Chris Farlowe: The Voice of British Rhythm & Blues

Chris Farlowe is an English singer renowned for his powerful, soul-influenced voice within the British rhythm and blues and rock scenes. His career, spanning over six decades, is most famously marked by a number one UK single in 1966 with his rendition of "Out of Time".

Early career

Born John Henry Deighton in 1940 in Islington, London, he began performing in the late 1950s under the name Chris Farlowe. He fronted his band The Thunderbirds, establishing a reputation on the burgeoning British R&B circuit with a raw, passionate vocal style that drew from American blues and soul.

Breakthrough

Farlowe's major breakthrough came in 1966 under the guidance of manager and producer Mick Jagger. His recording of the Jagger/Richards composition "Out of Time", released on the Immediate label, soared to number one on the UK Singles Chart, cementing his place in the 1960s British pop landscape.

Key tracks

Out of Time - This Mick Jagger-produced number one hit remains Farlowe's definitive recording and a classic of the swinging sixties era.

Handbags and Gladrags - His powerful 1967 single, written by Mike d'Abo, later became a standard covered by numerous artists including Rod Stewart.

Moanin' - A staple of his live set, this cover of the blues standard showcases Farlowe's gritty, authentic R&B vocal prowess.

Following his Immediate Records period, Farlowe continued to record and perform, later exploring harder rock territories. He collaborated with acts like Colosseum and The Hill, and even joined the band Atomic Rooster for a period in the early 1970s, demonstrating his versatility across blues rock and progressive genres.

Artists with a similar grounding in British rhythm and blues and soulful rock include The Animals, who also blended American blues with a potent British attitude. Joe Cocker shared Farlowe's intense, soul-wrenched vocal delivery and rose to fame in the same era. The mod-influenced sound of The Who also intersected with the early 60s R&B scene that Farlowe helped define.

Chris Farlowe's enduring voice, a fixture of the UK blues rock scene, continues to be celebrated on classic rock FM stations and specialist rhythm and blues radio streams. His music, particularly his iconic 1960s hits, maintains a regular presence on playlists dedicated to the foundational sounds of British rock.

The music of Chris Farlowe can be heard on radio stations featured on our website. Listeners can discover this pillar of British rhythm and blues through the radio stations available on onairium.com.