Begin Here is the debut studio album by The Zombies, released in 1965. Literally half of this album consists of covers, with the other half being written by either Rod Argent or Chris White. Hits and fan favourites include "She's Not There" (which was an international number one hit and remains their Signature Song, along with "Time of the Season" from Odessey and Oracle), "Summertime", "Sticks and Stones" and "What More Can I Do".
This album was released with a slightly altered track-listing in the US a few months later, as the eponymously-titled The Zombies.
Tracklist (Begin Here):
Side One
- "Road Runner" (2:06)
- "Summertime" (2:17)
- "I Can't Make Up My Mind" (2:37)
- "The Way I Feel Inside" (1:28)
- "Work 'N' Play" (2:07)
- "You Really Got a Hold on Me/Bring It on Home to Me" (3:39)
- "She's Not There" (2:20)
Side Two
- "Sticks and Stones" (2:56)
- "Can't Nobody Love You" (2:15)
- "Woman" (2:25)
- "I Don't Want to Know" (2:07)
- "I Remember When I Loved Her" (2:00)
- "What More Can I Do" (1:38)
- "I Got My Mojo Working" (3:35)
Tracklist (The Zombies):
Side One
- "She's Not There" (2:20)
- "Summertime" (2:17)
- "It's Alright with Me" (1:49)
- "You Really Got a Hold on Me/Bring It on Home to Me" (3:36)
- "Sometimes" (2:05)
- "Woman" (2:24)
Side Two
- "Tell Her No" (2:09)
- "I Don't Want to Know" (2:03)
- "Work 'N' Play" (2:01)
- "Can't Nobody Love You" (2:12)
- "What More Can I Do" (1:38)
- "I Got My Mojo Working" (3:32)
Bonus Tracks (Begin Here CD Edition):
- "It's Alright with Me"
- "Sometimes"
- "Kind of Girl"
- "Tell Her No"
- "Sticks And Stones (Alternate Take)"
- "It's Alright with Me (Alternate Take)"
- "I Know She Will"
- "I'll Keep Trying"
Principal Members:
- Rod Argent - piano, keyboard, organ, backing and lead vocals, harmonica
- Paul Atkinson - guitar
- Colin Blunstone - lead vocals
- Hugh Grundy - drums
- Chris White - bass, vocals
I Remember When I Troped Her:
- Alliterative Title: "Road Runner", "Sticks And Stones".
- Break Up Song: "She's Not There".Well no-one told me about herThe way she liedWell no-one told me about herHow many people criedBut it's too late to say you're sorryHow would I know? Why should I care?Please don't bother trying to find her: she's not there!
- Cover Version: "Road Runner" (originally by Bo Diddley), "Summertime" (originally from George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess), "Work 'N' Play", "You Really Got a Hold on Me/Bring It on Home to Me" (originally by Smokey Robinson and Sam Cooke), "Sticks and Stones", "Can't Nobody Love You" and "I Got My Mojo Working" (originally by Muddy Waters).
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Can be considered this for people who only know The Zombies through Odessey and Oracle. Unsurprising, considering the three-year gap in between these two albums and the switch from R&B and Silly Love Songs to Psychedelic Rock and complex Baroque Pop - although there are already traces of the latter on this album.
- Face on the Cover: A group shot of the band members.
- Instrumental: "Work 'N' Play".
- In the Style of: "I Remember When I Loved Her" (similar to The Beatles' "And I Love Her").
- One-Woman Song: "Woman", "She's Not There".
- One-Word Title: "Woman", "Summertime".
- Questioning Title?: "What More Can I Do?", "Can't Nobody Love You?".
- Silly Love Songs: Plenty, typical of the era it came out from.
- Step Up to the Microphone: According to The Other Wiki, Rod Argent sings lead vocals on several of the songs here.