SPILL FILM REVIEW: HUNG UP ON A DREAM: THE ZOMBIES DOCUMENTARY

HUNG UP ON A DREAM: THE ZOMBIES DOCUMENTARY

UTOPIA MEDIA/THE RANCH

The Zombies were part of the first British Invasion, spearheaded by The Beatles. They weren’t from Liverpool, but rather St Albans in the U.K.  The original lineup featuring Rod Argent (keyboards/vocals), Colin Blunstone (lead vocals), Paul Atkinson (guitar/vocals), Chris White (bass/vocals), and Hugh Grundy (drums) made a big splash worldwide. Their debut single, “She’s Not There,” was a number one hit in the U.S., and they were the first British band to have a number one with a self-written song after The Beatles. Hung Up On A Dream: The Zombies Documentary allows the band to tell their story.

And their story is a fascinating one. They were a band who was producing hits in the first half of the 1960s and who were also being taken advantage of by managers and record companies. This resulted in some financial issues. But they pulled together and produced a classic, stunning album in 1967, Odessey And Oracle, which is now considered to be a classic. However, although there was one hit single from the album, it did not sell. Once the album had been released, the band split up, but not because the band fought but due to finances. Incredibly, this band only released two albums until 1990.

This documentary presents their story in a methodical and brilliant way. Augmented by rare and brilliant clips (including a rare clip of George Harrison giving their debut single a good review on Juke Box Jury), the documentary goes a long way to explain a lot of what happened to The Zombies and the individual members. Colin Blunstone, talking about his mother, as the band is breaking up, is absolutely heartbreaking, but what makes the story so powerful is that he (and the other members) continued on. Rod Argent along with Chris White formed Argent, who were huge in the 1970s, while Blunstone recorded and released brilliant solo albums.

Hung Up On A Dream: The Zombies Documentary is a film about survival and about individuals who would not give up and really had the last laugh, as today The Zombies, who are now in The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, are bigger than ever. Their music is heard in films and radio and they are probably in bigger demand than they were in 1964. In Hung Up On A Dream: The Zombies Documentary, each member talks about what they did to survive, a couple of members taking jobs outside of rock ‘n’ roll.

But, in the end, the band survived to record new albums beginning in the 1990s. In fact, Argent and Blunstone, with a new lineup, released four studio albums in the 2000s.  The testimonials from artists such as Portugal, The Man, Post Malone, Paul Weller, Haim, Dave Grohl, Harry Styles, Tom Petty, and others is also a testament to this band. Sadly, due to Argent’s health problems, he had to leave the stage but is currently working on new material.

Hung Up On A Dream: The Zombies Documentary is beautifully filmed and uses historic and contemporary clips very effectively. It is a brilliant documentary that does not rely on anything except the band and their music. There is no bitterness, no anger, no self-pity, this is a film with very talented musicians telling their stories and it works. It all comes together in the end and is well worth watching for anyone who has an interest in the band. It may even create new fans.

Artist Links

Background Photo Credit: Alex Lake