Rod Argent

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Rodney Terence "Rod" Argent (born 14 June 1945) is an English singer, guitarist, composer, and record producer.

Argent came to prominence in the English rock band the Zombies' founding and keyboardist, and went on to form the band Argent following the Zombies' first break-up.

He played many keyboards, including the Mellotron, the harpsichord, and the organ as the band's keyboardist. Argent has produced recordings by other artists, made films for television shows, and has had a solo career that has featured three studio albums, including "Moving Home," "Red House," and "Classically Speaking." In March 2019, Argent was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Zombies of Brooklyn.

Early years

Argent was born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, into a working-class family. Les Argent, his father, was an aeronautical engineer who machined parts at the De Havilland aircraft factory; he had also been the leader of two semi-professional dance bands, the Les Argent Quartet and his Rhythm Kings; Although his father did not teach Argent music, he grew up hearing him play the upright piano in the family's house. Argent's mother was one of eight children, and Argent grew up with "a large network of cousins, uncles, and aunts" living in the area.

He wanted to be a "aged eight or nine," and as an infant, he sang as a chorister in the St Albans Cathedral Choir. Paul Atkinson and Hugh Grundy met while studying at St Albans School. Argent, Atkinson, and Grundy were among the first to play together in St Albans on Easter 1961.

Argent wanted to form a band but first asked Jim Rodford to join as a bass guitarist. Rodford was playing in a local band called the Bluetones at the time, but it had to be cut out. Colin Blunstone and Paul Arnold joined the new band in early 1961, although all five members were still attending school. Arnold was fired not long after and was promptly replaced by Chris White. The band won a local competition, and they were able to record a demo for their reward. They received a recording deal with Decca as a result of Argent's song "She's Not There."

Personal life

Argent and his wife, Cathy, were introduced at a party in 1967, and they married in 1972. Elesa and Mark, the couple's two children, have two children.

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Career

Argent was (with White) one of the group's top songwriters, composing hits such as "She's Not There," "Tell Her No," and "Time of the Season." Argent was originally the group's lead singer, with Blunstone on guitar. When Argent's keyboard abilities became apparent, he became the group's full-time keyboard player, denying him the role of lead singer to Blunstone. The company dominated the 1960s, but in 1967, the organization was disbanded due to leadership differences.

Argent left the band behind to form Argent, the band's 1972 hit album with the single "Hold Your Head Up." Rick Wakeman has praised his Hammond B3 solo as the best organ solo ever. "God Gave Rock and Roll to You," written by lead singer Russ Ballard and later covered by other artists such as Petra and Kiss, was also recorded by the band. "Liar" was Argent's first album (also composed by Ballard), and it became a hit for Three Dog Night. The band disbanded in 1976.

Argent's debut solo album Moving Home, 1978, featured many well-known musicians, including Gary Moore, Genesis drummer Phil Collins, and Weather Report bass guitarist Alphonso Johnson. He wrote a musical titled Masquerade in 1980, which premiered in London in 1982. Red House, his 1988 solo album, was released.

Argent continued to perform keyboards with a number of artists, including piano on the title track of The Who's album Who Are You and Variations with Gary Moore, Julian Lloyd Webber, and Andrew Lloyd Webber. He began writing for television, including the theme tune to It'll Be Alright On The Night. In 1986, he composed the theme music for ITV's coverage of the 1986 FIFA World Cup, Aztec Gold, which he released as a single under the name Silsoe. He wrote the theme song for ITV's The Two of Us and the LWT's 1987 film Bust, and he composed the theme songs for ITV's The Two of Us and Bust. "Goal Crazy," an Argent/Van Hooke composition that was used on ITV's The Match from 1988 to 1992, was used two years later. The Piglet Files, an ITV (LWT) sitcom, was also conceived by Argent, which aired from 1990 to 1992.

Argent formed an art company in 1987 with ex-Van Morrison drummer Peter Van Hooke, which produced a number of artists. Argent released On Nights Like This and her second album Wall Of Smiles in 1995. Tanita Tikaram's Ancient Heart (1988), Nanci Griffith's Late Night Grande Hotel (1991), Joshua Kadison's Painted Desert Serenade (1993), and Jules Shear's Healing Bones (1994).

Argent released Rod Argent Classically Speaking, his first piano album on which he performed Chopin studies and music by Ravel, Bach, and Grieg, as well as three of his own compositions. Argent joined Hamish Stuart, Richard Marx, Billy Squier, Edgar Winter, and Sheila E. to tour with Ringo Starr & His All-Star Band in 2006.

Argent and Colin Blunstone recorded As Far as I Can See... in the style of the Zombies in 2004. Colin Blunstone & Rod Argent of the Zombies Live at the Bloomsbury Theatre have received rave reviews, as did their 2007 tour. "The Zombies, led by original keyboard wizard Rod Argent and featuring Colin Blunstone's smoked-silk vocals, is the best 60s band still touring, but it doesn't have Mick Jagger as a front man," one commentator said.

The original members of Argent continued to tour with Colin Blunstone as The Zombies, and the group's original survivors appeared in three reunion concerts at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in March 2008. Al Kooper, who had discovered the album in a record store in Carnaby Street in London after the band had broken down, performed them. He promoted it on radio stations in the United States, leading to "Time of the Season" becoming a top-three hit in the singles charts. A sold out show (attended by several DJs and musical celebrities) culminated in a band reunion. In a 2015 interview with PopMatters journalist J.C. Maçek III, Argent said, "Still Got That Hunger is the first album that has really brought back some of the group's ferocious sense of feeling." We're already tight as a team now. The entire process has become so natural that we're 100% happy with the Zombies' name, rediscovering and playing all the old stuff while also paving a new path forward, which is also very important to us."

Argent was involved in the unveiling of a Blue Plaque at The Blacksmith's Arms, a pub in St Albans, where the Zombies appeared for the first time.

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