document.writeln('performance and Argent\'s expansive melodies resembled singer-songwriter');
document.writeln('Rufus Wainwright rather than anachronistic Brit rockers. Like');
document.writeln('Wainwright, Blunstone painted much of the material with a breathy');
document.writeln('quality, sometimes detached, often melancholy. But he also delivered an');
document.writeln('icy blast of falsetto when appropriate, adding a powerful dimension to');
document.writeln('the mix.
Many of Argent\'s compositions, particularly those that');
document.writeln('inhabit the band\'s new "As Far As I Can See ..." album, offer gorgeous');
document.writeln('melodies in challenging ranges while collecting influences from pop,');
document.writeln('blues, jazz and classical music. In their best moments, those songs');
document.writeln('came across as bitter suites.
But the Zombies mixed art and groove, with Argent filling out several of those songs with jittery Hammond solos.
There');
document.writeln('are benefits in waiting more than 35 years to reunite: The musicians');
document.writeln('stand a good chance of having gained some maturity, and they\'re');
document.writeln('unlikely to be jaded about the partnership. In fact, the Zombies');
document.writeln('demonstrated both experience and exuberance. Lee would likely not be');
document.writeln('the only artist to feel upstaged by that combination.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
');
document.writeln('>>Reviews - Sound Checks
The Zombies
Warner Grand Theatre,
San Pedro
February 26
by Paul Andersen
In');
document.writeln('the annals of pop music history, few bands from the original British');
document.writeln('Invasion of the mid-’60s have engendered a cult-like status like the');
document.writeln('Zombies, partially because the band splintered up before they had their');
document.writeln('biggest hits, but mostly because they just sounded so fucking great.');
document.writeln('Centered around the vocals of Colin Blunstone and the');
document.writeln('progressive-before-their-time keyboards of Rod Argent, they created, in');
document.writeln('just a small window of time, some of the most memorable music of the');
document.writeln('period. In fact, to many critics and fans, their final album, 1968’s');
document.writeln('Odessey and Oracle, was on a par with Brian Wilson’s epic Pet Sounds.
Flash');
document.writeln('forward to last year: Blunstone and Argent release a duo CD, and go on');
document.writeln('tour to promote it in the U.S. Suddenly, without planning it, a Zombies');
document.writeln('reunion organically takes place, and it is like they just took a');
document.writeln('35-year day off. If anything, they have come back sounding even better,');
document.writeln('and had so much fun that they are touring once again, this time with an');
document.writeln('actual new Zombies CD in tow.
Touching down in sunny San Pedro');
document.writeln('at the gloriously restored Warner Grand Theatre (talk about a venue');
document.writeln('that should be used for music a lot more than it is — it has a funky');
document.writeln('’60s Fillmore vibe about it) for the first of three So Cal shows, the');
document.writeln('current edition of the Zombies is nothing short of stunning live.
Blunstone’s');
document.writeln('voice and range have somehow remained in a vacuum, as he still hits');
document.writeln('every rangy note with choirboy perfection, and Argent is still a genius');
document.writeln('at both keyboards and arranging. The group features tight interplay');
document.writeln('(the bassist, Jim Rockford, Argent’s cousin, was the original choice of');
document.writeln('the band way back, but he was already in another group) and the fact');
document.writeln('that the two leaders are playing most of the catalog live for the first');
document.writeln('time this past year is shown by the wide grins they wore throughout the');
document.writeln('night. Add in hits from Argent’s self-titled band and Blunstone’s solo');
document.writeln('career, and it wasn’t so odd that the crowd was standing for a good');
document.writeln('portion of the show. But perhaps the best news was that the new songs');
document.writeln('sounded great, proof that there is still a lot of non-nostalgic life');
document.writeln('left in this partnership.');
document.writeln('------------------------------------------------------------------------
');
document.writeln('>> Reviews - Sound Checks
The Zombies
Warner Grand Theatre,
San Pedro
February 26
by Paul Andersen
In the annals of pop music history, few bands from the
original British Invasion of the mid-’60s have
engendered a cult-like status like the Zombies,
partially because the band splintered up before they
had their biggest hits, but mostly because they just
sounded so fucking great. Centered around the vocals
of Colin Blunstone and the
progressive-before-their-time keyboards of Rod Argent,
they created, in just a small window of time, some of
the most memorable music of the period. In fact, to
many critics and fans, their final album, 1968’s
Odessey and Oracle, was on a par with Brian Wilson’s
epic Pet Sounds.
Flash forward to last year: Blunstone and Argent
release a duo CD, and go on tour to promote it in the
U.S. Suddenly, without planning it, a Zombies reunion
organically takes place, and it is like they just took
a 35-year day off. If anything, they have come back
sounding even better, and had so much fun that they
are touring once again, this time with an actual new
Zombies CD in tow.
Touching down in sunny San Pedro at the gloriously
restored Warner Grand Theatre (talk about a venue that
should be used for music a lot more than it is — it
has a funky ’60s Fillmore vibe about it) for the first
of three So Cal shows, the current edition of the
Zombies is nothing short of stunning live.
Blunstone’s voice and range have somehow remained in a
vacuum, as he still hits every rangy note with
choirboy perfection, and Argent is still a genius at
both keyboards and arranging. The group features tight
interplay (the bassist, Jim Rockford, Argent’s cousin,
was the original choice of the band way back, but he
was already in another group) and the fact that the
two leaders are playing most of the catalog live for
the first time this past year is shown by the wide
grins they wore throughout the night. Add in hits from
Argent’s self-titled band and Blunstone’s solo career,
and it wasn’t so odd that the crowd was standing for a
good portion of the show. But perhaps the best news
was that the new songs sounded great, proof that there
is still a lot of non-nostalgic life left in this
partnership. ------------------------------------------------------------------------
');
document.writeln('Sent: Monday, October 18, 2004 2:04 PM
Subject: Washington Times Review
Four decades later, the old guys deliver
By Dan Campbell
Chalk one up for poetic justice. It\'s been nearly 40
years since the Zombies and Love recorded two of the
few albums to ever deserve the tag of "psychedelic-pop
masterpiece."
Now they\'re again showcasing their masterworks in
concert, providing us a second chance to savor live
what most of us missed the first time around.
Beloved by the critics, though ignored by the
fans. It\'s an old story for both groups. But sometimes
history rights itself, as it did Saturday night before
a full house at the State Theater in Falls Church.
Headlining this dream rock doubleheader, the
Zombies set revolved around their acclaimed 1968 song
cycle, "Odyssey & Oracle," while Love uncorked nearly
all of its equally ambitious "Forever Changes" album,
also vintage \'68.
Where the Zombies focused on deft pop
craftsmanship, Love burned through its set with
dueling, feedback-drenched guitars that were far
fiercer than on the original recorded versions.
After a hiatus of more than 30 years, the Zombies
re-formed a few years back around the band\'s original
cornerstones: vocalist Colin Blunstone, a gifted
singer (and still the quintessential English gentleman
rocker) and keyboard virtuoso Rod Argent.
Although not an original member, ex-Kinks bassist
Jim Rodford is still "family," having played in
Argent, the 1970s progressive-rock band Mr. Argent
formed after the Zombies\' demise.
The Zombies folded tent just as "Odyssey" was
released in \'68, so they never had a chance to perform
it live until the re-formation. As such, "Time of the
Season," "Rose for Emily," and "Brief Candles" were
among the "Odyssey" numbers that shimmered Saturday
with spot-on harmonies and Mr. Argent\'s tasty keyboard
fills.
"Time to Move," a classic-sounding Zombies rocker,
was one of four or five numbers performed from this
year\'s "As Far As I Can See," the band\'s first new
album since the 1960s.
A storming version of the Argent hit, "Hold Your
Head Up," replete with effects-drenched organ riffs
and a fist-pumping, sing-along chorus, got the biggest
ovation of the night, while "Keep on Rolling" gave Mr.
Argent a chance to tear loose on some barrelhouse
piano playing.
The polished-pop perfection of the early Zombies
hits, "She\'s Not There," and "Tell Her No," capped the
regular set. A three-song encore followed, with "Just
Out of Reach," "God Gave Rock \'n\' Roll to You"(another
Argent hit), and finally Mr. Blunstone\'s breathy,
quietly sublime take on George Gershwin\'s
"Summertime."
The pride of L.A.\'s Sunset Strip circa 1968, Love
is still fronted by vocalist/guitarist Arthur Lee, who
appears to have tossed aside the personal demons
(drugs, guns, jail time) that came close to destroying
him on many occasions. He looked to be in good
physical shape, and his vocals were excellent; the
sweet timbre of his youthful voice having gained just
a dash more grit.
Also in the fold is Love\'s original lead
guitarist, Johnny Echols — who, obviously hasn\'t been
resting on his laurels all these years. His stinging
leads are almost shockingly better now than in the
band\'s 1960s heyday.
He frequently traded hot licks on cold steel with
co-lead guitarist Mike Randall, a young man with blond
dreadlocks. At one point, Mr. Randall played
psychedelic slide guitar by scraping a bottle of beer
down the fretboard of his Gibson hollowbody. Not to be
undone, Mr. Echols later played his guitar behind his
head without missing a note.
All the great songs from "Forever Changes" were
played, though "A House is Not a Motel," "Alone Again
Or" and "Old Man" were probably the cream of the crop.
The album versions rely primarily on acoustic guitars,
orchestrations and even brass, so it was fascinating
to hear how well the lead guitars were able to
translate those parts in concert.
No such translation was needed for the supersonic,
psychedelic hit "Seven & Seven Is," which was extended
in concert. It still roars along at triple speed —
until it hits that famous wall at 90 miles per hour
before fading into a slow blues jam.
');
document.writeln('onday, October 18, 2004 2:04 PM
Subject: Washington Times Review
Four decades later, the old guys deliver
By Dan Campbell
Chalk');
document.writeln('one up for poetic justice. It\'s been nearly 40 years since the Zombies');
document.writeln('and Love recorded two of the few albums to ever deserve the tag of');
document.writeln('"psychedelic-pop masterpiece."
Now they\'re again showcasing');
document.writeln('their masterworks in concert, providing us a second chance to savor');
document.writeln('live what most of us missed the first time around. Beloved by the');
document.writeln('critics, though ignored by the fans. It\'s an old story for both groups.');
document.writeln('But sometimes history rights itself, as it did Saturday night before a');
document.writeln('full house at the State Theater in Falls Church. Headlining this');
document.writeln('dream rock doubleheader, the Zombies set revolved around their');
document.writeln('acclaimed 1968 song cycle, "Odyssey & Oracle," while Love uncorked');
document.writeln('nearly all of its equally ambitious "Forever Changes" album, also');
document.writeln('vintage \'68.
Where the Zombies focused on deft pop');
document.writeln('craftsmanship, Love burned through its set with dueling,');
document.writeln('feedback-drenched guitars that were far fiercer than on the original');
document.writeln('recorded versions.
After a hiatus of more than 30 years, the');
document.writeln('Zombies re-formed a few years back around the band\'s original');
document.writeln('cornerstones: vocalist Colin Blunstone, a gifted singer (and still the');
document.writeln('quintessential English gentleman rocker) and keyboard virtuoso Rod');
document.writeln('Argent.
Although not an original member, ex-Kinks bassist Jim');
document.writeln('Rodford is still "family," having played in Argent, the 1970s');
document.writeln('progressive-rock band Mr. Argent formed after the Zombies\' demise.
The');
document.writeln('Zombies folded tent just as "Odyssey" was released in \'68, so they');
document.writeln('never had a chance to perform it live until the re-formation. As such,');
document.writeln('"Time of the Season," "Rose for Emily," and "Brief Candles" were among');
document.writeln('the "Odyssey" numbers that shimmered Saturday with spot-on harmonies');
document.writeln('and Mr. Argent\'s tasty keyboard fills.
"Time to Move," a');
document.writeln('classic-sounding Zombies rocker, was one of four or five numbers');
document.writeln('performed from this year\'s "As Far As I Can See," the band\'s first new');
document.writeln('album since the 1960s.
A storming version of the Argent hit,');
document.writeln('"Hold Your Head Up," replete with effects-drenched organ riffs and a');
document.writeln('fist-pumping, sing-along chorus, got the biggest ovation of the night,');
document.writeln('while "Keep on Rolling" gave Mr. Argent a chance to tear loose on some');
document.writeln('barrelhouse piano playing.
The polished-pop perfection of the');
document.writeln('early Zombies hits, "She\'s Not There," and "Tell Her No," capped the');
document.writeln('regular set. A three-song encore followed, with "Just Out of Reach,"');
document.writeln('"God Gave Rock \'n\' Roll to You"(another Argent hit), and finally Mr.');
document.writeln('Blunstone\'s breathy, quietly sublime take on George Gershwin\'s');
document.writeln('"Summertime."
The pride of L.A.\'s Sunset Strip circa 1968, Love');
document.writeln('is still fronted by vocalist/guitarist Arthur Lee, who appears to have');
document.writeln('tossed aside the personal demons (drugs, guns, jail time) that came');
document.writeln('close to destroying him on many occasions. He looked to be in good');
document.writeln('physical shape, and his vocals were excellent; the sweet timbre of his');
document.writeln('youthful voice having gained just a dash more grit.
Also in the');
document.writeln('fold is Love\'s original lead guitarist, Johnny Echols — who, obviously');
document.writeln('hasn\'t been resting on his laurels all these years. His stinging leads');
document.writeln('are almost shockingly better now than in the band\'s 1960s heyday.');
document.writeln(' He frequently traded hot licks on cold steel with co-lead guitarist');
document.writeln('Mike Randall, a young man with blond dreadlocks. At one point, Mr.');
document.writeln('Randall played psychedelic slide guitar by scraping a bottle of beer');
document.writeln('down the fretboard of his Gibson hollowbody. Not to be undone, Mr.');
document.writeln('Echols later played his guitar behind his head without missing a note.
All');
document.writeln('the great songs from "Forever Changes" were played, though "A House is');
document.writeln('Not a Motel," "Alone Again Or" and "Old Man" were probably the cream of');
document.writeln('the crop. The album versions rely primarily on acoustic guitars,');
document.writeln('orchestrations and even brass, so it was fascinating to hear how well');
document.writeln('the lead guitars were able to translate those parts in concert.
No');
document.writeln('such translation was needed for the supersonic, psychedelic hit "Seven');
document.writeln('& Seven Is," which was extended in concert. It still roars along at');
document.writeln('triple speed — until it hits that famous wall at 90 miles per hour');
document.writeln('before fading into a slow blues jam.
');
document.writeln('
------------------------------------------------------------------------ FROM: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
(Also REUTERS)
Concert Review: the Zombies
Thu Sep 30, 2004 07:54 PM ET
The Zombies
By Tom Roland
LOS');
document.writeln('ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Lead singer Arthur Lee surveyed the');
document.writeln('quiet between Love songs and took issue: "This ain\'t no Love crowd.');
document.writeln('What\'d you come to see? The Zombies or somethin\'?"
As a matter of');
document.writeln('fact, yes. Love, which picked up a couple of standing ovations, had the');
document.writeln('biggest print on the ticket and the headliner\'s slot as show-closer,');
document.writeln('but it was clearly the Zombies who intrigued most of the crowd. And why');
document.writeln('not? Some 37 years ago, the group broke up just before its biggest hit,');
document.writeln('"Time of the Season," reached the airwaves. They doggedly turned down');
document.writeln('opportunities to reunite, and only in the past two years have fans had');
document.writeln('a chance to see keyboard player Rod Argent and vocalist Colin Blunstone');
document.writeln('in tandem.
In sharp contrast to the gritty, sometimes spastic');
document.writeln('offerings of Love, the Zombies came off as sophisticated purveyors of');
document.writeln('pop, often combining disparate attitudes and emotions within the same');
document.writeln('song to convey complex jumbles of feeling.
That was particularly');
document.writeln('evident in the juxtaposition of breezy verses and the punchy chorus of');
document.writeln('"Tell Her No" and in a rendition of the Tim Hardin-penned "Misty');
document.writeln('Roses," which began in a loungey vein and ended up with a string');
document.writeln('quartet creating a dark, dramatic sense of sonic vertigo.
Though the');
document.writeln('band had some backward-glancing moments, the Zombies\' music usually');
document.writeln('avoided the easy trip into nostalgia. The mostly fiftysomething crowd');
document.writeln('certainly appreciated the hits, including a slightly quickened');
document.writeln('rendition of Argent\'s post-Zombies "Hold Your Head Up." Occasional');
document.writeln('Beach Boys harmonies and guitar chording reminiscent of the Beatles\'');
document.writeln('"Getting Better" called immediate attention to the flower-power period');
document.writeln('in which the songs from the "Odessey & Oracle" album were recorded.
But');
document.writeln('more often than not, the combination of Blunstone\'s evocative');
document.writeln('performance and Argent\'s expansive melodies resembled singer-songwriter');
document.writeln('Rufus Wainwright rather than anachronistic Brit rockers. Like');
document.writeln('Wainwright, Blunstone painted much of the material with a breathy');
document.writeln('quality, sometimes detached, often melancholy. But he also delivered an');
document.writeln('icy blast of falsetto when appropriate, adding a powerful dimension to');
document.writeln('the mix.
Many of Argent\'s compositions, particularly those that');
document.writeln('inhabit the band\'s new "As Far As I Can See ..." album, offer gorgeous');
document.writeln('melodies in challenging ranges while collecting influences from pop,');
document.writeln('blues, jazz and classical music. In their best moments, those songs');
document.writeln('came across as bitter suites.
But the Zombies mixed art and groove, with Argent filling out several of those songs with jittery Hammond solos.
There');
document.writeln('are benefits in waiting more than 35 years to reunite: The musicians');
document.writeln('stand a good chance of having gained some maturity, and they\'re');
document.writeln('unlikely to be jaded about the partnership. In fact, the Zombies');
document.writeln('demonstrated both experience and exuberance. Lee would likely not be');
document.writeln('the only artist to feel upstaged by that combination.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
FROM VILLAGE VOICE, FEB 11 2004 B B KING\'S
The Zombies February 11, 2004 Village Voice
It\'s');
document.writeln('midway through the Zombies\' two-hour show at B.B. King\'s last');
document.writeln('Wednesday, and Colin Blunstone has reached back across several decades');
document.writeln('and incarnations for a track from his 1973 solo album, Ennismore. "I');
document.writeln('don\'t believe in miracles," he sings the title-lined chorus, his voice');
document.writeln('cracking with the same gauzy fragility associated with such Zombies');
document.writeln('classics as "She\'s Not There" and "Tell Her No."
But then he');
document.writeln('repeats the line, powerfully soaring ever upward in range until he\'s');
document.writeln('broken through to a whole new sonic and emotional plateau. I\'m');
document.writeln('thinking, here\'s a guy who in 1969 had gotten so frustrated with the');
document.writeln('music business (the Zombies had already broken up when "Time of the');
document.writeln('Season" hit) that for a while he became an insurance company clerk.
A');
document.writeln('performer who ever since has often needed to be coaxed back into the');
document.writeln('recording studio (appearances on assorted Alan Parsons Project albums)');
document.writeln('or onto a stage (select stateside shows in \'99 and \'02) to share one of');
document.writeln('the most distinctive voices in all of pop music. Seeing Blunstone now,');
document.writeln('in 2004, with his old mate and bandleader, keyboardist Rod Argent,');
document.writeln('spurring him on—and in the very week of the 40th anniversary of the');
document.writeln('Beatles\' debut on Ed Sullivan that set the entire British Invasion in');
document.writeln('motion, no less—one can almost believe in miracles.
Like');
document.writeln('their spiritual \'60s cousins in the U.S., Arthur Lee and Love, the');
document.writeln('Zombies have been rediscovered by a whole new generation of listeners');
document.writeln('who have found in their work—and in particular their');
document.writeln('still-shining-brightly 1968 gem, Odessey and Oracle—intelligent,');
document.writeln('innovative music that remains both definitive for its time and');
document.writeln('definitively timeless.
A full half-dozen of that dauntingly');
document.writeln('ambitious album\'s songs were on the New York set list, including the');
document.writeln('ever haunting, classically edged parlor piece "A Rose for Emily"; the');
document.writeln('wistful, Procol Harum-ish "Beechwood Park"; and the buoyant "Care of');
document.writeln('Cell 44" and "I Want Her She Wants Me," both of which beat the Paul');
document.writeln('McCartney side of Sgt. Pepper\'s at its own game. Did then, did now.
Take it from me: Re-animation never sounded so good. —Billy Altman
© B.B. King Blues Club & Grill
237 West 42 St (212) 997-4144 Club E-mail Club E-mail Club E-mail
NEWSPAPERTAXI.NET : ALBUM REVIEWS | SINGLE REVIEWS | GIG REVIEWS | ARTIST FEATURE | CONTRIBUTE | CONTACT US
WELCOME TO THE HOME OF ARTIST REVIEWS BY MUSICIANS FOR MUSIC FANS - SATURDAY, JULY 10, 2004
COLIN BLUNSTONE AND ROD ARGENT OF THE ZOMBIES live B.B. KING\'S, 42ND STREET NEW YORK CITY (27 Sep 2002)
- Reviewed by MARTY WILLSON-PIPER on the 27 Sep 2002
The');
document.writeln('legacy of The Zombies is the enduring power of their classic Rod Argent');
document.writeln('penned 60’s singles, Colin Blunstone’s breathy, honey sweet perfection');
document.writeln('as a vocalist and the psychedelic milestone of the 1968 masterpiece,');
document.writeln('"Odessey & Oracle". With the massive single successes of "She’s Not');
document.writeln('There," "Tell Her No" and "Time Of The Season" between 1965 and 1969,');
document.writeln('when you consider that the band split up thirty-five years ago in 1967,');
document.writeln('it really is a miracle we should be seeing them at all. Apart from a');
document.writeln('reunion show last year at The Village Underground also in New York,');
document.writeln('they hadn’t actually played in America since 1966. Considering they had');
document.writeln('a Top Ten, a Number Two and a Number One, it is quite incredible that');
document.writeln('it took them this long to think it was good idea.
The band');
document.writeln('tonight consisted of Jim Rodford, original Argent bass player and');
document.writeln('incidentally Rod Argent’s cousin, Steve Rodford (Jim Rodford’s son) on');
document.writeln('drums and Keith Airey (Don’s brother) on guitar, who is also Tom Jones’');
document.writeln('guitarist and apart from being a well-known session musician in the UK');
document.writeln('was also the man I replaced in All About Eve in the early nineties. A');
document.writeln('night of surprises and connections indeed! (Jim Rodford and Robert');
document.writeln('Henrit, Argent’s drummer, have been in The Kinks for years.)
But');
document.writeln('perhaps the greatest surprise for me was them opening with "Andorra" a');
document.writeln('track from somewhere in the middle of Colin Blunstone’s second solo');
document.writeln('record "Ennismore" from 1973.This was not to be a night of The Zombies');
document.writeln('as a cabaret act but as a fine retrospective of Colin Blunstone’s');
document.writeln('illustrious career as a fantastic and unique singer of delicacy,');
document.writeln('passion and an unbelievable range. (The first Colin Blunstone albums');
document.writeln('were in fact the band Argent with Blunstone as the singer and Argent');
document.writeln('himself, Russ Ballard and Chris White, The Zombies bassist,');
document.writeln('contributing songs and production.) It soon became apparent that');
document.writeln('"Andorra’s" up-tempo beat was a vehicle to loosen up their chops with');
document.writeln('solos. Although the guitar solos were rare, Argent found plenty of');
document.writeln('space to add his crazed Hammond organ and piano doodlings. Next was one');
document.writeln('of only two Chris White written songs for the night in "This will Be');
document.writeln('Our Year" from the "Odyssey and Oracle" album. On this bouncy track and');
document.writeln('only two songs in you start to realize what a wonder Blunstone’s voice');
document.writeln('really is. Next, the other Chris White song, a relative Zombies rarity,');
document.writeln('and never before performed live, "I love You", the b-side of a single');
document.writeln('that did not make it called "Whenever You’re Ready". Interestingly this');
document.writeln('song was a hit for a psychedelic Californian group in 1968 called');
document.writeln('People. On the same LP that included The Zombies cover version, this');
document.writeln('short-lived American band also recorded a Wayne Rayney song called');
document.writeln('"What We Need Is A Lot More Jesus And A Lot Less Rock and Roll". (And');
document.writeln('no they weren’t being ironic.) If they had only known what the future');
document.writeln('held when on the fourth Argent album "In Deep" Russ Ballard would give');
document.writeln('the band a hit with the anthem "God Gave Rock And Roll To You" that');
document.writeln('would later be all over the radio a second time corrupting the');
document.writeln('upstanding youth of America with those fire eating, blood slurping,');
document.writeln('children eating ne\'er do wells, Kiss.
By now the cabaret style image');
document.writeln('of B.B.King\'s had lost its hold quite significantly, the wonderful');
document.writeln('disarming Englishness of mainly Argent’s quaint stories of naivity and');
document.writeln('awe in the early days, pushing aside the legend of the club’s namesake.
Here');
document.writeln('you start to realize the immense respect that Rod Argent has for Colin');
document.writeln('Blunstone’s voice. At one point saying that getting together with him');
document.writeln('had been like "putting on an old glove," which he took humourously as');
document.writeln('an interesting analogy, not sure whether to thank Argent or not. (Back');
document.writeln('handed compliment, sic!) This is where they began to tap into');
document.writeln('Blunstone’s deep catalogue. The Tamla Motown classic and Jimmy Ruffin');
document.writeln('song "What Becomes Of the Broken Hearted " was a surprise hit in the UK');
document.writeln('for Blunstone as guest singer on this 1981 release for (the other) Dave');
document.writeln('Stewart. Argent announces this as Jimmy Ruffin’s favourite version of');
document.writeln('the song". Apart from his own, one might guess! For one scary moment,');
document.writeln('the surroundings and the song were taking me to Vegas and I was quite');
document.writeln('thankful for a strange and jagged version in the instruments if not in');
document.writeln('the voice.
The return to The Zombies material came with the quiet');
document.writeln('brilliance of Argent’s writing and Blunstone’s singing at its most');
document.writeln('beautiful. "A Rose For Emily", the second song from "Odessey &');
document.writeln('Oracle" brings the innocence of the sixties into your senses,');
document.writeln('transporting you into the arms of a lost lover in ecstasy with the');
document.writeln('sufficient taste of a kiss. Then as you start to come around from that');
document.writeln('decidedly heady mixture of melancholy and mellifluence, your recovery');
document.writeln('is stopped in its tracks by the cool beat and breath of the perennial');
document.writeln('classic that is "Time Of The Season". Effortless, hypnotic and sexy it');
document.writeln('receives a standing ovation. The story of the song is a peculiar one as');
document.writeln('told by Jim Rodford. The very last thing The Zombies recorded, the');
document.writeln('tenth track on the "Odessey and Oracle" album, it was picked up by a DJ');
document.writeln('in Boise, Idaho, two years after the band recorded it and had already');
document.writeln('split up, yet it became a mega hit at the end of the decade selling two');
document.writeln('million copies. All too late for the band members who had already moved');
document.writeln('on. Blunstone leaving the music biz to become an insurance clerk and');
document.writeln('Argent already at work with Chris White, Zombies bass player and');
document.writeln('writer, as producer working with Russ Ballard and Robert Henrit to make');
document.writeln('the great Argent debut LP (Reviewed By SK, on these very pages)
In');
document.writeln('2001, Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent released an album together called');
document.writeln('"Out Of The Shadows" which perhaps refers to their recently revived');
document.writeln('relationship, but tonight they chose not to do any songs from that');
document.writeln('record. Although they did play a new song called "I Want To Fly" from');
document.writeln('their new record together, that was as breathy and beautiful as any of');
document.writeln('the great songs they have written in that style in the past,');
document.writeln('incorporating some gorgeous classically inspired piano playing from Rod');
document.writeln('Argent. The shape of Things to Come? We can only hope! With thirty-five');
document.writeln('years of recording to choose from it was inevitable with Jim Rodford in');
document.writeln('the group that Argent’s career as a band would be covered. Introduced');
document.writeln('as a b-side "Keep On Rollin" is a standard honky tonk vehicle for Rod');
document.writeln('Argent as a piano player and singer from the era of the third Argent');
document.writeln('album 1972’s "All Together Now." This song appeared on the picture');
document.writeln('sleeve three track EP along with "Closer To Heaven" and coming from the');
document.writeln('album that spawned the first huge hit of the seventies for the band');
document.writeln('"Hold Your Head Up". Interestingly the only song of the night that');
document.writeln('Blunstone didn’t originally sing. This was the first bass line I ever');
document.writeln('learnt to play. It was also one of the first riffs that budding');
document.writeln('guitarists learnt to play and for me was possibly extremely influential');
document.writeln('with its \'D\' suspended fourth motif. Playing the long (LP) version with');
document.writeln('the solo and the build up, this took me back to the mid seventies when');
document.writeln('I saw Argent play at the Liverpool Stadium (an old wrestling ring, I');
document.writeln('think demolished), where I had ticket number seven. It was a mere');
document.writeln('twenty-seven years ago.
From "Hold Your Head Up" to Denny Laine’s');
document.writeln('"Say You Don’t Mind". A top Twenty for Blunstone from the 1971 debut LP');
document.writeln('"One Year". A jazzy version of this song, not completely lost on this');
document.writeln('audience but it’s about now that you begin to realize that The Zombies');
document.writeln('had hits in the US and Blunstone in the UK. This and the poignant Tim');
document.writeln('Hardin song also from "One Year", "Misty Roses", an absolutely');
document.writeln('beautiful rendition and a showcase for Blunstone’s startling version');
document.writeln('tonight are confirmed by Rod Argent\'s comments that this is where we');
document.writeln('will hear Blunstone voice in its element. Then the other Blunstone UK');
document.writeln('hit from the second solo album "Ennismore" in 1973, the rather');
document.writeln('wonderful Russ Ballard song "I Don’t Believe In Miracles". This song of');
document.writeln('yearning desire that has Blunstone singing in a falsetto so high and');
document.writeln('perfect, you wonder if he’s truly human and then this easy, humble');
document.writeln('character steps back from the microphone to look out at what all the');
document.writeln('fuss is about. They even cover Blunstone’s other guest performances');
document.writeln('with one of the songs he sang with The Alan Parson’s Project also in');
document.writeln('1981 from the "Eye In The Sky" album, the final track "Old and Wise",');
document.writeln('here a perfect place for Keith Airey to do what he does best and almost');
document.writeln('the last tangent of the night as they return to The Zombies catalogue.
This');
document.writeln('one is a bouncy naïve pop gem in complete contrast to the song before');
document.writeln('it "Care Of Cell 44", another Rod Argent song, the first track of the');
document.writeln('"Odessey & Oracle" album. Then from nowhere comes another single');
document.writeln('from the \'65/\'66 period that wasn’t a hit "Indication", a go go girls');
document.writeln('dancing dream, with a great swinging jam in the middle, in which Argent');
document.writeln('somehow manages to include Prokoviev’s "Lieutenant Kije" theme. Next,');
document.writeln('he’s singing the solo as he plays it.
The night must surely be');
document.writeln('drawing to a close, and they do have another show to do to. "Tell Her');
document.writeln('No" their 1965 Top Ten ignites the crowd again. They all know this one.');
document.writeln('Short, light pop with a cabaret feel that suits the venue, again brings');
document.writeln('the audience to their feet and just when they’ve sat down and the');
document.writeln('thank-yous are over their last song is of course their other classic');
document.writeln('American hit single from 1964 "She’s Not there". With its irresistible');
document.writeln('drumbeat and melody, this song is the sixties. A British Top Twenty and');
document.writeln('US Number Two, Blunstone’s melodic falsetto carries us off into a');
document.writeln('dream, where all the girls wear white boots and mini skirts and');
document.writeln('everybody gets laid at some swinging party. After the first chorus as');
document.writeln('the song lands back into that infectious beat, you just lie there in');
document.writeln('bed smoking a cigarette that doesn’t harm, caressing your girl\'s soft');
document.writeln('skin as she flutters her false eyelashes whilst staring forever into');
document.writeln('your lava lamp. Then the song suddenly erupts into a crescendo of');
document.writeln('soloing, the anachronistic sudden change of era in the instrumentation');
document.writeln('wakes us up to find us back in reality and Blunstone so unassuming as');
document.writeln('he stands aside from the spotlight and encourages the pyrotechnic');
document.writeln('fingering of Keith Airey. There’s room for everybody in this beautiful');
document.writeln('world where Blunstone lives.
That’s it! The crowd rise and the band');
document.writeln('leave the stage. On return Argent announces that they are allowed "one"');
document.writeln('and will do "two" songs for the encore and give us the surprise choice');
document.writeln('of "Just Out Of Reach", a song from the 1965 Otto Preminger film "Bunny');
document.writeln('Lake is Missing", one of those classic films of the time that had The');
document.writeln('Zombies playing in a swinging club scene. Now the end really has come');
document.writeln('with the second track from their first American album, the standard');
document.writeln('"Summertime", where it seemingly all started for Argent and Blunstone.');
document.writeln('These young men from St Albans with their large talents and unlikely');
document.writeln('choices, forty years after they formed, still span genres and eras with');
document.writeln('their timeless beautiful jewels.
1. Andorra
2. This Will Be Our Year
3. I Love You
4. What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted
5. A Rose For Emily
6. Time Of The Season
7. I Want To Fly
8. Keep On Rollin\'
9. Hold Your Head Up
10.Say You Don\'t Mind
11.Misty Roses
12.I Don\'t Believe In Miracles
13.Old & Wise
14.Care Of Cell 44
15.Indication
16.Tell Her No
17.She\'s Not There
Encore
18.Just Out Of Reach
19.Summertime
- Reviewed by MARTY WILLSON-PIPER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(FROM USA - ENTERTAINMENT TODAY)
>>Hot Dates
Colin Blunstone, Rod Argent and the Zombies
Key Club
Friday, February 27
One');
document.writeln('of the most pleasant highlights of last year was the totally organic');
document.writeln('and somewhat accidental rebirth of the seminal English Invasion group,');
document.writeln('the Zombies. Their short U.S. tour last summer brought out the faithful');
document.writeln('in turn away droves, who had never had the chance to see the');
document.writeln('short-lived group live the first time around. It also was the first');
document.writeln('chance for founders Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent to play the music');
document.writeln('from that time period live, too, and the results were so rapturous that');
document.writeln('not only are they back, this time with the name in tow, but also with a');
document.writeln('brand new album, not yet released in the U.S., for sale at the');
document.writeln('merchandise tables.
As Far As I Can See picks up the Zombies');
document.writeln('tradition right from where they left it, and is a must for any fan. The');
document.writeln('pair sound as good, if not better, than they did all those years ago,');
document.writeln('and the reaction on the current tour has been ecstatic so far. As an');
document.writeln('extra bonus, for this one show at the Key Club, the group will be');
document.writeln('joined by a string quartet led by noted NYC cellist Jane Scarpantoni,');
document.writeln('who has played behind a who’s who including R.E.M., the Beastie Boys,');
document.writeln('Bob Mould and the Indigo Girls. Unlike a lot of other bands where');
document.writeln('strings would just be window dressing, Argent’s writing and arranging');
document.writeln('make them an invaluable addition that, unfortunately, can’t always be');
document.writeln('heard, due mainly to the expense of touring. But for one special');
document.writeln('evening, you’ll be able to hear the whole package. (Paul Andersen
FROM BBC WEBSITE
50 YRS ROCK AND ROLL - BILL WYMAN CONCERT, LIVERPOOL
Home TV Radio Talk Where I Live A-Z Index
TUESDAY
13th July 2004
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6 July 2004
Bill Wyman @ Summer Pops
Bill');
document.writeln('Wyman with the Rolling StonesBill Wyman\'s Rhythm Kings played a special');
document.writeln('UNICEF concert at the Summer Pops. Spencer Leigh reports on the');
document.writeln('ex-Rolling Stones performance.
SEE ALSO
More Music
WEB LINKS
Bill Wyman official site
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
PRINT THIS PAGE
View');
document.writeln('a printable version of this page. On 5 July 2004 the world celebrated');
document.writeln('the 50th anniversary of rock\'n\'roll. It had been 50 years since Elvis');
document.writeln('Presley, Scotty Moore and Bill Black had recorded \'That\'s All Right');
document.writeln('(Mama)\' in the Sun Studio in Memphis. I have a problem with that - it');
document.writeln('is a landmark recording to be sure, but it ignores all the rock\'n\'roll');
document.writeln('that had gone before, and in particular it marginalises Bill Haley and');
document.writeln('his Comets.
The UNICEF concert at the Summer Pops was to');
document.writeln('celebrate this event, but by booking Bill Wyman\'s Rhythm Kings, the');
document.writeln('organisers had shown how tenuous the anniversary was. Bill Wyman\'s');
document.writeln('Rhythm Kings specialise in pre-1954 rhythm and blues (though not');
document.writeln('exclusively) and so it was good to be reminded of these great songs and');
document.writeln('performers or, as there were some young people in the audiences, to');
document.writeln('hear them for the first time. (Having said that, the lad behind me was');
document.writeln('playing a Gameboy all evening.) Many of the songs would be contenders');
document.writeln('for the first rock\'n\'roll record.
Just as he was with the');
document.writeln('Rolling Stones, bass player Bill Wyman is impassive on stage but he has');
document.writeln('remarkable organising skills and, with guitarist Terry Taylor, he is');
document.writeln('able to assemble a superb band. With so many front line singers');
document.writeln('(Georgie Fame, Mike Sanchez from the Big Town Playboys, Albert Lee,');
document.writeln('Beverley Skeete and special guests Andy Fairweather-Low and Roger');
document.writeln('Chapman), there is no room for egos. If you take a lead vocal now, your');
document.writeln('chance may not come again for another half-hour. They don\'t appear to');
document.writeln('mind and are good-naturedly encouraging each other throughout the');
document.writeln('performance.
The show paid tribute to many of the performers who');
document.writeln('played the music we all loved - there was Mose Allison (Georgie Fame');
document.writeln('with the mellow \'Days Like This\'), Chuck Berry (Bill Wyman sounding');
document.writeln('surprisingly good on \'You Never Can Tell\'), Johnny Burnette (Albert Lee');
document.writeln('and Martin Taylor playing one guitar), Ray Charles (\'I Got a Woman\'');
document.writeln('from Georgie Fame and \'Let The Good Times Roll\' from Roger Chapman of');
document.writeln('Family), Elvis Presley (Junior Parker\'s \'Mystery Train\' from Andy');
document.writeln('Fairweather-Low and Arthur Crudup\'s \'My Baby Left Me\' from Roger');
document.writeln('Chapman), Louis Prima (\'Jump Jive And Wail\' from Albert Lee), Jimmy');
document.writeln('Reed (a very loud \'Bright Lights, Big City\' from Andy Fairweather-Low),');
document.writeln('Nina Simone (a very emotional \'I Put A Spell On You\' from Beverley');
document.writeln('Skeete), Big Joe Turner (some boogie woogie piano from Mike Sanchez on');
document.writeln('\'Roll \'Em Pete\'), Jackie Wilson (\'I\'ll Be Satisfied\' and \'Baby Workout\'');
document.writeln('from Beverley Skeete) and Gene Vincent (Mike Sanchez with \'Race With');
document.writeln('The Devil\' featuring some blistering guitar runs from Albert Lee).');
document.writeln('Georgie Fame with the guitarist Martin Taylor matched each other on Ray');
document.writeln('Charles\' \'Georgia On My Mind\', which also incorporated \'Marching');
document.writeln('Through Georgia\'.
Bringing things a little more up to date, Bill');
document.writeln('and Beverley paid tribute to George Harrison with \'Taxman\' and Andy');
document.writeln('Fairweather-Low recreated his No.l hit with Amen Corner, \'(If Paradise');
document.writeln('Was) Half As Nice)\'. Mike Sanchez performed the lively \'Tell Me A');
document.writeln('Secret\' and I went home wondering who had recorded this song before - I');
document.writeln('found it was an original from Bill Wyman and guitarist Terry Taylor.');
document.writeln('They also wrote the lively \'Jitterbug Boogie\' which gave everyone a');
document.writeln('chance to shine. Praise must be given to the drummer Graham Broad,');
document.writeln('guitarist Terry Taylor and the horn players Frank Mead and Nick Payn,');
document.writeln('who are real showmen. It is a big band but no one gets in the way of');
document.writeln('anybody else, and this really is a band to die for.
I loved the');
document.writeln('way that Andy Fairweather-Low did the gospel song, \'I Shall Not Be');
document.writeln('Moved\' and Mike Sanchez showed how Little Richard\'s style had been');
document.writeln('around for years with an ultra-dynamic \'Flatfoot Sam\'. I love hearing');
document.writeln('old songs and discovering lines that are being used today: for example,');
document.writeln('\'Roll \'Em Pete\' includes the line, "You\'re so beautiful but you\'re');
document.writeln('going to die someday" which went straight into Van Morrison\'s \'Precious');
document.writeln('Time\'.
In addition, there was a 20 minute set from the Zombies');
document.writeln('with Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent. They did superbly arranged and');
document.writeln('passionate versions of \'She\'s Not There\' and \'Time Of The Season\' as');
document.writeln('well as Colin\'s solo hit, \'I Don\'t Believe In Miracles\' and Argent\'s');
document.writeln('\'Hold Your Head Up\'. Colin Blunstone possessed one of the best and most');
document.writeln('distinctive voices of the Sixties and it is great that it is still in');
document.writeln('place.
The concert was compered by Mike McCartney who introduced');
document.writeln('himself as "ex-McGear, ex-Scaffold, exactly". He had the audience');
document.writeln('singing along with Scaffold\'s first single, \'2Day\'s Monday\'. The show');
document.writeln('was recorded for both CD and DVD and so if you missed it, you can');
document.writeln('always catch it later. A great night and a great cause too.
Words: Spencer Leigh
');
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