THE Zombies may have formed in 1961, but the event that really kickstarted the St Albans band’s career happened on May, 10, 1964 in Watford Town Hall where the band won the then, princely sum of £250 and a record deal with Decca in the Herts Beat Contest.

“I can remember recording in Decca in West Hampstead,” recalls Colin. “Our agent, in America, rang up and said She’s Not There had gone to number one in the US charts. We went to New York for Christmas in 1964 and we were nationally number one in America. We played a big show with more than 16 acts including Dionne Warwick, the Sherellies, Benny King and the The Shangri Las. We spent ten days performing live at Brook Fox in New York and only six months before we were just a local amateur band.”

Just four years later, at the time of the release of the famously mispelled Odessey & Oracle (1968), The Zombies had already split up. In the ‘70s, Rod Argent enjoyed international success as Argent with Hold Your Head Up reaching the top five in America and Britain, while Colin Blunstone’s first solo album One Year, including songs such as Say You Don’t Mind and Caroline, produced by Argent and Zombies bass player Chris White, was released in 1971. Colin and Rod went on to record with other artists but reunited four years ago to record the album As Far As I Can See with the songs I Want To Fly and Southside of The Street and to tour together.

Colin tells me the touring band – himself, Rod, Keith Airey and Jim and Steve Rodford still get together in the town where they grew up. Rod went to St Albans School while Colin and Chris White attended St Albans Boys’ Grammar, which is now Verulam School.

“Our bass player Jim Rodford used to play with The Kinks and he still lives in St Albans,” says Colin. “We rehearse in his house. I often go and have a look at my old school and Hatfield where I was born and have a look at all the old haunts.

“We came back and played in the city a couple of years ago for a charity show with The Animals, and I was over in Welwyn for a St George’s Day lunch a couple of weeks back. St Albans has aged very well. It’s a beautiful place and Welwyn looked really lovely.”

Reminiscing about St Albans, Colin recalls his amateur days playing in the local clubs with the original line-up.

“Rod wanted to put a band together when he was in the cadet corps and he recruited Hugh Grundy and approached Paul Atkinson in a folk club where he was playing guitar. “I got involved because Paul Arnold was Rod’s neighbour. He was building an electric bass in the woodwork lessons and that got him in the band, and I sat behind him in school. It was Paul that came up with the name The Zombies.”

Bassist Paul Arnold was replaced in 1962 by Chris White and the band began to develop a bit of a following.

“We’d play literally anywhere that would have us and ended up playing larger venues like the Old Verulamians Rugby Club in London Colney. It was a bit nerve-wracking because we thought we might be lynched as a rugby club was not really associated with rock bands at the time, but it went down incredibly well and then we were not only selling out at the rugby club but in huge marquees as well.”

Following the original Zombies’ triumphant reunion at Shepherd’s Bush Empire attended by musical luminaries such as Paul Weller, Robert Plant and Robyn Hitchcock among others, now the touring band are embarking on an album tour with The Yardbirds in support. Their hometown gig at The Alban Arena next Saturday is a sell-out. The Zombies and Beyond features songs previously released by The Zombies as well as recordings by band members Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent.

Nine Zombies songs from their eponymous 1964 album and 1968’s famously misspelled Odessey & Oracle including She’s Not There, Tell Her No, The Time Of The Season (most recently employed to advertise Magners cider) and A Rose For Emily, nestle comfortably alongside songs from Colin Blunstone’s solo albums including I Don’t Believe In Miracles and his signature solo song Say You Don’t Mind, the rockier Argent songs including God Gave Rock & Roll To You and Hold Your Head Up, the 1981 Blunstone/Dave Stewart recording of What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted and the 1982 Alan Parsons Project ballad Old and Wise sung by Colin. Odessey & Oracle is ranked 80 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

I ask Colin if the spelling of Odyssey was intentionally corrected for the Shepherd’s Bush concerts as it appeared to be on his website.

He says: “Was it? I have to admit I’m the worst speller in the world. I wouldn’t have known it was spelt wrong.

“Rod told this elaborate story about how it was done on purpose. It was a play on the word ode. Though, suspiciously, he told that story to the media and the band at the same time. Then he owned up to me and the media later on that the story wasn’t true.”

Despite Rod’s tricks, the pair get on very well.

“On a musical level there’s something a bit special about our relationship,” says Colin. “We do bring out the best in each other. We’ve been playing together since we were 15 or 16 and there have been gaps but when we’ve not been in concert we’ve been recording with one another. There’s a huge catalogue of work we’ve both contributed to and it’s very interesting when we play together onstage as we can feature any of that music from the past 47 years.

“We’re still having fun. Neither of us thought we would be but a series of coincidences found us back on stage and over the past eight years we’ve been touring Europe and the US. It’s been a great surprise and a wonderful adventure.”

I ask Colin if he has been surprised by the crowds the band drew recently in Shepherd’s Bush?

“I was very pleasantly surprised. I don’t think anybody knew what reaction we’d get but it was brilliant. There was a genuine sense of excitment and occasion. All the gigs sold out. I couldn’t have hoped for a better reaction, especially with it marking an anniversary for us after 40 years.”

The Zombies And Beyond is out now and the touring band come to The Alban Arena, Civic Centre, St Albans on Saturday, June 21. Details: 01727 844488