This show commemorated 60 years since the St Albans-formed band began recording at the then Decca Studios in West Hampstead in 1964. This achievement is notable, especially considering that The Zombies split amicably in 1967, believing they had reached their point. maximum.
With only one single in the top twenty, their decision to disband is understandable. However, their second post-breakup LP, Odessey and Oracle, released a year later, showed their maturity and ability to embrace the Beach Boys' harmonies and psychedelic elements while still creating instant pop classics like “Time of the Season.” Although the reunion took time, with the release of their seventh LP, different game, in 2023 and their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame four years earlier, it is clear that The Zombies cannot limit themselves to a mid-sixties fad.
A fan, Paul Weller, introduced the band and sang “Beechwood Park” by Odessey and Oracle during the second half of the program. The opening songs, “It's Alright with Me” and “I Want You Back Again,” oozed teenage Rock & Roll energy, reminiscent of bands like The Shadows. The genius and justification for his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame became evident on track five, “Different Game.” The prowess of the organ's original arrangements was undoubtedly on par with heavyweights like Procol Harum and The Doors, made all the more spectacular considering that organist Rodney Argent is about to turn 79.
The next guest appearance was Sarah Brown, who recorded with Stevie Wonder. Once Brown was escorted to the correct microphone stand, she and The Zombies synced up perfectly to cover George Gershwin's “Summertime.” The defining jazz arrangements continued with Different Game's “Dropped Reeling & Stupid,” which was inspired by Stevie Wonder's “Higher Ground.”
The second half featured more material from Odessey and Oracle and special guests, including Irwin Sparkes of The Hoosiers, who performed on “Care of Cell 44” with Beach Boys-like harmonies. The energy and togetherness at the Barbican was so strong that even former members of the band Zombies took to the stage. Former bassist Chris White joined Rodney Argent to perform Odessey and the Oracle solemn “The Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)”.
The Zombies also performed “Hold Your Head Up,” a song Chris White wrote for Argent’s post-Zombies band, Argent. Not everyone at the time of the song's release in the '70s knew what the word was after “up.” Rodney confirmed that she was “female,” reflecting the difficulties White's wife was experiencing at the time. This psychedelic song became the anthem of the evening, and the audience enthusiastically chanted “woman” in unison.
Naturally, the band's single “She's Not There” was played, and all of the guest musicians (except Paul Weller) joined the band for an extended performance of this classic. With such a large cast and the levels of euphoria reaching a crescendo, one might have expected “She's Not There” to be the end. However, the audience enjoyed an emotional warm-up with “The Way I Feel Inside.”
The Zombies proved they were more than just a bright star that briefly shined before burning down three years later. Initially seducing and captivating the Barbican with teenage Rock & Roll, they then enlightened the audience with spiritual and intelligent psychedelic and progressive elements without breaking ties with their pop origins and relaxing harmonies. It was evident how greats like Paul Weller were in awe and inspired by The Zombies, stating that the band truly deserved induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
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