The Small Faces
Encyclopedia
The Small Faces were an English
rock and roll
band from East London, heavily influenced by American rhythm and blues
. The group was founded in 1965 by members Steve Marriott
, Ronnie Lane
, Kenney Jones
, and Jimmy Winston
, although by 1966 Winston was replaced by Ian McLagan
as the band's keyboardist
.
The band is remembered as one of the most acclaimed and influential mod groups of the 1960s. With memorable hit songs such as "Itchycoo Park
", "Lazy Sunday
", "All or Nothing
", "Tin Soldier
", and their concept album
Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake
, they later evolved into one of the UK's most successful psychedelic
acts before disbanding in 1969. After the Small Faces disbanded, three of the members were joined by Ronnie Wood as guitarist, and Rod Stewart
as their lead vocalist, both from The Jeff Beck Group
, and the new line-up was renamed Faces
. A revived version of the original Small Faces existed from 1975 to 1978.
Small Faces are also acknowledged as being one of the biggest original influences on the Britpop
movement of the 1990s. Despite the fact the band were together just four years in their original incarnation, the Small Faces' music output from the mid to late sixties remains among the most acclaimed British mod and psychedelic music of that era.
. Lane came in with his father Stan to buy a bass guitar, struck up a conversation with Marriott, bought the bass and went back to Marriott's house after work to listen to records. They recruited friends Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston (born James Edward Winston Langwith, 20 April 1945, in Stratford
, east London), who switched from guitar to the organ. They rapidly progressed from rehearsals at The Ruskin Arms public house (which was owned by Winston's parents) in Manor Park, London, to ramshackle pub gigs, to semi-professional club dates. The group chose the name, Small Faces, because of the members' shared small stature.
The band's early song set included R&B/soul classics such as "Jump Back", James Brown
's "Please Please Please", Smokey Robinson
's "You've Really Got a Hold on Me
" and Ben E. King
's "Stand by Me
". The band also performed two Marriott/Lane original compositions, a fast and loud "Come on Children" and the "speed enhanced" song "E too D", in which Marriott would display his considerable vocal abilities in the style of his heroes and role models, Otis Redding
and Bobby Bland
. "E too D", which appears on their first album, Small Faces
, is named after the guitar chord structure. On US compilation albums the track is titled "Running Wild". Marriott's unique and powerful voice attracted rising attention. Singer Elkie Brooks
was struck by Marriott's vocal prowess and stage presence, and recommended them to a local club owner, Maurice King. Impressed, King began finding them work in London and beyond. Their first out-of-town concert was at a working men's club
in Sheffield
. Since the crowd was mainly made up of Teddy boy
s and hard-drinking workers, the band were paid off after three songs. Despondent, they literally walked into the mod-oriented King Mojo Club
nearby (then owned by a young Peter Stringfellow
) and offered to perform for free. They played a set that left the local mods wanting more and started a strong buzz. During a crucial residency at Leicester Square's Cavern Club, they were strongly supported by Sonny & Cher
, who were living in London at the time.
, and they were in turn signed to Decca Records
for recording. They released a string of high-energy mod/soul singles on the label. Their debut single was in 1965 with "Whatcha Gonna Do About It
", a Top 14 UK singles chart
hit. Marriott and Lane are credited with creating the instrumental to the song, "borrowing" the guitar riff
from the Solomon Burke
record "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love
". The lyrics were written by the Shadows
band member Ian Samwell
(who wrote arguably the first British rock and roll
record, "Move It
").
The group failed to capitalise on the success of their first single with the follow-up which was written by Marriott/Lane, the hard-edged mod number "I've Got Mine
". The band appeared as themselves in a 1965 crime film
titled Dateline Diamonds
starring Kenneth Cope
as the band's manager and it featured the band playing their second single release. Arden thought the band's song would receive publicity by the film; however, the film's UK release was delayed, and "I've Got Mine" subsequently failed to chart despite receiving good reviews.
Shortly thereafter, Jimmy Winston was released from the band because of a clash of personalities with the rest of the group and a lack of musical talent. In a 2000 interview, Kenney Jones stated the reason Winston was fired from the band was because "He (Winston) got above his station and tried to compete with Steve Marriott."
Winston was replaced by Ian McLagan, whose keyboard talents and diminutive stature fit with the groove of the band perfectly.
The new Small Faces line-up hit the charts with their third single, "Sha-La-La-La-Lee
", released on 28 January 1966. It was written for the group by Mort Shuman
(who wrote many of Elvis Presley
's biggest singles, including "Viva Las Vegas
") and popular English entertainer and singer Kenny Lynch
. The song was a big hit in Britain, peaking at number three in the UK singles chart. Their first album, Small Faces
, released on 11 May 1966, was also a considerable success. They rapidly rose in popularity with each chart success, becoming regulars on British pop TV shows such as Ready Steady Go!
and Top of the Pops
, and toured incessantly in the UK and Europe. Their popularity peaked in August 1966, when "All or Nothing
", their fifth single, hit the top of the UK charts. According to Marriott's mother Kay, he is said to have written the song about his breakup with his ex-fiancee Susan Oliver. On the success of "All or Nothing" they were set to tour America with the Lovin' Spoonful
and the Mamas & the Papas
; however, these plans had to be shelved by Don Arden after details of Ian McLagan's recent drug conviction were leaked.
By 1966, despite being one of the highest-grossing live acts in the country and scoring many successful singles, including four UK Top 10 chart hits, financially the band had nothing to show for their efforts. After a messy confrontation with the notorious Arden who tried to face down the boys' parents by claiming that the whole band were using drugs, they broke with both Arden and Decca.
label, formed by ex-Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham
. Given a virtual open account at Olympic Studios
in Barnes, London, the band progressed rapidly, working closely with engineer Glyn Johns
. Their first Immediate single was the daring "Here Come the Nice
", which was clearly influenced by their drug use, and managed to escape censorship despite the fact that it openly referred to the dealer who sold drugs. A second self-titled album, Small Faces
, followed, which, if not a major seller, was very highly regarded by other musicians and would exert a strong influence on a number of bands both at home and abroad.
At the same time, their old label Decca released the album From The Beginning
, combining old hits with a number of previously unreleased recordings. It included earlier versions of songs they re-recorded for Immediate, including "My Way Of Giving", which they had demoed for Chris Farlowe
, and "(Tell Me) Have You Ever Seen Me", which they had given to Apostolic Intervention
. The album also featured their stage favourite "Baby Don't You Do It
", featuring Jimmy Winston on lead vocals and guitar.
The band's following single "Itchycoo Park
", released on 11 November 1967, is Small Faces' best-remembered song and was also the first of the band's two charting singles in the United States, reaching No. 16 in January, 1968. The single was a bigger hit in Britain, peaking at No. 3. "Itchycoo Park" was the first British record to use flanging
, the technique of playing two identical master tapes simultaneously but altering the speed of one of them very slightly by touching the "flange" of one tape reel, which yielded a distinctive comb-filtering effect. The effect had been applied by Olympic Studios engineer George Chkiantz
. "Itchycoo Park" was followed in March 1967 by "Tin Soldier
," written by Marriott. Also, the track features American singer P.P. Arnold on backing vocals. The song was quite a hit reaching No. 9 on the UK charts and No. 73 on the U.S. Hot 100 chart. Next single "Lazy Sunday"
, released in 1968, was an East End
music-hall style song released by Immediate against the band's wishes. It was written by Marriott inspired by the feuds with his neighbours and recorded as a joke. The single reached No. 2 in the UK charts. The final official single during the band's career was folksy
sounding "The Universal
," released in the summer of 1968. The song was recorded by adding studio overdubs to a basic track that Marriott had cut live in his back garden in Essex with an acoustic guitar. Taped on a home cassette recorder, Marriott's recording included his dogs' barking in the background. The single's comparative lack of success in the charts (No. 16 on the UK chart) disappointed Marriott, who then stopped writing music.
on 24 May 1968. It is widely regarded as a classic album, and featured an innovative round cover, the first of its kind, designed to resemble an antique tobacco tin. It stayed No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart for six weeks and reached only No. 159 in the US.
The two-act concept album consisted of six original songs on side one and a whimsical psychedelic
fairy tale
on side two relating the adventures of "Happiness Stan" and his need to find out where the moon went when it waned. It was narrated by Stanley Unwin
, after original plans to have Spike Milligan
narrate the album were dashed when he turned them down.
Critics raved, and the album sold well, but the band were confronted by the practical problem that they had created a studio masterpiece which was virtually impossible to recreate on the road. Ogdens was performed as a whole just once, and memorably, live in the studio on the BBC television programme Colour Me Pop
.
, with Peter Frampton
. On the subject of the group's breakup, Kenney Jones
, in an interview with John Hellier (2001), said:
A posthumous album, The Autumn Stone
, was released later in 1969, and included the major Immediate recordings, a rare live concert performance, and a number of previously unreleased tracks recorded for their intended fourth LP, 1862, including the classic Swinging Sixties instrumental "Wide Eyed Girl on the Wall" and "Donkey Rides, A Penny, A Glass", co-written by Ian McLagan. The final single, "Afterglow (Of Your Love)
", was released in 1969 after the band had ceased to exist and the single only reached No. 36 in the UK Singles Charts.
and guitarist Ronnie Wood. This line-up dropped the "Small" tag and became Faces
. However, hoping to capitalize on Small Faces' earlier success, record company executives wanted the band to keep their old name. The band objected, arguing the personnel changes resulted in a group different from Small Faces.
As a compromise, this line-up's first album in the UK was credited as First Step by Faces, while in the US the same album was released as First Step by Small Faces. The album was only a mild commercial success, and the record companies perceived no further need to market this new line-up as "Small Faces". Accordingly, all subsequent albums by this incarnation of the band appeared under the new name Faces, on both sides of the Atlantic. However, North American CD reissues of First Step still credit the band as Small Faces.
Jones and McLagan stayed with the 'sequel' group Faces until their breakup in 1975. Lane exited Faces slightly earlier, in 1973. With his backing band Slim Chance, Lane then released several singles and albums from 1973–1976, including the 1974 UK hit "How Come
".
Marriott's first post-Small Faces venture was with the rock group Humble Pie
, formed with the former Herd
member Peter Frampton
. The group was a huge hit in the U.S. and in the U.K. Humble Pie split in 1975 due lacking of chart success and Marriott went solo.
, and his behaviour was misinterpreted by Marriott and the others as a drunken tantrum.
Nevertheless, McLagan, Jones and Marriott decided to stay together as Small Faces, recruiting ex-Humble Pie and Roxy Music
bassist Rick Wills
to take Lane's place. This iteration of Small Faces recorded two albums: Playmates (1977) and 78 In The Shade
(1978), released on Atlantic Records
. Guitarist Jimmy McCulloch
also briefly joined this line-up after leaving Wings
. When McCulloch phoned Paul McCartney
, who had found him increasingly difficult to work with, to announce he was joining Marriott, McCartney reportedly said "I was a little put out at first, but, well, what can you say to that?" McCulloch's tenure with the band lasted only for a few months in late 1977. He recorded only one album, 78 in the Shade
in 1978 with the band.
Unfortunately for the band, mainstream music in Britain was rapidly changing direction, punk rock
having been established around this time. The reunion albums, as a result, were both critical and commercial failures. Small Faces broke up again in 1978.
after Keith Moon
's death in 1978 and continued to work with The Who through the late 1980s. Most recent work includes a band he formed and named The Jones Gang
.
Ian McLagan went on to perform with artists such as Bonnie Raitt
, the Rolling Stones, David Lindley
and his band El Rayo-X among others, and more recently Billy Bragg
. In 1998 he published his autobiography
, All the Rage. He now lives in a small town of Manor
outside Austin, Texas
, and is bandleader to his own "Bump Band".
Steve Marriott recorded with a revived line-up of Humble Pie from 1980 to 1982. Along with Ronnie Lane, he formed a new band called the Magic Midgets in 1981, but this band's lone album Together Again: The Lost Magic Midgets Recordings was not issued until 2000. Later in the 1980s, Marriott went solo, playing nearly 200 concerts a year. On Saturday, 20 April 1991, Steve Marriott died in his sleep when a fire, caused by a cigarette, swept through his home in Essex, England. His death came just a few days after he had begun work on a new album in America with his former Humble Pie bandmate, Peter Frampton.
Ronnie Lane's recording career was curtailed by the effects of multiple sclerosis
, though he issued collaborative albums with Pete Townshend
and Ronnie Wood in the late 1970s. He moved to the United States and continued to perform live into the early 1990s. Lane died at his home in Trinidad
, Colorado
on 4 June 1997, after battling MS
for nearly 20 years.
Rick Wills of the reunited Small Faces, 1977–78 played on David Gilmour
's 1978 album, David Gilmour
, then joined Foreigner
later that year. He stayed with Foreigner for 14 years, until 1992. Subsequently, Wills was a member of Bad Company
from 1993 to 1999 and again, briefly in 2001. Currently, he lives in Cambridge, England, and works with Kenney Jones in "The Jones Gang".
Jimmy McCulloch's stint with Small Faces only lasted for a few months in late 1977. Shortly after leaving, he started a band called Wild Horses
with Brian Robertson
, Jimmy Bain
and Kenney Jones
. He and Jones both left the band before they issued any recordings. McCulloch then became a member of The Dukes
, who issued one album in 1979. That same year, McCulloch died at the age of twenty-six from a heroin overdose
in his flat in Maida Vale
.
Outstanding Contribution to British Music "Lifetime Achievement" award.
On 4 September 2007, a Small Faces and Don Arden
commemorative plaque
, issued by the London Borough of Westminster, was unveiled in their memory in Carnaby Street
. An emotional Kenney Jones attended the ceremony and said in a BBC television interview, "To honour the Small Faces after all these years is a terrific achievement. I only wish that Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane and the late Don Arden were here to enjoy this moment with me".
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
band from East London, heavily influenced by American rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
. The group was founded in 1965 by members Steve Marriott
Steve Marriott
Stephen Peter Marriott , popularly known as Steve Marriott, was an English musician, songwriter, and frontman of several notable rock and roll bands, spanning over two decades...
, Ronnie Lane
Ronnie Lane
Ronald Frederick "Ronnie" Lane was an English musician, songwriter, and producer who is best known as the bass guitarist and founding member of two prominent English rock and roll bands; the Small Faces where he was nicknamed "Plonk", – and, after losing the band's frontman, Faces, with two new...
, Kenney Jones
Kenney Jones
Kenneth Thomas "Kenney" Jones is a veteran English rock drummer best known for his work in Small Faces, Faces, and The Who.-Small Faces to the Faces:...
, and Jimmy Winston
Jimmy Winston
Jimmy Winston was the original Keyboard player with Small Faces who rehearsed in the large function room above the Ruskin Arms, Manor Park, of which Jimmy's father Bill Langwith was the landlord. Steve Marriott and the rest of the band replaced Winston with Ian McLagan...
, although by 1966 Winston was replaced by Ian McLagan
Ian McLagan
Ian McLagan is an English keyboard instrumentalist, best known as a member of the English rock bands Small Faces and Faces.-Small Faces and Faces:...
as the band's keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
.
The band is remembered as one of the most acclaimed and influential mod groups of the 1960s. With memorable hit songs such as "Itchycoo Park
Itchycoo Park
"Itchycoo Park" is a psychedelic pop song written by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane, first recorded by their group, the Small Faces. The song reached number three in the UK Singles Chart, 1967.-Song profile:...
", "Lazy Sunday
Lazy Sunday (song)
"Lazy Sunday" is a song by English beat band Small Faces, reaching number two on the UK singles chart in 1968 . It was written by the Small Faces songwriting duo Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane, and appeared on the band's 1968 concept album Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake and preceded the album as a...
", "All or Nothing
All or Nothing (Small Faces song)
"All or Nothing" is a hit song written by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane of British mod group Small Faces in 1966.The song reached number one on the UK Singles Chart two weeks after being released and due to a change in the TOTP chart that week, shared spot with The Beatles song "Yellow...
", "Tin Soldier
Tin Soldier (song)
"Tin Soldier" is a Rock song written by Steve Marriott . It was released on 2 December 1967, by the popular English band Small Faces. The song peaked at number nine in the UK singles chart.-Song profile:...
", and their concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake
Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake
Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake was a successful concept album by the English rock band Small Faces. Released on 24 May 1968 the LP became a number one hit in the UK Album Charts on 29 June where it remained for a total of six weeks....
, they later evolved into one of the UK's most successful psychedelic
Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
acts before disbanding in 1969. After the Small Faces disbanded, three of the members were joined by Ronnie Wood as guitarist, and Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
as their lead vocalist, both from The Jeff Beck Group
The Jeff Beck Group
The Jeff Beck Group were an English rock band formed in London in January 1967 by former Yardbirds guitarist Jeff Beck. Their innovative approach to heavy sounding blues and R&B was a major influence on popular music.- The first Jeff Beck Group :...
, and the new line-up was renamed Faces
Faces (band)
Faces are an English rock band formed in 1969 by members of the Small Faces after Steve Marriott left that group to form Humble Pie...
. A revived version of the original Small Faces existed from 1975 to 1978.
Small Faces are also acknowledged as being one of the biggest original influences on the Britpop
Britpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
movement of the 1990s. Despite the fact the band were together just four years in their original incarnation, the Small Faces' music output from the mid to late sixties remains among the most acclaimed British mod and psychedelic music of that era.
Origins (1965)
Lane and Marriott met in 1965 while Marriott was working at the J60 Music Bar in Manor Park, LondonManor Park, London
Manor Park is the name of an area in the London Borough of Newham, as well as of the local railway station and cemetery. There is another railway station - Woodgrange Park...
. Lane came in with his father Stan to buy a bass guitar, struck up a conversation with Marriott, bought the bass and went back to Marriott's house after work to listen to records. They recruited friends Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston (born James Edward Winston Langwith, 20 April 1945, in Stratford
Stratford, London
Stratford is a place in the London Borough of Newham, England. It is located east northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an agrarian settlement in the ancient parish of West Ham, which transformed into an industrial suburb...
, east London), who switched from guitar to the organ. They rapidly progressed from rehearsals at The Ruskin Arms public house (which was owned by Winston's parents) in Manor Park, London, to ramshackle pub gigs, to semi-professional club dates. The group chose the name, Small Faces, because of the members' shared small stature.
The band's early song set included R&B/soul classics such as "Jump Back", James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
's "Please Please Please", Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
's "You've Really Got a Hold on Me
You've Really Got a Hold on Me
"You've Really Got a Hold on Me" is a 1962 Top 10 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla label. One of the group's most covered tunes, this million-selling song is a 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame inductee...
" and Ben E. King
Ben E. King
Benjamin Earl King , better known as Ben E. King, is an American soul singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me", a U.S...
's "Stand by Me
Stand by Me (song)
"Stand by Me" is the title of a song originally performed by Ben E. King and written by King, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller, based on the spiritual "Lord Stand by Me,", plus two lines rooted in Psalms 46:2-3...
". The band also performed two Marriott/Lane original compositions, a fast and loud "Come on Children" and the "speed enhanced" song "E too D", in which Marriott would display his considerable vocal abilities in the style of his heroes and role models, Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
and Bobby Bland
Bobby Bland
Robert Calvin Bland better known as Bobby "Blue" Bland, is an American singer of blues and soul. He is an original member of the Beale Streeters, and is sometimes referred to as the "Lion of the Blues"...
. "E too D", which appears on their first album, Small Faces
Small Faces (1966 album)
Small Faces is the debut album of the Small Faces, released in 1966. It includes the hit singles "Whatcha Gonna Do About It" and "Sha-La-La-La-Lee"...
, is named after the guitar chord structure. On US compilation albums the track is titled "Running Wild". Marriott's unique and powerful voice attracted rising attention. Singer Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks
Elkie Brooks is an English singer, formerly a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. Elkie has been nominated twice for Brit Awards' top female singer. She is known for her powerful husky voice...
was struck by Marriott's vocal prowess and stage presence, and recommended them to a local club owner, Maurice King. Impressed, King began finding them work in London and beyond. Their first out-of-town concert was at a working men's club
Working men's club
Working men's clubs are a type of private social club founded in the 19th century in industrial areas of the United Kingdom, particularly the North of England, the Midlands and many parts of the South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education for working class men and their families.-...
in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
. Since the crowd was mainly made up of Teddy boy
Teddy Boy
The British Teddy Boy subculture is typified by young men wearing clothes that were partly inspired by the styles worn by dandies in the Edwardian period, styles which Savile Row tailors had attempted to re-introduce in Britain after World War II...
s and hard-drinking workers, the band were paid off after three songs. Despondent, they literally walked into the mod-oriented King Mojo Club
King Mojo Club
The King Mojo Club, often known as the Mojo, was a nightclub in Sheffield, South Yorkshire that operated from 1964 to 1967.Peter Stringfellow and his brothers had been running the Black Cat Club in the city, which proved a success. In 1964, they opened a new venture, the King Mojo Club, in a...
nearby (then owned by a young Peter Stringfellow
Peter Stringfellow
Peter James Stringfellow is an English nightclub owner.-Early life:Stringfellow was born on 17 October 1940 to Elsie and James William Stringfellow , a steelworker...
) and offered to perform for free. They played a set that left the local mods wanting more and started a strong buzz. During a crucial residency at Leicester Square's Cavern Club, they were strongly supported by Sonny & Cher
Sonny & Cher
Sonny & Cher were an American pop music duo, actors, singers and entertainers made up of husband-and-wife team Sonny and Cher Bono in the 1960s and 1970s. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector....
, who were living in London at the time.
The Decca years (1965–1967)
The band signed a management contract with management impresario Don ArdenDon Arden
Don Arden , born Harry Levy, was an English music manager, agent and businessman, best known for overseeing the careers of rock groups Small Faces, Electric Light Orchestra and Black Sabbath....
, and they were in turn signed to Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
for recording. They released a string of high-energy mod/soul singles on the label. Their debut single was in 1965 with "Whatcha Gonna Do About It
Whatcha Gonna Do About It
"Whatcha Gonna Do About It" is the debut single released by the English R&B, mod group Small Faces, released in the UK on 6 August 1965. The song peaked at number 14 in the UK Singles Chart, and stayed on chart for a total of 14 weeks.-Song profile:...
", a Top 14 UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
hit. Marriott and Lane are credited with creating the instrumental to the song, "borrowing" the guitar riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
from the Solomon Burke
Solomon Burke
Solomon Burke was an American singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, mortician, and an archbishop of the United House of Prayer For All People. Burke was known as "King Solomon", the "King of Rock 'n' Soul", and as the "Bishop of Soul", and described as "the Muhammad Ali of soul", and as "the most...
record "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love
Everybody Needs Somebody to Love
"Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" is a song written by Bert Berns, Solomon Burke and Jerry Wexler, and originally recorded by Solomon Burke under the production of Bert Berns at Atlantic Records in 1964...
". The lyrics were written by the Shadows
The Shadows
The Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
band member Ian Samwell
Ian Samwell
Ian "Sammy" Samwell was an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known as the writer of Cliff Richard's debut hit "Move It" and his association with the rock band America with whom he had his biggest commercial success with their hit single "A Horse With No Name"...
(who wrote arguably the first British rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
record, "Move It
Move It
"Move It" is a song recorded by Cliff Richard and the Drifters . Originally intended as the B-side to "Schoolboy Crush", it was released as Richard's debut single on 29 August 1958 and became his first hit record. It is credited with being one of the first authentic rock and roll songs produced...
").
The group failed to capitalise on the success of their first single with the follow-up which was written by Marriott/Lane, the hard-edged mod number "I've Got Mine
I've Got Mine
"I've Got Mine" was the second official song released by English R&B mod band Small Faces in 1965. The song failed to chart despite receiving favourable reviews in the British music press....
". The band appeared as themselves in a 1965 crime film
Crime film
Crime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. The stylistic approach to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies.- Plays and films...
titled Dateline Diamonds
Dateline Diamonds
Dateline Diamonds is a 1966 British music-film. The film was shot in black and white. The "pop and cop" genre of film was a popular concept in the UK during the early 1960s to highlight young music talent and was geared to appeal directly to the young teenage market...
starring Kenneth Cope
Kenneth Cope
Kenneth Cope is an English actor. He is most famous for his roles as Marty Hopkirk in Randall and Hopkirk , Jed Stone in Coronation Street and Ray Hilton in Brookside.- Career :...
as the band's manager and it featured the band playing their second single release. Arden thought the band's song would receive publicity by the film; however, the film's UK release was delayed, and "I've Got Mine" subsequently failed to chart despite receiving good reviews.
Shortly thereafter, Jimmy Winston was released from the band because of a clash of personalities with the rest of the group and a lack of musical talent. In a 2000 interview, Kenney Jones stated the reason Winston was fired from the band was because "He (Winston) got above his station and tried to compete with Steve Marriott."
Winston was replaced by Ian McLagan, whose keyboard talents and diminutive stature fit with the groove of the band perfectly.
The new Small Faces line-up hit the charts with their third single, "Sha-La-La-La-Lee
Sha-La-La-La-Lee
"Sha-La-La-La-Lee" was the third song released by English R&B influenced group Small Faces on 28 January 1966 reaching number three in the UK Singles Chart....
", released on 28 January 1966. It was written for the group by Mort Shuman
Mort Shuman
Mort Shuman was an American singer, pianist and songwriter, best known as co-writer of many 1960s rock and roll hits, including "Viva Las Vegas"...
(who wrote many of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
's biggest singles, including "Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas is a 1964 American romantic musical movie starring music icon Elvis Presley and actress/dancer Ann-Margret. This movie is regarded by many fans of these actors and by film critics as one of Presley's best movies, and it is noted for the apparent on-screen chemistry between Presley...
") and popular English entertainer and singer Kenny Lynch
Kenny Lynch
Kenny Lynch, OBE is an English singer, songwriter, entertainer and actor from London. Lynch appeared in many variety shows in the 1960s...
. The song was a big hit in Britain, peaking at number three in the UK singles chart. Their first album, Small Faces
Small Faces (1966 album)
Small Faces is the debut album of the Small Faces, released in 1966. It includes the hit singles "Whatcha Gonna Do About It" and "Sha-La-La-La-Lee"...
, released on 11 May 1966, was also a considerable success. They rapidly rose in popularity with each chart success, becoming regulars on British pop TV shows such as Ready Steady Go!
Ready Steady Go!
Ready Steady Go! or simply RSG! was one of the UK's first rock/pop music TV programmes. It was conceived by Elkan Allan, head of Rediffusion TV. Allan was assisted by record producer/talent manager Vicki Wickham, who became the producer. It was broadcast from August 1963 until December 1966...
and Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
, and toured incessantly in the UK and Europe. Their popularity peaked in August 1966, when "All or Nothing
All or Nothing (Small Faces song)
"All or Nothing" is a hit song written by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane of British mod group Small Faces in 1966.The song reached number one on the UK Singles Chart two weeks after being released and due to a change in the TOTP chart that week, shared spot with The Beatles song "Yellow...
", their fifth single, hit the top of the UK charts. According to Marriott's mother Kay, he is said to have written the song about his breakup with his ex-fiancee Susan Oliver. On the success of "All or Nothing" they were set to tour America with the Lovin' Spoonful
The Lovin' Spoonful
The Lovin' Spoonful is an American pop rock band of the 1960s, named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. When asked about his band, leader John Sebastian said it sounded like a combination of "Mississippi John Hurt and Chuck Berry," prompting his friend, Fritz Richmond, to suggest the name...
and the Mamas & the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas were a Canadian/American vocal group of the 1960s . The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968 with a short reunion in 1971, releasing five albums and 11 Top 40 hit singles...
; however, these plans had to be shelved by Don Arden after details of Ian McLagan's recent drug conviction were leaked.
By 1966, despite being one of the highest-grossing live acts in the country and scoring many successful singles, including four UK Top 10 chart hits, financially the band had nothing to show for their efforts. After a messy confrontation with the notorious Arden who tried to face down the boys' parents by claiming that the whole band were using drugs, they broke with both Arden and Decca.
The Immediate years (1967–1968)
They were almost straight away offered a deal with the newly established ImmediateImmediate
Immediate may refer to:* Immediacy * Immediate Records, a British record label* The Immediate, an Irish rock group* Immediate Music, a music composition company...
label, formed by ex-Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham
Andrew Loog Oldham
Andrew Loog Oldham is an English producer, talent manager, impresario and author. He was manager and producer of The Rolling Stones from 1963, and was noted for his flamboyant style.-Biography:...
. Given a virtual open account at Olympic Studios
Olympic Studios
Olympic Studios was a renowned independent commercial recording studio located at 117 Church Road, Barnes, South West London, England. The studio is best known for the huge number of famous rock and pop recordings made there from the late 1960s onward....
in Barnes, London, the band progressed rapidly, working closely with engineer Glyn Johns
Glyn Johns
Glyn Johns is a musician, recording engineer and record producer.-Career:He has worked with such artists as Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Easybeats, The Band, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Eagles, Eric Clapton, The Clash, The Steve Miller Band, Small Faces, Spooky Tooth, The Ozark...
. Their first Immediate single was the daring "Here Come the Nice
Here Come the Nice
"Here Come the Nice" is a song released by English rhythm and blues group Small Faces. It peaked at number 12 in the UK singles chart in 1967. It was their first release on new label Immediate after moving from Decca.-Song profile:...
", which was clearly influenced by their drug use, and managed to escape censorship despite the fact that it openly referred to the dealer who sold drugs. A second self-titled album, Small Faces
Small Faces (Immediate)
Small Faces is the second studio album by the English rhythm and blues band Small Faces released via Immediate Records in June 1967. It peaked at number 12 in the UK Album Chart and was their first LP for Immediate in 1967...
, followed, which, if not a major seller, was very highly regarded by other musicians and would exert a strong influence on a number of bands both at home and abroad.
At the same time, their old label Decca released the album From The Beginning
From the Beginning (Small Faces album)
From the Beginning was the retrospective album released by English mod, rhythm and blues band Small Faces in June 1967 on Decca Records. The album rose to Number 17 in the UK Album Chart.-Album profile:...
, combining old hits with a number of previously unreleased recordings. It included earlier versions of songs they re-recorded for Immediate, including "My Way Of Giving", which they had demoed for Chris Farlowe
Chris Farlowe
Chris Farlowe is an English rock, blues and soul singer. He is best known for his hit single "Out of Time", which rose to #1 in the UK Singles Chart in 1966, and his association with Colosseum and the Thunderbirds.Outside his music career, Farlowe collects war memorabilia.-Career:Inspired by Lonnie...
, and "(Tell Me) Have You Ever Seen Me", which they had given to Apostolic Intervention
Apostolic Intervention
The Apostolic Intervention were a British rock band in the mid-1960s, who are best known for their 1967 single "Tell Me "....
. The album also featured their stage favourite "Baby Don't You Do It
Baby Don't You Do It
-Original version:"Baby Don't You Do It" is a 1964 single by American singer Marvin Gaye. Released on the Tamla label, this song discusses a man who is at a standstill with his girlfriend, who he feels is neglecting his love stating "don't break my heart/...I've tried to do my best".Featured on the...
", featuring Jimmy Winston on lead vocals and guitar.
The band's following single "Itchycoo Park
Itchycoo Park
"Itchycoo Park" is a psychedelic pop song written by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane, first recorded by their group, the Small Faces. The song reached number three in the UK Singles Chart, 1967.-Song profile:...
", released on 11 November 1967, is Small Faces' best-remembered song and was also the first of the band's two charting singles in the United States, reaching No. 16 in January, 1968. The single was a bigger hit in Britain, peaking at No. 3. "Itchycoo Park" was the first British record to use flanging
Flanging
Flanging is an audio effect produced by mixing two identical signals together, with one signal delayed by a small and gradually changing period, usually smaller than 20 milliseconds. This produces a swept comb filter effect: peaks and notches are produced in the resultant frequency spectrum,...
, the technique of playing two identical master tapes simultaneously but altering the speed of one of them very slightly by touching the "flange" of one tape reel, which yielded a distinctive comb-filtering effect. The effect had been applied by Olympic Studios engineer George Chkiantz
George Chkiantz
George Chkiantz is a recording engineer based in London who has been responsible for the engineering on a number of well-known albums, many of which are considered classics, owing in part to the high quality of the recordings....
. "Itchycoo Park" was followed in March 1967 by "Tin Soldier
Tin Soldier (song)
"Tin Soldier" is a Rock song written by Steve Marriott . It was released on 2 December 1967, by the popular English band Small Faces. The song peaked at number nine in the UK singles chart.-Song profile:...
," written by Marriott. Also, the track features American singer P.P. Arnold on backing vocals. The song was quite a hit reaching No. 9 on the UK charts and No. 73 on the U.S. Hot 100 chart. Next single "Lazy Sunday"
Lazy Sunday (song)
"Lazy Sunday" is a song by English beat band Small Faces, reaching number two on the UK singles chart in 1968 . It was written by the Small Faces songwriting duo Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane, and appeared on the band's 1968 concept album Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake and preceded the album as a...
, released in 1968, was an East End
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
music-hall style song released by Immediate against the band's wishes. It was written by Marriott inspired by the feuds with his neighbours and recorded as a joke. The single reached No. 2 in the UK charts. The final official single during the band's career was folksy
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
sounding "The Universal
The Universal (Small Faces song)
"The Universal" is a UK single released by English R&B influenced group Small Faces on 28 June 1968 and reached number 16 staying remaining in the top-40 for a total of 10 weeks.-Song profile:...
," released in the summer of 1968. The song was recorded by adding studio overdubs to a basic track that Marriott had cut live in his back garden in Essex with an acoustic guitar. Taped on a home cassette recorder, Marriott's recording included his dogs' barking in the background. The single's comparative lack of success in the charts (No. 16 on the UK chart) disappointed Marriott, who then stopped writing music.
Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake (1968)
At home in England, their career reached an all-time high after the release of their classic psychedelic influenced album Ogdens' Nut Gone FlakeOgdens' Nut Gone Flake
Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake was a successful concept album by the English rock band Small Faces. Released on 24 May 1968 the LP became a number one hit in the UK Album Charts on 29 June where it remained for a total of six weeks....
on 24 May 1968. It is widely regarded as a classic album, and featured an innovative round cover, the first of its kind, designed to resemble an antique tobacco tin. It stayed No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart for six weeks and reached only No. 159 in the US.
The two-act concept album consisted of six original songs on side one and a whimsical psychedelic
Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
on side two relating the adventures of "Happiness Stan" and his need to find out where the moon went when it waned. It was narrated by Stanley Unwin
Stanley Unwin (comedian)
Stanley Unwin , sometimes billed as Professor Stanley Unwin, was a British comedian and comic writer, and the inventor of his own language, "Unwinese", referred to in the film Carry On Regardless as "gobbledegook".Unwinese was a mangled form of English in which many of the...
, after original plans to have Spike Milligan
Spike Milligan
Terence Alan Patrick Seán "Spike" Milligan Hon. KBE was a comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright, soldier and actor. His early life was spent in India, where he was born, but the majority of his working life was spent in the United Kingdom. He became an Irish citizen in 1962 after the...
narrate the album were dashed when he turned them down.
Critics raved, and the album sold well, but the band were confronted by the practical problem that they had created a studio masterpiece which was virtually impossible to recreate on the road. Ogdens was performed as a whole just once, and memorably, live in the studio on the BBC television programme Colour Me Pop
Colour Me Pop
Colour Me Pop was a British music TV programmebroadcast on BBC2 from 1968-1969. It was a spin-off from the BBC 2 arts magazine show Late Night Line-Up. Designed to celebrate the new introduction of colour to British television, it was directed by Steve Turner, and showcased half-hour sets by pop...
.
Breakup and The Autumn Stone (1969)
Marriott officially quit the band at the end of 1968, walking off stage during a live New Year's Eve gig yelling "I quit". Citing frustration at their failure to break out of their pop image and their inability to reproduce the more sophisticated material properly on stage, Marriott was already looking ahead to a new band, Humble PieHumble Pie (band)
Humble Pie was a rock band from England, finding success both in the UK and the US. They are remembered for songs such as "Black Coffee" "30 Days in the Hole", "I Don't Need No Doctor", and "Natural Born Bugie"...
, with Peter Frampton
Peter Frampton
Peter Kenneth Frampton is an English musician, singer, producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. Frampton's international breakthrough album was his live release, Frampton Comes Alive!. The album sold over 6 million copies...
. On the subject of the group's breakup, Kenney Jones
Kenney Jones
Kenneth Thomas "Kenney" Jones is a veteran English rock drummer best known for his work in Small Faces, Faces, and The Who.-Small Faces to the Faces:...
, in an interview with John Hellier (2001), said:
A posthumous album, The Autumn Stone
The Autumn Stone (album)
The Autumn Stone was the posthumous retrospective double album released in the UK by Small Faces in 1969 on the Immediate label.- Album profile :...
, was released later in 1969, and included the major Immediate recordings, a rare live concert performance, and a number of previously unreleased tracks recorded for their intended fourth LP, 1862, including the classic Swinging Sixties instrumental "Wide Eyed Girl on the Wall" and "Donkey Rides, A Penny, A Glass", co-written by Ian McLagan. The final single, "Afterglow (Of Your Love)
Afterglow (Of Your Love)
"Afterglow Of Your Love" is the unofficial final single released in 1969 by the English Rock group the Small Faces. The song managed to reach #36 in the UK Singles Charts....
", was released in 1969 after the band had ceased to exist and the single only reached No. 36 in the UK Singles Charts.
The hiatus: 1970–1975
After Small Faces split, Lane, Jones and McLagan floundered briefly before joining forces with former members of the Jeff Beck Group, singer Rod StewartRod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
and guitarist Ronnie Wood. This line-up dropped the "Small" tag and became Faces
Faces (band)
Faces are an English rock band formed in 1969 by members of the Small Faces after Steve Marriott left that group to form Humble Pie...
. However, hoping to capitalize on Small Faces' earlier success, record company executives wanted the band to keep their old name. The band objected, arguing the personnel changes resulted in a group different from Small Faces.
As a compromise, this line-up's first album in the UK was credited as First Step by Faces, while in the US the same album was released as First Step by Small Faces. The album was only a mild commercial success, and the record companies perceived no further need to market this new line-up as "Small Faces". Accordingly, all subsequent albums by this incarnation of the band appeared under the new name Faces, on both sides of the Atlantic. However, North American CD reissues of First Step still credit the band as Small Faces.
Jones and McLagan stayed with the 'sequel' group Faces until their breakup in 1975. Lane exited Faces slightly earlier, in 1973. With his backing band Slim Chance, Lane then released several singles and albums from 1973–1976, including the 1974 UK hit "How Come
How Come (Ronnie Lane)
How Come is the title of a song co-written by Ronnie Lane and Clive Westlake, and recorded by Lane as his first single in 1973 after he left The Faces. Featuring a band of constantly changing personnel called Slim Chance, including Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle, who later had considerable...
".
Marriott's first post-Small Faces venture was with the rock group Humble Pie
Humble Pie (band)
Humble Pie was a rock band from England, finding success both in the UK and the US. They are remembered for songs such as "Black Coffee" "30 Days in the Hole", "I Don't Need No Doctor", and "Natural Born Bugie"...
, formed with the former Herd
The Herd (UK band)
The Herd were an English psychedelic rock group, founded in 1965, that came to prominence in the late 1960s. They launched the career of Peter Frampton and scored three UK top twenty hits.-Biography:...
member Peter Frampton
Peter Frampton
Peter Kenneth Frampton is an English musician, singer, producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. Frampton's international breakthrough album was his live release, Frampton Comes Alive!. The album sold over 6 million copies...
. The group was a huge hit in the U.S. and in the U.K. Humble Pie split in 1975 due lacking of chart success and Marriott went solo.
Reunion: 1975–1978
Following the breakup of Faces in 1975, the original Small Faces line-up reformed briefly to film videos miming to the reissued "Itchycoo Park" which hit the charts again. The group tried recording together again but Lane left after the first rehearsal due to an argument. Unknown to the others, he was just beginning to show the symptoms of multiple sclerosisMultiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
, and his behaviour was misinterpreted by Marriott and the others as a drunken tantrum.
Nevertheless, McLagan, Jones and Marriott decided to stay together as Small Faces, recruiting ex-Humble Pie and Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
bassist Rick Wills
Rick Wills
Rick Wills , is a British bass player. He is best known for his work with rock band Foreigner and his associations with the Small Faces and Bad Company.-Career:...
to take Lane's place. This iteration of Small Faces recorded two albums: Playmates (1977) and 78 In The Shade
78 in the shade
78 in the Shade is a Small Faces album released on the Atlantic label in 1978 and re-issued in 2005 on Wounded Bird. The album was created during the brief re-union of the band in the 1970s. Ronnie Lane is notably absent from the album, this is due to him starting to show symptoms of multiple...
(1978), released on Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
. Guitarist Jimmy McCulloch
Jimmy McCulloch
James 'Jimmy' McCulloch was a Scottish musician and songwriter, born in Dumbarton and raised in Clydebank and Cumbernauld, Scotland, who was best known for playing lead guitar in Paul McCartney's Wings from 1974 to 1977...
also briefly joined this line-up after leaving Wings
Wings (band)
Wings were a British-American rock group formed in 1971 by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine and Linda McCartney that remained active until 1981....
. When McCulloch phoned Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, who had found him increasingly difficult to work with, to announce he was joining Marriott, McCartney reportedly said "I was a little put out at first, but, well, what can you say to that?" McCulloch's tenure with the band lasted only for a few months in late 1977. He recorded only one album, 78 in the Shade
78 in the shade
78 in the Shade is a Small Faces album released on the Atlantic label in 1978 and re-issued in 2005 on Wounded Bird. The album was created during the brief re-union of the band in the 1970s. Ronnie Lane is notably absent from the album, this is due to him starting to show symptoms of multiple...
in 1978 with the band.
Unfortunately for the band, mainstream music in Britain was rapidly changing direction, punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
having been established around this time. The reunion albums, as a result, were both critical and commercial failures. Small Faces broke up again in 1978.
Post-reunion activity: 1979–present
Kenney Jones became the drummer of The WhoThe Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
after Keith Moon
Keith Moon
Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
's death in 1978 and continued to work with The Who through the late 1980s. Most recent work includes a band he formed and named The Jones Gang
The Jones Gang
The Jones Gang is a British rock band which was formed in 2001.The line-up includes:*Rick Wills, who formerly played with Peter Frampton, Foreigner, Small Faces, Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry and David Gilmour.*Robert Hart of Bad Company...
.
Ian McLagan went on to perform with artists such as Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
, the Rolling Stones, David Lindley
David Lindley (musician)
David Perry Lindley is an American musician who is notable for his work with Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, and other rock musicians. He has worked extensively in other genres as well, performing with artists as varied as Curtis Mayfield and Dolly Parton...
and his band El Rayo-X among others, and more recently Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
. In 1998 he published his autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, All the Rage. He now lives in a small town of Manor
Manor, Texas
Manor is a city in Travis County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area. The population was 1,204 at the 2000 census; it was 1,877 in the 2005 census estimate. The approximate population for the City of Manor is 5,500, which is calculated from the number of...
outside Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, and is bandleader to his own "Bump Band".
Steve Marriott recorded with a revived line-up of Humble Pie from 1980 to 1982. Along with Ronnie Lane, he formed a new band called the Magic Midgets in 1981, but this band's lone album Together Again: The Lost Magic Midgets Recordings was not issued until 2000. Later in the 1980s, Marriott went solo, playing nearly 200 concerts a year. On Saturday, 20 April 1991, Steve Marriott died in his sleep when a fire, caused by a cigarette, swept through his home in Essex, England. His death came just a few days after he had begun work on a new album in America with his former Humble Pie bandmate, Peter Frampton.
Ronnie Lane's recording career was curtailed by the effects of multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
, though he issued collaborative albums with Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
and Ronnie Wood in the late 1970s. He moved to the United States and continued to perform live into the early 1990s. Lane died at his home in Trinidad
Trinidad, Colorado
The historic City of Trinidad is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Las Animas County, Colorado, United States...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
on 4 June 1997, after battling MS
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
for nearly 20 years.
Rick Wills of the reunited Small Faces, 1977–78 played on David Gilmour
David Gilmour
David Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
's 1978 album, David Gilmour
David Gilmour (album)
David Gilmour is the first solo album from Pink Floyd guitarist and vocalist David Gilmour, released in May 1978 in the UK and on 17 June 1978 in the US. The album reached #17 in the UK and #29 on the Billboard US album charts and was certified Gold in the US by the RIAA...
, then joined Foreigner
Foreigner (band)
Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...
later that year. He stayed with Foreigner for 14 years, until 1992. Subsequently, Wills was a member of Bad Company
Bad Company
Bad Company were an English rock supergroup founded in 1973, consisting of two former Free band members — singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke — as well as Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell. Peter Grant, who, in years prior, was a key component of...
from 1993 to 1999 and again, briefly in 2001. Currently, he lives in Cambridge, England, and works with Kenney Jones in "The Jones Gang".
Jimmy McCulloch's stint with Small Faces only lasted for a few months in late 1977. Shortly after leaving, he started a band called Wild Horses
Wild Horses (British band)
Wild Horses were a British rock band, active during the late 1970s and early 1980s.-History:Wild Horses was formed in the summer of 1978 by ex-Thin Lizzy guitarist Brian Robertson and ex-Rainbow bassist Jimmy Bain...
with Brian Robertson
Brian Robertson
Brian "Robbo" David Robertson is a Scottish rock guitarist, best known for his work with Thin Lizzy and Motörhead.-Early life:...
, Jimmy Bain
Jimmy Bain
James Stewart 'Jimmy' Bain is a Scottish bassist most famous for playing in the bands Rainbow and Dio with Ronnie James Dio. He has worked with Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott, co-writing on his solo albums....
and Kenney Jones
Kenney Jones
Kenneth Thomas "Kenney" Jones is a veteran English rock drummer best known for his work in Small Faces, Faces, and The Who.-Small Faces to the Faces:...
. He and Jones both left the band before they issued any recordings. McCulloch then became a member of The Dukes
The Dukes (band)
The Dukes were a band formed in the late 70s. The members included singer Miller Anderson, guitarist Jimmy McCulloch, Ronnie Leahy and bassist Charles Tumahai. They toured supporting Wishbone Ash and recorded one album. The band broke up soon after Jimmy died of an overdose.The Dukes also recorded...
, who issued one album in 1979. That same year, McCulloch died at the age of twenty-six from a heroin overdose
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
in his flat in Maida Vale
Maida Vale
Maida Vale is a residential district in West London between St John's Wood and Kilburn. It is part of the City of Westminster. The area is mostly residential, and mainly affluent, consisting of many large late Victorian and Edwardian blocks of mansion flats...
.
Band members
- Steve MarriottSteve MarriottStephen Peter Marriott , popularly known as Steve Marriott, was an English musician, songwriter, and frontman of several notable rock and roll bands, spanning over two decades...
- vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(1965–1969, 1975–1978) - Ronnie LaneRonnie LaneRonald Frederick "Ronnie" Lane was an English musician, songwriter, and producer who is best known as the bass guitarist and founding member of two prominent English rock and roll bands; the Small Faces where he was nicknamed "Plonk", – and, after losing the band's frontman, Faces, with two new...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals (1965–1969, 1975) - Jimmy WinstonJimmy WinstonJimmy Winston was the original Keyboard player with Small Faces who rehearsed in the large function room above the Ruskin Arms, Manor Park, of which Jimmy's father Bill Langwith was the landlord. Steve Marriott and the rest of the band replaced Winston with Ian McLagan...
- keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(1965) - Kenney JonesKenney JonesKenneth Thomas "Kenney" Jones is a veteran English rock drummer best known for his work in Small Faces, Faces, and The Who.-Small Faces to the Faces:...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(1965–1969, 1975–1978) - Ian McLaganIan McLaganIan McLagan is an English keyboard instrumentalist, best known as a member of the English rock bands Small Faces and Faces.-Small Faces and Faces:...
- keyboards, vocals (1966–1969, 1975–1978) - Rick WillsRick WillsRick Wills , is a British bass player. He is best known for his work with rock band Foreigner and his associations with the Small Faces and Bad Company.-Career:...
- bass (1976–1978) - Jimmy McCullochJimmy McCullochJames 'Jimmy' McCulloch was a Scottish musician and songwriter, born in Dumbarton and raised in Clydebank and Cumbernauld, Scotland, who was best known for playing lead guitar in Paul McCartney's Wings from 1974 to 1977...
- guitar (1977)
Honours and awards
In 1996, the Small Faces were awarded the Ivor NovelloIvor Novello Awards
The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They are presented annually in London by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and were first introduced in 1955.Nicknamed The Ivors, the awards take place...
Outstanding Contribution to British Music "Lifetime Achievement" award.
On 4 September 2007, a Small Faces and Don Arden
Don Arden
Don Arden , born Harry Levy, was an English music manager, agent and businessman, best known for overseeing the careers of rock groups Small Faces, Electric Light Orchestra and Black Sabbath....
commemorative plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
, issued by the London Borough of Westminster, was unveiled in their memory in Carnaby Street
Carnaby Street
Carnaby Street is a pedestrianised shopping street in London, United Kingdom, located in the Soho district, near Oxford Street and Regent Street. It is home to numerous fashion and lifestyle retailers, including a large number of independent fashion boutiques...
. An emotional Kenney Jones attended the ceremony and said in a BBC television interview, "To honour the Small Faces after all these years is a terrific achievement. I only wish that Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane and the late Don Arden were here to enjoy this moment with me".
Discography
Studio albums- Small FacesSmall Faces (1966 album)Small Faces is the debut album of the Small Faces, released in 1966. It includes the hit singles "Whatcha Gonna Do About It" and "Sha-La-La-La-Lee"...
(1966) - From The BeginningFrom the Beginning (Small Faces album)From the Beginning was the retrospective album released by English mod, rhythm and blues band Small Faces in June 1967 on Decca Records. The album rose to Number 17 in the UK Album Chart.-Album profile:...
(1967) - Small Faces (1967)
- Ogdens' Nut Gone FlakeOgdens' Nut Gone FlakeOgdens' Nut Gone Flake was a successful concept album by the English rock band Small Faces. Released on 24 May 1968 the LP became a number one hit in the UK Album Charts on 29 June where it remained for a total of six weeks....
(1968) - The Autumn StoneThe Autumn Stone (album)The Autumn Stone was the posthumous retrospective double album released in the UK by Small Faces in 1969 on the Immediate label.- Album profile :...
(1969) - Playmates (1977)
- 78 in the Shade78 in the shade78 in the Shade is a Small Faces album released on the Atlantic label in 1978 and re-issued in 2005 on Wounded Bird. The album was created during the brief re-union of the band in the 1970s. Ronnie Lane is notably absent from the album, this is due to him starting to show symptoms of multiple...
(1978)