A very exciting days for fans of legendary singer-songwriter Colin Blunstone. I'll be reviewing this special release in an upcoming column as well...Robert Kinsler
Colin Blunstone’s One Year 50th Anniversary Edition Out Today
Double LP of 1971 Solo Debut from The Zombies’ Vocalist Features 14 Previously Unreleased Recordings, Nine Unrecorded Compositions, Never-Before-Seen Photos and New Blunstone-penned Liner Notes
Exclusive Los Angeles Show Slated for January 22, 2022 with Composer Joe Wong
and special guests Susanna Hoffs, Weyes Blood, among others
That Same Year, the second LP from the 50th anniversary edition of The Zombies’ frontman Colin Blunstone’s landmark solo album, One Year, is out today at DSPs and on CD from Sundazed Music; listen/buy here. The double LP, which features One Year, already at streaming services, and That Same Year, will follow on December 10.
Originally released in November 1971, One Year is the debut solo album from Colin Blunstone, recorded over the course of “one year” following the band’s break-up and the posthumous success of their single “Time of the Season.” That Same Year is a collection of Colin singing his own compositions, many accompanied solely by his acoustic guitar, and gives a deeper introspective look into that time in his life.
One Year 50th Anniversary Edition is garnering critical acclaim:
“It’s impossible not to become engrossed with Blunstone’s distinctive world weary voice across both albums.” --The Rocking Magpie
“...Blunstone’s first/greatest solo album is so different—a hushed, intimate, chamber-pop stroke of genius.” --Shindig!
“Every song on this collection has its own identity, and they are as relevant and compelling today as when he recorded them over half a century ago.” --Digital Journal
Coinciding with the anniversary release, Colin will join forces with composer Joe Wong (Russian Doll, The Midnight Gospel, Master of None) to recreate One Year live on stage in its entirety for the first time, with an exclusive show at Los Angeles’ Downtown Palace Theatre on January 22nd with special guests Susanna Hoffs, Weyes Blood, and more to be announced. Tickets are now on sale here.
Wong’s solo debut, Nite Creatures, was released by Decca last year. The collection of baroque psychedelia received praise on both sides of the Atlantic from outlets such as MOJO, NPR, and Rolling Stone. Wong, who will open the show and then accompany Colin for One Year, has recruited a 20-piece ensemble of top musicians, featuring drummer Matt Cameron (Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog), Mary Timony (Helium, Ex Hex), and a chamber orchestra including members of the Orchid Quartet (leading up to the Anniversary, the LA-based string quartet will also be releasing a series of One Year tribute videos, the first with guest vocals from The Voice finalist India Carney, which debuted September 17).
Included in The Guardian’s “1,000 Albums to Hear Before You Die” list, One Year was primarily recorded in Abbey Road Studios, and co-produced by Colin’s former Zombies bandmates Rod Argent and Chris White. The album chronicles tales of love and heartbreak, split between upbeat rockers, with Colin backed by Rod’s newly-formed outfit Argent (Rod alongside Russ Ballard, Jim Rodford & Bob Henrit), and haunting ballads, accompanied by Chris Gunning’s delicate string arrangements. Highlights include the incredibly gorgeous bossa nova cover of Tim Hardin’s “Misty Roses,” which erupts into a Bartók-inspired string break, Colin’s own lament “Caroline Goodbye” with the Argent personnel accompanied by string arrangements from Rod Argent & Tony Visconti, along with the full string-backed version of Denny Laine’s “Say You Don’t Mind,” which became a chart hit in the UK.
One Year has gone on to touch a diverse array of artists, ranging from Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, who called it “a gorgeous example of classic British pop music…very personal, very sophisticated in its sentiment” (NME), to Neil Tenant of Pet Shop Boys, who cites Colin as “the missing link between Dusty Springfield and Nick Drake” and hails One Year as “an incredibly romantic album, which is why it's been with me such a long time” (The Guardian). According to Steve Berkowitz, the late Jeff Buckley’s Executive Producer at Columbia Records, “Part of the reason that Grace has those beautiful and interesting strings, by Jeff Buckley and Karl Berger, is because Jeff was affected by having heard Colin Blunstone and the way they wrote the strings on that record, particularly on the incredibly beautiful ‘Caroline Goodbye.’”
For the Anniversary edition, Colin penned the liner notes that fill the gatefold jacket along with unseen photos from that year. The notes go track by track through One Year along with background on That Same Year. This period marked the point where Colin came into his own as a songwriter, having previously only contributed two songs to The Zombies. This is evidenced by the tracks on That Same Year, fourteen beautifully sparse demo versions of Colin’s compositions that were being considered for One Year, recently unearthed from co-producer Chris White’s archives. Colin accompanies himself on acoustic guitar, with help on some tracks from Rod Argent on piano and the late English singer-songwriter Duncan Browne on classical guitar.
Only three of these compsitions graced One Year, “Caroline Goodbye,” “Though You Are Far Away” and “Let Me Come Closer To You”, while “Too Much Too Soon Last Night” found life as a B-side, and “I’ve Always Had You” made his second album, Ennismore. Beyond these early versions of familiar songs you will find Colin’s singular voice and wit come through on nine completely unheard compositions that remained lost until now; including “Sing Your Own Song,” a protest after reading about his own death in Rolling Stone.
From the album’s liner notes, Blunstone says of One Year:
“Fifty years on, there’s a dream-like quality to my memories of One Year. Almost seeming like another lifetime, a time of innocence and naivety and a time when anything seemed possible. Chance and circumstance had brought Rod Argent, Chris White and myself together again for the first time since we'd played in The Zombies. This time Rod and Chris would be producing me as a solo artist, a step into the unknown, a moment of truth, a turning point in our lives.
The first tracks were recorded at Sound Technique Studios in Chelsea but we quickly moved on to the more familiar setting of Studio 3 in Abbey Road where we had previously recorded Odessey And Oracle and where we were once again guided through the recording process by the brilliant engineer Peter Vince.
Shortly after we had relocated to Abbey Road we had a moment of epiphany when we were introduced to the stunningly beautiful string arrangements of Chris Gunning as they went on to be the musical backbone of this project taking it to places rarely approached in contemporary music and giving it its own unique appeal. And now all the principal performers are assembled and as the music plays I start to drift and so many of the ghosts who hide inside the secrets of this album suddenly come alive and yesterday becomes today, again!”
One Year Track Listing:
1. She Loves The Way They Love Her
2. Misty Roses
3. Smokey Day
4. Caroline Goodbye
5. Though You Are Far Away
6. Mary Won’t You Warm My Bed
7. Her Song
8. I Can’t Live Without You
9. Let Me Come Closer to You
10. Say You Don’t Mind
That Same Year Track Listing:
1. Are You Ready
2. I’ve Always Had You
3. Sing Your Own Song
4. Caroline Goodbye
5. I'd Like To Get To Know You Better
6. Though You Are Far Away
7. Too Much Too Soon Last Night
8. I Wonder If You Know What You’ve Begun
9. I Won’t Let You Down
10. You Gave Me A Reason
11. I’m Coming Home
12. I Really Do Love You
13. Let Me Come Closer
14. You Really Were A Surprise
About Colin Blunstone
Predominantly known as the frontman for The Zombies, Colin’s solo career began in earnest in 1971 with One Year on Epic Records, from which the hit single “Say You Don’t’ Mind” was taken. Two more albums on Epic followed, Ennismore and Journey, which spawned the hits, “I Don’t Believe In Miracles” and “How Can We Dare To Be Wrong.” This was followed by a spell living in California where he signed for Elton John’s label, Rocket Records and released three critically acclaimed albums, Planes, Never Even Thought and Late Nights in Soho.
Returning to the UK, Colin supplied the vocals for Dave Stewart’s hit version of “What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted” followed by further hits with Smokey Robinson’s “Tracks Of My Tears” and The Alan Parsons Project’s “Old And Wise”. These tracks were followed by three further albums, Greatest Hits, Echo Bridge and The Light Inside, before Colin decided the time was right to play live again where he was joined in 1999 by fellow Zombies founding member, Rod Argent. This led to two decades of touring and recording with the new incarnation of The Zombies, including their 2015 Billboard-charting album Still Got That Hunger and 2019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. Colin still found the time to release and tour two solo albums, The Ghost of You and Me and On The Air Tonight, and is now back in the studio with The Zombies recording their planned 2022 release.
About Sundazed Music
Sundazed Music proudly presents original albums, expanded editions, unique compilations and more on vinyl and CD. The catalog is bulging with classic and overlooked blast from the 60s and 70s: a universe filled with the sounds of garage, pop, soul, surf, psych, country, and much more.
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