Time of the Season is a song from the Zombies’ second album, Odessey and Oracle, recorded in 1967. The Guardian reports that after the group split, two impostor bands toured the US using the Zombies’ name.
The song and the band
The Zombies were an English group of the 1960s. Their first single, She’s Not There, was one of the first songs written by the band’s keyboard player and main songwriter, who wrote it at 18. In a first-person account published by the Guardian, he says that by 1967 it was still the band’s only hit in the UK.
Time of the Season comes from Odessey and Oracle, the album the band made that year after signing to CBS. The song is known for its sparse, breathy verses, its handclaps and its long organ solo. Its reputation grew after the band had already stopped working together, and it is now one of the best-known recordings of the period.
The Guardian piece links the song to a stranger story. With the original line-up no longer performing, other musicians went out on tour in the United States under the Zombies’ name. According to the account, one of these groups said it was the original band with a new singer, and explained the change by claiming the real singer had died in a car crash. That invented death was then repeated in print, which is why the Guardian’s headline refers to Rolling Stone.
Where it came from
The Guardian reports that the band signed to CBS and was given £1,000 to make the album. The songwriter remarks that this was not a large sum even at the time. The group recorded quickly, in a handful of sessions spread over about six months, and produced the record themselves for the first time. He says only three years separated the first single from the second album, but that it felt like much longer.
The rest of the story follows a pattern that was common in 1960s pop. Bands often split before their records had finished selling, especially abroad, and a song could become popular in another country long after the musicians had moved on. That left a gap between what audiences wanted and what the original artists could offer. Promoters and opportunistic musicians filled it. The Guardian account says that about a year after the split, the band learned that two different groups were touring the US as the Zombies.
At the time, most audiences knew a band through records, radio and the occasional photograph. Not many concertgoers could reliably recognise the individual members of a foreign group, so an impostor line-up could get away with it, at least for a while. The source does not say how long these tours ran, where they played or who organised them.
How it works today
Odessey and Oracle is now widely treated as a classic album, and Time of the Season is often heard in films, television and adverts. Neither the source nor this article gives figures on its streaming numbers or licensing income.
Impostor bands still exist, though the conditions that helped them have changed. Musicians are now much more visible online, so a fake line-up is easier to spot. Many acts register their names as trade marks, which gives them legal grounds to challenge unauthorised use. Disputes over who owns a band name still happen, particularly when former members tour separately, and the outcome usually depends on contracts and on the law in each country.
There is also a clear difference between deception and tribute. Tribute acts openly perform another band’s music under their own name, and they are a large, legitimate part of the live circuit. What the Guardian describes was something else: groups that claimed to be the real band and invented a story to explain why they did not look or sound like it.
Common misconceptions
One is that Time of the Season was a hit while the Zombies were an active band. The Guardian account makes clear that the band had split before the impostor tours, and the song’s popularity came largely after the original group had stopped.
A second is that the album title is misspelt by accident in reference books. Odessey and Oracle is the album’s actual title, and writers who correct it to “Odyssey” are getting it wrong. The source does not explain the spelling, so this article does not either.
A third is that impostor bands were rare novelties. The idea that two separate groups were touring as the same band suggests the practice was not unusual. However, the source gives no wider figures, and how common such tours were in the period is not established here.
Finally, some readers assume that a death reported in a well-known music publication must have been checked. The Guardian account shows that a false claim made on tour could end up in print. This is a reminder that period music journalism should be read alongside other evidence.
Where to look next
The obvious starting point is the album itself, listened to from start to finish rather than through the single alone. Odessey and Oracle was made quickly and on a small budget, and it shows how a band could produce ambitious studio work outside the big-label production system of the day.
Readers interested in the touring story should look at the Guardian’s full first-person account, which this article draws on. Music history archives and back issues of 1960s music papers can show how rumours and corrections were reported at the time. Books on band-name disputes and on the business of tribute acts give useful background on why the same name can turn up on more than one stage.
Frequently asked questions
What album is Time of the Season on?
Time of the Season is on Odessey and Oracle, the Zombies’ second album. According to the Guardian, the band recorded it in 1967 after signing to CBS, working fast over a few sessions spread across roughly six months and producing it themselves for the first time. The album is now widely considered one of the most important British records of its period. The single has become the band’s best-known song alongside their debut, She’s Not There.
Why is Odessey and Oracle spelt that way?
Odessey and Oracle is the album’s real, official title, not a later typing error, so it should not be corrected to “Odyssey” when cited. The source this article draws on does not explain how the unusual spelling came about, and this article does not guess. Anyone researching the album should keep the original spelling, because changing it can make archive and catalogue searches harder.
Were there fake Zombies bands touring the US?
Yes, according to the Guardian’s account. About a year after the original Zombies split, the band heard that two different groups were touring the United States under its name. One of them claimed to be the original band with a new singer. The source does not say how long these tours lasted, which towns they visited or who organised them, so those details are not known here.
Was a Zombies member really reported dead?
According to the Guardian account, one impostor group explained why it had a different singer by claiming the original vocalist had died in a car crash. The claim was false, but it was repeated in print, and the Guardian’s headline names Rolling Stone as the publication that reported the death. The story shows how a rumour started on tour could reach the music press before anyone corrected it.
How much did the Zombies spend making Odessey and Oracle?
The Guardian reports that the band received £1,000 from CBS to make the album, and the songwriter notes that this was not a large amount even at the time. The modest budget helps explain why the recording was done quickly, over a few sessions in about six months, and why the band produced it themselves instead of hiring an outside producer. No further figures are given.
Sources and further reading
- The Guardian: the first-person account of how the Zombies made Time of the Season, which this article draws on
- Rolling Stone: the publication the Guardian names in connection with the false report of a band member’s death
- Music history archives: back issues of 1960s music papers that cover touring and band rumours
- Books on music business history: background on band-name ownership, trade marks and tribute acts
Surfaced from the rss:guardian_music signal “classic song origin story”. AI-assisted draft, editorially reviewed.
