The Zombies (EP)
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| The Zombies | ||||
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| EP by | ||||
| Released | 29 January 1965 | |||
| Recorded | 12 June – 5 September 1964 | |||
| Studio | Decca, London | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 8:16 | |||
| Label | Decca | |||
| Producer | Ken Jones | |||
| The Zombies UK chronology | ||||
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The Zombies is the debut extended play by British band the Zombies. It was released in the UK by Decca Records on 29 January 1965 to tie in with the release of their third British single "Tell Her No". The EP was recorded over the span of three sessions between June and September 1964 at Decca Studios with Ken Jones producing. Musically, it contains mainly original compositions by Rod Argent in a rhythm and blues and jazz style, and was also the first release of their rendition of the standard "Summertime", which had won a contest in which they were awarded a recording contract.
Upon original release, The Zombies became a chart failure and "sunk without trace", leading the Zombies to realize that their audience laid primarily in North America. In the US, two of the tracks were issued on their debut American album The Zombies in February 1965. The EP received positive reviews upon release, though retrospective criticism of the EP has been mixed, with a primary focus on "Kind of Girl" and "Sometimes" as weak tracks. In addition to "Summertime" appearing on their debut British album Begin Here in April 1965, the other tracks have also been re-issued on various compilation albums.
"Kind of Girl", "It's Alright With Me" and "Summertime" had already been recorded as a demo on 29 April 1964 in a local studio in Rickmansworth.[1] Producer Ken Jones had encouraged Rod Argent to compose his own songs, and was impressed with their rendition of "Summertime" from the opera Porgy and Bess.[2] After signing a recording contract with Jones, he secured them a contract with Decca Records and the band recorded their first professional session with him as a producer on 12 June 1964.[3] This first session completed a studio versions of "It's Alright With Me" in six takes,[4][nb 1] and "Summertime" in nine takes,[7] the latter of which was slated by Decca to be released as the band's debut single.[nb 2] "Kind of Girl" and "Sometimes" had their backing tracks recorded on 31 August,[10][nb 3] and were complemented with vocal overdubs on 5 September.[12][nb 4]
Side one opens with "Kind of Girl", which according to Greg Russo was "smartly arranged" and featured backing vocals by Argent that worked "just as well".[11] "Sometimes" opens with an a cappella vocal introduction before turning into a "basic" song in a "rhythm-and-blues mode",[15] and features call and response vocals throughout.[11] The chords, which alternate between the key of D, key of G major, and G minor, band biographer Claes Johansen noted was a "trademark of the group", as were the shifts between two major keys and three semitones.[15]
Side two opens with "It's Alright With Me", which according to Claes Johansen was a standard R&B tune in a "Ray Charles mold", but contains a "surprising shift in tempo" in the bridge, something he describes as "jazzy".[5] "It's Alright with Me" was allegedly one of the first songs Argent composed.[16] "Summertime" was the sole track on the EP not written by Argent.[17] The band were introduced to the song through bassist Chris White, who had performed it in a prior band,[18] and was the song which won the Zombies the Heat of the Herts Beat Contest on 5 April 1964 which in turn awarded the band a contract with Decca.[19] Their rendition was influenced by jazz,[20] and is in 6
8 time owing to inspirations from Miles Davis, and whom Argent was a big fan of.[21][22] Argent performs a lengthy solo on his hohner pianet on the track.[20]