The Small Faces are an iconic British rock band. In the mid-1960s, the musicians entered the list of leaders of the fashion movement. The path of The Small Faces was short, but incredibly memorable for fans of heavy music.
The history of the creation and composition of the group The Small Faces
At the origins of the group is Ronnie Lane. Initially, the London musician created the Pioneers band. The musicians performed in local clubs and bars and were local celebrities in the early 1960s.
Together with Ronnie, Kenny Jones played in the new team. Soon another member, Steve Marriott, joined the duo.
Steve already had some experience in the music industry. The fact is that in 1963 the musician presented the single Give Her My Regards. It was Marriott who suggested that the musicians focus on rhythm and blues.
The composition of the team was understaffed by keyboardist Jimmy Winston. All musicians were representatives of the very popular movement in England "mods". For the most part, this was reflected in the stage image of the guys. They were bright and bold. Their antics on stage were sometimes shocking.
The musicians decided to change their creative pseudonym. From now on they performed as Small Faces. By the way, the guys borrowed the name from mod slang.
The creative path of the Small Faces group
The musicians began to create under the guidance of manager Don Arden. He helped the team to conclude a lucrative contract with Decca. In the mid-1960s, the band members released their debut single What'cha Gonna Do About It. In the British charts, the song took an honorable 14th position.
Soon the group's repertoire was replenished with the second single I've Got Mine. The new composition did not repeat the success of the debut work. At this stage, the team left Winston. The place of the musician was taken by a new member in the person of Ian McLagen.
The band members and the producer were a little upset after the failure. The team made every effort to ensure that the next song was more commercial.
Soon the musicians presented the single Sha-La-La-La-Lee. The song peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart. The next track Hey Girl was also in the top.
Presentation of the debut album of the group Small Faces
During this period of time, the band's discography was replenished with a debut disc. The album included not only "pop" numbers, but also blues-rock tracks. For more than two months, the collection was at the 3rd position. It was a success.
The authors of the new track All or Nothing were Lane and Marriott. For the first time in history, the Small Faces topped the English charts. The next song, My Mind's Eye, was also warmly received by fans and music critics.
Small Faces collaboration with producer Andrew Oldham
The musicians were doing well. But the mood within the group has noticeably deteriorated. The musicians were not satisfied with the work of their manager. They soon parted ways with Arden and went over to Andrew Oldham, who commanded the Rollings.
The musicians terminated the contract not only with the producer, but also with the Decca label. The new producer signed the band to his Immediate Records label. The album, which was released on a new label, suited all the musicians without exception. After all, for the first time musicians were engaged in producing the collection.
In 1967, the band's most recognizable track, Itchycoo Park, was released. The release of the new song was accompanied by a protracted tour. When the musicians ended up in the recording studio, they recorded another absolute hit - the track Tin Soldier.
In 1968, the group's discography was expanded with the concept album Ogden's Nut Gone Flake. The track Lazy Sunday, which Marriott wrote as a joke, was released as a single and ended up at number 2 in the UK charts.
Dissolution of the Small Faces
Despite the fact that the musicians released "delicious" songs, their work became less popular. Steve caught himself thinking that he wanted to start his own project. In early 1969, Steve organized a new project with Peter Frampton. We are talking about the group Humblepie.
The trio invited new musicians - Rod Stewart and Ron Wood. Now the guys performed under the creative pseudonym The Faces. In the mid-1970s, a temporary "resuscitation" of the Small Faces took place. And instead of Lane, Rick Wills played bass.
In this composition, the musicians toured, even recorded several albums. The collections turned out to be a real "failure". The group soon ceased to exist.
The fate of the musicians deserves special attention. In the early 1990s, Steve Marriott tragically died in a fire. On June 4, 1997, Ronnie Lane died after a long illness.
