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Biography
Use British English|date=March 2012BLP sources|date=October 2009Infobox musical artist|image = Colin_Blumstone_2009.jpg| name = Colin Blunstone| caption = Colin Blunstone performing on 25 April 2009.| image_size =| background = solo_singer| birth_name = Colin Edward Michael Blunstone| alias = Neil MacArthur| birth_date = birth date and age|1945|06|24|df=y|birth_place = Hatfield, Hertfordshire|Hatfield , Hertfordshire, England| death_date =| instrument = Vocals, guitar| genre = Pop, Soft rock | occupation = Singer, songwriter, guitarist| years_active = 1959present| label = Epic Records|Epic , Decca Records|Decca , CBS Records|CBS , Deram Records|Deram | associated_acts = The Zombies , Argent (band)|Argent , The Alan Parsons Project , Keats (band)|Keats | website = http://www.colinblunstone.co.uk/ Colinblunstone.co.uk| notable_instruments = Colin Blunstone (born Colin Edward Michael Blunstone , 24 June 1945) is an English pop singer-songwriter, best known as a member of the pop group The Zombies , and for his participation on various albums with The Alan Parsons Project .Allmusic|class=artist|id=p15959|pure_url=yes allmusic Biography
Biography
He attended Verulam School|St Albans County Grammar School for Boys .
Blunstone's plaintive, wistful human voice|voice was one of the factors making The Zombies ' single, " She's Not There " (written by fellow band member Rod Argent ), such a big chart-topper|hit worldwide. After the amicable split of the band, shortly after completing the baroque pop classic Gramophone record|LP , Odessey and Oracle , Blunstone briefly worked in the insurance business before resuming his musical career. In 1969, he signed with Deram Records and cut three singles under the pseudonym of Neil MacArthur , including a re-make of The Zombies' hit, "She's Not There" which charted in the UK.Allmusic|class=artist|id=p15959|pure_url=yes Allmusic performance credits
He had some success as a solo musician|artist , notably in 1972 with "Say You Don't Mind" (peaked at number 15 in the UK chart and written by future Wings (band)|Wings member Denny Laine ) and "I Don't Believe In Miracles" (peaked at number 31 in the UK chart and written by Argent member Russ Ballard ), both with stringed instrument|string arrangement s by Christopher Gunning . Additional minor hits followed with "How Could We Dare To Be Wrong" in early 1973 (peaked at number 45 in the UK chart) and "Tracks of My Tears" in 1982 (peaked at number 60 in the UK chart).
One Year (1971) produced by Chris White (musician)|Chris White ) was his first solo album, and included the song "Caroline Goodbye" about Blunstone's break-up with the fashion model|model and actress Caroline Munro . This was followed by Ennismore and Journey . He then signed with Elton John 's Rocket Records and released three albums, Planes (1976), Never Even Thought (1978) and Late Nights In Soho (1979), which was only released in Europe.
Blunstone also contributed to Dave Stewart (keyboardist)|Dave Stewart 's hit cover version of " What Becomes of the Brokenhearted " (1980).
He went on to appear on several albums by The Alan Parsons Project including Eye in the Sky (album)|Eye in the Sky , where he sings the hit single Old and Wise|Old And Wise , and Ammonia Avenue . In 1984, he joined with other Parsons musicians to form Keats (band)|Keats .
Blunstone has appeared quite a few times on radio and television shows in the UK. He and his band performed several sessions for John Peel and Johnnie Walker (DJ)|Johnnie Walker , and on the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1971 where he performed live with a string quartet.
He has had only a limited acting career. He was in The Savages (2001) and Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1997) both as a singer. Other TV appearances include The Dan and Dusty Show (2004) as The Zombies, Shindig& #33; Presents British Invasion Vol. 2 (1992) also as The Zombies, and Pop Quiz (1982). His sole film part was in Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965) a movie directed by Otto Preminger (as The Zombies) and starring Laurence Olivier .
Blunstone still tours to this day, sometimes on his own, occasionally in tours with 1960s bands such as Manfred Mann and most often with his old Zombies colleague Rod Argent . Some of his recent albums are As Far As I Can See , the mid 1990s Echo Bridge and Out of the Shadows (with Rod Argent).
His solo album, The Ghost of You And Me was released in the UK, Benelux and Scandinavia on 9 March 2009. Blunstone completed a twelve date UK tour, his first in several years. He continues to tour with Rod Argent as The Zombies, and the original surviving members of The Zombies played four reunion concerts performing Odessey and Oracle , in April 2009.
In 2010, Sony released Colin Blunstone Original Album Classics, a 3-disc boxed set featuring digitally re-mastered versions of Blunstone's solo albums, One Year, Journey and Ennismore. The collection also includes two bonus tracks that were originally released as non-LP b-sides in UK.
Discography
Singles
"Mary, Won't You Warm My Bed" / "I Hope I Didn't Say Too Much Last Night" Epic EPC7095 (1971)
"Caroline, Goodbye" / "Though You Are Far Away" Epic EPC7520 (October 1971)
"Say You Don't Mind" / "Let Me Come Closer" Epic EPC7765 (January 1972) ( UK Singles Chart|UK #15)cite book
| first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 67
"I Don't Believe In Miracles" / "I've Always Had You" Epic EPC8434 (October 1972) (UK #31)
"How Could We Dare To Be Wrong" / "Time's Running Out" Epic EPC1197 (February 1973) (UK #45)
"When You Close Your Eyes" / "Good Guys Don't Always Win" Epic EPC4576
"Planes" / "Dancing In The Dark" Epic EPC4752 (November 1976)
"Beautiful You" / "It's Hard to Say Goodbye" Epic EPC5009 (February 1977)
"Lovin' and Free" / "Dancing in the Dark" Epic EPC5199 (April 1977)
"I'll Never Forget You" / "You Are The Way For Me" Epic EPC6320 (May 1978)
"Ain't It Funny" / "Who's That Knocking? " Epic EPC6535 (July 1978)
"Photograph" / "Touch And Go" Epic EPC6793 (November 1978)
" What Becomes of the Brokenhearted " (with Dave Stewart) / "There Is No Reward" (non Blunstone A-side and B-side|B-side ) Stiff Broken 1 (1980) (UK #13)
"Where Do We Go From Here? " / "Helen Loves Paris" Sierra FED22 (May 1986)
"She's Not There" / "Who Fires The Gun" Sierra FED27 (October 1986)
"Cry an Ocean" / "Make It Easy" IRS IRM151 (May 1988)
As Neil MacArthur
" She's Not There " / "World of Glass" Deram Records|Deram DM225 (January 1969) (UK #34)cite book
| first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 336
Alan Parsons The Time Machine (1999) "Ignorance Is Bliss"
Sir John Betjeman & Mike Read Words & Music (2000) "Peggy", "In Memory"
Edward Rogers (singer)|Edward Rogers Sunday Fables (2004) "Make It Go Away" (backing vocals)
References
reflist|colwidth=30em
External links
http://www.colinblunstone.co.uk/ Colin Blunstone's website
http://colinblunstone.wetpaint.com/ The Voice Colin Blunstone
http://beingtheremag.com/feature.php? issue=13& id=21 Being There interview, September 2005
http://www.retrosellers.com/features45.htm Digger talks to ex-Zombie Colin Blunstone, interview, 2003
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/artists/c/colinblunstone/ Colin Blunstone Peel Sessions information, 2006
http://www.rocksbackpages.com/artist.html? ArtistID=blunstone Colin Blunstone & Zombies articles on the web
http://www.epmusic.biz/ Colin Blunstone licensing EP Music website
The Zombies Use dmy dates|date=March 2012 Persondata | NAME =Blunstone, Colin | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =24 June 1945 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Hatfield, Hertfordshire|Hatfield , Hertfordshire, England | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Blunstone, Colin Category:1945 births Category:Living people Category:People from Hatfield, Hertfordshire Category:British soft rock musicians Category:English male singers Category:English songwriters Category:English singer-songwriters Category:The Zombies members Category:Rocket Records artists Category:Deram Records artists