CHRIS FARLOWE
Biography
Chris Farlowe was born John Henry Deighton in Islington,
North London on October 13 1940, amidst the rationing, gas masks and bombing
raids of WWII. In common with many of the great British stars who emerged from
the sixties, Chris's earliest hero was Lonnie Donegan and whilst still a
teenager, Chris formed his own skiffle band - the modestly named 'John Henry
Skiffle Group! By the late fifties Chris had gravitated more towards Rock and
Roll and left off guitar to concentrate on singing. The group evolved into Chris
Farlowe and the Thunderbirds; the Farlowe coming from guitarist Tal Farlowe and
Thunderbirds from the American car of the same name. By the early sixties, Chris
and The Thunderbirds were established favourites on the London and Hamburg club
scene and had a growing band of enthusiastic and loyal followers. Their musical
direction was also changing - becoming more R&B than R&R.
November 1962 saw the first vinyl release, the intriguingly named 'Air Travel',
unfortunately it didn't chart but it did bring Chris to the attention of the
Columbia record label who signed him the following year; releasing five singles
over the next couple of years. Apart from dance floor hit, 'The Blue Beat',
commercial success was limited though critical acclaim (as always) was
widespread.
It wasn't until Chris signed to Andrew Loog Oldham's new Immediate label that
things finally started to happen. 1966 seeing the release of Immediate's show
case EP where Chris covered 'In the Midnight Hour', Mr Pitiful, Satisfaction and
'Who Can I Turn To?'. This was followed by the single release 'Think' which
charted and the first Album, '14 Things to Think About'. The summer of 66 saw
England winning the World Cup (honestly!), the USA fighting in Vietnam and the
release of 'Out of Time', affectionately referred to as 'OOT'. To say it was a
huge hit would be an understatement. It was a phenomenon and struck a cord with
young and old alike. One of those rare records that just hit the right spot in a
nation's consciousness at the right time. Against Chris's wishes, EMI followed
up with the release of 'Just a Dream' and then the much better 'Ride on Baby'
both of which received a luke warm reception. 'OOT' was such a tough act to
follow. The latter end of the sixties saw a number of releases, none of which
had any major chart success with the exception of the classic 'Handbags and
Gladrags' a song penned especially for Chris by buddy Mike D'arbo of Manfred
Mann fame. Incredibly, this was to be Chris's last chart success, not counting
the re-release of 'OOT' in the mid seventies. By the end of the sixties, Chris
didn't have a record deal and looked set to fade into obscurity.
But wait... it's 1970 and who's this in the Afghan with long hair and
fashionably flared trousers? Yep, it is our very own Chris, now playing with
progressive rockers, Colloseum (hands up those who remember progressive rock?).
Two albums followed before Chris moved on to Atomic Rooster (Don't ask. I don't
know, remember people used a lot of drugs in the early seventies!). Not a happy
time for Chris and after completing two albums, 'Made in England' and 'Nice N
Greasy' the relationship was terminated. It was a bleak time; Chris was involved
in a serious road accident that kept him away from recording and performing for
two, long years. In 1975 Chris emerged out of the doldrums, hitting the road
again with a new Thunderbirds lineup and chart success coming with the
re-release of 'Out of Time' in 1975. But, it wasn't to be. Management hassles
and the punk explosion (hands up who remembers punk!) saw Chris sidelined once
more.
The 80's saw Chris's reemergence from semi-retirement, guesting on Jimmy Page's
highly acclaimed 'Outrider' album and bringing the house down at a Radio one
show with his rendition of 'Stormy Weather'. The very worthy albums 'Out of the
Blue' and 'Born Again' were released during this artistically rich and
productive time.
In the nineties Chris just went from strength to strength. Recording and gigging
relentlessly. Tours with the newly reformed Colloseum, the Manfreds and solo
dates, reawakened interest throughout the old fan base and brought a whole new
generation of fans on board (me included). Colosseum and solo albums were
estatically reviewed but didn't translate to chart success (the general public
have no taste you know)!
The year 2000 sees Chris's latest album release, 'Glory Bound' (hopefuly a
prophetic title). A solid, quality effort, typically mold breaking and denying
those who would try to pigeonhole Chris as purely a 'blues' singer.
For me, Chris Farlowe is the consummate rocker, the living embodiment of the
star who's seen it all and done most of it and we can count ourselves fortunate
to be witnesses to this. With a live act honed to perfection, many of today's so
called superstars could learn a lot from him. Whenever I see him, wherever I see
him, the audience is spellbound, gripped by every gesture, and each note in
every song; the hardest act to follow I have ever seen.
The future... Chris gives no indication of slowing down, 'The Voice' is as
strong as ever. Let's make the year 2001, the year when Chris finally gets the
worldwide recognition he deserves.