The Odd Origins of The Zombies’ Band Name (And Why Not Everyone Loved It at First)

In a world full of Supremes, Drifters, Four Seasons, and Shangri-Las, settling on a band name like “The Zombies” in the early 1960s almost seemed like the self-degrading choice. How could a band named after something so creepy and weird land on mainstream charts? Moreover, is the “walking dead” really what a band would want representing their ability to entertain?

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For the English rock band donning this unusual (back then) name, the origin story of how The Zombies became The Zombies is almost as odd as the name itself. Speaking to Pop Matters decades later, keyboardist and vocalist Rod Argent recalled how the band’s original bassist, Paul Arnold, came up with the name The Zombies to replace their old name, The Mustangs.

“I don’t know where he got it from,” Argent said. Adding to the mystery was the fact that, shortly after giving the group their new, Halloween-worthy name, Arnold left the group. Not only did Arnold leave without explaining himself. But he also left the band to defend his idea.

Not Everyone Loved the Band Name “The Zombies” at First

Rod Argent told Pop Matters that although they knew the vague Haitian origins of the term “zombie,” he wasn’t sure why Paul Arnold chose that name. In any case, Argent said, “I thought this was a name that no one else is going to have. And I just liked the whole idea of it. Colin [Blunstone, vocalist] was wary, I’m sure, at the beginning. But I always really, really liked it.”

Blunstone has shared sentiments that would back up Argent’s assumptions, and maybe it’s because the lead vocalist suspects his appearance during their early jam sessions helped inspire the name. “When we met [to play together for the first time], Paul Arnold was late, and I didn’t know anyone,” Blunstone later recalled to the Tampa Bay Times. “What was funny was that I played rugby, and I had a broken nose, two black eyes, and strapping all across my face. I actually looked like a zombie. I looked a bit scary.”

“To be absolutely honest,” he continued. “Everyone thought [The Zombies] was a great name. But I wasn’t that keen on it. After a while, though, it came to represent the band. But I still think that the name Zombies sounds more like a heavy metal band.”

And maybe that’s true. But one could argue that the rock ‘n’ roll groundwork laid by The Zombies was integral to the genre’s evolution into future zombie-esque acts, including White Zombie and Zombie Ritual. It all came out in the creepy, undead wash, so to speak.

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