Jim Rodford

Jim Rodford is a bassist that any fan of the British Invasion might envy, having played with the Swinging Blue Jeans and the Mike Cotton Sound, as well as playing a key role in the formation of The Zombies, and latterly joining The Kinks, where he was a member for 18 years. Rodford's first longtime band affiliation with the Bluetones, which was the top local band in his hometown of St. Albans, in Hertfordshire. He had a younger cousin, Rod Argent, who played keyboards and was interested in starting up a group in the early '60s -- he helped the group get organized, and lead singer Colin Blunstone came from Rodford's school, but he declined to join, instead ending up as a member of the Swinging Blue Jeans, where he succeeded Mike Gregory, who had replaced co-founder Les Braid. From the Swinging Blue Jeans, he moved on to the Mike Cotton Sound, a former trad-jazz outfit that had lately retooled its sound distinctly more toward R&B and soul, succeeding Stu Morrison in the bassist's spot.

Read More