Brief Candles

Album: Odessey and Oracle (1968)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Written by Zombies bass player Chris White, this song was inspired by a book of Aldous Huxley stories published in 1930.

Comments: 1

  • James from Utah, UsaIn this song, three different members of the Zombies take a turn sing the verses. Keyboardist Rod Argent sings the first verse. The song's composer, bassist, Chris White, sings the second verse. Vocalist Colin Blunstone sings the choruses and third verse. The verse that Chris White sings in Brief Candles is his only one of two lead vocals with the Zombies, the other, the lead vocal on his composition, Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914).
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Tom Bailey of Thompson Twins

Tom Bailey of Thompson TwinsSongwriter Interviews

Tom stopped performing Thompson Twins songs in 1987, in part because of their personal nature: "Hold Me Now" came after an argument with his bandmate/girlfriend Alannah Currie.

Prince

PrinceFact or Fiction

Prince is shrouded in mystery, making him an excellent candidate for Fact or Fiction. Is he really a Scientologist? Does he own an exotic animal?

Vince Clarke

Vince ClarkeSongwriter Interviews

An original member of Depeche Mode, Vince went on to form Erasure and Yaz.

Paul Williams

Paul WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

He's a singer and an actor, but as a songwriter Paul helped make Kermit a cultured frog, turned a bank commercial into a huge hit and made love both "exciting and new" and "soft as an easy chair."

Dar Williams

Dar WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

A popular contemporary folk singer, Williams still remembers the sticky note that changed her life in college.

Song Cities

Song CitiesMusic Quiz

Nirvana, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen are among those who wrote songs with cities that show up in this quiz.