The Zombies Celebrate 50th Anniversary With New Album, London Concert

The Zombies' 1968 psychedelic pop masterpiece 'Odessey and Oracle' may stand as the off-again, on-again UK band's creative zenith, but that isn't stopping the group from planning a new record to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The outfit responsible for memorable hits like 'She's Not There' and 'Time of the Season' intends to celebrate its Golden Jubilee in a major way.

"One of the things we'll do is release a new studio album," keyboardist and vocalist Rod Argent, who co-founded the band as a schoolboy in 1961, said in the new issue of Classic Rock. "We're about two-thirds of the way through recording it now -- and I have to say it's sounding really good."

The band, which also counts original singer Colin Blunstone, plus guitarist Tommy Toomey, bassist Jim Rodford and drummer Steve Rodford, is also planning a gig in London to celebrate its 50th year. But the Zombies are hardly rusty -- they have kept an active touring schedule since reforming in 2008 and even toured the US earlier this year.

"We hope to play Shepherd's Bush Empire in May, although that's not totally confirmed," says Argent. "Colin and I hope that our original bassist Chris White and drummer Hugh Grundy will join us on stage." The group's original guitarist, Paul Atkinson, died in 2004.