How Many More Years formed his own band in West Memphis, Arkansas, in 1948, billing himself as "The Howlin' Wolf". He began broadcasting on radio station KWEM in West Memphis, and was heard by Sam Phillips who signed him for Memphis Recording Service. He recorded "How Many More Years" at the MRS studio at 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee, in or about July 1951, singing and playing harmonica with a band comprising (probably) Ike Turner (piano), Willie Johnson (guitar), and Willie Steele (drums). The repetitious bass-string boogie line resembles the one played in the traditional blues standard "Forty-Four". The record's original A-side, "Moanin' at
How Are You the "Think Visual" LP. However, one month later, "How Are You" was released as the debut U.K. single from said album, backed with "Killing Time". It was a moderate success, peaking at #86 on the U.K. Singles Chart. This would be the last time that a Kinks single charted in Britain. Although the Dave Davies-penned "Rock 'n' Roll Cities" was chosen to be the lead "Think Visual" single in America, "How Are You" was eventually released as its follow-up, this time backed with "Working at the Factory". In the U.S., AOR disc jockeys flipped the single over and played "Working