Seeing Zombies - and Not at Tweed

Peggy, Zombie drummer, Carol

It was a long day yesterday and all because of The Zombies.

No, I wasn't at Tweed but at the Jimmy Fallon show last night. And therein lies a tale.

I was a fan in the 60's. But the band disappeared in 1967 just as they released "Odessey and Oracle" an album that has become a classic.  Ron Argent formed Argent and Colin Blunstone did something else. A few years ago there was a 40th Anniversary (March 2008) reunion. Our friends Mark and Peggy called to say they bought all of us tickets. Only problem was the concert was in London. So we went. They performed the entire Odessey and Oracle album as the entire band was together for the first time since they broke up. Oh, what a night.

We saw them in July in NYC. By that time Peggy was a major Zombie groupie and when she saw they were appearing again in London that April, off we were again.

I wrote about it.

We caught another Zombies concert like we did in London last March and in NYC in July. One of their most famous songs, She's Not There, was clearly written with Randi Weingarten in mind. I discovered the original lyrics in a dusty Zombie archive in the British Museum.

Well, no one told me about her
The way she lied [about the 2005 contract]
Well, no one told me about her
How many people cried [ATRs, in the rubber room, and in Washington DC]
Well, it’s too late to say you’re sorry [for agreeing to merit pay, longer days and year, potty duty, etc.]
How would I know, why should I care [hell, I'm retired]
Please don’t bother trying to find her
She’s not there [or here- thank God]....

When Peggy heard the Zombies were coming to NY she got in touch with her daughter's friend who works on the Jimmy Fallon show and suggested they book the Zombies. And so they did. And so we got tickets for last night and a tour backstage and we got to hang out until they came out after the show - and a chat with the drummer. My puss even got on TV a few times. I have to watch the episode again to see how awful I look (the 4 of us were by far the oldest in the room and I was the oldest of the 4- so that makes me....).

It was really a fun evening with the highlight being Time of the Season. Here is the direct link of the video doesn't work.



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