"The Zombies: Hung Up On A Dream A Biography 1962-1967"
Claes Johansen
226 pages, SAF Publishing Ltd; 1st edition (September 1, 2001)

In 1964 a pratically unknown British Beat group calling themselves "The Zombies" released a single on Decca Records bearing the title "She's Not There". Incredibly dynamic and built on driving, jazzy bass line over which drums, electric piano and voice were forming individual rhythms and pattern almost like in a piece of Baroque chamber music, this unusual record gave a glimpse of a future where musicalstyles could be merged freely and without prejudice. It was very much of its time , a charming little slice of Pop vinyl, easy to take, hard to let go.


Novelist and musician "Claes Johansen" follows them from suburban beginnings on an adventure through a Pop industry in its infancy. In 1967, before going their separate ways, "The Zombies" recorded their swansong, "Odessey and Oracle". When "Al Kooper" championed its posthumous release in the States, this classic LP started to undergo a series of re-evaluations. (It recently featured amongst Mojo magazine's best 100 LPs of all time). Here, this timeless masterpiece is fully explored.
"Claes Johansen" wrote this Zombies bio with the co-operation of the 5 original members of the band and they are interviewed extensively throughout the book. Unfortunately, guitarist "Paul Atkinson" has passed away since the book was first published circa 2001.

The Zombies 1965
After enjoying 2 early hit singles, "The Zombies" disappeared from the charts until "Time of the Season" became a surprise American hit in 1969, a year after "The Zombies" had disbanded. This is one of the great tragedies of the Pop music scene of the 1960's. "The Zombies" continued to release some of the most brilliant and creative singles of the era yet they were ignored by radio. Their second LP, Odessey and Oracle is now regarded as one of the finest LP's of that time.