The Importance of the Small Faces on British Music
03/09/2009 6:49
on: Music Hall
Not many people remember the band, Small Faces, but they were an influential musical force who helped propel the mod music scene into the limelight.
The Small Faces were an English rock group from East London, heavily influenced by American rhythm and blues. The group was founded in 1965 by members Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones, and Jimmy Winston (replaced by Ian McLagan).
They are best remembered as possibly one of the most acclaimed and influential mod groups of the 1960s, with hit songs such as “Itchycoo Park,” “Lazy Sunday,” “All Or Nothing,” “Tin Soldier,” and their concept album Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake. They later evolved into one of the UK’s most successful psychedelic acts before disbanding in 1969. After the Small Faces disbanded, three of the members were joined by Ronnie Wood (guitar) and Rod Stewart (lead vocals), both from The Jeff Beck Group, and the new line-up was renamed The Faces. There is now a Small Faces DVD for fans to buy online which contains many of their greatest hits.
Despite the fact they were together just four years, the Small Faces’ musical output from the mid- to late-’60s remains among the most acclaimed British music of that era. In 1996, they were belatedly awarded the Ivor Novello Outstanding Contribution To British Music ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award.
