The group scored British and American hits in 1964 with "She's Not There". In the US, two further singles—"Tell Her No" in 1965 and "Time of the Season" in 1968—were also successful. Their 1968 album Odessey and Oracle is ranked number 100 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The Zombies were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
The Zombies signed to Decca and recorded their first hit, "She's Not There" after winning a beat-group competition sponsored by the London Evening News. "She's Not There" was released in mid-1964 and peaked at number twelve in the U.K., where it would be their only top-forty hit. It was first aired in the United States in early August 1964, on New York City rock station WINS by Stan Z. Burns, who debuted the song on his daily noontime "Hot Spot" segment during which new songs were played. The tune began to catch on in early Autumn and eventually climbed to number two.
In early 1965, "Tell Her No" became another big seller in the United States but had failed to make the Top 40 in the band's native U.K Subsequent recordings such as "I Love You" (which became a hit for People! in 1968), "Indication", "Whenever You're Ready", and "Is This the Dream" failed to achieve the success of the previous two singles.
Their first LP, Begin Here (1965), was a collection of early singles, half a dozen original songs combined with several R&B covers. The Zombies signed to CBS Records for one final LP in 1967. The resulting album, Odessey and Oracle, was one of the very first to utilise a Mellotron keyboard, as the band's budget did not allow for the hiring of session musicians. The band discovered too late that "odyssey" had been misspelled by the cover designers and were reportedly deeply embarrassed.
By the time Odessey and Oracle was released in April 1968, the band had broken up. The album sold little, and was only released in the U.S. because musician Al Kooper vouched for it. It has since gone on to be recognized as one of the greatest albums of all time, with Rolling Stone ranking it eightieth on its 500 Greatest Albums list. An album track called "Time of the Season" was released as a single. and eventually (1969) it became a huge nationwide hit (Billboard number three) after a radio DJ discovered it and put it on heavy rotation.
After The Zombies disbanded, Rod Argent formed a band called Argent; Colin Blunstone started a solo career. In1991 Blunstone, Grundy, and White briefly reunited as The Zombies with guitarist Sebastian Santa Maria, and recorded the album New World.
Iconic British psychedelic pop legends The Zombies have returned to celebrate the release of their latest Billboard-charting album, Still Got That Hunger, lead by founding and current members, vocalist Colin Blunstone and keyboardist Rod Argent, alongside bassist Jim Rodford (formerly of ARGENT and The Kinks), Rodford’s son Steve Rodford on drums, and renowned session guitarist Tom Toomey.
The band’s live performances, described by Rolling Stone as “absolutely triumphant”, take fans on a journey through time, from their early hits…their 1968 masterpiece Odessey & Oracle…post-Zombies solo favorites…right to today with Still Got That Hunger.
The second U.K. band following the Beatles to score a #1 hit in America, The Zombies infiltrated the airwaves with the 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 group broke-up just prior to achieving their greatest success – the worldwide chart-topping single “Time of the Season,” from their swan-song album Odessey & Oracle, ranked #100 in Rolling Stone’s ‘500 Greatest Albums of All Time.’ To this day, generations of new bands have cited The Zombies’ work as pop touchstones, and the band continues to be embraced by new generations of fans.
Following the break-up of the original band, lead vocalist Colin Blunstone went on to develop an acclaimed solo career (with hits including "Say You Don't Mind," "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted", and “Old & Wise” with Alan Parsons Project) and keyboardist/songwriter Rod Argent rocked ‘70’s arenas with his eponymous band ARGENT (“Hold Your Head Up,” “God Gave Rock ‘n’ Roll To You”), but the legend of The Zombies continued to take on a life of its own. By the start of the new Millennium, Blunstone and Argent were inspired to resurrect The Zombies.
The explosive release of Still Got That Hunger proved that Zombies fever is stronger than ever, with premieres at Rolling Stone, Mojo, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian Speakeasy, and Spin, alongside special broadcast performances, including Later…With Jools Holland, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and AOL Sessions. Moreover, it marked a historical moment on the Billboard charts, as The Zombies’ critically acclaimed album Odessey And Oracle re-entered the Billboard 100 forty-eight years later at the same time as Still Got That Hunger!
The Zombies look forward to an even busier 2017, with a major world tour, table-top book release and other exciting projects to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the recording of Odessey And Oracle.
Whenever You're Ready
The Zombies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I still love you
I've been hurt
Like this before, yeah
You're not teaching me a new thing
Try to realize
And call me when you're ready
I know you left
But I still love you
And though I've cried like this before
You're not teaching me a new thing
Try to realize
And call me when you're ready
Whenever you're ready
But if you call me
You've got to treat me in a different way
And if you call me
You've got to listen girl to what I tell you
I never hurt
Because I love you
Never hurt me like before, yeah
You're not teaching me a new thing
Try to realize
And call me when you're ready
Whenever you're ready
You're not teaching me a new thing
Try to realize
And call me when you're ready
Whenever you're ready
All you've got to do is call, call me, call me
You know
Call me, call me, call me, call me
Ready
Call me
The Zombies' song "Whenever You're Ready" conveys a familiar message of seeking reconciliation with a loved one after enduring pain and heartache. The opening lines, "Oh I've been hurt, but I still love you," reveal a sense of vulnerability and emotional turmoil. Despite the pain, the singer remains committed to their love for the other person, suggesting both a resilience and deep affection.
The repeated phrase, "You're not teaching me a new thing, try to realize," highlights a sense of frustration and longing for the other person to understand the depth of their feelings. The refrain "call me when you're ready, whenever you're ready" captures a sense of hopefulness and willingness to forgive when the other person is ready to come back.
The final lines, "All you've got to do is call, call me," underscore the simplicity and urgency of the singer's plea for reconciliation. Overall, the lyrics to "Whenever You're Ready" convey a mix of emotions including pain, love, frustration, and hope, reflecting the complexity of human relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh I've been hurt
Despite being hurt in the past, I still love you.
But I still love you
Despite the pain it has caused, my love for you remains.
I've been hurt
I have experienced emotional pain from this relationship.
Like this before, yeah
I am no stranger to this kind of heartbreak.
You're not teaching me a new thing
Your behavior in this relationship is not surprising to me.
Try to realize
Please understand the impact of your actions on our relationship.
And call me when you're ready
When you are ready to address our issues, reach out to me.
Whenever you're ready
I am waiting for you to take the initiative to fix our relationship.
I know you left
I am aware that you ended things between us.
And though I've cried like this before
I have experienced tears and heartbreak from previous relationships.
But if you call me
If you make the effort to contact me,
You've got to treat me in a different way
You must change your behavior towards me.
And if you call me
If you reach out to me,
You've got to listen girl to what I tell you
You must be willing to actively listen to my needs and desires.
I never hurt
I have never intentionally caused you pain.
Because I love you
My love for you motivates me to avoid causing you harm.
Never hurt me like before, yeah
Please do not repeat past actions that have caused me pain.
All you've got to do is call, call me, call me
The solution to our problems is as simple as reaching out to me.
You know
You are aware of what needs to be done to improve our relationship.
Call me, call me, call me, call me
Please reach out to me so we can work to fix our relationship.
Ready
I am waiting for your call when you are ready to fix things between us.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: Rodney Terrence Argent
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
on She's Not There
An excellent song by The Zombies.