"She's Not There" | ||||
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Single by the Zombies | ||||
from the album Begin Here | ||||
B-side | "You Make Me Feel Good" | |||
Released | 24 July 1964 | |||
Recorded | 12 June 1964 | |||
Studio | Decca, West Hampstead, London | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:25 | |||
Label | Decca F11940 (UK) Parrot 45PAR 9695 (US) | |||
Songwriter(s) | Rod Argent | |||
Producer(s) | Marquis Enterprises | |||
The Zombies UKsingles chronology | ||||
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The Zombies USsingles chronology | ||||
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"She's Not There" is the debut single by the English rock band the Zombies, written by keyboardist Rod Argent. It reached No. 12 in the UK Singles Chart in September 1964, [1] and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States at the beginning of December 1964. In Canada, it reached No. 2.
Rolling Stone magazine ranked "She's Not There" No. 297 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. [2]
In 2016, the song by The Zombies was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. [3]
Rod Argent built the lyrics of "She's Not There" from a John Lee Hooker song, whose title – "No One Told Me" – became a part of the opening phrase of "She's Not There". Following an 29 April 1964 performance by the Zombies at St Albans Market Hall, Argent played the one verse he had written of the song for Ken Jones who was set to produce the band's first recording session. Jones encouraged Argent to write a second verse, intending the band to record it. Argent recalls: "I wrote the song for Colin's range" – referring to Zombies' vocalist Colin Blunstone – "I could hear him singing it in my mind". The song's genres and musical styles are described by authors and music journalists as jazz rock, [4] beat, [5] pop rock, [6] baroque pop, [7] and R&B. [8]
"She's Not There" was the second of four songs recorded by the Zombies at a 22 June 1964 recording session at Decca's West Hampstead Studio 2. The backing tracks needed seven takes. [9] One of the song's most distinctive features is Argent's electric piano sound; the instrument used was a Hohner Pianet. The backing vocals are in a folk-influenced close-harmony style. To make the single sound stronger for single release, Ken Jones organised Hugh Grundy to record a strident drum line overdub which only appears on the original mono single mix.
This minor key, jazz-tinged single was first aired in the United States during the first week in August 1964, on New York City rock radio station WINS by Stan Z. Burns, who debuted it on his daily noontime "Hot Spot" segment, during which new songs were played. The tune began to catch on in early autumn and eventually reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1964. [10]
The song was later included both on the Zombies' debut album Begin Here , released in the UK in December 1964, and the US album The Zombies issued January 1965. It was also included on the soundtrack to the 1979 feature film More American Graffiti and the 2021 feature film Titane .
"She's Not There" | ||||
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Single by Santana | ||||
from the album Moonflower | ||||
B-side | "Zulu" | |||
Released | October 1977 | |||
Genre | ||||
Label | Columbia | |||
Songwriter(s) | Rod Argent | |||
Santana singles chronology | ||||
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"She's Not There" was a hit for Santana when it appeared on their 1977 album Moonflower . Their version peaked at No. 11 in the UK. [18] It was also a hit in the US, spending 14 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaking at No. 27, [19] as well as reaching No. 20 on the Cash Box Top 100 chart. Their take on it features Greg Walker as the lead vocalist.
Chart (1977-1978) | Peak position |
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Australian Singles (Kent Music Report) [20] | 19 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [21] | 7 |
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [22] | 21 |
Ireland (IRMA) [23] | 4 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [24] | 2 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [25] | 3 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [26] | 9 |
UK Singles (OCC) [27] | 11 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [28] | 27 |
US Cash Box Top 100 [29] | 20 |
Chart (1978) | Peak position |
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Belgium (Ultratop Flanders) [30] | 37 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [31] | 14 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [32] | 12 |
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.
"You Keep Me Hangin' On" is a song written and composed by Holland–Dozier–Holland. It was first recorded in 1966 by American Motown group the Supremes, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
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 was also a recurring guest vocalist with the Alan Parsons Project, appearing on four of their albums between 1978 and 1985.
"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.
"The Boy Is Mine" is a duet by American singers Brandy and Monica. It was written by LaShawn Daniels, Japhe Tejeda, Fred Jerkins III, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and Brandy, while production was helmed by Jerkins and Dallas Austin. It was released as the lead single from both singers' second albums from 1998, Never Say Never by Brandy and the album of the same name by Monica. Inspired by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney's 1982 duet "The Girl Is Mine", the lyrics of the mid-tempo R&B track revolve around two women fighting over a man.
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"To Sir with Love" is the theme from James Clavell's 1967 film To Sir, with Love. The song was performed by British singer and actress Lulu, and written by Don Black and Mark London. Mickie Most produced the record, with Mike Leander arranging and conducting. The song peaked at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, and became the best-selling single of 1967 in the United States.
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"Tell Her No" is a hit single written by Rod Argent and included by English rock band the Zombies on their debut album The Zombies in 1965. It peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States in March 1965 and was one of three big American hits by the Zombies. "Tell Her No" was only a minor hit for the Zombies in their native Britain, where it peaked at No. 42 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1965.
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"Leave Me Be" is a song by the English rock band the Zombies. Written by Chris White, the band's bass guitarist, "Leave Me Be" was released on a non-album single in October 1964. Following the release of the band's debut single "She's Not There" in July 1964, White wrote a handful of songs in between performances during the band's heavy schedule. Most of the work on the song occurred in August 1964, when the Zombies recorded both a demo and the backing track for it. The instrumentation largely differs from both earlier and later Zombies records; it features electric organ played by Rod Argent, compared to his previous usage of the electric piano. Together with record producer Ken Jones, they returned in September to finish the vocal track, which was disliked by most band members for its similarity to "She's Not There"; the vocals would eventually be re-recorded a few months later.
"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.
"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.
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