Taking the nostalgia fever even higher

The Zombies is a rarity in pop music history. It is one group that never experienced a flop song, membership changes, label disputes or any of those problems that commonly lead to the dissolution of a successful group. This is because The Zombies disbanded all by themselves after two big-selling albums and rave reviews as one of the most successful bands to come out of the UK in the wake of the Beatles invasion.

It was as a hot young band that The Zombies first came to the Philippines in 1967. That was 39 years ago and the public was so high over their music. Truth to tell, I was one of those who could not get enough of She’s Not There, with its sexy, lilting rhythm or of the sashaying beat of Leave Me Be and the sweet sentiments expressed in The Way I Feel Inside.

Given the fabled Filipino hospitality and the way we treat foreign celebrities, I am sure The Zombies enjoyed their visit a lot. They were after all in town for 10 shows at the Araneta Coliseum plus four more performances in other venues and surely found a lot of time for them to check out the town. I hope they have pleasant memories of this country and its people and will find more to appreciate when they arrive next week.

The Zombies are set to take the nostalgia fever to an all-time high hereabouts when they perform at the Hard Rock Café on Feb. 10, the Manila Hotel on Feb. 11 and at the Araneta Coliseum on Feb. 13. Colin Bluntstone, whose distinctive vocals made the memorable hits and Rod Argent whose keyboard playing created Zombie sound still lead the group. So we are all assured that we will get the real thing when we watch the show.

Tickets for the Araneta Coliseum are priced at P2,500, P2,200, P1,800, P1,500, P800, P500 and P200 while admission to the dinner show at the Manila Hotel are P5,000 and P3,500. Tickets are available at all Ticketnet outlets at SM Malls and at the Araneta Coliseum box office. If you prefer to watch at Hard Rock Café, you can make reservations by calling 893-4661.

Then brace yourselves for a trip back to the ‘60s with She’s Not There, The Way I Feel Inside, Let Me Be plus How We Were Before, Gotta Get a Hold of Myself, Sticks and Stones, You Make Me Feel Good, I Can’t Make Up My Mind, Woman, You Really Got a Hold of Me, Nothing’s Changed, Tell Her No, Whenever You’re Ready, Indication, Time of the Season, I Love You and others.

The Greatest Year in Pop History

No doubt still part of the massive wave of nostalgia sweeping not only the country but the whole world today is the public’s reaction to a poll conducted by BBC2 Radio of the British Broadcasting Company among listeners in the UK. The poll asked: What do you think is the Greatest Year in Pop Music’s History? When the votes came in, the winner was 1967, also known as the Summer of Love.

This was the year when the Beatles came up with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and revolutionized the music industry with the concept album. That was also when Jimi Hendrix , riding high on Are You Experienced, burned his guitar at the Monterey Pop Festival. It was the year when the Bee Gees, Janis Joplin and The Doors made their record debuts and when Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu.

Some of the hit songs by which 1967 is best remembered were Daydream Believer and I’m a Believer by the Monkees, Groovin’ by The Young Rascals, Happy Together by The Turtles, Light My Fire by The Doors, Something Stupid by Frank and Nancy Sinatra, Windy by The Association, Green Green Grass of Home by Tom Jones, There’s a Kind of Hush by Herman’s Hermits, Release Me by Engelbert Humperdinck and To Sir with Love by Lulu.

Other notable years that turned up in the poll were 1957 with All Shook Up by Elvis Presley, 1973 and Top of the World by The Carpenters, 1966 with Cherish by The Association, 1969 with a medley of Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In by The Fifth Dimension, 1979 and Do Ya Think I’m Sexy by Rod Stewart, 1976 with If You Leave Me Now by Chicago, 2005 of course with Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani, 1994 with I’ll Make Love to You by Boyz II Men and 1984 with Against All Odds by Phil Collins.