Interview: The prime of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Colin Blunstone of The Zombies\” />
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Colin Blunstone of The Zombies. Photo Credit: Paul Ostrer
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Colin Blunstone of The Zombies chatted about their new documentary “Hung Up on a Dream” and their upcoming “Odessey and Oracle (Mono Remastered)” collection.
Colin Powell once said: “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” This quote applies to yet another Colin… Colin Blunstone, the lead vocalist of The Zombies.
Background on The Zombies
The Zombies were core to the British Invasion of the 1960s, with songs like “She’s Not There,” “Tell Her No,” and “Time of the Season.”
In 2019, Blunstone was inducted into the coveted Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Zombies.
They have been praised for their “adventurous lyrics, infectious arrangements and their lush melodies” and for making “one of rock’s most exquisite albums.”
Rolling Stone ranked their “Odessey and Oracle” album as one of the “Greatest Albums of all time.”
Mr. Blunstone sat down and chatted with this journalist at Burgerology Midtown over lunch in New York City. “What a lovely place,” he admitted. “It’s very relaxing, very beautiful, and I am looking forward to some wonderful food.”
Blunstone on his love for New York
Blunstone shared that he has a love and affinity for the “Big Apple.”
“I do love New York. I first came here in 1964, and it was so exciting,” he exclaimed.
“All British musicians want to play in America because it’s the home of jazz, the home of the blues, it’s the home of the rhythm and blues, and it’s the home of rock and roll, so we all want to come to America,” he said.
New documentary ‘Hung Up on a Dream’
Blunstone spoke about the new documentary “Hung Up on a Dream,” which was directed and produced by Robert Schwartzman. I think it’s really good, and I think Robert did a wonderful job because a lot of it is about the band in the 60s.”
“We knew there was not much film to use from the ’60s, but he found pieces of film that I didn’t even know existed,” Blunstone acknowledged.
“As a result, the documentary works, and it is really good,” he added.
Gramercy Theatre show
Most recently, Blunstone was a part of a screening of the documentary film at New York’s Gramercy Theatre, which was followed by a Q & A session, and and unplugged performance with Blunstone and Schwartzman’s band, Rooney. “That is always great fun,” he admitted.
“For the most part, Robert spoke about the documentary and people asked him questions about it, and I spoke about The Zombies, and it went really, really well,” Blunstone added.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band The Zombies. Photo Credit: Alex Lake
New album ‘Odessey and Oracle’ re-release this September
On September 26th, The Zombies will be reissuing their seminal 1968 album, “Odessey and Oracle” with a newly remastered mono mix. This is the first time the original mono mix, remastered from studio tapes, has been available on LP since the initial British release back in 1968. “So, this is how the album was supposed to have been heard,” he explained.
“CBS put on pressure to make it into a stereo album because it was coming at a time when stereo was just becoming coming in, so in effect, it was a simulated stereo album, which wasn’t how it was anticipated to be heard in the first place.”
“This is the first time that people will hear the album as we hoped the sound would be heard,” he added.
Key to longevity in the music business
Regarding the key to longevity in the music business all of these decades, Blunstone said, “It’s an interesting thought. I think you need a degree of talent, a degree of luck, as well as tenacity and stamina.”
“Also, you need to be a little bit eccentric or a little bit crazy; that helps because the rest of it is a mystery. It’s a tough business, especially to maintain a career for 60 years, so I do think you need some luck,” he elaborated.
Favorite song of The Zombies to perform live
Blunstone listed “She’s Not There” as his favorite Zombies song to perform live.
“While there are many, ‘She’s Not There’ will always have a special place in my heart.” “That was the first song we ever recorded and it changed our lives forever,” he said.
“Also, ‘Time of the Season’ is great and I love the Alan Parsons song ‘Old and Wise’ that I sang for him, which is such a beautiful song written by Eric Woolfson,” he added.
Music and songwriting inspirations
The Zombies have managed to has fuse jazz and classical piano with psychedelic elements, which resulted in many popular and catchy tunes.
On his music and songwriting inspirations, he shared, “It’s just something that I love to do. I love to write songs and I am so fascinated in the original spark of a song: where does it come from? Then, you watch it develop with a band of musicians until you take it in the studio, and then it takes on a new life.”
“If you are really lucky, then you get to play that song to an appreciative audience. It is such a wonderful journey to see a song develop until it is played to an audience,” he added.
Biggest musical influences
Regarding his greatest musical influences, Blunstone said, “Originally, it was the greats of rock and roll: Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, Buddy Holly, and then, The Beatles, and everything changed. The Beatles opened the door to the world, especially for British musicians.”
“Before The Beatles, there wasn’t much interest in British bands,” he observed. “After The Beatles, of course, British bands were welcome anywhere in the world, especially in America.”
A Zombies concert — A multi-generational fan experience
At a typical Zombies concert, it is a multi-generational fan experience. “You have teenagers at our shows, as well as people who have followed us from the ’60s,” he acknowledged.
“It is fascinating to see the cross section of ages at a Zombies concert,” he noted.
The digital age
On being an artist in the digital age, Blunstone remarked, “It’s very interesting but I can’t claim to understand it. It’s interesting to see how the business is changing. I try to keep up in the best way that I can.”
“Always remember that this can be a lifetime’s career. It doesn’t have to be a two or three year career where you crash and burn. If you take it seriously, and think of it as a lifetime’s career, it can be a wonderfully rewarding journey.”
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Blunstone revealed, “It’s the autumn of my career.”
“I feel that we as a group (The Zombies) are just coming into our prime now, and we can enjoy it in a relaxed way because the pressure is off,” he explained.
“We love writing and performing music, and we can just enjoy it,” he added.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction
In 2019, The Zombies finally got their due, and they were inducted into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles.
“First of all, the evening was incredibly exciting,” he admitted. “It was one of the highlights of my professional career, especially to be playing a concert with Stevie Nicks, Radiohead, The Cure, Def Leppard, Janet Jackson and Roxy Music. What a show that was!”
Rock Hall Barclays Center performance in Brooklyn
“We played in front of 17,000 people that night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and that was a magical evening,” he recalled.
“In a general sense, it’s a validation of your career, especially since the fans voted for us (we got over 330,000 votes), and on top of that, our peer group voted for us. All the members of the Rock Hall vote for the new inductees. So, it really does feel like your work is being noticed and appreciated,” he elaborated.
“It is a validation of your lifetime’s work. All in all, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction was the highlight of my professional career,” he added.
Superpower of choice
If he were to have any superpower, it would be to “foresee the future” and then he would “become a betting man.”
“That would be the end of my music career; I would be betting on horses,” he said with a sweet laugh.
Message for his dedicated fans
For his dedicated fans and supporters, Blunstone said, “Thank you for being with me on this journey. It is never taken for granted and it is really appreciated.”
Success
On his definition of the word success, Blunstone concluded, “If the songs and music that I’ve written and recorded put appreciation on people’s faces, then’s that success and fulfillment for me.That’s all and everything I need.”
“Odessey and Oracle (Mono Remastered)” is available for pre-order by clicking here.
To learn more about the iconic rock group The Zombies, check out their official website, Instagram, and their Facebook page.
