Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Entertainment

Meet Colin Blunstone of The Zombies: Rock and Roll Hall of Famer (Includes interview)

Blunstone shared that he is excited for the “Something Great From ’68 Tour” with Brian Wilson. “Isn’t that incredible? Brian Wilson was the principal writer, arranger, co-founder and producer of the Beach Boys. It is such a thrill to tour with him,” he said.

On September 26, The Zombies and Wilson will be performing at the historic Beacon Theatre in New York City, which will include songs from their seminal album Odessey and Oracle. “I am really looking forward to playing Beacon Theatre since I’ve never performed there before. I’ve heard that it’s a really great venue. It is going to be a wonderful show and a brilliant night,” he said.

The Zombies

The Zombies
Payley Photography

The Zombies were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2019. “That was absolutely brilliant. I was so excited,” he admitted. “None of us were expecting it. The first time we were ever nominated for the first time was a total surprise. We were nominated four times, and we thought that we would never be inducted. Then, as you know, we were eventually inducted and it was absolutely fabulous.”

Earlier this year, on February 1, Blunstone played with his solo band at My Father’s Place in Roslyn on Long Island. “That was lovely. It was quite an intimate club and it was just great fun,” he said. “When The Zombies aren’t working, I go out with my band and I play my solo music and a few of The Zombies songs.”

He praised their smash single “Time of the Season” for being a “great song.” “It’s a timeless song and it still sounds fresh and relevant today as it did when we first recorded it. ‘Time of the Season’ is a very special song and it still sounds great when we play it now and I’ve sung it many times over the years,” he said.

On being an artist in this digital age, Blunstone said, “Obviously, we have people looking after us that understand it better than we do. In a lighthearted way, when I came into the business in 1964, I was 18. I didn’t understand anything about the business. It has been through so many changes and it changes from week to week. It is unrecognizable from 1964, and I still don’t understand the business.”

“I think there is a bit of magic in the music business, and there is a lot of it that people don’t understand,” he said.

Blunstone is stoked with the resurgence of vinyl. “I love the sound of vinyl. I love the tactile quality to it. I like to listen to vinyl and I find the sound is warmer. I think it sounds better,” he said.

On the recent passage of the Music Modernization Act (MMA), Blunstone said, “I think it’s really important that people’s songs and people’s recordings are protected. The very people who wrote or performed on the record are the ones that are least recognized and least rewarded. I never really understood that. Anything that can protect the rights of the artist is a good thing, as far as I’m concerned.”

Regarding the key to longevity in the music business, Blunstone said, “I love writing and performing. I haven’t written a lot for The Zombies but I’ve written a lot for my solo career. The real magic for me is to watch a song evolve from the spark of an idea to the studio and then, eventually, getting the opportunity to play that song to a live audience. It’s a wonderful feeling since you’ve watched the song develop from nothing into a polished, well-crafted piece of music.”

Blunstone is equally comfortable in the studio vs. singing live. “I love both of them including the writing of the material as well. To me, it’s a process,” he acknowledged. “I enjoy the studio since it’s magical and playing live is the icing on the cake.”

The iconic lead singer of The Zombies defined the word success as “honing your craft.” “That’s what success is about: learning how to write songs and how to perform them. It’s about a feeling of fulfillment when the job is done well,” he said.

For their dedicated fans, he concluded, “We are nothing without our fans and we appreciate all of their wonderful support over the years. I hope as many fans as possible come and see us on this tour because it will be a wonderful show.”

To learn more about The Zombies and their music, check out their official website.

Markos Papadatos
Written By

Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 20,000 original articles over the past 18 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.

You may also like:

Life

Their stories are divided into before and after.

Social Media

Wanna buy some ignorance? You’re in luck.

Tech & Science

Under new legislation that passed the House of Representatives last week, TikTok could be banned in the United States.

Life

Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest often suggest travel destinations based on your likes and viewing habits.