Neil MacArthur

In one of the odder episodes of late-'60s British pop/rock, ex-Zombies lead singer Colin Blunstone issued three singles under the pseudonym of Neil MacArthur. The 45s boasted grandiose orchestral production (by Mike Hurst) more bombastic than anything the Zombies had released. Yet they were similar to some of the Zombies' work in their delicately haunting, sophisticated pop/rock melodies and, of course, Blunstone/MacArthur's breathy vocals. One of them, a remake of the Zombies' "She's Not There," was even a Top 40 U.K. hit, though it wouldn't be long before Blunstone would opt to continue his solo career under his own name. After the Zombies broke up around the beginning of 1968, Blunstone briefly retired from the music business, working for a while in the insurance industry. It wasn't long, however, before Hurst (then noted as producer of Cat Stevens' early records) persuaded him to record again, starting with the re-recording of "She's Not There." It made number 34 in the U.K., and Blunstone even did another version in Italian for that market. A couple decent follow-ups in the same ornate pop style, however, didn't chart. By this time it was fairly well known that MacArthur was in fact Colin Blunstone, especially as Blunstone's picture appeared in ads for the records, and he reverted to his real name when he launched his solo career, with fellow ex-Zombies Rod Argent and Chris White producing. Both sides of all three Neil MacArthur solo singles, as well as a couple previously unreleased tracks from the same era and the Italian version of "She's Not There," appear on Into the Afterlife, a collection of late-'60s Zombies-related rarities. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide