What The Beatles, Beach Boys, Billy Joel and Elvis share

When publicist Nelia Lim announced The Zombies’ upcoming performances at Waterfront Cebu on Oct. 17 with the special participation of Gov. Gwen Garcia, and at the PICC, Oct. 19 with MOBB (Men of Blue Blood), among others, not a few were excited. MOBB, being mostly Ateneans, have already gathered enough followers. As for The Zombies, they remember their shows in the country in 1967 and a generation later in 2006 with common observations.

In 1967, they recall arriving at three in the early morning to find the airport packed with fans. Apparently, unknown to The Zombies, they already had four or five records in the Philippine Top 10. The group had only expected “they would be playing the occasional gig in the foyer of a hotel,” wrote Claes Johansen in his book The Zombies — Hung Up on a Dream. They ended up with 10 record-breaking shows at the Araneta Coliseum, impressing the audience with their beautiful harmonies, originality and hard-driving beat.

The fans were yelling, screaming and following The Zombies’ vehicle all the way to the hotel. At the Araneta, they chalked up an average of 30,000 people every night. When they returned for four shows in 2006 at the Hard Rock Café, Manila Hotel, Ynares Center in Antipolo, and the Araneta Coliseum, the reception was just as heartwarming with the audience singing along to hits like She’s Not There, Tell Her No, I Love You, Going Out of My Head, How We Were Before, Miles Away, The Way I Feel Inside and Time of the Season.

Five schoolmates, singer Colin Blunstone, drummer Hugh Grundy, pianist Rod Argent, guitarist Paul Atkinson and guitarist Paul Atkinson, from the St. Albans Grammar School in Hertfordshire in the UK, began playing together in the early ’60s for fun. In 1964, they adopted the name The Zombies, then entered and won a band contest with a recording contract with Decca Records as prize.

A hastily written original She’s Not There became their first single, a Top 20 hit in Britain, and soon No. 2 with over two million copies sold in America. In fact, they were more popular in the US than in their homeland.

Zombie fan Elvis Presley had their records in his private collection at Graceland

It is not well known but The Zombies were a major influence on The Beatles. When The Zombies disbanded for a while in 1967, John Lennon offered to manage the group. Johansen stated in his book that “Several Beatles pronounced admiration for The Zombies. It is obvious that George Harrison was a fan.” Paul Atkinson said Paul McCartney knew all the lyrics of Argents’ She’s Not There.  

Still The Zombies admit The Beatles paved the way to their success. Argent says, “We were already going at that time and I desperately wanted to be in a band long before The Beatles came to the fore, but they opened so many doors for everybody.”

Another Zombies fan was Elvis Presley and had their records in his private collection at Graceland. “Elvis had completely turned my world around when I was 11. The thought that he actually had my songs on his jukebox was like the pinnacle for me,” said Argent.

Other artists whose works were influenced by The Zombies include The Beach Boys in their 1966 album Pet Sounds, and musicians like Tom Petty, Billy Joel, Robert Plant, Paul Weller, Al Kooper and Matthew Fisher.

Today, The Zombies are as active as ever in the live circuit and Filipino fans will once again discover what has made the group the most enduring British Invasion band next to The Rolling Stones. Their repertoire includes their greatest hits. For details, call TicketWorld at 891-9999 and SM Tickets at 470-2222.

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