screamin' sounds: THE SMALL FACES

Sunday, January 1, 2012

THE SMALL FACES

As Allmusic puts it, The Small Faces were the best English band never to hit it big in America -- but in England, the Small Faces were one of the most extraordinary and successful bands of the mid-'60s, serious competitors to the Who and potential rivals to the Rolling Stones.

Overshadowed by their peers, they were easily the equal of at least the Yardbirds and The Who in sheer firepower, and The Kinks for British whimsy.

Formed 1965, with Ronnie Lane and friend Kenny Jones, then adding former child actor Steve Marriot and finally keyboard player Ian MacLagen (because he looked right). 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 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". Marriot's voice was a standout - the impish lead singer/guitarist could shout like a soul belter, and could pull of slow ones as well as rave-ups. Keith Richards, Ozzy Osbourne, Steve Perry, and Paul Stanley are just some of those who've cited him as a favorite lead singer. The rest of the band had a pile-driving attack, spurred on by Jones' powerful drums and Lane's whomping bass.

They hooked up with manager Don Arden and signed to Decca, scoring a Top 20 hit out of the box with "What'cha Gonna Do About It," with a riff lifted from "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love." Several more hits happened, but the band made no money and ended up bitterly splitting from Arden and Decca. Andrew Loog Oldham scooped them up almost immediately and signed them to Immediate. Their recordings for Immediate showed the growing influence of the psychedelic scene, and their succeeding singles and albums became more whimsical and colorful, though still playing to their strengths. Even their fruitier psychedelic and music hall-ish numbers pack a fair amount of punch.

This culminated in their own charming flower-power artifact, Ogden's Nut Gone Flake in 1968. By then Marriott's ego and desire to return to a bluesy sound led to his departure. The band reformed as the Faces with Rod Stewart and Ron Wood taking over for Marriott, and went on to a fair amount of success in the states (where the Small Faces had never toured). After Stewart's defection they briefly reunited (sans Lane) for two disappointing albums before laying it to rest for good.

Marriott formed Humble Pie, Lane went on to a charming solo career, MacLagen played with everybody (but mainly the Stones) and Kenny Jones joined The Who.

Hard to believe a band this good, with such ties to The Who and Stones and numerous hit singles, is so little-known today.