CHRIS FARLOWE – "Out Of Time"

Welcome back.
Yes, of course, we all agree.
Unfortunately, I keep getting distracted by seeing that 10 against Nancy Sinatra’s name.

Doctor Mod said–

Right said, Tom! When I first heard this in 1966, I already had an appreciation for the sardonic–I wanted to break up with someone (even though I’d never been involved with anyone) just so I could express the song’s sentiments to someone. (Yes, yes, I know–I’ve spent years in psychotherapy sorting out such drama-queen impulses.)

While I had no vocabulary to articulate it back then, I instinctively knew those campy baroque strings at the beginning were only faux-romantic–the persistent drumbeat that accompanied them suggests something over-the-top is about to happen. And it does.

The bitter and the sweet are ironically juxtaposed–but so ironically that, as you say, the result is exuberant rather than heartbroken. It is easily the best “kiss-off” song ever. (The second best is Timi Yuro’s “What’s a Matter Baby”–which also has a snarky baroque strings intro.) And it’s not just the song itself–Jagger and Richards did their own version, more or less an I-couldn’t-give-a-flaming-rat’s-ass-in-the-noontime dismissal. Farlowe’s laughingly growly baritone, though, suggests a true pleasure in revenge that suggests she’s getting paid back with interest.

The review made me pull this out from the shelves and listen again. I really must get a cleaner recording than the muddy-sounding Immediate Story anthology CD I now have. But, of course, the murky sound is how I heard it on a transistor radio in the monophonic days of 1966. I suspect that there’s some fine instrumental gestures that don’t come through without digital remastering–but what you hear is certainly enough to merit a 9–or more. A Rolling Stone’s song that improved on the original.

And, oh yes–did I ever get to live out the scenario this song inspired? Yes–it only took thirty-nine years to happen.

Hello, Yes I seem to remember all that and being on “Out of TIme” with Jimmy page. nice to see someone keeping tabs. Go well……..Joe Moretti.

A song which Mick n Keef gifted to a mate and which (as Rosie sa) topped the poll the day they thought it was all over and was now. Tom’s right. The “poor unfaithful” dumpee gets a right royal toeing here, Farlowe simply sneering at her during the comic Spanish guitar-enhanced verses before joyously dishing out merciless correction to the point of delirium during the chorus with the cries of “WELL!” nothing less than a clarian call for all his white van mates down the drinker to pile in too. You’re not going to be looking at a re-count after that little lot, are you, sweetheart? It’s a magnificent record.

RIP Eric Woolfson. One of pop’s Zeligs, he wrote Marianne Faithfull’s sweetest, minor-key 60s 45 (Tomorrow’s Calling), coached EMI’s own Jimmy Osmond-alike Darren Burn on the infamous Man Alive programme Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and sang the beautifully morphined-out Alan Parsons Project US hit Eye In The Sky at the turn of the eighties.

Apparently he used to live in the penthouse of Berthold Lubetkin’s modernist Highpoint flats in Highgate. A lovely man, by all accounts.

DESERT ISLAND DISCS WATCH:

AA Gill, Journalist(2006).

Blatantly two years, erm, out of time, but @7: I’d always imagined that the singer was the one who was dumped, probably causing him a lot of hurt – now he’s moved on, and his ex has come back, and he’s telling her to bugger off.

As @4 says – it’s ‘I Will Survive’ for blokes!

TOTPWatch: Chris Farlowe thrice performed Out Of Time on Top Of The Pops;

30 June 1966. Also in the studio that week were; Dusty Springfield and The Hollies. Alan Freeman was the host.

7 July 1966. Also in the studio that week were; Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames, Los Bravos, Petula Clark, The Kinks and The Shadows. David Jacobs was the host.

27 December 1966. Also in the studio that holiday were; Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames and The Small Faces, plus The Go Jo’s interpretation of ‘Good Vibrations’. Alan Freeman and Simon Dee were the hosts.

None of these editions survive.

#16. Well remembered! Chris Farlowe performed ‘Out Of Time’ on Top Of The Pops on 9 October 1975. Also in the studio that week were; Sparks, Morris Albert, Hello, Smokie, Bruce Forsyth (!) and John Miles. Dave Lee Travis was the host. This was the 600th edition of the programme. No copy survives.

It was ‘Looks Looks Looks’, also performed a fortnight earlier. I have seen the TOTP ‘Get In The Swing’, but not that. YouTube turns up a clip taken from ‘Supersonic’.

Brucie’s contribution was called ‘Sandra’.

meanwhile, over in the USA things were getting wild in the Number 1 spot – as noted here.

I was probably raised on the Stones’ nonchalant version of this one, so I never cared for this version, thought it tried too hard. Really interesting how so many songs from Flowers were covered by British acts (and some charted).

This one and “Ride On Baby” by Farlowe.
“Lady Jane” by David Garrick
“Take It Or Leave It” by The Searchers
“Sitting On a Fence” by Twice As Much (actually my favorite of the aforementioned covers)

With all the nonsense said about the thrice recording of “OOT”! Page being there and all,the guys who made it happen,and I’m not forgetting Chris! ..didn’t get mentioned. So I am going to reveal who was there.
First let me establish that I was not there!but! My boss was. The guy on rhythm guitar and keys (who,happened to be in the same studio but, on a different gig) happened to get involved not by design,but by accident.
His name was Crash Steadfast. His real name,which I later found out from my boss was an accumulation of his muso’s Nick name and his real name.
So! Rhythm guitar &keys was down to a friend of mine who never got a mention on monster of a song.