Farlowe was born in Islington, North London. His mother sang and played piano at clubs.[4] He is the nephew of Len Deighton.[5] Farlowe was an apprentice carpenter in Holloway, London before he was a professional singer. John Henry Deighton became Chris Farlowe, after taking the surname from American guitarist Tal Farlow.[4]
Career
His musical career began with a skiffle group, the John Henry Skiffle Group, in 1957,[6] before he joined the Johnny Burns Rhythm and Blues Quartet in 1958. The John Henry Skiffle Group won a local talent show.[4] 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 (a name also used by an American singer), which perpetuated the myth that he was a black singer.[7]
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 (1970). Farlowe left a year later, but since Colosseum's reunion in 1994 he appeared on all their albums and tours with them to the present.[6] In February 1972 he joined Atomic Rooster,[9] and is featured on the albums Made in England (1972) and Nice 'n' Greasy (1973).
In 1978 Farlowe collaborated on two BBC Birmingham productions for which his former Colosseum bandmate Dave Greenslade wrote the theme music. First, in the second series of Gangsters, Farlowe sang the theme song. Farlowe and Greenslade then provided the music and Farlowe played the part of Benny opposite Sonja Kristina in the rock opera Curriculee Curricula.[10] The production was first shown on BBC Two and shot in its entirety on video at the University of Birmingham campus, with Magnus Magnusson as the narrator.[11]
Farlowe sang on two tracks from Jimmy Page's Death Wish IIsoundtrack (1982), as well as the tracks "Hummingbird", "Prison Blues" and "Blues Anthem" on Page's album Outrider (1988).[6] He toured for a long time with Hamburg Blues Band, mainly in Germany. Since 1999, Farlowe has appeared on stage a number of times alongside Van Morrison.[12][13]
Farlow (middle) performing with Chris Matthews and the Hamburg Blues Band in 2021.
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.[14] 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.[15]
Personal life
Farlowe also collects war memorabilia, and once had a shop that sold Nazi uniforms, which had caused controversy at the time.[5] An interest for his hobby first started when in Hamburg, he noticed and bought an Iron Cross on for sale in a Junk shop.[5]
Farlowe has never been married or had children, but nearly got married twice.[8]
Discography
Albums
Chris Farlowe and the Thunderbirds (February 1966)
"Stormy Monday Blues" (Part One/Part Two) (as Little Joe Cook, Island Sue WI 385)
Stormy Monday (EP: "Stormy Monday" / "She's Alright" / "Voodoo") (as Chris Farlowe, Island IEP 709, ca. 1966)
References
^Adrian and Pamela Griffiths. (13 October 1940). "Biography". Chrisfarlowe.co.uk. Archived from the original on 13 October 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
^ abcdRoberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 195. ISBN1-904994-10-5.
