Song of the Week: People - I love You

Today we're going to follow up on a Zombies post which was part of the Parrot Records Spotlight we did last week. The Flip-Side of that single we featured was a Chris White penned tune called I Love You. I noted the 1965 double sided gem of a record failed to make the top 100 in the US but that another band scored a hit with it. Here is that record for you today.

People was a six-person band out of San Jose, California who scored a hit with The Zombies' number. The band recorded the number in 1967, released on Capitol Records January of 1968 and with a real label behind them (yes, I'm looking at you Parrot Records) was able to get enough national airplay that their version hit #14 in the Summer of 1968. It's definitely a little more hippy-dippy than the Zombies original but the inherent quality of the record holds up nicely in this version. Ultimately they didn't stray far from the original: slowed it down a little, added a moody intro, a few effective tacet moments on the C major in the chorus.

People apparently got wrapped up in The Scientology movement and when singer Larry Norman refused to join the organization, he was sacked from the band. Now the rest of the band plays private gigs for the high priest, John Travolta in his inner sanctum. Play the two versions back to back and let us know which you like better. 

Until next time, we'll see you On The Flip-Side!

Parrot Records Spotlight: The Zombies - Whenever You're Ready and I Love You

Whenever You're Ready

I Love You

You can't leave everything to fate. Sometimes just because you do good work, doesn't mean you will meet success. Such is the case with The Zombies. Note for note, perhaps the most consistent band to come out of the UK in the 60s. The band of nerds met only modest success.

Now that said, behind perhaps only Tom Jones, no group was more successful for the under achiever Parrot Records than were The Zombies. The Zombies were far more influential and appreciated in America than in their native UK. Yet even in the British Invasion hungry US, The Zombies limped and crawled under the radar too often. Case in point is today's Song of the Week. This August 1965 release on Parrot Records failed to chart in the US top 100. Similarly, when it was released a month later in the UK for Decca Records, the single failed to chart in the UK top 100. Such was the life of a Zombie. Make incredibly great music, influence other musicians (mostly in the US), fail to sell many records, fail to fill even the smallest venues.

Whenever You're Ready was written by the band's pianist, Rod Argent, the band's most prolific songwriter. As is always the case, the vocal work from Colin Blunstone is hauntingly good. The harmonies spot on. The electric piano break wickedly clever. The lyrics tight and thoughtful. How did this not sell records?

The Flip-Side is equally as good. I'm telling you, EVERYTHING they put out was superb. I Love You was written by the band's bassist and secondary songwriter, Chris White. From the title alone, I should hate this song. But I don't. The trademark Zombies minor chord work, the theme of frustration and unrequited love and Colin Blunstone's voice. Rod Argent even better on the keyboards on this song. You can't go wrong with any Zombies record.

As mentioned earlier, The Zombies had a larger influence than they had record sales. To point, a California band with the dreadful name of  People covered I Love You very nicely and released it on Capitol Records in January of 1968. They had a hit with it. Meanwhile, at the same time, The Zombies were getting dropped by Decca Records and were begging for studio time to record their second and last album, Odyssey and Oracle.

Until next time, we'll see you On The Flip-Side!