The Zombies star Rod Argent: My six best albums
ROD ARGENT, 71, played keyboards with The Zombies whose 1960s hits included She’s Not There and Time Of The Season. With Argent, he had a hit in 1972 with Hold Your Head Up. The Zombies will play their album Odessey And Oracle live at the London Palladium on September 29. alttickets.com
ELVIS PRESLEY: Elvis Presley (RCA/BMG) I was a chorister in the early 1950s and popular music then was pretty anaemic so I listened to classical. Then my cousin played me Hound Dog. I was 11 and to my parents’ horror I just wanted to hear the rawest rock and roll I could get my hands on. I’ve still got a jukebox with those early Elvis records on. They are full of soul and excitement.
THE BEATLES: Revolver (EMI) The Beatles had a huge impact. We couldn’t believe the quality of their writing and the honesty in their music. I think they were the first progressive rock band. It was a wonderful time to be young and creative.
RAY CHARLES: In Person (MP3 Download) Recorded in 1959 in Atlanta with one microphone held above the auditorium and it still sounds fabulous. I was about 15 when I heard it and it blew me away. With Ray Charles you get all the soul of black church music in secular form.
MILES DAVIS: Kind Of Blue (Sony) I discovered Miles in the late 1950s and his music knocked me sideways. He improvised on modes within melodies and it produced a wonderful atmosphere.
The people in his band were superb musicians. Bill Evans is one of my favourite jazz piano players.
STEVIE WONDER: Talking Book (Motown) This was his golden period. Songs such as You Are The Sunshine Of My Life and Superstition were gorgeous melodies. Someone phoned me up once from a bar in Los Angeles where a band were playing and told me Stevie had just got up and played She’s Not There with them. I was knocked out.
THE BEACH BOYS: Pet Sounds (Capitol) I particularly like the mono version of this. There’s wonderful structure in the music and fantastic invention. When I was writing I loved to work with melodic bass lines and Brian Wilson took that to another level on this. It had a real influence on us.