Chris Farlowe is an English rock, blues and soulsinger. He is best known for his hit single "Out of Time", which rose to #1 in the UK Singles Chart in 1966, and his association with Colosseum and the Thunderbirds. Outside his music career, Farlowe collects war memorabilia.
Career
Farlowe was born in Islington, North London. His musical career began with a skiffle group, the John Henry Skiffle Group, in 1957, before he joined the Johnny Burns Rhythm and Blues Quartet, in 1958. He met guitarist Bob Taylor in 1959 and, through Taylor, joined the Thunderbirds, who went on to record five singles for the Columbialabel. On Island's Sue label, he released a version of "Stormy Monday Blues" under the pseudonym Little Joe Cook, which perpetuated the myth that he was a black singer. Farlowe moved to Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate label and recorded eleven singles, five of which were cover versions of Rolling Stones songs including "Paint It, Black", "Think", "Ride On, Baby", " Satisfaction", and "Out of Time", which reached no. 1 in the UKSingles Chart. He recorded four more singles, the best known of which is Mike d'Abo's "Handbags and Gladrags". and "My Way of Giving", a cover of a Small Faces album track written by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane. He began an association with the jazz rock group Colosseum in September 1970, recording a live album and two studio albums including, Daughter of Time. Later from Colosseum reunion in 1994 he appeared on all Colosseum albums released. In February 1972 he joined Atomic Rooster, and is featured on the albums Made in England and Nice 'n' Greasy. He sang vocals for the theme music written by Greenslade for the BBC Television seriesGangsters. In 1978 he had a part in a play produced by BBC Birmingham, Curriculee Curricula, first shown on BBC Two and shot in its entirety on video at the University of Birmingham campus, with Magnus Magnusson as the narrator. Farlowe and Greenslade provided the music. He also sang on two tracks from Jimmy Page's Death Wish IIsoundtrack, as well as the tracks "Hummingbird", "Prison Blues" and "Blues Anthem" on Page's album Outrider. Chris Farlowe toured for a long time with Hamburg Blues Band, mainly in Germany. In 2009, Farlowe toured as a featured artist with Maggie Bell and Bobby Tench as part of the "Maximum Rhythm and Blues" tour of 32 UK theatres. On 30 July 2016, Farlowe appeared at Wembley Arena, performing his 1966 hit "Out of Time" as part of a show marking the 50th anniversary of the England football team's victory in the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final. Since 1999 Farlowe has appeared on stage a number of times alongside Van Morrison.
