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Posted: September 26th, 2008.
The Zombies follow their triumphant 40th Anniversary ‘Odessey & Oracle’ concerts with 2009 UK Tour
Don’t miss The Zombies perform ‘Odessey & Oracle’ for the very last time in the UK
“As their voices soar in the middle of ‘Hung Up On A Dream’, it’s real shivers-down-the-spine stuff……timeless” – The Independent
“You could hardly credit it had taken 40 years to reach this seminal moment,which deserves to be ranked beside Brian Wilson’s remarkable comeback for itsimpeccable artistry and uplifting power” – The Scotsman
After receiving rapturous critical acclaim from performing the 40th Anniversary of their 1968 landmark album, ‘Odessey & Oracle’ over three sold out concerts at the London Shepherd’s Bush Empire earlier this year, the original members of the Zombies will perform the legendary album in the UK for the very last time during April 2009.
Tickets for all four concerts go on sale from 9am on Thursday 25th September. Ticket Hotline: 08700 600 100, ticketweb.co.uk
Colin Blunstone (vocals), Rod Argent (keyboards/vocals), Chris White (bass/vocals), and Hugh Grundy (drums) will perform the entire ‘Odessey & Oracle’ album from start to finish. Keith Airey, who regularly tours with the band, replaces the late Paul Atkinson on guitar.
The first half of the concert will see the Zombies’ play a selection of Zombies’ hits, as well as Colin Blunstone’s magical solo material from his critically acclaimed album, “One Year”.
The Zombies will perform the entirety of ‘Odessey & Oracle’ starting with the song ‘Care of Cell 44’, followed by the layered harmonies of ‘Maybe After He’s Gone’ and ‘Beechwood Park’, the soaring vocals during ‘Hung Up On A Dream’, plus an unforgettable performance of ‘Time of the Season’ and the show closer ‘She’s Not There’.
When the Zombies originally performed the 40th Anniversary concert for Odessey & Oracle at Shepherd Bush Empire during March 2008, the concert was attended by the crème de la crème of the rock elite including Paul Weller, Robert Plant, Robyn Hitchcock, Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody and members of Garbage.
The A-List attendance confirmed what an influential album Odessey has become, with Paul Weller picking up tickets for all three nights of his favourite album and Dave Grohl claiming that ‘Care of Cell 44’ changed his life.
In a recent Top 100 British Albums chart featured by NME, ‘Odessey & Oracle’ was placed at Number 32, with the accompanying comment: “….British psychedelia with a kaleidoscopic vision that rivals even The Beatles”.
‘Time of the Season’ reached 5 million plays in the US at the end of last year – one of only a handful of UK records to make that milestone. The song is also featured on a major advert in Japan for Nissan and both ‘She’s Not There’ and ‘Time of the Season’ were also included in a recent episode of ‘American Idol’.
The Zombies are heralded as a major influence by a diverse range of big name talent including Badly Drawn Boy, Paul Weller, Magic Numbers, Super Furry Animals, Billy Joel, and the Artic Monkeys. Recorded as a single for their ‘Golddiggers’ album, The Beautiful South released their version of The Zombies’ ‘This Will Be Our Year’. Zombies songs are regularly covered live by such varied artists as Beck and Belle & Sebastian, not to mention being used in films and popular television shows (‘Awakenings’, ‘Kill Bill 2’ and The Simpsons, to name a few).
“Odessey and Oracle sounds fantastic. Some of it even gains in translation.Live the surging harmonies of Care Of Cell 44 knock you sideways….As Time Of The Season draws to a close, they get a standing ovation.It is the triumphant reception Odessey And Oracle always deserved,40 years after the event.” – The Guardian
The Zombies: Odessey and Oracle – 40th Anniversary Live Concert is out now and available at the Amazon link above for £9.98
Vote and comment on this press release: News page content input by Dominic Robinson, 2008.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.