Friends of Mine

The story behind

When Chris White, the bassist of The Zombies, wrote Friends of Mine, he did so thinking about the couples he knew. The song was recorded on June 1, 1967, at EMI Studios in London. It was a particular moment for the band, as they had just been dropped by Decca Records after a tour of the Philippines. Fortunately, CBS signed them and gave them complete creative freedom to produce their music. In fact, Friends of Mine was the first piece they recorded for what would become their album Odessey and Oracle. In that same session, the foundation for A Song For Emily was also laid. The recording of Friends of Mine had its peculiarities. As the budget was tight, the musicians rehearsed extensively outside the studio. In the recording room were engineers Peter Vince and Geoff Emerick, who helped drummer Hugh Grundy achieve a standout drum sound. Even vocalist Colin Blunstone made a small mistake while singing, but the band decided to leave it in the final version. Musically, the song is inspired by The Beatles, with open chords and unconventional harmony changes. The band's producer, Ken Jones, was not satisfied with the previous work, and this time, The Zombies took the reins of production. CBS released Friends of Mine as the band's first single on their new label, with Beechwood Park as the B-side. Although the band played it live and on the radio, it did not manage to enter the charts, which prevented its release in the United States and, unfortunately, contributed to the dissolution of The Zombies in December 1967. However, the song found a new home on the band's second album, Odessey and Oracle, released on April 19, 1968. Later, on December 30, 1968, it appeared in the United States as the B-side of Time of the Season. At the time, the British press received Friends of Mine with positive comments, especially highlighting the vocal performance. Over time, critics have continued to value the song, and some consider it a precursor to the jangle pop sound.