1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:02,759 Speaker 1: The True Story of the Fake Zombies is a production 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:08,239 Speaker 1: of iHeart Podcasts, Talk House and never Mind Media. If 3 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:11,000 Speaker 1: you could start out just by introducing yourself and your 4 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: role in the band. 5 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 2: Okay, my name is Colin Blondstone. I'm the lead singer 6 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:19,480 Speaker 2: in the Zombies. 7 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 1: The Zombies have made a lot of great music in 8 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:31,319 Speaker 1: the sixty three years they've been a band. This song 9 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:35,519 Speaker 1: time of the Season is their colling Carry, one of 10 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:41,879 Speaker 1: those perfect songs. Back in nineteen sixty nine, when that 11 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: song topped the charts in America, there was a rumor 12 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:49,159 Speaker 1: going around about their lead singer, Colin Blondstone, And at 13 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: some point in the process, a journalist from Rolling Stone 14 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 1: gets in touch with the band and tells you a 15 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: piece of news about yourself. Do you remember what he 16 00:00:57,960 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: told you? 17 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 2: Yes, I remember very well. Chris White was in New 18 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 2: York and he'd gone to the offices of Rolling Stone 19 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 2: and they said that there were at least two bands 20 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 2: touring as the Zombies. The Rolling Stone people in the 21 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:18,480 Speaker 2: office got Chris White, original base payer, to ring the 22 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 2: manager of one of these bands to engagement in conversation 23 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:24,560 Speaker 2: and see what he had to say. And the manager 24 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:27,679 Speaker 2: said to Chris well, yes, we've started up the Zombies 25 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:32,120 Speaker 2: in honor of Colin Blanstone, the lead singer from the 26 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 2: band who was tragically killed in a car crash yesterday 27 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 2: Rolling Stone. 28 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 3: And the man said I. 29 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 2: Did this was reported in Stone. I mean they knew 30 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 2: I hadn't been killed in a car crash. For years, 31 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 2: I carried that clipping around with me. I've lost it now. 32 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 2: I'm not sure it's really healthy to carry around chery 33 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 2: around with you. 34 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 1: Colin Blunstone isn't dead, obviously, But back in nineteen seventy 35 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 1: when his bandmate Chris relayed that call from Rolling Stone, 36 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 1: his career and his band were While Colin's band was 37 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: falling apart back in England, new zombies would rise in 38 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 1: their place. They came from Texas, and they came from Michigan. 39 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 1: But before I tell you about the fake zombies, you 40 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: need to hear about the genuine article, the real zombies, 41 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 1: and how a fifty five year old footnote in the 42 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: career of one of the best bands ever let us 43 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:46,639 Speaker 1: hear to a story that could never in a million 44 00:02:46,720 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: years happen today. It doesn't take much to set my 45 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 1: mind reeling. In the case of the fake Zombies, a 46 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: fake version of a very real British rock band. It 47 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 1: was a single sentence I read in a used book 48 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 1: that was ten years ago. The book was small, a 49 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: flimsy paperback with a glossy white cover. The price, about 50 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 1: eight bucks, was written in pencil on the inside cover. 51 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: I don't remember where I saw it, just that it 52 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: was one of those bookstores in New York where there 53 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 1: are no defined sections and nothing is alphabetized, just wall 54 00:03:49,880 --> 00:04:00,160 Speaker 1: to wall books. I stopped on this particular book on 55 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: that particular day because the subject was and remains very 56 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: dear to me, and I've never seen an entire book 57 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 1: devoted to what I believe is the most criminally underrated 58 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:22,160 Speaker 1: band of all time, The Zombies. I'm not the only 59 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 1: one who feels that way. So did Tom Petty. 60 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 4: We wounded up Salute one of our favorite groups. That 61 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,160 Speaker 4: meant a lots of us. They weren't the biggest group 62 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 4: in the world, as back in the sixties there was 63 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 4: a hoop called the Zombies. 64 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 1: Tom Petty loved the Zombies, so do his bandmates. Later 65 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 1: in this podcast, you'll hear from Mike Campbell, lead guitarist, 66 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. That's coming up. Now, 67 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:52,280 Speaker 1: back to that book, there are pictures the band in 68 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:56,599 Speaker 1: their schoolboy days at Saint Albans just outside London, recording 69 00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 1: an Abbey Road, performing on TV shows in the nineties 70 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:03,160 Speaker 1: in sixties with names like Hullabaloo and Shindig. 71 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:03,960 Speaker 5: What is Your Name? 72 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 2: Bud, Hugh but Grundy, Paul Ashley, Warren Atkinson, Christopher Taylor, White, 73 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 2: Clint Edward Michael Dunstein. 74 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:21,160 Speaker 6: You probably know them better as the zombie. 75 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 1: In the photos. The zombies are thin and pale, and 76 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 1: they look impossibly cool. The definition of British Invasion chic. 77 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 1: Their music you've probably heard it oc and Food. If 78 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 1: you know that song, you know part of the story. 79 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 1: The book went a little deeper. It covered the band's 80 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 1: early hits too, which you also might know if you've 81 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 1: ever flipped through an FM radio dial or listen to 82 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 1: a British Invasion playlist. 83 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 7: No no no no no no no no no no 84 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:02,840 Speaker 7: no no no no no no no no no no, 85 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 7: these don't bother find them. 86 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:10,479 Speaker 8: She's not that. 87 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:20,600 Speaker 1: And The book talked about their seminal album Odyssey and Oracle, 88 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 1: a record which is now accepted as a modern classic. 89 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 3: Part of the appeal is that it's just as good 90 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:30,840 Speaker 3: as Sergeant Pepper's. 91 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:36,360 Speaker 9: It's extremely sophisticated and like it's very intellectual, but yet 92 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:38,360 Speaker 9: its beauty is unparalleled. 93 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 6: They just stood up from a lot of the other bands, 94 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:44,280 Speaker 6: and their songs were so catchy, you know, instantly memorable. 95 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 6: They just had the whole package of singing, the writing, 96 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 6: to playing that vocal sound. It just jumped out of 97 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:50,839 Speaker 6: the radio. I fell in love with them right away. 98 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 1: So that's the Zombies' official story as the book laid 99 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 1: it out. They had some hits, they made a classic album, 100 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:03,279 Speaker 1: They remained darlings of the record collector set, never fully 101 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:07,120 Speaker 1: appreciated in their time. They weren't destined to become the Beatles, 102 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: although Paul McCartney loves the Zombies. Here's Lucy Atkinson, her 103 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 1: dad Paul is the only original Zombie no longer with us. 104 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 10: My dad Paul was working at CBS in New York. 105 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 10: He was in charge of his band Wings. They were 106 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 10: recording in London. McCartney greeted my dad with a Zombie 107 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:28,920 Speaker 10: song the first day he walked in the studio. I 108 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 10: think it might have been tell her No, but I 109 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 10: can't I can't remember exactly. 110 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 1: Lucy's story is a pretty good microcosm for the Zombies career. 111 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:38,239 Speaker 1: They have a lot of famous fans and huge hits, 112 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 1: but they remain a little underground, the best kept secret. 113 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:43,559 Speaker 1: Everybody knows. 114 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:48,400 Speaker 3: The Zombies are like the Connoisseur's British Invasion band. 115 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 9: Everybody should know about the Zombies and they will fall 116 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:56,440 Speaker 9: in love and they will think, why did I not know? 117 00:07:56,840 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 9: Why did I not know this music? 118 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 1: Once you you're in the Zombies world, you don't want 119 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 1: to leave. The deeper you go into the band's catalog, 120 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 1: the better the songs get. Their songs mean a lot 121 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 1: to people like these Zombies super fans. So carosel forty four. 122 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 4: My daughter, I remember her being very young, like three 123 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:22,400 Speaker 4: or four, and I was dancing around the house of 124 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 4: that song all the time. 125 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 1: So it's a very important song to me and my kid. Wow, 126 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 1: I'm smart. 127 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:34,440 Speaker 5: Smart I chose this will be our year for our 128 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:37,920 Speaker 5: wedding song, and that obviously has connected with me the most. 129 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 1: This will be our years Yeah, I'd say my favorite. 130 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:57,960 Speaker 1: And the way, that's the kind of Zombies fan I 131 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:00,960 Speaker 1: was when I picked up that paperback ten years ago 132 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: and read a sentence that would take me on the 133 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 1: wildest ride of my life. It was these words and 134 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:11,680 Speaker 1: the end of a chapter without any further explanation, that 135 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:17,199 Speaker 1: would set this whole thing off. While the Zombies were disbanded, 136 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:20,160 Speaker 1: a group of Americans toured the United States pretending to 137 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:25,680 Speaker 1: be the Zombies. As it turns out, that sentence that 138 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 1: got my mind reeling all those years ago wasn't even accurate. 139 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 1: There wasn't one group of young guys going around America 140 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 1: faking British accents and playing time of the season. There 141 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 1: were two, and one of those bands featured a couple 142 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:54,959 Speaker 1: of guys from zz Top. I'm Daniel Ralston and this 143 00:09:55,000 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 1: is the true story of the fake Zombies. What's your name? 144 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 2: Daddy is rich like me? 145 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:23,320 Speaker 11: Who's your daddy is rich? 146 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:25,719 Speaker 1: Is he rich? 147 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:25,959 Speaker 11: Like? 148 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:30,560 Speaker 1: What's your name? Who's your daddy? Is he rich like me? 149 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 1: As far as iconic lyrics, it's hard to do better 150 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 1: than that one. Its appeal is kind of obvious. It's 151 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:42,199 Speaker 1: more self assured than cocky. Equal parts let me take 152 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:44,240 Speaker 1: you to dinner and let me take you to bed. 153 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 1: It's a hotline, and there's a reason it's been sampled 154 00:10:48,559 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 1: to death, and it's a damn good entry point to 155 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:04,840 Speaker 1: appreciate what's great about the Zombies. They're a British invasion 156 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:07,920 Speaker 1: band by definition, but the sound is more American R 157 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:13,400 Speaker 1: and B than blues. The Zombies, back in the sixties 158 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:17,000 Speaker 1: and today are built around two guys. One is Rod Argent, 159 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:23,840 Speaker 1: world class keyboardist and songwriter, and as you're learn in 160 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: this podcast, Rod still plays those outrageous keyboard solos note 161 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:29,720 Speaker 1: perfect as he approaches eighty years old. 162 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:36,040 Speaker 8: Of the season. 163 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 1: The other key to the Zombies sound is that voice 164 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:46,440 Speaker 1: you're hearing, the singer Colin Blunstone, and my god, what 165 00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:52,400 Speaker 1: a singer me drymus pleasure. Here's the legendary Susannah Hoffs 166 00:11:52,559 --> 00:11:53,920 Speaker 1: of the Bengals. 167 00:11:54,040 --> 00:11:59,800 Speaker 9: I was instantly seduced by Colin's voice. He has a 168 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 9: singular voice for some reason, even as a very little girl, 169 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:09,320 Speaker 9: I was very moved by the emotion in songs. 170 00:12:09,679 --> 00:12:11,920 Speaker 1: Susannah had the honor of inducting the Zombies into the 171 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:14,120 Speaker 1: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in twenty sixteen. 172 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:18,679 Speaker 9: He's the one channeling that same passion. He's in the 173 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:23,559 Speaker 9: pantheon of emotive singers. 174 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:27,280 Speaker 1: Argent and Blunstone met in nineteen sixty one, by the way, 175 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 1: making them one of the longest running duos in rock history. 176 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:34,640 Speaker 1: Some bands can make great songs, but it's another thing 177 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:38,520 Speaker 1: entirely to make a great album. While the Zombies have 178 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 1: made a lot of incredible music over the past sixty years, 179 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:44,680 Speaker 1: they're best known for their nineteen sixty seven album Odyssey 180 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:48,320 Speaker 1: an Oracle. It has the big hit song on it, 181 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:52,720 Speaker 1: but to quote Bob Dylan, it contains multitudes. Every song 182 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:58,400 Speaker 1: is great. Here's Mike Campbell from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. 183 00:12:58,040 --> 00:12:59,240 Speaker 6: Of course, time and the season. 184 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:03,559 Speaker 3: Brilliant song that is Hung Up on a Dream is 185 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:04,720 Speaker 3: probably my favorite. 186 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:07,479 Speaker 1: That's drummer and composer Joe Walk. 187 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:10,280 Speaker 3: Because there's the rod part and there's the Colin part. 188 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:14,280 Speaker 3: I just think it's my favorite of all their melodies too, 189 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:16,320 Speaker 3: and they've written lots of great melodies. 190 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:18,719 Speaker 1: Let's hear from Susannah Hawk's I. 191 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 9: Mean a Rose for Emily by the way. This is 192 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:26,960 Speaker 9: like a story. It's connecting to all sorts of interesting 193 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:29,120 Speaker 9: traditions and literature. 194 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:37,840 Speaker 2: Is at least this guy is overcast and brings a rose. 195 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:43,240 Speaker 6: They just had that quality X that just connects with 196 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 6: people and you remember it when you hear the song 197 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 6: you instantly remember it, you know, and that's a gift. 198 00:13:53,480 --> 00:13:56,600 Speaker 1: Odyssey and Oracle is now considered a classic, but I 199 00:13:56,679 --> 00:13:59,319 Speaker 1: wasn't always the case. In fact, when it was released 200 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:11,760 Speaker 1: in nineteen six, it was kind of an afterthought. Here's 201 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 1: Zombies co founder, keyboardist and chief songwriter Ride Argent and 202 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:17,160 Speaker 1: singer Colin Blunstone. 203 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:21,600 Speaker 12: The main reason that I think that we recorded odscen 204 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:23,880 Speaker 12: Oracle was because it was in the air that we 205 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:26,000 Speaker 12: might break up, and so we made the record because 206 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:28,320 Speaker 12: we felt that we went in with some wonderful ideas 207 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:32,240 Speaker 12: and in our heads we had how we wanted them 208 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:34,640 Speaker 12: to sound, and they weren't coming out that way. And 209 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:36,440 Speaker 12: so we thought, if we are going to break up, 210 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:39,600 Speaker 12: we've got to try and produce an album ourselves. So 211 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:41,680 Speaker 12: if it works or if it doesn't, we don't know 212 00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:43,560 Speaker 12: if it's going to work, but Lisa, we'll have given 213 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:44,240 Speaker 12: it a shot. 214 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:48,280 Speaker 2: We had a really small advance, are we a thousand 215 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:52,920 Speaker 2: pounds from CBS, which, you know, to record an album 216 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:56,280 Speaker 2: even then is a very small amount of money. We 217 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:59,040 Speaker 2: managed to get into Abby Road and we recorded very 218 00:14:59,120 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 2: very quickly. 219 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:02,160 Speaker 12: So we thought, if the first single comes out and 220 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 12: it's a hit, would stay together. I mean all of 221 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 12: us thought that because we were great friends and we 222 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:08,560 Speaker 12: thought it would be exciting, but it wasn't. 223 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:11,720 Speaker 2: They issued a first single, which was care of Self 224 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 2: forty four, and I would have thought that's a sure 225 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 2: fire hit myself, but nothing happened. By this point, we 226 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 2: weren't managed, we didn't have an agent, we weren't getting 227 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 2: any enthusiasm from the record company the single would come out. 228 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:30,240 Speaker 2: We'd had several big disappointments before that. 229 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:33,640 Speaker 1: If you need more evidence that the Zombies and their 230 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:36,880 Speaker 1: now classic album weren't exactly a priority for their record label, 231 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:41,640 Speaker 1: the word Odyssey is misspelled on the cover. Nobody noticed 232 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 1: the mistake until after the record was pressed. The mistake 233 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:49,640 Speaker 1: was left in and called a psychedelic inspired choice. The 234 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:53,240 Speaker 1: album bombed when it was released in the UK. The 235 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:56,600 Speaker 1: band released two singles, both great songs, but they didn't 236 00:15:56,680 --> 00:15:58,240 Speaker 1: hit and the Zombies broke up. 237 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:01,160 Speaker 2: I think there was a disc since in the band 238 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:06,680 Speaker 2: at that time, the band were going through a difficult time, 239 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:10,840 Speaker 2: and when the single didn't happen, we got together for 240 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:14,960 Speaker 2: you know, the meeting. I think we all knew that 241 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:18,920 Speaker 2: something was going to happen, but Paul Atkinson, Hugh Grandie 242 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:23,800 Speaker 2: and myself from the live work. We had never made 243 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 2: any I don't mean any money at all. We were 244 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:31,360 Speaker 2: having trouble just eating, you know, existing, and Paul said, guys, 245 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:34,280 Speaker 2: you know I've just got married. I've been offered a 246 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:36,360 Speaker 2: really great job. You know I'm going to have to 247 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:41,000 Speaker 2: take it. And Rod said, well, if Paul's leaving, I 248 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 2: think the band should finish. And I remember I wish 249 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:51,480 Speaker 2: I had said something, but I didn't say anything at 250 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 2: all and left this meeting. I had no money and 251 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:57,360 Speaker 2: no idea of what. 252 00:16:57,320 --> 00:16:57,960 Speaker 1: I was going to do. 253 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:02,720 Speaker 12: It wasn't a acrimonious split up. It was for other reasons. 254 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 12: It was very sad because I thought this is breaking 255 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:09,159 Speaker 12: into pieces. We're all friends, We've just done an album 256 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:11,400 Speaker 12: which we think is the best that we can do, 257 00:17:11,760 --> 00:17:13,560 Speaker 12: but no one was listening to it at all. 258 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:19,080 Speaker 1: Keyboardist Rod Argent, along with Zombies' bassist Chris White, wrote 259 00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 1: the band's early hits that man Rod had the money 260 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:24,760 Speaker 1: and resources to continue his life as a musician. 261 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:30,240 Speaker 12: Chris and I had already managed to negotiate a great 262 00:17:30,280 --> 00:17:33,600 Speaker 12: deal for production with Clive Davis. We had all our 263 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:36,240 Speaker 12: plans in place and we were just about to launch them. 264 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:38,080 Speaker 12: It felt great, but. 265 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:41,879 Speaker 1: It wasn't so easy for Colin Blunstone. He was the 266 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 1: front man, the face of the band, but he didn't 267 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:50,160 Speaker 1: write the songs. You can almost picture it. Rod Argent 268 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:52,439 Speaker 1: shows up to the artist scene Oracle sessions at Abbey 269 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:56,120 Speaker 1: Road and a rolls Royce Colin rode up on a bicycle. 270 00:17:57,760 --> 00:18:01,679 Speaker 1: That disparity, that reality would lead to the breakup of 271 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:06,200 Speaker 1: the band. You see, the band's dissolution back in England 272 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:08,960 Speaker 1: happened just as Time of the Season was taking off 273 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:13,600 Speaker 1: in the US. The only problem was the band didn't 274 00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:22,160 Speaker 1: know it was a void was created. People in America 275 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:25,679 Speaker 1: wanted to see the Zombies, but there was no band, 276 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:30,960 Speaker 1: and this would lead to the creation of the fake zombies. 277 00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:39,120 Speaker 8: So your own rab. 278 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:49,359 Speaker 1: As you may have figured out, this is a scheme 279 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:53,560 Speaker 1: that would be impossible to pull off today. A band, 280 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 1: not just any band, but one with the massive hit 281 00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:59,320 Speaker 1: record breaks up just as their song is climbing the charts. 282 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:03,399 Speaker 1: The Zombies could have disappeared right then and there. But 283 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:06,560 Speaker 1: there were these two guys in a small town in 284 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:10,080 Speaker 1: Michigan who had a dream, a fucked up, twisted so 285 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:16,119 Speaker 1: crazy it just might work. Dream Enter Bill Kehoe and 286 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:22,040 Speaker 1: Jim Atherton, founders and co proprietors of Delta Promotions, the 287 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:27,080 Speaker 1: pre eminent concert promoters of Bay City, Michigan. They are 288 00:19:27,119 --> 00:19:31,080 Speaker 1: also the management company who would assemble and manage both 289 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:36,040 Speaker 1: versions of the Fake Zombies. If you dig deep enough 290 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:39,600 Speaker 1: into the history of American music before giant corporations got 291 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:43,440 Speaker 1: involved with controlling everything, you didn't have to look far 292 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:46,639 Speaker 1: to find a shady character with connections to organized crime. 293 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:52,320 Speaker 1: Think Colonel Tom Parker's control over Elvis's life, or Hesh 294 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:56,440 Speaker 1: Tony's financial advisor and the sopranos who got rich exploiting 295 00:19:56,480 --> 00:20:02,919 Speaker 1: black artists and taking their royalties. Tom Parker and the 296 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:06,199 Speaker 1: guy's hash is based on operated on a big stage 297 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:09,160 Speaker 1: and exploited the naivety of their young performers without any 298 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:12,879 Speaker 1: fear of repercussion. The music industry was built on this 299 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:15,520 Speaker 1: kind of arrangement. It's the wild West. 300 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:21,400 Speaker 13: Well, it was an unregular industry. There was a lot 301 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:25,919 Speaker 13: of pash, there was a lot of leeway, there was 302 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:32,600 Speaker 13: a lot of opportunity to operate beyond the you know, 303 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:36,240 Speaker 13: outside the lines. So a circumstance like that, it's just 304 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:41,520 Speaker 13: going to attract those people, and as the record business grew, 305 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:45,119 Speaker 13: as the money got bigger, it just attracted more of it. 306 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:49,680 Speaker 1: That's Joel Selvin, longtime San Francisco Chronicle columnists and rock 307 00:20:49,720 --> 00:20:53,359 Speaker 1: writer emeritus. Joel literally wrote the book on the criminal 308 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:56,200 Speaker 1: underpinnings of the early days of rock and roll. He's 309 00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 1: actually written a few books on the subject. I wanted 310 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:01,080 Speaker 1: to talk to Joel because I knew that an operation 311 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:03,879 Speaker 1: like Delta Promotions wasn't the first to try a fake 312 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:04,719 Speaker 1: band scheme. 313 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:07,520 Speaker 13: This also goes back to the early days of rock 314 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:10,120 Speaker 13: and roll, when a group would have a hit record 315 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:13,040 Speaker 13: and quickly they would hire a bunch of guys to 316 00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:15,640 Speaker 13: go out and be the group, and sometimes they would 317 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:17,600 Speaker 13: send two or three of the groups out at the 318 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:22,760 Speaker 13: same time. Eventually, the Coasters had three different groups working. 319 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:26,760 Speaker 13: Two of them had split the country west of the Mississippi, 320 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:29,000 Speaker 13: east of the Mississippi, and the third one just rampaged 321 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:31,480 Speaker 13: across the country and they were all the Coasters. 322 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:35,280 Speaker 1: When the Fake Zombies were formed, Bill Kehoe and Jim 323 00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:38,240 Speaker 1: Atherton were running a teen nightclub in Bay City called 324 00:21:38,359 --> 00:21:42,560 Speaker 1: Band Canyon. These teen nightclubs popped up in the years 325 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:45,840 Speaker 1: after the British invasion. Teenage kids wanted to dance to 326 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:48,520 Speaker 1: rock music, and there's no way in hell parents in 327 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:51,359 Speaker 1: Bay City were sending their kids to an adult nightclub. 328 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 1: Because nightclubs were run by the mob. 329 00:21:55,040 --> 00:22:00,919 Speaker 13: Nightclubs were the province of you know, shady types. It 330 00:22:01,040 --> 00:22:06,680 Speaker 13: wasn't a high end business. Jack Ruby in Dallas had 331 00:22:06,680 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 13: a nightclub that a lot of these bands played at. 332 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:12,040 Speaker 13: And of course, you know, the classic story is the 333 00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:17,199 Speaker 13: Peppermint Lounge, right That was a gangster hold out. That 334 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:21,000 Speaker 13: was a place where they had this bar off Times 335 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:25,159 Speaker 13: Square just as a place to hang out. And the 336 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:27,960 Speaker 13: manager decided to start booking rock and roll bands and 337 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:32,080 Speaker 13: attractor the crowd sort of unexpectedly and all of a 338 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:33,000 Speaker 13: sudden bingo. 339 00:22:36,359 --> 00:22:39,359 Speaker 1: Our story might be a little darker if Kehow and 340 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:41,720 Speaker 1: Atherton were hooked up with the tough guys and killers 341 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:46,560 Speaker 1: Joel writes about her. But they weren't. They just ran 342 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:48,679 Speaker 1: a teen nightclub and they saw a new way to 343 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:52,560 Speaker 1: make some money by asking the young performers who played 344 00:22:52,560 --> 00:23:02,000 Speaker 1: band Canyon to pretend to be the zombies. Keijo and 345 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:05,359 Speaker 1: Atherton attempted their scheme in nineteen sixty eight and at 346 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:08,760 Speaker 1: least According to them, they saw their teenage fake zombies 347 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:12,240 Speaker 1: as perfectly legal. My god, they felt comfortable enough to 348 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:17,200 Speaker 1: start a second fake Zombies. But that time somebody was watching. 349 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:21,480 Speaker 1: A writer named Ben Fong Torres, who back in sixty 350 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:23,239 Speaker 1: eight was one of the first editors of a new 351 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:33,000 Speaker 1: music newspaper called Rolling Stone after the Break the legendary 352 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:49,840 Speaker 1: Ben Fong Torres. Before Rolling Stone Magazine, if you wanted 353 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:51,680 Speaker 1: to know about your favorite band, you pretty much had 354 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:54,520 Speaker 1: to rely on what the band gave you. There was, 355 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:57,520 Speaker 1: of course, the music, the album cover and liner notes, 356 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:00,439 Speaker 1: and if you were lucky, a few photos, maybe a 357 00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:05,200 Speaker 1: fan club. Once guys like Ben Fong Torres and Cameron 358 00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 1: Crowe started writing lengthy profiles of new bands like led Zeppelin, 359 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:13,080 Speaker 1: things started to change. Suddenly, things like the Beatles breaking 360 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 1: up or Mick Jagger hating Keith Richards became news and 361 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:20,920 Speaker 1: Rolling Stone made it legend. Speaking of legends, if the 362 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:23,920 Speaker 1: name Ben Fong Torres sounds familiar, he was a key 363 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:27,560 Speaker 1: figure in the movie Almost Famous, portrayed by actor Terry Chen. 364 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:31,040 Speaker 1: That movie, written and directed by Cameron Crowe, one of 365 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:34,080 Speaker 1: Ben's old co workers at Rolling Stone, takes place around 366 00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:36,320 Speaker 1: the same time as the fake Zombies. If you're looking 367 00:24:36,320 --> 00:24:38,520 Speaker 1: to get a picture of the era, I mean, go 368 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:42,600 Speaker 1: watch Almost Famous. It's a classic, William. 369 00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:44,959 Speaker 5: This is Ben Fong Torres and the music editor at 370 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:48,760 Speaker 5: Rolling Stone Magazine. We got a couple copies of your stories. 371 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:52,520 Speaker 1: From back in nineteen seventy, at the beginning of rock journalism. 372 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:56,000 Speaker 1: Ben Fong Torres wrote about Delta Promotions and their fake 373 00:24:56,119 --> 00:25:01,000 Speaker 1: zombies scheme. When I stumbled upon the story forty five 374 00:25:01,080 --> 00:25:04,119 Speaker 1: years after it happened, I had no idea Ben already 375 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:07,760 Speaker 1: covered it. Unfortunately he did not remember it. 376 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:11,040 Speaker 8: This would be had a short conversation because I remember nothing, 377 00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:12,159 Speaker 8: but I'll do my best. 378 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:14,919 Speaker 1: But we send him the original story, and luckily it 379 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:18,639 Speaker 1: jogged his memory. I asked Ben how a story like 380 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:21,560 Speaker 1: Delta Promotions and their fake zombies might have ended up 381 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:23,359 Speaker 1: in Rolling Stone back in nineteen seventy. 382 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:28,479 Speaker 8: I think we heard about this from probably an artist 383 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:33,359 Speaker 8: like Triss White, or from management who felt rooped, cheated 384 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:38,800 Speaker 8: because there were impostors out there using their hard earned, 385 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:43,960 Speaker 8: well established, well respected names and making money off of them. 386 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:47,960 Speaker 1: Even now, Ben is fiercely defensive of the artists he's covered. 387 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:51,080 Speaker 1: Rereading his fake Zombie story is reminding him why he 388 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:52,160 Speaker 1: wrote it in the first place. 389 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:55,919 Speaker 8: And of course the real people who founded these groups, 390 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:58,760 Speaker 8: who might have split up or might have gone off 391 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:02,960 Speaker 8: to other bands like about argent Wood, are being deprived 392 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:05,919 Speaker 8: of income. And further than that, it could amount to 393 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:09,000 Speaker 8: a defamation of character because you have these frauds up 394 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:14,400 Speaker 8: on stage, playing their music poorly, if at all, and 395 00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:17,160 Speaker 8: be smirching their names. 396 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:20,200 Speaker 1: And Ben was right, as you'll hear later in the series, 397 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:23,000 Speaker 1: there were in fact reviews for the fake groups. 398 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:26,080 Speaker 8: Wait a minute, now, we saw that group a few 399 00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:29,160 Speaker 8: weeks ago, and they were terrible. We were ripped off. 400 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:32,159 Speaker 1: Artists getting ripped off by a company like Delta was 401 00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:34,359 Speaker 1: exactly the kind of news Ben wanted to cover in 402 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:36,920 Speaker 1: Rolling Stone. He wanted to see artists win. 403 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:41,320 Speaker 8: You know, it just fouls the air around these artists. 404 00:26:41,359 --> 00:26:44,000 Speaker 8: And I think that's the nature of the story as 405 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:48,240 Speaker 8: I recall it vaguely, And that's why we do stories 406 00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:51,960 Speaker 8: like that. You can't all be celebrity profiles and the 407 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:55,320 Speaker 8: latest drug busts. It had to be all the news 408 00:26:55,359 --> 00:26:57,360 Speaker 8: that I think it says on the front page here 409 00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:00,880 Speaker 8: all the news that fits, and this one did. 410 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:05,239 Speaker 1: And now over fifty years later, he's happy he had 411 00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:07,400 Speaker 1: a hand in bringing the fake Zombies to an end. 412 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:10,840 Speaker 8: Clearly, we felt that it was the wrong thing to 413 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:13,960 Speaker 8: be doing, and that's why we put it on the 414 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:16,600 Speaker 8: front page of Rolling Stone. 415 00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:18,439 Speaker 1: Thanks Ben, We're glad you did. 416 00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:21,000 Speaker 11: Really bad. 417 00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:33,240 Speaker 1: Because the zombies were on Ben's radar. The Delta Promotions 418 00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:38,840 Speaker 1: operation made it into the pages of Rolling Stone. The 419 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:41,000 Speaker 1: Fake Zombies only went on as long as it did 420 00:27:41,359 --> 00:27:46,440 Speaker 1: because of geography. Delta operated out of Bay City, Michigan, 421 00:27:47,119 --> 00:27:49,800 Speaker 1: two hours north of Detroit, and as you'll hear in 422 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:52,040 Speaker 1: the next episode, I have come to love this weird 423 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:54,840 Speaker 1: little town that Bill Keyhoe and Jim Atherton called home. 424 00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:59,840 Speaker 1: And surprisingly, Bay City has an entire museum dedicated to 425 00:27:59,880 --> 00:28:10,520 Speaker 1: the town's rock and roll past. Gary Johnson is a 426 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:13,359 Speaker 1: music historian who lives in Bay City, the home of 427 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:14,320 Speaker 1: Delta Promotions. 428 00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:21,000 Speaker 11: Kejo was the guy who started Delta Promotions, and. 429 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:22,960 Speaker 1: I'd soon learn it's home to a whole lot more, 430 00:28:23,840 --> 00:28:26,800 Speaker 1: including one of the most important songs in rock music history, 431 00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:31,879 Speaker 1: ninety six Tiers by question Mark and the Mysterians. 432 00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:37,920 Speaker 11: Jim Atherton was well known in Michigan as a band 433 00:28:38,040 --> 00:28:43,480 Speaker 11: manager and in the late sixties, he partnered up with 434 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:50,720 Speaker 11: Keho in Delta Promotions. Delta Promotions signed question Mark in 435 00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:55,240 Speaker 11: the Mysterians. You know, they started going out and playing 436 00:28:55,280 --> 00:29:00,320 Speaker 11: concerts that were promoted by Delta Promotions. 437 00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:01,560 Speaker 8: And j. 438 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:15,320 Speaker 1: Question Mark and the Mysterians are fronted by a guy 439 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 1: who legally changed his name to punctuation. His name is 440 00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:22,160 Speaker 1: literally a question mark, and he and the Mysterians were 441 00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:25,520 Speaker 1: light years ahead of their time. Question Mark, in his 442 00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:30,680 Speaker 1: band all Mexican American, were the children of migrant farm workers. 443 00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:33,640 Speaker 1: They wrote ninety six tiers when they were teenagers in Michigan, 444 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:36,400 Speaker 1: and you could make a case they helped invent punk 445 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:40,920 Speaker 1: rock with ninety six tiers. Question Mark shared a manager 446 00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:44,040 Speaker 1: with the fake Zombies. Keyho and Atherton made a name 447 00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:47,680 Speaker 1: for themselves through their connection to question Mark and the Mysterians. 448 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:50,479 Speaker 1: They had a real band on their roster, so they 449 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:53,959 Speaker 1: had to be legit right And now they were out 450 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:57,560 Speaker 1: there looking for impressionable young men to pretend to be 451 00:29:57,880 --> 00:30:08,200 Speaker 1: the Zombies. And here's where the story gets a little hazy. 452 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:12,120 Speaker 1: We don't know exactly when or exactly where Jim Atherton 453 00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:15,719 Speaker 1: from Delta Promotions cross paths with the four guys from Texas. 454 00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:19,080 Speaker 1: Who you're about to meet. The chances are you already 455 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:38,760 Speaker 1: know a couple of them. Here's music historian Gary Johnson. 456 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:39,040 Speaker 6: Again. 457 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:45,560 Speaker 11: Kehoe was a well known businessman, and you know his 458 00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:49,600 Speaker 11: early days. He ran for office in Bay City as 459 00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:55,640 Speaker 11: commissioner and he had a restaurant in the southern part 460 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:58,160 Speaker 11: of Bay City called Steak and Big. 461 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:01,600 Speaker 1: Bill. Kehoe is in charge of Delta's operation out of 462 00:31:01,640 --> 00:31:06,480 Speaker 1: Band Canyon in Bay City. He was older a city 463 00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:09,560 Speaker 1: councilman and a pillar of the Bay City community. The 464 00:31:09,640 --> 00:31:14,040 Speaker 1: consummate straight man. The other half of Delta, Jim Atherton 465 00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:18,719 Speaker 1: didn't stay so close to home. In addition to co 466 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:23,440 Speaker 1: running Delta and Band Canyon, Jim also worked for Sun Amplifiers. 467 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:29,000 Speaker 1: Sun Amplifiers was and still is known for making the 468 00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:32,800 Speaker 1: loudest amps in the world. Jimmy Hendrix played Sun amps. 469 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:36,280 Speaker 11: If you're looking for bona fides, Atherton went out east. 470 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:40,360 Speaker 11: He had a job with Sun Amplifiers and apparently eight 471 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:42,040 Speaker 11: was Sun for quite a few years. 472 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:46,000 Speaker 1: This meant Atherton was out on the road meeting young 473 00:31:46,040 --> 00:31:48,840 Speaker 1: bands and supplying them with the heaviest music equipment in 474 00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:54,480 Speaker 1: the world. Now, this is the hazy part At some 475 00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:58,840 Speaker 1: point in some city, probably in Florida, a twenty year 476 00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:02,160 Speaker 1: old drummer from the Dallas Fort Worth area cross paths 477 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:08,400 Speaker 1: with Jim Atherton. It's hard to know exactly what happened 478 00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:11,240 Speaker 1: during that conversation, but that young man with a thick 479 00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:13,880 Speaker 1: Texas draw and three of his friends would soon find 480 00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:17,520 Speaker 1: themselves in Bay City, Michigan, getting ready to go on 481 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:22,320 Speaker 1: tour as the Zombies. That twenty year old would go 482 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:25,760 Speaker 1: on to tour the world in his next band, zz Top. 483 00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:29,320 Speaker 1: His name is Frank Beard, and yes, in zz Top, 484 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:35,040 Speaker 1: he's the guy without the beard. So Frank Beard from 485 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:39,600 Speaker 1: Texas meets Jim Atherton from Michigan. Beard returned to Texas 486 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:42,680 Speaker 1: and recruited a bass player, his friend and eventual Zzy 487 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:44,240 Speaker 1: Top bandmate, Dusty Hill. 488 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:49,840 Speaker 5: In music News, Dusty Hill, the bass player of the 489 00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:54,200 Speaker 5: legendary Texas rock trio Zz Top, has passed away age 490 00:32:54,280 --> 00:32:58,640 Speaker 5: seventy two. In a statement, the band's remaining members, Billy 491 00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:01,960 Speaker 5: Gibbons and Frank Beard, said, we are saddened by the 492 00:33:01,960 --> 00:33:05,360 Speaker 5: news today that our compadre Dusty Hill has passed away 493 00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:08,479 Speaker 5: in his sleep at home in Houston, Texas. You will 494 00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:09,760 Speaker 5: be missed greatly Amigo. 495 00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:14,280 Speaker 1: The rhythm section of the Fake Zombies was locked in 496 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:20,280 Speaker 1: Frank Beard and Dusty Hill. Next up lead guitar. Beard 497 00:33:20,320 --> 00:33:22,920 Speaker 1: and Hill know how to pick a guitarist. Their band 498 00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:25,960 Speaker 1: Maiden Zz top Billy Gibbons is one of the best 499 00:33:25,960 --> 00:33:29,640 Speaker 1: of all time. For the Fake Zombies, they chose another 500 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:35,440 Speaker 1: hotshot guitarist, Seed Meta. Seed Meta would go on to 501 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:38,520 Speaker 1: play in a band called The Werewolves. They released a 502 00:33:38,520 --> 00:33:42,520 Speaker 1: few albums that are beloved among Texas blues fans. Sadly, 503 00:33:42,840 --> 00:33:45,760 Speaker 1: Seed passed away in nineteen eighty, a decade after he 504 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:49,440 Speaker 1: toured with the Fake Zombies. Seb was the hottest league 505 00:33:49,440 --> 00:33:52,720 Speaker 1: guitar player in all of Dallas. He got a mythical 506 00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:55,720 Speaker 1: figure with his Keith Richard's hair and his Gibson flying V. 507 00:33:57,480 --> 00:34:00,120 Speaker 1: There's no question that Seb's good looks must have gone 508 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:02,800 Speaker 1: a long way in selling the Fake Zombies. He looks 509 00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:07,000 Speaker 1: like the coolest motherfucker on the planet. We know for 510 00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:10,120 Speaker 1: a fact it was see who recruited the last and 511 00:34:10,160 --> 00:34:12,920 Speaker 1: most important member of the Fake Zombies. He's the one 512 00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:16,040 Speaker 1: you never heard of, the one nobody in Texas remembers, 513 00:34:16,640 --> 00:34:29,040 Speaker 1: the one who didn't make it big. Frank Beard and 514 00:34:29,080 --> 00:34:32,240 Speaker 1: Dusty Hill would remain rock stars for life. Even see 515 00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:35,760 Speaker 1: Meta had his time as the fastest hand in Texas Blues. 516 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:39,880 Speaker 1: But there was one more fake zombie, someone whose dreams 517 00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:42,920 Speaker 1: never made it past that single tour, pretending to be 518 00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:52,719 Speaker 1: another band. His name is Mark Ramsey. In the few 519 00:34:52,719 --> 00:34:55,520 Speaker 1: photos that exist from the Fake Zombies tour over fifty 520 00:34:55,600 --> 00:34:59,960 Speaker 1: years ago, Mark is the cute one. The baby fit 521 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:04,319 Speaker 1: Race McCartney deceives John Lennon. He was nineteen years old, 522 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:09,280 Speaker 1: blonde haired and blue eyed, next to his bandmates, already 523 00:35:09,320 --> 00:35:13,120 Speaker 1: touring Bluesman before they were twenty. Mark looks even younger, 524 00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:19,440 Speaker 1: more innocent than the rest. But Mark loved to play guitar, 525 00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:22,760 Speaker 1: and he loved playing with his new hotshot musician friends, 526 00:35:23,160 --> 00:35:24,600 Speaker 1: and he was looking for a reason to get the 527 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:32,960 Speaker 1: fuck out of Texas. The story of the Fake Zombies 528 00:35:33,080 --> 00:35:35,520 Speaker 1: very easily could have been a footnote in rock history, 529 00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:38,600 Speaker 1: nothing more than a Ben Fong Torres article in a 530 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:44,560 Speaker 1: lost copy of Rolling Stone Full disclosure. Before he passed away, 531 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:46,880 Speaker 1: Dusty Hill did answer one of my emails about the 532 00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:50,120 Speaker 1: Fake Zombies. When I asked him what he remembered about it, 533 00:35:50,760 --> 00:35:56,279 Speaker 1: he simply said it was the sixties man, and we're 534 00:35:56,320 --> 00:35:58,239 Speaker 1: still working to get Frank Beard to tell us this 535 00:35:58,360 --> 00:36:05,399 Speaker 1: story himself. We'll keep you updated instead. Thanks to Mark 536 00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:07,640 Speaker 1: Ramsey and the people that remained from this once in 537 00:36:07,680 --> 00:36:11,360 Speaker 1: a lifetime rock and roll caper, we are here and 538 00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:15,600 Speaker 1: we have the true story of the Fake Zombies. Mark 539 00:36:15,640 --> 00:36:17,759 Speaker 1: passed away in twenty twenty one at the age of 540 00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:20,839 Speaker 1: seventy one. I was lucky enough to talk to him 541 00:36:20,840 --> 00:36:23,560 Speaker 1: before he passed, and he told me the real story 542 00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:27,359 Speaker 1: of the Fake Zombies. This podcast is dedicated to Mark 543 00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:31,640 Speaker 1: and Dusty, two boys from Texas who changed my life. 544 00:36:32,239 --> 00:36:35,279 Speaker 1: This season on the true story of the Fake Zone. 545 00:36:37,880 --> 00:36:41,319 Speaker 3: They learned some Zombies songs. The lead singer tried to 546 00:36:41,360 --> 00:36:44,479 Speaker 3: pull off an English accent, and they went on. 547 00:36:44,400 --> 00:36:45,520 Speaker 2: The road just the zombies. 548 00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:46,959 Speaker 1: I think it was a terrible deal. 549 00:36:47,239 --> 00:36:49,840 Speaker 6: We were off facing twenty years and all that good stuff. 550 00:36:50,560 --> 00:36:52,680 Speaker 1: I said, you know, these guys are not gonna get 551 00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:58,560 Speaker 1: away with it and fought. 552 00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:13,040 Speaker 2: Yesterday Rolling Stone, I rang, the man said I I'm dead. 553 00:37:15,320 --> 00:37:18,680 Speaker 1: This guy is said a note on the song you're hearing. 554 00:37:19,480 --> 00:37:22,960 Speaker 1: In nineteen seventy one, with the Zombies temporarily broken up, 555 00:37:23,480 --> 00:37:30,120 Speaker 1: Colin Blunstone released his debut solo album One Year. In 556 00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:32,520 Speaker 1: twenty twenty one, the record was reissued and some of 557 00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:37,520 Speaker 1: the demo recordings were unearthed. Colin, working in an insurance 558 00:37:37,560 --> 00:37:40,840 Speaker 1: company at the time, wrote a song about the Fake Zombies, 559 00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:45,120 Speaker 1: Sing your Own Songs. He poured his heart out singing 560 00:37:45,120 --> 00:37:48,080 Speaker 1: about his phony obituary and rolling stones and having his 561 00:37:48,200 --> 00:37:51,920 Speaker 1: voice and his money taken. Then he forgot about it 562 00:37:52,160 --> 00:37:55,319 Speaker 1: for about fifty years. It's called Sing Your Own Song, 563 00:37:55,640 --> 00:37:58,240 Speaker 1: and it's available on vinyl and digitally as a bonus 564 00:37:58,280 --> 00:38:00,000 Speaker 1: track on his album One Year. 565 00:38:03,239 --> 00:38:03,960 Speaker 2: You Get that. 566 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:05,640 Speaker 9: Man. 567 00:38:08,040 --> 00:38:10,080 Speaker 1: If you want to get in touch about the Fake Zombies, 568 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:13,880 Speaker 1: we've set up an email address fake zombiespod at gmail 569 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:18,440 Speaker 1: dot com. This podcast was written by Daniel Ralston. Executive 570 00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:22,760 Speaker 1: produced by Ian Wheeler, Melissa Locker and Daniel Ralston. Produced 571 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:26,719 Speaker 1: by Anna McClain and Nick Dawson. Score, original music and 572 00:38:26,760 --> 00:38:30,960 Speaker 1: additional audio engineering by Robin Hatch. Additional production support from 573 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:35,400 Speaker 1: Cooper Mall in Los Angeles. The True Story of the 574 00:38:35,440 --> 00:38:39,000 Speaker 1: Fake Zombies is a production of iHeart Podcasts, Talk House 575 00:38:39,280 --> 00:38:42,839 Speaker 1: and never Mind Media. For more podcasts from iHeart Podcasts, 576 00:38:43,120 --> 00:38:46,799 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get 577 00:38:46,840 --> 00:38:47,600 Speaker 1: your podcasts