"You fancy comin' over and we'll have a little play?" said bassist Ronnie Lane, as he nervously propositioned a jam to Ron Wood. Lane was uncertain and directionless, as he and fellow Small Faces, Kenney Jones and Ian McLagan, had recently been abandoned by Steve Marriott. After combining pop, rock and roll and psychedelia, Steve Marriott grew tired of being viewed as a "pop star". He'd wasted no time in teaming up with The Herd's Peter Frampton, drummer Jerry Shirley, and Spooky Tooth bassist Greg Ridley, to create the bluesy, soulful sounds of Humble Pie.
Ron Wood, a fan of the Small Faces, was distraught to hear that the band, without the presence of Marriott, had dissolved. Though Lane was a stranger to him, Wood acquired his phone number and expressed his disappointment over the band's inactivity. Wood gladly took up the offer to play, though the shy and unfamiliar duo played with their backs to each other. Soon, Wood and the remaining Small Faces began rehearsing in a warehouse in South London owned by the Rolling Stones. Ronnie Lane was a close friend of Ian Stewart, pianist and Stones roadie, who allowed them to occupy the warehouse rent-free. They were occasionally joined by other London musicians of the day, but it quickly became evident that the core group was made up of Wood on guitar, Jones on drums, Lane on bass, and McLagan on keys. Wood, still involved with the Jeff Beck Group as a bassist, brought along the group's vocalist. In walked a young Steve Marriott devotee, with rooster hair and burgeoning confidence. He was called Rod Stewart and he wasn't allowed past the top of the stairs. Frightful of recruiting another egotistical singer with dreams of going solo, the group only allowed Stewart to listen from the control room. Though, in due time, Stewart was eventually invited to join them. Suddenly, their buoyant, spontaneous jams were serious business. It may have taken two men to fill the void left by the explosive Steve Marriott, but Wood and Stewart, armed with their experiences as blues rock matriarchs in the Jeff Beck Group, were well-equipped for the job. After a formal invitation was extended to Stewart, the Small Faces became the Faces and history was ready to be made.
By the time the Faces emerged from the Bermondsey Street basement, their identity was formed: a sublime juxtaposition of jovial debauchery, drenched in raw rhythm and blues. A liquor-laden band, they were never short of a laugh, but always capable of crafting soul-stirring music. They soon set about capturing this air of merriment on record. Their self-produced debut album, entitled
First Step, was released on Warner Brothers Records in March of 1970. More focused on capturing a vibe than documenting precision, the album is not their strongest effort. Still, standout tracks include the first of many Ronnie Lane penned ballads, "Devotion," and the boisterous "Three Button Hand Me Down", boasting Lane's sensational bass playing. Also featured is "Around the Plynth", a rewritten take on the Jeff Beck Group classic "Plynth", laden with invigorating slide guitar from Wood. "Flying", with its slow buildup, paints a clear portrait of each musician's strength - with the bass high in the mix, glowing organ, tasteful guitar, powerful drumming, and Stewart's ever-raspy nodes, rhapsodizing with gospel backing vocals, courtesy of his can-do-all band mates. The interplay between Ron Wood's sky-scraping slide and Ian McLagan's luminous organ end the track on a high note.
The following year, 1971, was a grand one for the Faces. The beginning of the year saw the release of
Long Player, also self-produced. While haphazardly compiled, the album sufficiently captures the magnificently frisky and lively aura that emanates from their music. The vivid, warm and playful "On the Beach" excels at just that. "Richmond,' Lane's lilting ode to the verdant London town, showcases the serene and sensitive songwriting he did so well. Occupying a large portion of
Long Player is a take on Big Bill Broonzy's jiving classic "I Feel So Good," a perfect depiction of their enthralling stage presence and heavy audience participation.
Also released that year, was Rod Stewart's third solo album,
Every Picture Tells a Story. With the Faces' musicianship featured heavily throughout, it boasts their trademark spirited and careening sway. The accidental hit single "Maggie May," originally included as a B-side to the Tim Hardin penned "Reason to Believe," made Stewart a coveted solo act. Though this feat would conclude in the group's untimely demise, they continued to go from strength to strength in 1971.
They concluded the year with the release of their strongest studio effort, and by far the most
successful,
A Nod Is as Good as a Wink... To a Blind Horse. Of their four studio releases,
A Nod Is as Good as Wink... is surely the most eloquently compiled, feeling more like a consummate album than its two predecessors. This is perhaps due to the aid of Glyn Johns, their first co-producer. In addition to their rousing hit anthem "Stay with Me," the album contains the humor and charm of Ronnie Lane on "You're So Rude," a forlorn look at romance with "Love Lives Here," and the brilliant closer, "That's All You Need". A true Ronnie Lane gem, "Debris," also shines. When Lane harmonizes with Stewart, the song reaches a superlative moment. Though Rod Stewart is noted as one of the finest vocalists in rock and roll and beyond, Lane's ethereal composition stands up remarkably. Rounding out the album's highlights is "Too Bad," a jaunty rock and roll number complete with boogie woogie piano, inviting group vocals, and a driving groove. The album comprehensively captures the band's energy, acting as the greatest studio documentation of the band's musicianship and enchantingly playful atmosphere.
Though 1971 was a peak year for the Faces, the following year was not quite as successful. Despite touring extensively and receiving enthusiastic reception, Rod Stewart's focus on his next solo outing,
Never a Dull Moment, resulted in growing tension within the band. His solo success was beginning to eclipse the band's own success, with the album's lead single "You Wear It Well" becoming a hit on both sides of the Atlantic.
Never a Dull Moment would be the last Rod Stewart album to feature every member of the Faces.
The band returned to the studio for 1973's
Ooh La La. Stewart had grown increasingly distant from the group now being listed in concert as "Rod Stewart and the Faces," a moniker that became a bane to the other members of the band. Plagued by his frequent absence, the album's recording was held together by the presence of producer Glyn Johns and the talent of Ronnie Lane. The album's opener "Silicone Grown," co-written by Stewart and Wood, conveys the uptempo vitality Stewart simply could not achieve on his own. "Cindy Incidentally," an infectiously grooving pop song, provides a highlight of the band's recording career. While the wistful hymn of love "If I'm Late on the Side" combines the tender songwriting skills of Lane and Stewart's own romanticism. Still, it is Lane on his own that shines most. The delicate and soothing "Glad and Sorry," coupled with the endearingly tranquil "Just Another Honky" demonstrate his preeminent song-crafting abilities. Drawing the curtain of the band's recording career is the perfectly quaint title track, with a charmingly flawed vocal performance by Ron Wood. His brusque yet sprightly delivery represent the ravishing dichotomy that defined the Faces: boozy but never sloppy, limitlessly frisky but always on it musically. "Ooh La La" captures their playful, relatable allure - with no help from Stewart, mind you.
Though it took the Faces essentially two years to disband after the release of
Ooh La La, their respective interests were clearly rooted elsewhere. Ronnie Lane left the group in 1973, beginning a solo career the following year. He was replaced by Tetsu Yamauchi, on the suggestion of Free's Simon Kirke. 1974 saw the release of Ron Wood's
I've Got My Own Album to Do, the title a jab at Rod Stewart's lack of interest in the Faces, and Stewart's critically panned
Smiler. As Stewart became further infatuated with pop music and America, Wood was becoming closely acquainted with the Rolling Stones, with Keith Richards taking up residence in his guest house. The Faces continued to tour, with a lacklustre live album entitled
Coast to Coast released early in the year. Though they dabbled in the studio, accompanied by Yamauchi for the first time, it resulted in just one single. Their final offering, "You Can Make Me Dance, Sing or Anything," was released in November of 1974, with "As Long As You Tell Him" as a B-side.
The Faces toured America twice in 1975, with Wood carrying on guitarist duties for the Rolling Stones between tours. December of 1975 saw Stewart announcing the end of the Faces, unbeknownst to his hardly nonplussed band mates. A prospective Faces tour was canceled, with Stewart taking up residency in America with the new beauty on his arm, Britt Ekland. Wood became a full time member of the Rolling Stones, becoming predominately a rhythm guitarist, with his distinctive skill as a lead guitarist being forgotten. While Ronnie Lane became a modest solo act, before being stricken with multiple sclerosis. His illness prompted the star-studded ARMS concerts in 1983, bringing together such luminaries as Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton in London and across America. Following the death of Keith Moon, Kenney Jones acted as his replacement in the Who from 1979 to 1982. Ian McLagan frequently appeared with the Rolling Stones and continues to carry on a successful career as a session musician. The various guises worn by each of the Faces may near exceed the music itself in levels of notoriety, but their succeeding work is frankly dull when compared to the magic concocted by the Faces.
Though they were only active for six years and released just four studio albums, for such a group of raw talent, the Faces stand as the greatest testament to their respective talents. Influencing bands as diverse as the Sex Pistols (Glen Matlock got the gig as bassist after performing Lane's remarkable contribution to "Three Button Hand Me Down"), the Replacements, Oasis, and Pearl Jam, their remarkable imprint on rock and roll has not been forgotten. Their recent reunions, even with Simply Red singer Mick Hucknall in the place of Rod Stewart, were warmly received. They could do it all, from soul serenades to boogie rave-ups, and they did it adorned with five sloppy grins. Their joyous and swaggering bravado coupled with their freewheeling, reckless spirit remain timelessly charming. Along with their underrated musicianship, you have the perfect recipe for a sublime rock and roll band. And they were.
