When no less an established performer than Mick Jagger refers to another singer as “the best singer in England,” it’s time to ask who he might be talking about.
He was talking about John Henry Deighton, who performs under the stage name Chris Farlowe, which is the name I’ll use from now on. He’s one of those white men who, like Tom Jones, possesses the voice of a black man. In fact, when he first started recording, many people assumed him to be black.
Other than saying that he’s never enjoyed the success he probably deserves (the curse of the “musician’s musician”), I’ll leave it to some Youtube videos from early and late in his career to let you assess his talent. First, from what little heyday he had, in the early 1960′s:
Out Of Time (1966)
Handbags and Gladrags (1967)
Paint It Black (1968)
And more recently:
Summertime – Live (sometime in the 1990′s?)
Tough On Me, Tough On You – Live (2004?)
I’ll Sing The Blues For You – Live (probably 2006)
Stormy Monday – Live (2007)
I think he’s as great as ever. A musician’s musician. Chris Farlowe.
