Small Faces

Small Faces , popular 1960s-era British band that produced many hits at home but not much abroad; also spawned the Faces and Humble Pie. Membership: Steve Marriott, lead gtr., lead voc. (b. Bow, London, England, Jan. 30, 1947; d. Saffron Walden, Essex, England, April 20, 1991); Jimmy Winston (James Langwith), kybd. (b.Stratford, London, April 20, 1945), Ian McLagan, kybd., gtr., voc. (b. England, May 12, 1945); Ronnie Lane, bs., gtr., voc. (b. Plaistow, London, April 1, 1946; d. Trinidad, Colo., June 4, 1997); Kenny Jones, drm. (b. Stepney, London, Sept. 16, 1948).

Membership: The Faces: Rod Stewart, voc. (b. Highgate, London, Jan.10, 1945); Ron Wood, rhythm gtr., bs. (b. Hillingdon, Middlesex, England, June 1, 1947); Ian McLagan, Ronnie Lane, and Kenny Jones. Humble Pie: Peter Frampton, gtr., voc. (b. Beckenham, Kent, England, April 22, 1950); Greg Ridley, bs., voc. (b. Carlisle, Cumberland, England, Oct. 23, ca.1947); Jerry Shirley, drm. (b. England, Feb. 4, 1952); Steve Marriott. Frampton left in October 1971, replaced by David “Clem” Clempson (b. Tamworth, Staffordshire, England, Sept. 5, 1949).

Formed in London as a British rhythm-and-blues band in June 1965, The Small Faces comprised Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenny Jones, and Jimmy Winston. Marriott had played the Artful Dodger in the London production of Oliver! at age 12 and recorded a solo single for Decca in 1963. Signed to British Decca, The Small Faces recorded one major British-only hit single, “Whatcha Gonna Do about It,” before Winston left in late 1965, to be replaced by Ian McLagan. Effervescent and well dressed in performance, The Small Faces quickly became favorites of England’s young Mods, scoring smash British-only hits through 1966 with “Sha-La-La-La-Lee,” and Marriott and Lane’s “Hey Girl,” “All or Nothing,” and “My Mind’s Eye.”

The Small Faces began recording for Immediate Records, the new label of Rolling Stones’ manager-producer Andrew “Loog” Oldham, in the spring of 1967 and came under his management that summer. Veering toward psychedelia, they achieved a British-only hit with “Here Comes the Nice” and finally penetrated into the American market with “Itchycoo Park,” made distinctive through the manipulation of phasing. Although Small Faces’ albums had been issued in Great Britain on Decca in 1966 and 1967, their first American release did not come until 1968 on Immediate. British-only hits continued with “Tin Soldier,” “Lazy Sunday,” and “Universal,” but, following Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake, regarded as one of the great albums of the late 1960s, Steve Marriott quit the group to form Humble Pie in April 1969 with guitarist Peter Frampton, formerly with The Herd.

Humble Pie signed with Oldham’s Immediate label, recording two rather pastoral albums and the smash British-only hit “Natural Born Boogie” for the label before switching to A&M Records in 1970. More effective live than on recordings, the group’s first American success came with 1971’s live double-record set Rockin’ the Fillmore, which yielded a minor hit with “I Don’t Need No Doctor.” Marriott’s hard-rock orientation overwhelmed Frampton’s more gentle, romantic leanings and, as a consequence, Frampton left the group in October 1971. He was replaced by David “Clem” Clempson, previously with Colosseum. The group’s first album with Clempson, Smokin’, became their best-seller, containing the favorite “30 Days in the Hole” and producing a minor hit with “Hot ’n’ Nasty.” Subsequent albums sold progressively less well and the group disbanded in 1975. At the beginning of the 1980s, Marriott reconstituted Humble Pie with guitaristvocalist Bobby Tench, bassist Anthony Jones, and original Jerry Shirley for two albums on Atlantic Records.

With the dissolution of the first edition of The Small Faces, former members Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan, and Kenny Jones recruited guitarist Ron Wood and vocalist Rod Stewart from The Jeff Beck Group in June 1969. Signing with Warner Bros. Records, they shortened their name to The Faces, although their debut album, First Step, was credited to The Small Faces. Touring America successfully several times in 1970, The Faces broke through with late 1971’s A Nod Is as Good as a Wink…To a Blind Horse. The album yielded a major hit with “Stay with Me” two months after Stewart’s “(I Know) I’m Losing You,” recorded with The Faces, became a major hit from his Every Picture Tells a Story album.

Following his departure from The Jeff Beck Group, Rod Stewart had secured a solo recording contract with Mercury Records. Thus, he recorded both solo and with The Faces, but his popularity as a solo artist became paramount with Every Picture Tells a Story. Stewart continued to record and tour with The Faces through 1975, becoming one of the most popular live bands of the time, but they managed only one more moderate hit with “Cindy Incidentally” in 1973. Ronnie Lane played his final engagement with The Faces that May, to be replaced on bass by Tetsu Yamauchi, formerly with Free. Lane later formed Slim Chance, which recorded three British albums (one released in the U.S.) and scored one British hit with “How Come?” before disbanding in 1977.

In 1974, Ron Wood recorded his first solo album, I’ve Got My Own Album to Do, with Ian McLagan and Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. During the summer of 1975, Wood toured with both The Rolling Stones (as Mick Taylor’s replacement) and Rod Stewart and The Faces. Wood’s second solo album was released that July. Given the apparent conflicts with Ian McLagan, Wood’s increasing involvement with The Rolling Stones, and his own rising popularity, Rod Stewart announced his departure from The Faces in December 1975, effectively ending the career of The Faces.

Steve Marriott recorded a solo album in 1975 and reconstituted The Small Faces with Ian McLagan, Kenny Jones, and bassist-vocalist Rick Wills in June 1976 for two overlooked albums for Atlantic. The Small Faces dissolved in the spring of 1978. By 1979, Kenny Jones had joined The Who and Rick Wills had joined Foreigner. Ian McLagan recorded two solo albums for Mercury and subsequently became a member of The Rolling Stones’ touring band.

In 1976, Ronnie Lane reunited with Ron Wood for the soundtrack to the movie Mahoney’s Last Chance, later recording Rough Mix with Pete Townshend of The Who. Wood, an official member of The Rolling Stones since July 1977, released another solo set, Gimme Some Neck, recorded with McLagan, Richards, Charlie Watts, and Mick Fleetwood, in the spring of 1979. The album included eight Wood originals and “Seven Days,” written for Wood by Bob Dylan. Wood later briefly toured with The New Barbarians, which comprised Richards, McLagan, and jazz bassist Stanley Clarke.

In 1983, Ronnie Lane, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1976, recruited Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Joe Cocker, Paul Rodgers, and others for a brief tour in support of his Appeal for Action Research into Multiple Sclerosis organization. He then moved to Tex. and toured once again in 1987 and 1990. Steve Marriott’s 30 Seconds to Midnight was released in 1989. On April 20, 1991, after returning from the U.S. where he had been working with Peter Frampton, Marriott died in a house fire at his Saffron Walden cottage in Essex at the age of 44. By then, Kenny Jones had formed The Law with former Bad Company vocalist Paul Rodgers.

Discography

the small faces : There Are but Four Small Faces (1968); Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake (1968); Archetypes (1974); Playmates (1977); 78 in the Shade (1978); By Appointment (1982); The Small Faces (1984); All or Nothing (1992). humble pie : Town and Country (1969); As Safe as Yesterday (1969); Humble Pie (1970); Rock On (1971); Rockin’ the Fillmore (1971); Smokin’ (1972); Eat It (1973); Thunderbox (1974); Street Rats (1975); Hot ‘n’ Nasty: The Anthology (ree. May 1973; rei. 1994); On to Victory (1980); Go for the Throat (1981); The Scrubbers Sessions (1997). steve marriott: Marriott (1976); 30 Seconds to Midnight (1989). the faces: First Step (1970/1993); Long Player (1971/1993); A Nod Is as Good as a Wink…To a Blind Horse (1971/1993); Ooh La La (1973/1993). rod stewart and the faces: A Live Concert (1971); Coast to Coast: Overture and Beginners (1973); Rod Stewart and The Faces (1975). ron wood: I’ve Got My Own Album to Do (1974); Now Look (1975); Gimme Some Neck (1979); Slide on This (1992); Slide on Live (1998). ron wood and bo diddley: Live at the Ritz (1992). ronnie lane/slim chance: Ronnie Lane/Slim Chance (1975). ronnie lane and ron wood : Mahoney’s Last Chance (soundtrack; 1976). ronnie lane and pete townshend: Rough Mix (1977). ian mclagan: Troublemaker (1980); Bump in the Night (1981). the law (with kenny jones): The Law (1991).

—Brock Helander