The unlucky Small Faces.

GoldenMotor.com

bluegoatwoods

Active Member
Jul 29, 2012
1,581
6
38
Central Illinois
Have you ever pondered just how unfortunate this band was? What makes it even more striking is that some folks who had only brief association with them went on to large success.

The original Small Faces were really quite good. I'd say they stand up well against the early Rolling Stones, for instance. I've never collected much detail, but I've gotten the impression that they suffered from bad management and a bad record label.

Their original guitarist/lead singer and dominant songwriter was a guy named Steve Marriot. (They also consisted of Ronnie Lane on bass guitar, Ian McLaghan/keyboards and Kenny Jones/drums. Ronnie and Kenny wrote some of their material. I don't recall if Ian did, but it wouldn't surprise me) His voice wasn't beautiful, but he sure knew how to deliver a song. I suspect he might have influenced Robert Plant. He was the first to leave. In 1968 or '69, I think. The remaining members then took on Rod Stewart on vocals and Ron Wood on guitar.

They recorded an album that was released in 1970 or thereabouts. I'm pretty sure I've never seen a copy. I know it didn't show up in any of my friends' record collections, which is where I discovered most music in those days. But it apparently gave Rod Stewart enough gravitas to get himself a record deal. So he put out "Every Picture Tells a Story". Not to put that album down. It really was quite good. Rod's shining moment, as far as I'm concerned. Is the stuff he's put out since all that great? Not in my opinion. Though some of it is surely good enough, it doesn't really inspire me. Yet he's been a big name ever since. If he can still sing at his age now, then I'll bet he can make a living that you or I would envy just doing shows. I wouldn't be surprised if that's what he's been doing all this time. I'm almost accusing him of using The Small Faces, later The Faces, as a spring board and leaving them behind. Though I've no reason to think that that was intentional or uncaring, it seems like that's what happened. He got pretty lucky.

Not too much later Ron Wood got a job with The Rolling Stones. And he's now been there so long that he couldn't even be regarded as 'the new guy'.
Not much more to say on that. He got a great job.

While this was happening, Steve Marriot formed Humble Pie with Peter Frampton. I believe they recorded two albums. The first must have sold well enough to justify #2 in the label's eyes. But, again, these albums never reached me. That's not definitive, of course. But if they'd gained real wide-spread popularity, someone I'd known would have had a copy. But the next thing you know Peter Frampton has made himself a house-hold name on the strength of that one 'live' album coupled with his gimmick of mixing his voice with the sound of his guitar. Now there's an album that was hard to get away from. Everybody was listening to it for a while there. 1976? That sounds right. Not to rain on Frampton's parade. But it seems like his success was huge for what the music actually was. I believe he'd sell tickets today. Maybe not NFL stadiums, but enough to justify putting on shows.

In the meantime Ronnie Lane developed MS. He's now dead. This is a run-of-the-mill tragedy that can happen to anyone and does happen to many, of course. But it was still tragic for him.

Then Kenny Jones got a break that would seem to be equal to the one Ron Wood got; he got a job with The Who. But whaddaya know? It didn't work out. Yes, they did two albums together. More importantly, from Kenny's money-making interest, they did two tours. No doubt he padded his bank account. Enough, probably, to give him a decent, if modest, retirement. (If he had the sense to use it that way. I don't know.) Then Pete Townshend called it quits. I don't know that he was dis-satisfied with Kenny. I believe John Entwistle was glad to have him. Roger Daltrey was definitely not happy. I recall an interview from about ten years ago where he admitted plainly that he hated that era of The Who. He then went on to tell about how Kenny did not measure up to Keith Moon. And then he said, "I don't want to hurt his feelings. He's a good drummer. He just wasn't the right drummer". I think Pete Townshend called it quits because the band as a whole was not having a good time and was not being very creative. (Though I would disagree on the creative part. At least they still showed promise to me.) I don't know, again, if he was not happy with Kenny. But I'll bet that Roger's displeasure played a part. Maybe a large one.

My own opinion is the Kenny did sound like a stand-in who hadn't quiet found his groove on "Face Dances". But on the second album he had it down and was sounding just fine. All the same, when The Who re-formed in the late 80's they said that he had declined the invitation. But I can't help the feeling that he was not invited at all and was, in effect, fired. (Their statement was to the effect that Kenny couldn't join them because he had other matters to attend to. Maybe. But it's hard to imagine how he could have anything more important than the money making potential of a Who tour. If he really did decline, then I'd guess that he did it because he knew that he had an enemy in the band and that it wouldn't work.)

Then in the early 90s Steve Marriott was killed in a house fire. In a neighborhood of London that, I think, is not exactly upscale. Essex, I think, for those who are more familiar. Like Ronnie Lane, this is the sort of thing that might have happened to anyone. But it's still a shame.

I think Ian McClaghan is the least unlucky of the bunch. Details are hazy but I think he's been able to make a living in the business as a session musician. It think he can be found on songs that we know of. Though I've forgotten which ones.

I'm not sure that there's any lessons to be learned here or anything like that.
But I've always been struck by how these guys seemed to have the Midas touch with people who they worked with briefly, yet could never catch a decent break for themselves.

If anyone else out there has more details of the history of these folks, I'd be interested.
 

wheelbender6

Well-Known Member
Sep 4, 2008
4,059
221
63
TX
Faces was/were Rod Stewart's band in the 70s, after he left Jeff Beck. Showing my age again.
 

cosmickid

New Member
Sep 11, 2011
98
0
0
planet earth
I liked 'Small Faces', even bought their first album.
By the time Rod joined the group I'd lost interest in them,
having moved on to the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix...
Going to that "Trips Festival" and drinking that cup of Kool Aid that a
young girl with flowers in her hair offered me, changed my tastes & direction.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w26jtb2k_qo
Dave
 

Tinsmith

Well-Known Member
May 15, 2009
1,056
259
83
Maryland
bluegoat, I was a fan of the Small Faces (Itchycoo Park) and they were very talented. Steve Marriott was my favorite member of that band and saw him many times in the early 70's when he was with Humble Pie. They probably had at least eight albums up through the mid 70's then fell apart. Came back with some of the members but never as dynamic as Humble Pie. They were kind of a combination blues/metal band. They covered the Stones Honkey Tonk Women song as well as you would ever want to hear it. You can find videos of live performances on the net. They were constantly on tour and having seen most all the bands during that time, were one of my favorites. Their live performances were much better than the studio work. Check out the Filmore album and Eat It album. "30 Days in the Hole" and "I Don't Need No Doctor" will give you an idea of what they were all about. I beleive Marriott fell on hard times when he went solo. I think drugs and alcohol were at the root of his problems, but the little guy was a big time stage performer. I hope some others have something to add to this thread.
Dan
 

Arnold Layne

New Member
Dec 3, 2010
81
1
0
Nebraska
I read that Ian Mclaghan was invited to join the Greatful Dead in the '70s, but he declined after he flew over here and rehearsed with them because he didn't want to be the only person in the band that knew how to play an instrument! Keith Richards was friends with the Faces, and I think Ian did some work with the Stones in the '70s before they hired Ron Wood. Wasn't Ian on Exile on Main Street?
 

bluegoatwoods

Active Member
Jul 29, 2012
1,581
6
38
Central Illinois
....and I think Ian did some work with the Stones in the '70s before they hired Ron Wood. Wasn't Ian on Exile on Main Street?
I can't confirm, but I'm willing to believe it. At least I'm pretty certain that Ian is on music, as a session musician, that we'd be familiar with.

For that matter, too, I've seen hints that Kenny Jones might be pals with The Moody Blues. Or with John Lodge in particular. I don't think he's shown up on any of their music. But having connections like that might help a guy get some work in one way or another.

And then Ronnie Lane did an album with Pete Townshend in the late '70s. Though that might not have made him a whole bunch of money. Still, perhaps these guys might not have been quite as unlucky as I've feared. If they can make any sort of living in the music business, that's not too bad.

But they were talented and deserved better.

I had forgotten, for that matter too, that Rod Stewart had been with The Jeff Beck Group before the Small Faces/Faces. So his standing to get a record deal for Every Picture...might have a larger foundation than just the Faces. Still, he got more fortunate than the ones who were left behind.
 
Last edited: