More U.K. Obscurities On U.S. Labels: Chris Farlowe On Immediate

CHRIS FARLOWE-Paint It Black/You're So Good For Me US Immediate ZS7 5002 1967

Poor Chris Farlowe, after scoring a UK #1 with "Out Of Time" some Brainiac at Immediate records assumed he'd score a hat trick again (and again, and again) so they had him record versions of more Stone's tracks for A-sides. British 45's of "Ride On Baby and "Yesterday's Papers" all sank, as did a reading of  "Paint It Black". The previously mentioned tracks did not receive a US release, but "Paint It Black" did.  In fact the British version came out in July 1968 while today's specimen was issued in the US of A a full 9 months EARLIER in November of 1967 (not to be outdone it was reissued again by Immediate in the US the following year in September with a different flip side, still to no chart avail)!!

Farlowe's reading of "Paint It Black" never did much for me. Art Greenslade's strings add an odd "Fiddler On The Roof" vibe to it and let's be honest folks you don't fuck with the classics, unless of course you're Otis Redding, which Chris Farlowe was not. Next....

What makes this 45 good is that the US release is backed by the Oldham/Bell/Skinner/Rose (the latter two were better known as Immediate label mates Twice As Much) composition "You're So Good For Me". The track was previously used as a Twice As Much UK B-side the previous year in November and Farlowe's UK B-side to his Small Faces cover "My Way Of Giving" issued in January 1967. It's got a wonderful soulful delivery (and I swear I hear P.P. Arnold among the female backing vocals) and it moves along nicely in no small part to Art Greenslade's orchestration . The production was by none other than Mick Jagger!

Both sides are available in a host of places because Castle Communications, who own the Immediate back catalog, will license it's tracks to everyone.....and also because other dodgy companies were slinging the stuff prior to Castle acquiring the rights.

Hear "Paint It Black":

https://youtu.be/-CIqx9wIQQU

Hear "You're So Good For Me":

https://youtu.be/Ve5gNM-96VA