The Small Faces

For the Scottish movie Small Faces, see Small Faces (movie).

The Immediate years

They were almost immediately offered a deal with the newly formed Immediate 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, releasing a further string of gold-plated classics.

Related Topics:
Immediate - Rolling Stones - Andrew Loog-Oldham - Olympic Studios - Barnes - London - Glyn Johns

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Their first immediate single was the daring Here Comes The Nice, which was clearly influenced by their drug use, and (to the band's delight) managed to escape censorship despite the fact that it openly referred to speed (amphetamines). An innovative self-titled album followed which, if not a major seller, was very highly regarded by other musicians and would exert a strong influence on a number of overseas groups such as Australian bands The Masters Apprentices, The Twilights and Sherbet.

Related Topics:
Speed - The Masters Apprentices - The Twilights - Sherbet

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Their mid-1967 single Itchycoo Park is one of their best-remembered songs and was a major hit in the United States. It was also the first British record to use phasing, an effect developed by Olympic engineer George Chkiantz in 1966. It was followed by the barnstorming soul-rock epic Tin Soldier (recorded with singer P.P. Arnold); it remains one of their very best recordings and arguably one of the finest pop singles of the decade.

Related Topics:
Phasing - George Chkiantz - P.P. Arnold

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Their career peaked with the classic psychedelic LP Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake in 1968, which featured an innovative round cover, the first of its kind, designed to resemble an antique tobacco tin. The two-act LP consisted of five original songs on Side One and a whimsical psychedelic fairy tale on Side Two about the adventures of 'Happiness Stan'. It was narrated by Stanley Unwin, although original plans to have Spike Milligan narrating the album were dashed when he turned them down. Critics raved, and the album sold well, but like The Beatles did with Sgt. Pepper, they were confronted by the practical problem that they had created a studio masterpiece which was all but impossible to recreate on the road.

Related Topics:
Fairy tale - Stanley Unwin - Spike Milligan - The Beatles

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It did however yield another hit single: Lazy Sunday, a bright and breezy music-hall style song which many years later was to inspire Blur's "Parklife", it was successful in spite of being released against the band's wishes.

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Marriott abruptly quit the band in 1969, frustrated at their failure to break out of their pop image, and already looking ahead to a new band, Humble Pie, with Peter Frampton. The last song released during the band's career was the folksy The Universal; this had been recorded by adding studio overdubs to a basic track Marriott cut live in his back garden with acoustic guitar, taped on a home cassette recorder. Its subsequent lack of success in the charts destroyed Marriott, who then refused to write music for the following few months.

Related Topics:
Humble Pie - Peter Frampton

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A 'posthumous' single and album, The Autumn Stone, was released later in the year, and included the major Immediate recordings, a rare concert performance, and a number of previously unreleased tracks, including the classic Swinging Sixties instrumental Wide Eyed Girl on the Wall and Donkey Rides, A Penny, A Glass.

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Lane, Jones and McLagan floundered briefly before joining forces with former Jeff Beck Group singer and guitarist Rod Stewart and Ron Wood. They released one LP as The Small Faces before becoming simply The Faces and later Rod Stewart & The Faces.

Related Topics:
Jeff Beck Group - Rod Stewart - Ron Wood - The Faces - Rod Stewart & The Faces

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