Tapestry of Delights: Chris Farlowe's real name was John Deighton and he was born on 13 October 1940. Before forming The Thunderbirds in 1964 he'd played in a number of skiffle acts including The John Henry Skiffle Group. The Thunderbirds were reputedly a first rate R&B band, one of the best on the circuit in the mid-sixties, but they got little recognition at the time. They featured a certain Albert Lee on guitar who went on to play in several other bands including Heads Hands and Feet, Joe Cocker and The Cock'n'Bull Band and he also had his own studio-only Albert Lee Band in 1975. Their organist Dave Greenslade also went on to greater things with The Ram Jam Band and Colosseum.
After a one-off release for Decca, Air Travel, passed largely without notice, The Thunderbirds released some first rate R&B singles for EMI's Columbia label, which were ideally suited to Farlowe's powerful rasping vocal style. The rarest and most sought-after of these is Buzz With The Fuzz, which was withdrawn shortly after its release because EMI objected to some of the mod slang in the lyrics. Following this Farlowe released Stormy Monday Blues under the pseudonym of Little Joe Cook on the Sue label. At the time everyone thought the 45 was the work of an obscure black US blues singer.
It wasn't until Farlowe and his band signed to the new Immediate label that they began to enjoy the success they really deserved. The first 45, The Fool, produced by Eric Burdon of The Animals missed out; the follow-up, Think, a Jagger/Richard composition due to be included on the forthcoming Rolling Stones' Aftermath album was a minor hit but the big breakthrough came with another Jagger/Richard number, Out Of Time, which was also on the Aftermath album and shot him to No 1. He later achieved a minor hit with Ride On Baby, another Jagger/Richard song which hadn't made it onto Aftermath.
His two albums around this time, 14 Things To Think About and The Art Of Chris Farlowe, which veered more towards soul and R&B both sold pretty well and he continued to enjoy further 45 successes during 1968 with The Small Faces' My Way Of Giving produced by Marriott and Lane and a cover of the jazz standard Moanin' and Handbags And Gladrags, which had been written by Manfred Mann's Mike D'Abo. Following this brace of minor hits he disbanded The Thunderbirds and took a two year sabbatical from the music scene. During this time he channelled much of his energy into building up his Islington-based collection of Nazi World War II memorabilia. When he returned in the Autumn of 1970 he briefly fronted a band called Hill and then did short stints as vocalist for Colosseum and Atomic Rooster.
Then in 1975 after the revived Immediate label reissued some of his old discs he formed a new band for a national tour, resulting in a live album for Polydor, but it made little impression with the punters. Since then his recording forays have been spasmodic. In early 1978 he sang the theme tune to the BBC's crime series 'Gangsters'. In 1982 he sang two cuts, 'Who's To Blame' and 'Hypnotising Ways' on the musical score for Charles Bronson's 'Death Wish II'. Later that year he appeared in the 'Heroes and Villains' charity concert at London's Hammersmith Odeon along with several other sixties stars. This revival in his fortunes spurred him to release a cover of Long John Baldry's Let The Heartaches Begin, which failed to sell in any great quantities.
Peter Solley later played with Fox, Paladin, Gravy Train and Procol Harum.
cd1: 01. The Fool 3:03
02. Treat Her Good 1:58
03. In The Midnight Hour 2:19
04. Mr. Pitiful 2:33
05. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction 2:28
06. Who Can I Turn To? 2:32
07. Think 3:37
08. Don't Just Look At Me 2:44
09. My Colouring Book 3:01
10. Lipstick Traces 3:18
11. Summertime 4:38
12. That's No Big Thing 3:29
13. Don't Play That Song 3:31
14. Looking For You 2:24
15. It's All Over Now Baby Blue 3:40
16. I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself 2:33
17. Rockin' Pneumonia 2:30
18. Why Don't You Change Your Ways 3:29
19. My Girl Josephine 2:13
20. Yesterday 2:30
21. Out Of Time 3:15
22. Baby Make It Soon 2:18
23. Ride On Baby 2:55
24. Headlines 3:25
25. What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted 2:41
cd2: 01. We're Doing Fine (from Immediate LP THE ART OF CHRIS FARLOWE) ( 11-1966) 2:38
02. Life Is But Nothing (from Immediate LP THE ART OF CHRIS FARLOWE) ( 11-1966) 4:06
03. Paint It Black (from Immediate LP THE ART OF CHRIS FARLOWE) ( 11-1966) 3:00
04. Cuttin' In (from Immediate LP THE ART OF CHRIS FARLOWE) ( 11-1966) 2:59
05. Open The Door To Your Heart (from Immediate LP THE ART OF CHRIS FARLOWE) ( 11... 2:35
06. North South East West (from Immediate LP THE ART OF CHRIS FARLOWE) ( 11-1966) 3:56
07. You're So Good For Me (from Immediate LP THE ART OF CHRIS FARLOWE) ( 11-1966) 2:15
08. It Was Easier To Hurt Her (from Immediate LP THE ART OF CHRIS FARLOWE) ( 11-1... 3:08
09. I'm Free (from Immediate LP THE ART OF CHRIS FARLOWE) ( 11-1966) 2:24
10. I've Been Loving You Too Long (from Immediate LP THE ART OF CHRIS FARLOWE) ( ... 2:57
11. Reach Out I'll Be There (from Immediate LP THE ART OF CHRIS FARLOWE) ( 11-1966) 3:15
12. My Way Of Giving (A Side Immediate IM 041) (1-1967) 2:34
13. Yesterday's Papers (A Side Immediate IM 049) (1-1967) 5 2:38
14. Moanin' (A Side Immediate IM 056) (6-1967) 2:34
15. What Have I Been Doing (B Side Immediate IM 056) (6-1967) 3:54
16. Handbags And Gladrags (A Side Immediate IM 065) (11-1967) 3:59
17. Everyone Makes A Mistake (B Side Immediate IM 065) (11-1967) 2:03
18. The Last Goodbye (A Side Immediate IM 066) (4-1968) 2:52
19. Paperman Fly In The Sky (B Side Immediate IM 066) (4-1968) 2:47
20. I Just Need Your Lovin' (B Side Immediate IM 071) (7-1968) 3:13
21. Dawn (A Side Immediate IM 074) (11-1968) 3:50
22. April Was The Month (B Side Immediate IM 074) (11-1968) 3:55
23. (bonus track) Moanin' (without sitar) (1967) 2:31
24. (bonus track) Paint It Black (slower mono single version) (1966) 3:36
Chris Farlowe (and The Thunderbirds):
RICKY CHAPMAN bs
CHRIS FARLOWE vcls
DAVE GREENSLADE organ
ALBERT LEE gtr
JOHNNY WISE drms
IAN HAGUE drms
JERRY TEMPLE congas
BUGS WADDELL bs
CARL PALMER drms
PETE SOLLEY keyb'ds
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