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Rod Argent, the keyboardist and primary songwriter for pioneering English rock’n’roll band The Zombies, has announced his retirement from touring after suffering a stroke.
The influential band, who were formed by Argent and singer Colin Blunstone in St Albans in 1961, are best known for their 1964 single “She’s Not There” and 1968’s “Time of the Season”.
They toured on and off for over six decades and recently completed a final jaunt around the UK.
Argent, 79, is now unable to tour and has canceled plans for a US tour later this year in order to protect his health
In a statement, the band’s management say that he plans to continue to write and record with the band. They add that his recovery has been aided by a return to the piano for “Bach therapy”.
“Each year, we’d secretly marvel at how this band could possibly be playing at an even higher level than the previous year, instead of diminishing with age,” the managers write. “That being said, the other aspects of touring can be grueling, and can take their toll on 18-year-olds, never mind a musician approaching 80. As heart-breaking as this is for us, the band, our crew and our team, we are a family and fully support Rod in this decision.”
As well as his work with The Zombies, Argent is also known for his eponymous band Argent, whose 1973 single “God Gave Rock and Roll to You” was famously covered by Kiss in 1991.
Last year, Argent and Blunstone spoke to The Independent’s Chris Harvey for a career-spanning interview.
Reflecting on their enduring appeal, Argent said: “When we did Glastonbury a few years ago. We were in one of the smaller arenas. It was a marquee, and I guess it must have held up to 5,000 people, but when we started the set, there were just a few people in there, and I thought, ‘Oh God, I hope this is not going to be embarrassing.’ But when we started playing, it filled up, mostly with young people.
“And when we did ‘Time of the Season’, this huge audience of young people went completely crazy. And I said to Colin afterwards, ‘How do they know it? It’s never been a hit here.’”
Argent also opined on the state of contemporary rock’n’roll, arguing that the genre is in better health in the United States, where the band first broke through, than it is in their home country. Asked whether he felt the rock’n’roll moment is finally coming to an end, Argent responded: “I don’t think it feels like that in America.
“Over here, it feels to me like everything is so playlisted and it’s starting to sound very mechanical. Almost every voice I hear is autotuned to distraction. It seems to me that most songs that I hear – maybe I’m just not hearing the right things – but the feeling of inventiveness, of exploring new chord sequences and things like that, has completely gone out of the picture.”
