Chris Farlowe is best known for taking the Jagger/Richards song “Out Of Time” to the top of the U.K. Pop charts. Yet Chris had been recording several years before his big hit and his early recordings with The Thunderbirds come very highly rated. Farlowe possessed a booming, gritty voice similar to Eric Burdon’s that was perfectly suited to blues and R&B.

To me “Moanin’ ” released as a single in 1967 is his greatest recording. This song is a killer all the way!. It begins with some backwards cymbal effects, tabla and some aggressive Brian Jones sitar runs, then come some lethal distorted guitar chords. Chris then takes over on vocal accompanied by a swinging brass section who sound like they’re playing the Peter Gunn theme.

Lyrically Chris is on a bum trip and he makes sure he tells you all about it, he sounds like a man in real misery so when he sings “life’s a losing gamble to me” you tend to believe him. This is a dark and menacing disc!, and you can find a used copy for next to nothing.Chris Farlowe later handled lead vocal duties with progressive rock bands Colosseum and Atomic Rooster.