Colin Blunstone

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Colin Blunstone
Colin Blunstone live at The Apex 20th November 2024 (54154026266) (cropped).jpg
Blunstone performing in 2024
Background information
Birth nameColin Edward Michael Blunstone
Also known asNeil MacArthur
Born (1945-06-24) 24 June 1945 (age 79)
Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • tambourine
  • guitar
Years active1958–present
Labels
Website colinblunstone.co.uk

Colin Edward Michael Blunstone (born 24 June 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. In a career spanning more than 60 years, Blunstone came to prominence in the mid-1960s as the lead singer of the rock band the Zombies, which released four singles that entered the Top 75 charts in the United States during the 1960s: "She's Not There", "Tell Her No", "She's Coming Home" and "Time of the Season". Blunstone began his solo career in 1969, releasing three singles under a pseudonym of Neil MacArthur. Since then, he has released ten studio albums under his real name. He was also a recurring guest vocalist with the Alan Parsons Project, [1] appearing on four of their albums between 1978 and 1985.

Contents

In 2019, Blunstone was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of The Zombies. [2]

Early years

Colin Edward Michael Blunstone was born on 24 June 1945, in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, [3] only son of Arthur and Dorothy Blunstone. Arthur was an aeronautical engineer at the De Havilland factory at Hatfield who later ran a hairdressing business before returning to work for De Havilland. Dorothy was a former dancer who also worked for De Havilland. Notwithstanding post-war privations, Blunstone recalled that although his family were not well-off, his parents never owning a car, they had a pleasant lifestyle in rural Hertfordshire. He noted that "as a band we gave off that aura of being middle-class... maybe a couple of the guys' families were comfortable, but the others' weren't. Because of where we came from we talk in a particular way. That... sounded a bit like BBC accents... My parents weren't wealthy at all. We may have been middle-class by aspiration, but not by income." [4] [5] He attended St Albans County Grammar School for Boys. [1]

The Zombies

Rod Argent, Paul Atkinson, and Hugh Grundy first played together at a jam on Easter 1961 in St Albans, Hertfordshire. Rod Argent wanted to form a band and initially asked his cousin Jim Rodford to join as a bass guitarist. Rodford was playing in local band called the Bluetones at the time, so declined. Blunstone and Paul Arnold joined in early 1961, while all five members were still at school. After they won a local contest, they recorded a demo as their prize. Rod Argent's song "She's Not There" got them a recording contract with Decca. [6] She's Not There would go on to be a worldwide hit, with the band appearing on shows such as Top of the Pops and Hullabaloo, among many others. Another hit by the group was Tell Her No.

Blunstone's voice was considered[ according to whom? ] one of the main factors in making the Zombies' single, "She's Not There". In 1968, the band broke up over management issues, shortly after completing the baroque pop classic album Odessey and Oracle . [7] One of the songs from Odessey and Oracle, Time of the Season, would become one of the bands most acclaimed hits.

In 2004, Blunstone and Rod Argent recorded As Far as I Can See... , a new album in the style of the Zombies. A later album and DVD Colin Blunstone & Rod Argent of the Zombies Live at the Bloomsbury Theatre were well received, [8] [9] as was their 2007 US tour. One critic wrote, "The Zombies, still led by original keyboard wizard Rod Argent and featuring the smoked-silk vocals of Colin Blunstone, is the best 60s band still touring which doesn't have Mick Jagger as a front man". [10]

Blunstone continued to tour with Argent as the Zombies, and in April 2009 the original surviving members of the band played four reunion concerts performing Odessey and Oracle. Blunstone and Rod Argent decided to put together a touring band, perform live and release new material as The Zombies. Jim Rodford (Argent, The Kinks) was on bass, Steve Rodford on drums and Keith Airey on guitar. Airey left and was replaced by Tom Toomey. After the death of Jim Rodford in 2018, Soren Koch became the Zombies' new bass player. In a 2015 article for PopMatters , journalist J.C. Maçek III quoted Argent about the Zombies' latest album Still Got That Hunger . Argent said, "Still Got That Hunger is the first album that has really recaptured some of the resonance of feeling of a group. We're so tight as a group together now. And the whole process has become so organic that we're 100% happy with the Zombies name and rediscovering and playing all the old stuff and at the same time carving a new path forward which is also very, very important to us." [11]

In 2012, Blunstone participated in the unveiling of a Blue Plaque at the Blacksmith's Arms, a St. Albans pub where the Zombies met for their first rehearsal. [12]

In 2019, Blunstone was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of The Zombies, along with Argent, Atkinson (posthumously), White, and Grundy. [2]

Solo career

Colin Blunstone, TopPop television programme, 1973 Colin Blunstone (1973).jpg
Colin Blunstone, TopPop television programme, 1973

Blunstone briefly worked as a clerk in the insurance business before resuming his musical career. [13] In 1969, he signed with Deram and released three singles under the pseudonym of Neil MacArthur, including a re-make of "She's Not There", which charted in the UK. [1]

Blunstone gained success as a solo artist in 1972 with "Say You Don't Mind" [14] (which peaked at number 15 in the UK chart and was written by future Paul McCartney and Wings member Denny Laine), and "I Don't Believe in Miracles" (which peaked at number 31 in the UK chart and written by Argent member Russ Ballard), both with string arrangements by Christopher Gunning. Additional minor hits followed with "How Could We Dare to Be Wrong" in early 1973 (which peaked at number 45 in the UK chart) and "The Tracks of My Tears" in 1982 (which peaked at number 60 in the UK chart).

One Year (1971), produced by Chris White and Rod Argent was Blunstone's debut solo album, and included the song "Caroline Goodbye" about his break-up with the model and actress Caroline Munro. The album also featured new material written by Argent and White. This was followed by Ennismore and Journey . [15] He then signed a recording contract with Elton John's record label, The Rocket Record Company, and released three studio albums: Planes (1976); Never Even Thought (1978); and Late Nights in Soho (1979) which was only released in Europe. Blunstone also contributed to Dave Stewart's hit cover version of "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" (1980). He went on to appear on several albums by the Alan Parsons Project including Eye in the Sky , where he sings the hit single "Old and Wise", and Ammonia Avenue ("Dancing on a Highwire"). In 1984, he joined with other Parsons musicians, most notably David Paton of PILOT/Parsons to form Keats.

His ninth solo album The Ghost of You And Me was released in the UK, Benelux, and Scandinavia on 9 March 2009. [16] Blunstone completed a twelve date UK tour, his first in several years. He continued to tour with Rod Argent as the Zombies, and the original surviving members of the band played four reunion concerts performing Odessey and Oracle, in April 2009. In 2010, Sony released Colin Blunstone Original Album Classics, a 3-disc boxed set featuring digitally re-mastered versions of Blunstone's solo albums One Year,Journey and Ennismore. The collection also includes two bonus tracks that were originally released as non-LP b-sides in UK. [17]

Blunstone continues to be active, occasionally in tours with 1960s bands such as Manfred Mann, [18] often collaborating with Rod Argent. Some of his more recent albums are As Far As I Can See, the mid-1990s Echo Bridge and Out of the Shadows (with Rod Argent). In 2024 he toured in the UK with a band comprising Soren Koch on Lead and Acoustic guitars, Dave Bainbridge on Keyboards (Iona / Lifesigns), Chas Cronk (Strawbs, Steve Hackett, Rick Wakeman) on bass and Steve Rodford on drums. For their second set, a string quartet , Q Strings, joined them on stage to perform Blunstone's first solo album One Year in its entirety.

Radio, television and film

Blunstone has appeared many times on radio and television shows in the UK and on soundtracks. He and his band performed several sessions for John Peel and Johnnie Walker, and on the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1971, where he performed live with a string quartet. [19]

Blunstone appeared in The Savages (2001) and Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1997) both as a singer. Other TV appearances include The Dan and Dusty Show (2004) as the Zombies, Shindig! Presents British Invasion Vol. 2 (1992) also as the Zombies, and Pop Quiz (1982). His sole film part was in Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965), directed by Otto Preminger (as the Zombies) and starring Laurence Olivier.

Personal life

Blunstone in 2005 Colin Blunstone.jpg
Blunstone in 2005

Blunstone is married to Suzy Blunstone, and the couple have a daughter. [20]

Discography

With the Zombies

Band albums

Solo albums

Compilations

Singles

As Neil MacArthur

Guest appearances

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Zombies</span> English rock band

The Zombies are an English rock band formed in St Albans in 1961. Led by keyboardist/vocalist Rod Argent and lead vocalist Colin Blunstone, the group had their first British and American hit in 1964 with "She's Not There". In the US, two further singles—"Tell Her No" in 1965 and "Time of the Season" in 1968—were also successful.

<i>Odessey and Oracle</i> 1968 studio album by the Zombies

Odessey and Oracle is the second studio album by the English rock band the Zombies. It was released in the UK on 19 April 1968, by CBS Records and in the US on 15 July 1968, by Date Records. The album was recorded primarily between June and August 1967 at EMI and Olympic Studios in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rod Argent</span> British rock musician

Rodney Terence Argent is an English musician. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Argent came to prominence in the mid-1960s as the keyboardist, founder and leader of the rock band the Zombies, and went on to form the band Argent after the first break-up of the Zombies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Time of the Season</span> Single by the British band The Zombies

"Time of the Season" is a song by the British rock band the Zombies, featured on their 1968 album Odessey and Oracle. It was written by keyboardist Rod Argent and recorded at Abbey Road Studios in September 1967. Over a year after its original release, the track became a surprise hit in the United States, rising to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Cashbox chart. It has become one of the Zombies' most popular and recognizable songs, and an iconic hit of 1960s psychedelia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Argent (band)</span> English rock band

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Rodford</span> English musician (1941–2018)

James Walter Rodford was an English musician, who played bass for several British rock bands. He was a founding member of Argent, which was led by his cousin Rod Argent, and performed with them from their formation in 1969 until they disbanded in 1976. He was the bassist for the Kinks from 1978 until they disbanded in 1997. In 2004, he joined the reunited Zombies, whom he had been closely associated with since the early 1960s, and remained a member until his death in 2018. He was also a member of the Swinging Blue Jeans and the Kast Off Kinks.

<i>The Zombies</i> (album) 1965 studio album by the Zombies

The Zombies is the first studio album released by the English rock band the Zombies in the United States. It was released in January 1965 by Parrot Records. After the success of the double-sided hit single "She's Not There" b/w "You Make Me Feel Good" reached #2 on the U.S. charts in the fall of 1964, Parrot quickly released this LP in 1965. The dozen tracks were taken from material the Zombies cut for their UK debut album, Begin Here. Also included are "It's Alright With Me" and "Sometimes" from their self-titled EP. The album also included their 2nd hit single "Tell Her No".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She's Not There</span> 1964 single by the Zombies

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<i>Encore: Live in Concert</i> 1974 live album by Argent

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<i>One Year</i> 1971 studio album by Colin Blunstone

One Year is the debut solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Colin Blunstone, a member of the Zombies. It was released by Epic Records in 1971. It includes "Say You Don't Mind", which peaked at number 15 on the UK Singles Chart.

<i>Ennismore</i> 1972 studio album by Colin Blunstone

Ennismore is the second solo studio album by the English singer Colin Blunstone of rock band the Zombies. The name of the album comes from Ennismore Gardens, a square in Knightsbridge where Blunstone was living; the name being a variant spelling of the island Inishmore.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Colin Blunstone at AllMusic
  2. 1 2 "The Zombies". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  3. ↑ "Colin Blunstone Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  4. ↑ The Zombies: Hung up on a Dream- A Biography 1962-1967, Claes Johansen, SAF Publishing Ltd, The Cromwell Press, 2001, pp. 13-14
  5. ↑ Where Have All The Rock Stars Gone? vol. 1, Marti Smiley Childs, Jeff March, EditPros, 2011, p. 272
  6. ↑ Unterberger, Richie. "The Zombies". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  7. ↑ Henson, Jopaquin (15 September 2012). "May the Zombies never rest in peace". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  8. ↑ "The Zombies / Zombies Live!". Amazon UK. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  9. ↑ "Music CD/DVD Review: Colin Blunstone & Rod Argent of The Zombies – Live at the Bloomsbury Theatre, London". Blogcritics. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  10. ↑ "Hits keep on coming..." The Washington Times . 1 August 2007. Retrieved 17 July 2014.(subscription required)
  11. ↑ Maçek III, J.C. (4 November 2015). ""There Are No Half-Measures" An Interview with the Zombies' Rod Argent". PopMatters .
  12. ↑ "Blue plaque breathes new life into The Zombies". Welwyn Hatfield Times. 26 April 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  13. ↑ Piniak, Jeremy. "Rod Argent & Colin Blunstone". Chicago Innerview . Archived from the original on 21 November 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  14. ↑ Webb, Robert (2012). "Say You Don't Mind". 100 Greatest Cover Versions: The Ultimate Playlist. McNidder and Grace Limited. p. 192. ISBN   9780857160577 . Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  15. ↑ "Colin Blunstone". The Avenue Online. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  16. ↑ "The Ghost of You and Me". PopMatters. 15 June 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  17. ↑ "Colin Blunstone – Original Album Classics CD". CD Universe. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  18. ↑ "Still far out, Mann". The Guardian. 19 November 1999. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  19. ↑ "Old Grey Whistle Test". Vintage Rock TV Archive. Archived from the original on 21 November 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  20. ↑ "Introducing our Patron Colin Blunstone". Megan Baker House. Archived from the original on 31 July 2013.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Roberts, Dav (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 67. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  22. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 39. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  23. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 336. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
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