Founding members Rod Argent (c) and Colin Blunstone (2nd from r) lead the Zombies in 2023, with Søren Koch, Tom Toomey and Steve Rodford
The Zombies have released a new studio album. Different Game arrived Mar. 31, 2023, via U.K. indie label Cooking Vinyl Records. In support of the release, and a forthcoming feature documentary, the band have resumed their “Life Is A Merry-Go-Round” tour with appearances at Austin’s famed music and film festival, SXSW, as well as concerts in the U.S., followed by a full U.K. run in the Spring. More extensive touring is planned throughout the year.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers began work on the album after their 2019 induction and a U.S. tour with Brian Wilson. The Zombies are founding keyboardist Rod Argent and lead singer Colin Blunstone, along with drummer Steve Rodford, guitarist Tom Toomey and bassist Søren Koch. As primary songwriter and producer Rod Argent notes, “Making this album has been a joy from start to finish. Post-lockdown, we were absolutely determined to come together and record in as ‘live’ a way as we could – to capture the magical, fleeting quality of energy and immediacy of performance.”
Watch the animated lyric video for the first release, “Dropped Reeling & Stupid”
Different Game is produced by Argent together with the band’s longtime live audio engineer Dale Hanson.
The album, their first since 2015, was released in advance of a new feature documentary entitled Hung Up On a Dream, directed by musician and filmmaker Robert Schwartzman, and co-produced by Schwartzman’s Utopia Films, The Ranch Productions, and Tom Hanks’ Playtone, slated for release later in 2023.
Different Game Track Listing
Different Game
Dropped Reeling & Stupid
Rediscover
Runaway
You Could Be My Love
Merry-Go-Round
Love You While I Can
I Want to Fly
Got to Move On
The Sun Will Rise Again
The British Invasion band are known for their sophisticated melodies, breathy vocals, choral back-up harmonies and jazzy keyboard riffs of their 1960’s hit singles “She’s Not There” and “Tell Her No.” Ironically, the original lineup disbanded just prior to achieving their greatest success – the worldwide chart-topping single, “Time of the Season,” from their swan-song album, Odessey and Oracle.
The Zombies 2023 Tour (Tickets for many of the concerts are available here and here)
Apr 05 – Wimborne Minster, UK – Tivoli Theatre
Apr 06 – Exmouth, UK – Exmouth Pavilion
Apr 07 – Fletching, UK – Trading Boundaries
Apr 08 – Fletching, UK – Trading Boundaries
Apr 09 – Fletching, UK – Trading Boundaries
Apr 12 – Pontardawe, UK – Pontardawe Arts Centre
Apr 13 – Bristol, UK – The Fleece
Apr 14 – London, UK – Islington Assembly Hall
Apr 15 – Bury St. Edmunds, UK – The Apex
Apr 18 – Norwich, UK – Epic Studios
Apr 19 – Felixstowe, UK – Spa Pavilion
Apr 20 – Harpenden, UK – Eric Morecambe Centre
Apr 21 – Harpenden, UK – Eric Morecambe Centre
Apr 23 – Kinross, UK – Backstage at The Green Hotel
Apr 24 – Kinross, UK – Backstage at The Green Hotel
Apr 26 – Glasgow, UK – Òran Mór
Apr 27 – Holmfirth, UK – Picturedrome
Apr 29 – Taunton, UK – Brewhouse Theatre & Arts Centre
Apr 30 – Bury, UK – The Met
May 03 – Stockton-on-Tees, UK – ARC
May 04 – Carlisle, UK – Old Fire Station
May 05 – New Brighton, UK – Floral Pavilion
May 06 – Milton Keynes, UK – The Stables
More dates to be announced.
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3 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationRod Argent is (IMO) one of the most overlooked keyboardists in classic rock history, with his sinewy passages on “Time Of The Season” as well as the transitions back and forth from Rock to Psychedelia,
on “Hold Your Head Up”, as two examples.
A friend of mine (an accomplished drummer) saw this current line-up of the Zombies a few years ago, and was totally enthralled with their performance.
I won’t miss them this time around, when they are in the area.
Support Live Music.
I saw them when they toured thru the Midwest for their 50th Anniversary Odessey and Oracle tour in 2017, and remember thinking that I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. There have been some personnel changes since then, it appears, but I’m sure it will be fine. So, I’d appreciate here the new USA tour dates as they roll in. Thank you in advance.
I realize that Rod Argent is the leader of this band as well as the songwriter, producer, etc.. But I feel that they would benefit from a independent producer as either Argent can’t tell he mixes his keyboards so that nothing else is as loud as his parts, including the vocals, or he intentionally does it as an egomaniac, in which case someone else really does need to take the reins for the sake of the recording and for the sake of the band. I guess no one else in the band is allowed to say anything about balancing the parts? The guitar parts are almost non-existent, but that’s the way they sound live as well, so….