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So how did the Small Faces become the coolest band on the planet ? This happened to them not once, but twice. Way back in the heady sixties, when their following in Britain was bettered only by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones...but it also happened in the nineties, when a whole new wave of Britpop groups acknowledged their debt to the little midgets. Everyone from Oasis and Paul Weller to Blur, Supergrass and Ocean Colour Scene.
Going back to the beginning....Britain was a truly great place in the mid-sixties, and no more so than Swinging London itself. The cars on the road were five or ten years old, with running boards and pop out indicator lights....but the sense of life getting better engulfed everyone. If the boss asked to see you, chances were he was about to give you a pay rise you never even asked for.
Fashion was king, and the music was wonderful.
It's true that Teddy Boys still existed, but rockers were in decline, though they had fought a spirited rearguard action on the beaches of Brighton, Clacton and elsewhere. It was the age of the Mods, a movement which had its roots in London, in a triangle stretching out Eastwards from the City Centre,and which had discovered RnB as its music of choice.
Mod then meant smart, rather than casual. Mohair suits, precisely measured vents, collar and tie, the right shoes, and college boy haircuts.
Now, there weren't many bands who were Mods that turned into pop stars, which is probably one reason why the Small Faces were taken to the bosom of this new generation.
Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane met up, with already a mutual respect from previous bands, and with a blossoming friendship. Ronnie already played with drummer Kenney Jones; and Jimmy Winston, whom Steve had played with in the Moments completed the picture, as his brother had a van, and he lived with his parents in the Ruskin Arms, which provided a rehearsal hall.
In fact, recently Jimmy Winston pointed out to me the exact place in the boxing gym upstairs where the group played together for the first time.
They paid their dues only briefly. Despite stories of eating brown sauce rolls at the Giaconda Cafe in Denmark St because they couldn't afford a proper filling, within weeks word had spread, and they were signed by Don Arden and on the way to full media exposure.
"Whatcha Gonna Do About It" was stolen from Solomon Burke's "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love", and was hyped into the charts only a few months after the group had formed. However, it certainly has stood the test of time - sounding as vital today as it did 37 years ago....Steve Marriott's guitar solo was actually pronounced by Jimi Hendrix as his favourite of all time.
They hurriedly decided that Jimmy Winston didn't fit with their road to stardom, allegedly after his onstage hystrionics at a TV taping not only took the focus away from Marriott, but left them all embarrassed. A fourth diminutive member was found, Ian MacLagan, and the journey really began in earnest.
It's difficult nowadays to put in perspective the huge media blitz that accompanied the Small Faces, through Television shows, teenage magazines, and constant touring and public appearances.
Sha La La La Lee hit Top 3, and All or Nothing became the No 1 record in the summer that England (allegedly) won the World Cup with a hotly disputed goal. The midgets lived the high life - moving into a flat in Westmoreland Terrrace in Pimlico, London, which soon became party central to much of London's musical aristocracy
Recriminations with the Arden regime were beginning, though, fueled by money arguments, parental concern and expoitation of the music. Things came to a head when the Small Faces were travelling by car to yet another show, when they heard on the radio their new "single", which in fact was a demo track that they hadn't yet finished.
Immediate Records, and Andrew Oldham, whom Steve knew from his pre-Small Faces work, seemed a much better choice, and so the Small Faces entered their heyday.
Against a background of psychedelia and the summer of love, and with the Beatles setting the lead, the Small Faces music became more complex, with evocative lyrics and lusher accompaniments. Helped enormously by the fact that their new Manager owned a record company, and afforded them limitless time in the studios, as opposed to driving them on tour. Consequently, their live prowess faltered - but given the level of screaming at concerts, this wasn't too much of an issue at the time for the group. Hgwever, in the studio they produced all time classics such as Tin Soldier, Get Yourself Together and Afterglow, as well as Top singles like Itchycoo Park and Lazy Sunday, and the amazing album Ogdens Nut Gone Flake. In fact, even the Small Faces "b" sides from this period comprise as goo` a selection of music as you'll find anywhere.
When they imploded and split during a New Year's Eve appearance at Alexandra Palace, the midgets left behind them 10 hit singles, a huge following across Europe, and a legacy of music which stands proudly right to the present day.
Stay Cool Won't You !
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