‘She's Not There’ is the debut single by British rock band the Zombies, written by keyboardist Rod Argent. The Zombies, from Hertfordshire, England, recorded ‘She's Not There’ after they won a talent contest that led to a recording session. They were all teenagers at the time. It reached No. 12 in the UK Singles Chart in September 1964, and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States at the beginning of December 1964. In Canada, it reached No. 2.
Rod Argent built the lyrics of ‘She's Not There’ from a John Lee Hooker song, whose title – ‘No One Told Me’ – became a part of the opening phrase of ‘She's Not There’. Following an April 29th 1964 performance by the Zombies at St Albans Market Hall, Argent played the one verse he had written of the song for Ken Jones who was set to produce the band's first recording session. Jones encouraged Argent to write a second verse, intending the band to record it. Argent recalls: "I wrote the song for Colin's range" – referring to Zombies' vocalist Colin Blunstone – "I could hear him singing it in my mind". The song's genres and musical styles are described by authors and music journalists as jazz rock, beat and pop rock.
The Zombies got a big break when the recording engineer for the session passed out on the floor. That's because the assistant, who took over, was Gus Dudgeon, who went on to produce Elton John's seminal albums. Before he passed out, the original engineer was surly to the group and keen to get it over with - not a great environment for a band's first recording session. With Dudgeon at the controls, The Zombies were able to relax and do a great take of the song. It was a big moment for Dudgeon as well because it was his first session as the main recording engineer.
This song has a lot of distinct elements that made it a rock classic and landed The Zombies in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2019. For starters, the lead instrument is Rod Argent's electric piano, which was very unusual at the time - in the UK it was the first hit song with that lead instrument. And then there's the breathy vocals of lead singer Colin Blunstone.
Rolling Stone magazine ranked ‘She's Not There’ No. 297 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 2016, the song by The Zombies was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. ‘She's Not There’ was a hit for Santana when it appeared on their 1977 album Moonflower. Their version peaked at No. 11 in the UK. It was also a hit in the US, spending 14 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaking at No. 27, as well as reaching No. 20 on the Cash Box Top 100 chart. Their take on it features Greg Walker as the lead vocalist.
Labels – Decca (UK), Parrot (US)
Songwriter – Rod Argent
Producers – Marquis Enterprises
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]Well, no one told me about her
The way she lied
Well, no one told me about her
How many people cried
[Pre-Chorus]
But it's too late to say you're sorry
How would I know? Why should I care?
Please don't bother trying to find her
She's not there!
[Chorus]
Well, let me tell you 'bout the way she looked
The way she acted, the color of her hair
Her voice was soft and cool
Her eyes were clear and bright
But she's not there
[Verse 2]
Well, no one told me about her
What could I do?
Well, no one told me about her
Though they all knew
[Pre-Chorus]
But it's too late to say you're sorry
How would I know? Why should I care?
Please don't bother trying to find her
She's not there!
[Chorus]
Well, let me tell you 'bout the way she looked
The way she acted, the color of her hair
Her voice was soft and cool
Her eyes were clear and bright
But she's not there
[Bridge]
[Pre-Chorus]
But it's too late to say you're sorry
How would I know? Why should I care?
Please don't bother trying to find her
She's not there!
[Chorus]
Well, let me tell you 'bout the way she looked
The way she acted, the color of her hair
Her voice was soft and cool
Her eyes were clear and bright
But she's not there