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.
You Really Got a Hold on Me
The Zombies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I love you,
Seems that I'm always,
Thinking of you.
Oh ho ho
You treat me badly, (You treat me badly)
I love you madly,
You've really got a hold on me.
You've really got a hold on me.
You've really got a hold on me.
Baby! I love you!
And all I want you to do is just,
Hold me... hold me... hold me... oh yeah...
I wanna leave you,
Don't wanna stay here,
I don't want to spend another day here.
Ho ho ho.
I wanna quit now. (mmm)
I just can't split now.
You've really got a hold on me.
You've really got a hold on me.
You've really got a hold on me.
You've really got a hold on me.
Baby! I love you!
And all I want you to do is just...
Hold me... hold me... hold me...
Real tight hold on me.
You got a real tight hold on me.
You got a real tight hold on me.
You got a real tight hold on me.
You got a real tight hold on me.
You got a real tight hold on me.
You got a real tight hold on me.
You got a real tight hold on me.
And I want you to know now...
You got a real tight hold on me.
Before you go I want you to know!
You got a real tight hold on me.
That if you ever,
Ever change your mind,
About leavinl, about leavin', me behind!
Oh! Bring it on home, bring your sweet lovin', bring it
On home to me!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah I'll give you jewelery.
And money too. (Woah)
And that ain't all, that ain't all, all I'm gonna do.
Bring it on home, bring your sweet lovin', bring it on
Home to me.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
Because you really got a hold on me! -a
The lyrics to The Zombies' rendition of "You Really Got A Hold On Me" are a reflection of a tumultuous relationship. The singer feels conflicted as they describe how they "love" their partner, even though they "treat them badly." The line "seems that I'm always thinking of you" suggests that despite the singer's dissatisfaction with their partner, they can't get them out of their head. The repetition of the line "you've really got a hold on me" reinforces this idea of being trapped in a toxic cycle of love and pain. The singer expresses their desire to leave and urges their partner to "bring it on home" if they ever change their mind, indicating a hope for reconciliation.
One interesting fact about this song is that it was originally written and recorded by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles in 1962. The Zombies' version was released as a single in 1964 and became a top hit in the UK. Another interesting fact is that The Beatles also covered this song and performed it in their early live shows. Additionally, the song has been covered by numerous other artists, including The Supremes and Phil Collins. The phrase "bring it on home" in the lyrics was famously used as the title of a Led Zeppelin song.
The song has also been analyzed as a commentary on the racial dynamics of the time, as it was written and performed by Black artists but covered by a predominantly White British band. The line "you've really got a hold on me" has been interpreted as a reference to the societal hold that White culture had on Black artists and their music.
The chords for The Zombies' version of "You Really Got A Hold On Me" are as follows:
Verse: Em Am G B7 (x2)
Chorus: C G (x4) C D (x2) G
Overall, the song is a powerful depiction of the complexities of love, and the enduring nature of desire even in the face of pain and dissatisfaction.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't like you,
I have feelings of dislike towards you.
But I love you,
Despite my feelings of dislike, I feel love towards you.
Seems that I'm always,
It appears that my thoughts are consumed by you constantly.
Thinking of you.
I am constantly thinking about you.
You treat me badly,
Your treatment of me is unkind.
(You treat me badly)
Painful and unkind are the ways that you treat me.
I love you madly,
Despite the hurt, I still feel intense love for you.
You've really got a hold on me.
You have a significant power and influence over me.
Baby! I love you!
My love for you is strong and unwavering.
And all I want you to do is just,
All I desire from you is to simply
Hold me... hold me... hold me... oh yeah...
Embrace me tightly, this is my deepest desire.
I wanna leave you,
I want to depart from and end our relationship.
Don't wanna stay here,
I do not wish to remain in this situation.
I don't want to spend another day here.
I have no desire to stay in this place for another day.
Ho ho ho.
A lighthearted expression.
I wanna quit now. (mmm)
I desire to end things immediately.
I just can't split now.
Despite my wishes, I am unable to leave.
Real tight hold on me.
Your grasp on me is very strong.
You got a real tight hold on me.
Your power over me is substantial.
And I want you to know now...
I need to make you aware that...
Before you go I want you to know!
Before you leave, there is something I need you to understand.
That if you ever,
In the event that you ever
Ever change your mind,
If you change your mind
About leavinl, about leavin', me behind!
Regarding the possibility of you leaving me behind.
Oh! Bring it on home, bring your sweet lovin', bring it
Come back to me with your love
On home to me!
Bring your love to me.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Expressing enthusiasm.
Yeah I'll give you jewelery.
I am willing to give you jewelry as a display of my love.
And money too. (Woah)
I will also give you money.
And that ain't all, that ain't all, all I'm gonna do.
I have more to offer than just that.
Bring it on home, bring your sweet lovin', bring it on
Come to me with all the love you have to offer.
Home to me.
Come to me fully.
Because you really got a hold on me! -a
I am in your grip, you control me completely.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: William Robinson Jr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mark von Wahlde
This is a cool version. The lead and the backups are REALLY following Smokey Robinson's style. This is a real homage.
sebaatero mentes
Este cover la verdad que si motiva, y se siente muy bien, asi se hace un cover.
StrawberryAphrodite420
Also, The Beatles are my favorite band of all time & I listen to a huge variety of music. Which is why I think some of you need to realize that it's not about who wrote it, or did first , or who was the best band or most popular band at the time. It's about one thing and one thing only: THE SOUND! I love this version with the Sam Cooke bring it on home reference, The Beatles version gives me chills, & The miracles original infiltrates my soul. They are all excellent!
Ein Mann und sein Hut
That was the good thing about cover versions back in the days - everybody brought in the personal touch and the exceptional skills he had, and so all these covers sounded different, but all good in their own way. Today it's mostly for earning some money to make a cover, and the covers that are commercial succesful today have mostly only one difference to the original - they sound worse.
Thomas Payne
I always liked this version. They put their own touch on it and it sounds great to me. Always has.
3bjpc
My favorite band of all time is The Beatles, but The Zombies covered this song a lot better! That ending melody was a perfect addition!
VincentL7
3bjpc: How can you say such an absurd thing like that? The Zombies were a great rock band of the 60s, no doubt about it, perhaps as good as the Beatles, but their version of this song can't even be half of what the Beatles version was. The Beatles version had much more soul and more feelings (that without saying it was much more harmonized), it had more power to the song. The Zombies version sounds so fake and childish. Believe me, this is the ONLY song of the Zombies I don't quite like.
jane oughton
What fantastic harmonies these guys sing ,,,,,i wish they would have let me sing with them ,,,,I could have blended in very nicely ....this band brought great joy to the 60s era .......
RayoDesertico
My favourite version. I like The Beatles but this version is much more soulful. I love it.
jane oughton
such wonderful harmonies i love this version.....................long live the 60s x