A 'Different Game': The Zombies acquire rights to catalog after 50 years, tour with new album

Colin Blunstone’s year has been full of great moments.

Not only is the vocalist for The Zombies getting ready for a tour in the United States, but the band got the original catalog back in the band’s hands.

“It’s come as a wonderful surprise to all of us,” he says. “About 50 years ago, we thought The Zombies’ career was finished. We have a new album out and a documentary that will be released by the end of the year. It’s been an amazing time.”

The Zombies’ new album is called “Different Game” and the band’s tour will make a stop at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in Santa Fe on Monday, Oct. 9.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees recently signed a deal in August to get their catalog back. The deal includes the hit singles “She’s Not There,” “Tell Her No” and “Time of the Season,” as well as the ground-breaking 1968 album “Odessey & Oracle.”

The partnership is with original members Blunstone, Rod Argent, Chris White and Hugh Grundy, as well as Helen Atkinson, the widow and estate trustee of Paul Atkinson.

Blunstone says The Zombies have continued to perform continuously since 1964 and many of the band members have had careers away from the band.

“We’ve remained close all these years,” he says. “We got back together in 1999 to play six shows together. It didn’t end there. We’re still doing it.”

After decades in the music industry, Blunstone has learned a lot of lessons.

“I’m a little more in control of what’s going on,” he says. “When you go on stage, it’s a wonderful adventure. The exciting thing about live performance is that there is some control over it all. As a singer, I have to keep my voice in good shape, especially as I’ve gotten older. Eating sensibly is key. I do go through singing exercises. There’s a big difference in how I sing now compared to how I treated my voice when we began in the ’60s.”

With more than 50 years worth of music, preparing for tour can be quite cumbersome as the band doesn’t live in the same country.

“It’s quite challenging to get everyone together to practice,” he says. “We wait until we’re in the states to do that. We’re going to start the tour off with four new songs from the album. And then we’ll fill in with the hits and some deep tracks. Luckily, we have a lot of material available to play with along the way.”

The Zombies began working on “Different Game” before the lockdown in 2020.

It took three years for the album to be completed.

“It was definitely a journey,” he says. “The songs all started out on the keyboard and we built from there. We had to wait for us to be in the same studio. During that time, we recorded remotely to give examples of what we were thinking. I look back at how the music industry has changed over time and I’m grateful that we’re able to be doing this. Everything is looking up for The Zombies.”