Fresh from a two month stint Stateside touring with The Zombies and his solo band, Colin Blunstone is back on home soil and taking fans through the journey of his 45 year solo career.
On Tuesday (June 3) he will return to Wavendon venue The Stables, to play the hits of old, classic tracks and material from his acclaimed current album, On The Air Tonight.
Colin tackled the www.totalmk.co.uk On Track questions....
The song that first awakened your musical senses
> The first song to make a really big impression on me was Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley.
It was really strange going back to Gracelands in Memphis recently, as we first visited in 1965 with the original Zombies.
We just opened the gates, and with absolutely no security about, we walked up the drive, knocked on the door and asked if Elvis was in.
Sadly he was away filming in Hawaii, but we were made welcome and invited to have a look around.
Rumour has it that Elvis had Zombies records on his jukebox!
Physical or digital - how do you take your music?
> I'm not a very technical person. I enjoy all types of music played in any medium. For me there is only good or bad music
The first time you thought 'Music - this is the job for me'
> I started hoping there might be a place for me in the music business when The Zombies won a big rock competition in 1964 but I think subconsciously I always thought of life in the music business as a quite short career and presumed I would probably have to end up doing something else.
But I have been very fortunate and after 50 years of making records have now finally convinced myself that there is a career in the music business for me
You best on stage memory...
> There have been many, but playing the main stage at The Isle of Wight Festival on a perfect summer day takes a bit of beating!
And the worst gig you've ever done?
> I remember The Zombies playing The Glen Ballroom in Llanelli in Wales with Tom Jones.
Obviously Tom was headlining but as it was a late gig he didn't want to finish the show.
So we had to follow him and as we warily stepped onto a revolving stage ready to be transported onto a stage facing an absolutely packed house of devoted Tom Jones, fans we slowly realised everyone had gone home leaving us to play our whole set to two people and a big black dog, and I'm pretty sure the dog didn't pay!
What made you take up singing?
I always sang as a youngster...wherever I went whatever I did I was always singing. However, i joined The Zombies as a rhythm guitarist and it wasn't until some of the band heard me sing a Ricky Nelson song, just for fun during a break in rehearsal, that they asked me to become the lead vocalis
Which one song by another artist do you wish you'd written
Fragile by Sting, because it's so beautiful and it's so frighteningly true
And one - by yourself - which holds special significance
So Much More from my latest album, because it very simply states how I feel about my wife
If you could step into the shoes of another musician, living or dead, who would it be and what would you do?
Elvis Presley, and I'd give it the old hip thrust!
Are there any current musical influences that you might look to
There are many good young singer-songwriters whose music I would like to investigate
And any genre of music you simply can't stand?
I'm not really keen on heavy dance music...anything that has a heavy four on the floor bass beat
Tell us what we can expect from The Stables show
I will be concentrating on material from my solo career rather than my career with The Zombies...and although I am currently on tour in America I'm hoping to find some time when I get back to the UK to rehearse a few surprises for the UK dates
The Stables is a beautiful venue which I have played many times before and is full of wonderful memories - especially playing the Christmas show and sharing the stage with Cleo Laine and Johnny Dankworth!
To book tickets for the Stables show, call 01908 280800 or visit www.stables.org
