| "She's Not There" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 One of side-A labels of original UK single | ||||
| Single bythe Zombies | ||||
| from the albumBegin Here | ||||
| B-side | "You Make Me Feel Good" | |||
| Released | 24 July 1964 | |||
| Recorded | 12 June 1964 | |||
| Studio | Decca,West Hampstead, London | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:25 | |||
| Label | Decca F11940 (UK) Parrot 45PAR 9695 (US) | |||
| Songwriter | Rod Argent | |||
| Producer | Marquis Enterprises | |||
| The Zombies UK singles chronology | ||||
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| The Zombies US singles chronology | ||||
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"She's Not There" is the debut single by the English rock bandthe Zombies, written by keyboardistRod Argent. It reachedNo. 12 in theUK Singles Chart in September 1964,[1] andNo. 2 on theBillboard Hot 100 in the United States at the beginning of December 1964. In Canada, it reachedNo. 2.
Rolling Stone magazine ranked "She's Not There" No. 297 on its list of the500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[2]
In 2016, the song by the Zombies was inducted into theGrammy Hall of Fame.[3]
Rod Argent built the lyrics of "She's Not There" from aJohn Lee Hooker song, whose title – "No One Told Me" – became a part of the opening phrase of "She's Not There". Following an 29 April 1964 performance by the Zombies atSt Albans Market Hall, Argent played the one verse he had written of the song forKen 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' vocalistColin Blunstone – "I could hear him singing it in my mind."[4] Describing his first impression of the song, bassistChris White stated: "It was absolutely fascinating. The song was breathtaking in its approach. We worked on some ideas and found out what to play in the bass. [...] That was Rod's first real experience of songwriting."[5]
The song's genres and musical styles are described by authors and music journalists asjazz rock,[6]beat,[7]pop rock,[8]baroque pop,[9] andR&B.[10]
Lyrically, the song takes place after the breakup of anadolescent relationship, where the male narrator laments "someone who wasn’t what they seemed, leaving a trail of lies and broken hearts."[11] Whilst many lines reminisce about the ex-girlfriend's allure and physical beauty, therefrain of "But she’s not there" carries both a "literal and metaphorical [meaning], suggesting her physical absence and the emotional void she left behind," in addition to implying a lack of sincerity beneath her charming exterior.[11] However, the narrator is not addressing the girl, but rather his friends who were aware of her character yet failed to warn him.[12] When asked about the identity of the song's female subject in a 2020 interview withForbes, Argent responded that "she wasn’t anybody, just a fictional character. It was just me weaving a story, basically."[13]
"She's Not There" was the second of four songs recorded by the Zombies at a 22 June 1964 recording session at Decca'sWest Hampstead Studio 2. The backing tracks needed seven takes.[14] One of the song's most distinctive features is Argent'selectric piano sound; the instrument used was aHohner Pianet. The backing vocals are in afolk-influencedclose-harmony style. To make the single sound stronger for single release, Ken Jones organisedHugh Grundy to record a strident drum line overdub which only appears on the original mono single mix.
The B-side was the Chris White-penned "You Make Me Feel Good", which band biographer Claes Johansen characterized as "pureBeat Boom. With its mid-tempo performance and accentuation on the first beat and second off-beat of each bar it is also a blueprint for how a typical Zombies song would sound during most of their Decca period."[15] Initially, the band considered releasing this song as their debut single, but ultimately opted for "She's Not There". Argent has since praised the track, contending that it "should have been the follow-up [single]."[16]
Thisminor key,jazz-tinged single was first aired in the United States during the first week in August 1964, on New York City rock radio stationWINS by Stan Z. Burns, who debuted it on his daily noontime "Hot Spot" segment, during which new songs were played. The tune began to catch on in early autumn and eventually reachedNo. 2 on theBillboard Hot 100 in December 1964.[17]
Ultimate Classic Rock critic Michael Gallucci rated it as the Zombies' greatest song, stating that it "still sounds like a revolutionary record.".[18] Gallucci further stated that Argent "fills the track with jazz-inspired electric piano that set the Zombies apart from their blues-and R&B-borrowing contemporaries.[18]
The song was later included both on the Zombies' debut albumBegin Here, released in the UK in December 1964, and the US albumThe Zombies issued January 1965. It was also included on the soundtrack to the 1979 feature filmMore American Graffiti and the 2021 feature filmTitane.
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[26] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
| "She's Not There" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single bySantana | ||||
| from the albumMoonflower | ||||
| B-side | "Zulu" | |||
| Released | October 1977 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter | Rod Argent | |||
| Santana singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"She's Not There" was a hit forSantana when it appeared on their 1977 albumMoonflower. Their version peaked atNo. 11 in the UK.[27] It was also a hit in the US, spending 14 weeks on theBillboard Hot 100 and peaking atNo. 27,[28] as well as reachingNo. 20 on the Cash Box Top 100 chart. Their take on it features Greg Walker as the lead vocalist.
| Chart (1977–1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles (Kent Music Report)[29] | 19 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[30] | 7 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[31] | 21 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[32] | 4 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[33] | 2 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[34] | 3 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[35] | 9 |
| Spain (AFE)[36] | 28 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[37] | 11 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[38] | 27 |
| USCash Box Top 100[39] | 20 |
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[40] | 37 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[41] | 14 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[42] | 12 |
