Leave Me Be

Last updated

Gnome-mime-audio-openclipart.svg
Demo version of "Leave Me Be"
The demo version of the song, which Alec Palao stated "is probably closer to what the band wanted the single to be" [22]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Unlike "She's Not There", which had reached the UK top-20, "Leave Me Be" failed to chart in Record Retailer. [3] The reason behind this is unknown, but at the time of the single's release, "She's Not There" was still in the top-20, which meant that the two singles competed with each other, significantly reducing sales for "Leave Me Be" since record-buyers wanted the hit instead. [19] "Leave Me Be" was issued in several other territories, including Australia, which was the only country in which the song actually landed on the national charts, Kent Music Report. [23] The song entered the chart on 12 December 1964, at a position of number 81, which it held for two weeks before dropping out on 19 December 1964. [23] The failure of the single led to it being withdrawn from US release and instead being relegated to the B-side of the Zombies' follow up "Tell Her No". [24] [nb 5] This version features alternate vocals that were recorded during their US tour. [24] According to White, the reason behind the disappointing chart success of "Leave Me Be" was that the song didn't have the same aura when recorded in the studio as it did during live performances. [10] He claims that it was a fantastic track during rehearsals and on tour, but that the "produced sound" on the studio version most likely hindered further chart success. [25]

"Leave Me Be" was not included on any original UK album releases, [26] however, the B-side "Woman" was included on the band's debut UK album Begin Here . (1965) [27] [nb 6] Although "Woman" was also included on the Zombies eponymous US album, (1965) [nb 7] "Leave Me Be" was left out. [29] The song experienced its first album release on a Swedish compilation album known as I Love You in 1966. [30] [nb 8] It was first issued in the US four years after the initial release, on a compilation album titled Early Days, which compiled several early recordings by the band. [32] [nb 9] The song would not get a release on an album in the UK until 1973, when it was issued on Time Of The Zombies, which compiled all their 1964–66 recordings. [34] The initial demo version was released on Zombie Heaven in 1997. [22] Furthermore, both the stereo version and the backing track were issued in 2002 on the compilation album The Decca Stereo Anthology. [35]

Critical reception and legacy

Sandie Shaw had a mixed opinion about the single. Sandie Shaw 3.jpg
Sandie Shaw had a mixed opinion about the single.

Contemporary reviews

Although not a commercially successful single, "Leave Me Be" managed to garner some positive reception. In a review for Disc and Music Echo , critic Don Nicholl writes that "Leave Me Be" seems to be self-pitying, though "it should register another hit". [37] He notes the "soft beat" contrasting to the "orchestrated power of Colin Blunstone's vocals", further praising Argent's organ playing. [37] Nicholl ends by stating that he prefers "Woman" due to the A-side being "too wistful". [37] In a blind test for Melody Maker , musician Sandie Shaw states that she likes the sound of the song's introduction and almost immediately recognized it to be the Zombies. [38] She enjoys the mysterious sound that the band established, however, deems the song inferior to "She's Not There". [38] Shaw says it had a chance of reaching the charts, but not to the extent of their debut single. [38]

Peter Aldersley of Pop Weekly states that he likes the song, due to the "haunting fascination springing from the melody and the vocal". [39] Furthermore, Aldersley adds that the single is balanced and seems restrained in a positive way. [39] He adds that the song is dance friendly and concludes that it is an "uncomplicated performance of a straightforward composition. [39] In an anonymous review for Record Mirror , the single is described as a "a gentle medium pace ballad with some good soft vocal work". [40] They also state that the vocals and guitar most likely will become better with each time listening, and compare the sound to that of "She's Not There". [40]

As "Leave Me Be" was issued as a B-side in the US, [24] it was largely ignored by the media. [5] However, it did receive some reviews in American newspapers. Writing for Cashbox, the reviewer states that "Leave Me Be" is "whisper-like" which offers "a pleasant melody and meaningful lyrics." [41] Though they note that both sides of the single had commercial potential, "Tell Her No" was eventually considered the superior song. [41] According to Music Business, "Leave Me Be" proved the Zombies a "staying power", stating that it is a strong song. [42] In Record World , it was called a "frenzy to sing", with the coupling being awarded four-stars. [43]

Retrospective assessment and covers

Retrospectively, Matthew Greenwald of AllMusic considered "Leave Me Be" to be among White's earlier songwriting masterpieces. [18] He compared it to the music of the Beach Boys and positively notes the self-referencial lyrical content that "was probably deeply felt by every heartbroken teenager that ever heard it". [18] The single became a favorite of guitarist John Du Cann of Atomic Rooster, who stated he enjoyed both the inclusion of minor chords and Blunstone's phrasing on the song, leading to him getting a copy of it signed during a Zombies concert. [44] Vernon Joynson writes that "Leave Me Be" has a "muffled, surly feel", [45] while Dafydd Rees and Luke Crampton compared the song to "She's Not There", lacking a hook that would have made it more commercial. [46]

The options of the Zombies members have stayed the same as they did during the time "Leave Me Be" was released. White still insists that the song was stronger on stage than on record and states his dislike for the vocal track. Argent has similarly expressed dismay regarding the vocal performance, stating that whereas on "She's Not There", the performance seemed natural which was the complete contrast to "Leave Me Be", which he believed had forcefully achieved this effect. He closed by stating that "You Make Me Feel Good" had a sound that they should have attempted on "Leave Me Be". However, engineer Gus Dudgeon stated that this was an attempt to ensure commercial success, as many follow-ups to debuts had a similar arrangement to the originals. "Leave Me Be" eventually achieved something similar to a cult status among the Zombies' fans, due to its chord progression, lyrical relevance and relative obscurity. Though not a commercially successful record upon release, the song managed to be covered by several artists only 1–2 years after initial release. [10]

The song was initially covered by Swedish beat group Ola & the Janglers in 1965 for their debut album Surprise Surprise. [47] Self-proclaimed Zombies fans, [48] the group also included "Remember When I Loved Her" on the album, [47] while a cover of "She's Not There" was their breakthrough hit. [49] Based on the Janglers version, "Leave Me Be" was picked up by Kenneth "Kenta" Gustafsson and Gustav "Stoffe" Svensson, which was later featured in the Swedish cult film They Call Us Misfits in 1968. [50] [51] In April 1966, Timothy B. Schmit's first band the New Breed covered it as "You'd Better Leave Me Be." [52] Sonny & Cher recorded a cover for their second studio album The Wondrous World of Sonny & Chér in May 1966. [53] Critic Richie Unterberger praised their ability to find "eclectic" songs to cover, while simultaneously praising their versions. [53] American group the Posies covered the song for the compilation album The World of the Zombies. [54] AllMusic critic Nitsuh Abebe called the song "charming". [54]

Personnel

Personnel according to the liner notes of Zombie Heaven. [10]

Charts

"Leave Me Be"
Leave Me Be by The Zombies.jpg
Single by the Zombies
A-side "Tell Her No" (US)
B-side "Woman" (UK)
Released16 October 1964 (UK)
28 December 1964 (US)
Recorded31 August & 5 September 1964
Studio Decca, London
Genre
Length2:05
Label
Songwriter(s) Chris White
Producer(s) Ken Jones
The Zombies UKsingles chronology
"She's Not There"
(1964)		"Leave Me Be"
(1964)		"Tell Her No"
(1965)
The Zombies USsingles chronology
"She's Not There"
(1964)		"Tell Her No" / "Leave Me Be"
(1964)		"She's Coming Home"
(1965)
Chart performance for "Leave Me Be"
Chart (1964–1965)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [23] 81

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 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 English rock band the Zombies. It was originally released in the UK in April 1968 by CBS Records. The album was recorded primarily between June and August 1967. The sessions took place 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">Colin Blunstone</span> British singer

Colin Edward Michael Blunstone 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 appears on several albums with the Alan Parsons Project and sang "Old and Wise".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Wish You Would (Billy Boy Arnold song)</span>

"I Wish You Would" is a song recorded by Chicago blues musician Billy Boy Arnold in 1955. It was developed while Arnold was performing with Bo Diddley and incorporates a Diddley-style rhythm. Called "a timeless Chicago blues classic", "I Wish You Would" is Arnold's best-known song and has been recorded by several artists, including the Yardbirds, who recorded it for their debut single in 1964.

<i>Begin Here</i> 1965 studio album by the Zombies

Begin Here is the debut studio album by the English rock band the Zombies, released in April 1965 by Decca Records. The American version repeated many of the tracks from it, but, as was common at the time, deleted some and substituted others.

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

The Zombies is the debut American studio album by English pop rock band the Zombies, 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

"She's Not There" is the debut single by British rock band the Zombies, written by keyboardist Rod Argent. It reached No. 12 in the UK Singles Chart in September 1964, and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States at the beginning of December 1964. In Canada, it reached No. 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris White (musician)</span> British bassist

Christopher Taylor White is an English musician. He came to prominence in the mid-1960s as the bass guitarist and occasional lead vocalist of the rock band The Zombies. White is one of the main composers of the Zombies' music, and made major lyrical contributions to the band's songs. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019 as a member of the Zombies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Atkinson (guitarist)</span> British musician (1946–2004)

Paul Ashley Warren Atkinson was a British guitarist and record company executive, best known as a founding member of the pop/rock band The Zombies. Atkinson was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goin' Out of My Head</span>

"Goin' Out of My Head" is a song written by Teddy Randazzo and Bobby Weinstein, initially recorded by Little Anthony and the Imperials in 1964. Randazzo, a childhood friend of the group, wrote the song especially for them, having also supplied the group with their previous Top 20 Hit "I'm on the Outside ". Their original version of the song was a Billboard Top 10 Pop smash, reaching No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 1 in the Canadian RPM-list in 1965. The song peaked at No. 8 on Cashbox magazine's R&B chart. The Little Anthony and the Imperials original recording is the best-known version of the song, although it has since been covered by many other artists, including the Zombies, who released a rendition as their last single on Decca Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Love You (The Zombies song)</span> 1965 song

"I Love You" is a 1965 song by the Zombies, written by their bassist Chris White. Written during a tour of France, the song was written at a time the Zombies' mainstream popularity was slowly fading. The song was released as the B-side of Rod Argent's "Whenever You're Ready" to both commercial and critical indifference.

<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.

Hugh Birch Grundy is an English musician. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Grundy came to prominence in the mid 1960s as the drummer of the English rock band the Zombies. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Care of Cell 44</span> 1967 single by the Zombies

"Care of Cell 44" is a single by the Zombies, from their 1968 album Odessey and Oracle. It was featured on Pitchfork Media's 200 Best Songs of the 1960s list, and has since been covered by modern artists including Elliott Smith and Of Montreal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Just Out of Reach (song)</span> 1965 single by the Zombies

"Just Out of Reach" is a song written by singer Colin Blunstone, first recorded by his band the Zombies in 1965. In 1965, it was clear that the Zombies were going to be featured in Otto Preminger's 1966 movie Bunny Lake Is Missing. Therefore, the band had struck a deal with Preminger; he wanted three new songs by the group, recorded in the span of only ten days. During this time, the band's primary songwriters, keyboardist Rod Argent and bassist Chris White suffered somewhat from writer's block. Although White had already managed to come up with two songs, "Remember You" and "Nothing's Changed", the third song was still missing, much to the group's disappointment. Therefore, Blunstone was tasked with the final song.

<i>The Zombies</i> (EP) 1965 EP by the Zombies

The Zombies is an extended play 45 rpm record released by the English beat group the Zombies in 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She's Coming Home</span> 1965 single by the Zombies

"She's Coming Home" is a song written by keyboardist Rod Argent recorded by his band the Zombies. The song has early origins in Argent's life; he lifted segments from the 1946 song "Magnificat and Nunc dimittis" which he had heard in boy choir. Characterized by its unusual chord progression, the song was recorded on 2 March 1965 during a three-hour session held at Decca Studios along with several other tracks, all of whom were by their standard producer Ken Jones, who knew what Argent had looked for in the song and attempted to produce it in that style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Want You Back Again</span> 1965 single by the Zombies

"I Want You Back Again" is a song written by keyboardist Rod Argent and originally recorded by his band the Zombies. Initially laid down during a session at Decca Studios on 25 November 1964, the group was unsatisfied with the result and the song was not re-recorded until 2 March 1965, together with several other songs. The song largely departs from the soft rock sound of their earlier singles and ventures into jazz rock. Characterized by an unusual rhythmic melody, the song was liked by lead vocalist Colin Blunstone, who didn't like the genre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whenever You're Ready (The Zombies song)</span> 1965 single by the Zombies

"Whenever You're Ready" is a song written by English keyboardist Rod Argent, first recorded by his band the Zombies. Following an American tour in April 1965 supporting their then single "She's Coming Home", the band were disappointed in finding out it had been a chart failure. After the follow-up "I Want You Back Again" was an even less commercial song, pressure from the group's management came forward in order for them to write a commercial song in the style of their earlier singles, which had been hits.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Catalogue number Decca F11940. [2]
  2. ↑ According to Claes Johansen, the Vox Continental only has a good sound if the Vibrato drawbar had been pulled. This meant that playing solos on the instrument required chords rather than individual notes to be held down, something that Argent did not do during the session. [15]
  3. ↑ Catalogue number Parrot 45-9695. [2]
  4. ↑ Catalogue number Decca F12004. [2]
  5. ↑ Catalogue number Parrot 45-9723. [2]
  6. ↑ Catalogue number Decca LK 4679. [28]
  7. ↑ Catalogue number Parrot PA 61001. [28]
  8. ↑ Catalogue number Decca LK 4843. [31]
  9. ↑ Catalogue number London PS 557. [33]

References

  1. 1 2 Russo 1999, p. 78.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Johansen 2001, p. 209.
  3. 1 2 Roberts 2006, p. 618.
  4. ↑ Johansen 2001, p. 84.
  5. 1 2 Johansen 2001, p. 87.
  6. ↑ Johansen 2001, p. 87–88.
  7. ↑ Johansen 2001, pp. 82–83.
  8. ↑ Johansen 2001, p. 91.
  9. 1 2 3 Johansen 2001, p. 92.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Palao 1997, p. 42.
  11. ↑ Johansen 2001, p. 92–93.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Johansen 2001, p. 93.
  13. ↑ Johansen 2001, p. 137.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Johansen 2001, p. 95.
  15. 1 2 3 Johansen 2001, p. 96.
  16. ↑ Johansen 2001, p. 89.
  17. 1 2 Johansen 2001, p. 94.
  18. 1 2 3 Greenwald, Matthew. "The Zombies – Leave Me Be – Song Review by Matthew Greenwald". AllMusic . Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 Johansen 2001, p. 104.
  20. ↑ "The Zombies Chart History - Hot 100". Billboard . Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  21. ↑ Hoffman 1983, p. 661.
  22. 1 2 Palao 1997, p. 56.
  23. 1 2 3 Kent 2005, p. 703.
  24. 1 2 3 Russo 1999, p. 17.
  25. ↑ Johansen 2001, p. 96–97.
  26. ↑ Russo 1999, p. 75.
  27. ↑ Russo 1999, p. 73.
  28. 1 2 Johansen 2001, p. 210.
  29. ↑ Russo 1999, p. 74.
  30. ↑ Unterberger, Richie. "The Zombies – I Love You – AllMusic Review by Richie Unterberger". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  31. ↑ Johansen 2001, p. 211.
  32. ↑ Johansen 2001, p. 112.
  33. ↑ Johansen 2001, p. 212.
  34. ↑ Russo 1999, p. 50.
  35. ↑ Unterberger, Richie. "The Zombies – The Decca Stereo Anthology – AllMusic Review by Richie Unterberger". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  36. ↑ Shaw, Sandie. "Sandie Shaw Blind Date" (PDF). Melody Maker (24 October 1964): 11.
  37. 1 2 3 Nicholl, Don. "Wistful Zombies" (PDF). Disc & Music Echo (17 October 1964): 8.
  38. 1 2 3 "Sandie Shaw Blind Date" (PDF). Melody Maker (24 October 1964): 11.
  39. 1 2 3 Aldersley, Peter. "Your Pop Weekly Discs Discussed by Peter Aldersley" (PDF). Pop Weekly (17 October 1964).
  40. 1 2 "Kinks Stay With That Earthy Sound" (PDF). Record Mirror (17 October 1964): 17.
  41. 1 2 "Record Reviews: Pick Of The Week" (PDF). Cashbox (2 January 1965): 14.
  42. ↑ "Brenda and The British Roll On" (PDF). Music Business (31 December 1964): 13.
  43. ↑ "Singles Reviews" (PDF). Record World (2 January 1965): 8.
  44. ↑ Johansen 2001, p. 102.
  45. ↑ Joynson, Vernon (1997). Fuzz, Acid and Flowers: A Comprehensive Guide to American Garage, Psychedelic and Hippie Rock (1964-1975) : (includes Rarity/sought-after Scale and Compilation Listings). Borderline. p. 194. ISBN   978-189-985-50-63.
  46. ↑ Rees, Dafydd; Crampton, Luke (1999). Rock Stars Encyclopedia. DK. p. 1099. ISBN   978-078-944-61-38.
  47. 1 2 "Ola and The Janglers – Surprise Surprise (album)". svenskpophistoria. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  48. ↑ Ola & The Janglers, 1964-71! (liner notes pg. 4). Liimatainen, Keijo. Ola and the Janglers. Gazell. 1983.
  49. ↑ "Ola and the Janglers – She's Not There (single)". svenskpophistoria. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  50. ↑ "Dom kallar oss mods (1968) - SFdb" (in Swedish). Retrieved 2021-07-19.
  51. ↑ Lindqvist, Stefan; Jarl, Stefan (2016). Dom kallar oss mods. Albert Bonniers Förlag. p. 87. ISBN   978-910-01-702-26.
  52. ↑ Ruppli, Michel; Novitsky, Ed (1993). The Mercury Labels: The 1964-1969 era. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 234. ISBN   9-780-313-29-03-36.
  53. 1 2 Unterberger, Richie. "Sonny & Cher – The Wondrous World of Sonny & Chér – AllMusic Review by Richie Unterberger". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  54. 1 2 Abebe, Nitsuh. "Various Artists – The World of the Zombies – AllMusic Review by Nitsuh Abebe". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 May 2021.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.