URBAN ASPIRINES: Faces: Discography 1970

Monday, February 15, 2021

Faces: Discography 1970 - 1973 (4 Albums)

Faces were an English rock band formed in 1969 by members of Small Faces after lead

singer/guitarist Steve Marriott left that group to form Humble Pie. The remaining Small Faces: Ian McLagan (keyboards), Ronnie Lane (bass guitar, vocals), and Kenney Jones (drums and percussion), were joined by Ronnie Wood (guitar) and Rod Stewart (lead vocals), both from the Jeff Beck Group, and the new line-up was renamed Faces. Faces and Small Faces were jointly inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.

Ronnie Lane (April 1, 1946 - June 4, 1997.)

Much loved mod, rock 'n' roll and blues folk roots singer, songwriter, bassist and guitar player. Well known for his membership in the prominent English rock bands Small Faces (1965-69), Faces (1970-73) and Slim Chance (1974-mid 80's)
When Steve Marriott left the Small Faces in 1969, the three remaining members brought in guitarist Ron Wood and lead singer Rod Stewart to complete the lineup and changed their name to the Faces, which was only appropriate since the group now only slightly resembled the mod-pop group of the past.

Instead, the Faces were a rough, sloppy rock & roll band, able to pound out a rocker like "Had Me a Real Good Time," a blues ballad like "Tell Everyone," or a folk number like "Richmond" all in one album.

Good-time Blues Rock was one of the offshoots of British music at the end of the 60's, and Faces were at the forefront of the movement. Bass player and songwriter Ronnie Lane was the heart and soul of the

band. During the early 1970s the raucous Faces were among Britain’s most popular live performers, and their album A Nod’s as Good as a Wink…to a Blind Horse (1971) remains highly regarded. Nonetheless, Stewart, determined not to be constrained by the group format, pursued a parallel solo career during his tenure with the Faces (1969–75).

For four years they toured the world, playing enormous venues as ‘stadium rock’ took off and selling truck-loads of records and hit songs written by Ronnie and Rod, like ‘Stay With Me’ and ‘Pool Hall Richard’. Ronnie shared primary songwriting duties with Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood, composing, or co-composing many of their best-loved pieces and took a central role during the recording of their fourth and final album, Ooh La La, right as the band’s front man Rod Stewart was focused on his own solo career.

In 1973, unhappy due to poor reviews of the album and Stewart’s lack of commitment, Lane quit, making his last appearance June 4 at the Sundown Theatre in Edmonton, London. When Ronnie left Faces soon split. Ron Wood joined the Rolling Stones with Rod Stewart going on to become a pop star.

Ian McLagan went on to a successful solo career with The Bump Band and released the album

"Spiritual Boy", dedicated to Ronnie Lane. As Rod Stewart’s solo career became more successful than that of the group, the band became overshadowed by their lead singer. Ronnie Lane left the band in 1973 and was taken over by Tetsu Yamauchi. Tetsu Yamauchi joined the band to replace Ronnie, but the group made no further studio albums following Lane’s departure and the group split in 1975. The Faces final studio album with Lane was Ooh La La, released just months before he left the band. The following year a live album was released, entitled Coast to Coast: Overture and Beginners.

The Faces released four studio albums and toured regularly until the autumn of 1975, although Stewart simultaneously pursued a solo recording career, and during the band's final year Wood also toured with The Rolling Stones, whom he later joined.

FIRST STEP 1970 (Remaster)

First Step is the debut album by the British group Faces, released in early 1970. The album was released only a few months after the Faces had formed from the ashes of the Small Faces (from which Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Ian McLagan hailed) and The Jeff Beck Group (from which Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood hailed.) The album is credited to the Small Faces on all North American issues and reissues, while record labels for initial vinyl printings give the title as The First Step.

The album cover shows Ronnie Wood holding a copy of Geoffrey Sisley's seminal guitar tutorial First Step: How to Play the Guitar Plectrum Style.

MEMBERS

Rod Stewart – lead vocals, Banjo
Ronnie Wood - Guitars
Ronnie Lane – bass, Guitar
Ian McLagan - Keyboards
Kenney Jones – drums, percussion

TRACKS

01. Wicked Messenger (Written-By – Bob Dylan) 4:05
02. Devotion (Written-By – Ronnie Lane) 4:54
03. Shake, Shudder (Written-By – Ron Wood, Ronnie Lane) 3:14
04. Stone (Banjo – Rod Stewart,
Guitar – Ronnie Lane,
Harp – Ron Wood) (Written-By – Ronnie Lane) 5:38
05. Around The Plynth (Written-By – Rod Stewart, Ron Wood) 5:56
06. Flying (Written-By – Rod Stewart, Ron Wood, Ronnie Lane) 4:15
07. Pineapple And The Monkey (Written-By – Ron Wood) 4:23
08. Nobody Knows (Written-By – Ron Wood, Ronnie Lane) 4:05
09. Looking Out The Window (Written-By – Ian McLagan, Kenny Jones) 4:59
10. Three Button Band Me Down (Bass – Ron Wood) (Written-By – Ian McLagan, Rod Stewart) 5:44

MP3 @ 320 Size: 119 MB
Flac Size: 289 MB

LONG PLAYER 1971 (Remaster)

Long Player is the second album by the British rock group Faces, released in February 1971. Among the highlights are a soulful live cover version of Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed", the wistful ballads "Richmond" and "Sweet Lady Mary", the rollicking party tune "Had Me a Real Good Time", and uptempo saloon bar rocker "Bad 'n' Ruin". Two tracks, "Maybe I'm Amazed" and "I Feel So Good", were recorded live at the Fillmore East, New York on 10 November 1970.

MEMBERS

Rod Stewart - lead vocals
Ronnie Lane - bass, acoustic guitar, percussion, backing vocals, lead vocal [tracks 4 & 7, first verse/harmony on track 5]
Ronnie Wood - lead, slide, acoustic and pedal steel guitars, backing vocals, co-lead vocal [track 7]
Ian McLagan - piano, organ and keyboards, backing vocals
Kenney Jones - drums and percussion
Bobby Keys - tenor saxophone on "Had Me a Real Good Time"
Harry Beckett - trumpet on "Had Me a Real Good Time"
Producer – The Faces

TRACKS

01. Bad 'N' Ruin (Written-By – McLagan, Stewart) 5:30
02. Tell Everyone (Written-By – Lane) 4:22
03. Sweet Lady Mary (Written-By – Stewart, Wood, Lane) 5:30
04. Richmond (Written-By – Lane) 3:05
05. Maybe I'm Amazed (Written-By – McCartney) 5:35
06. Had Me A Real Good Time (Written-By – Stewart, Wood, Lane) 5:50
07. On The Beach (Written-By – Wood, Lane) 4:15
08. I Feel So Good (Written-By – Broonzy) 8:50
09. Jerusalem (Written-By – Traditional) 1:55

MP3 @ 320 Size: 113 MB
Flac Size: 231 MB

A NOD'S AS GOOD AS A WINK... TO A BLIND HORSE 1971 (Remaster)

A Nod's As Good As a Wink... to a Blind Horse is the third album by British rock group Faces, and their second album of 1971. Bolstered somewhat by lead singer Rod Stewart's recent solo success with "Maggie May", it was their most successful album worldwide, peaking at No. 6 in the US, and reaching No. 2 in the UK. It also contains their biggest US hit, the swaggering "Stay with Me" (No. 6 in the UK, No. 17 in the US), and the album itself would be certified gold by the RIAA in 1972.

MEMBERS

Rod Stewart – lead vocals on tracks 1, 3, 5 & 7–9, harmonica
Ronnie Lane – bass, acoustic guitar, percussion, lead vocals on tracks 2, 4 & 6, backing vocals on "Stay With Me" and "Too Bad"
Ronnie Wood – lead, slide, acoustic and pedal steel guitars, harmonica, backing vocals on "Stay With Me" and "Too Bad"
Ian McLagan – piano, organ, backing vocals on "Too Bad"
Kenney Jones – drums, percussion
Harry Fowler – steel drums on "That's All You Need"
Glyn Johns – co-producer, engineer

TRACKS

01. Miss Judy's Farm (Written-By – Stewart, Wood) 3:38
02. You're So Rude (Written-By – McLagan, Lane) 3:41
03. Love Lives Here (Written-By – Stewart, Wood) 3:04
04. Last Orders Please (Written-By – Lane) 2:33
05. Stay With Me (Written-By – Stewart, Wood) 4:37
06. Debris (Written-By – Lane) 4:36
07. Memphis, Tennessee (Written-By – Berry) 5:29
08. Too Bad (Written-By – Stewart, Wood) 3:12
09. That's All You Need (Written-By – Stewart, Wood) 5:06

MP3 @ 320 Size: 95 MB
Flac Size: 231 MB

OOH LA LA 1973 (Remaster)

Ooh La La is the fourth and final studio album by the English rock band Faces, released in March 1973. It reached number one in the UK album chart in the week of 28 April 1973. On 28 August 2015, the album was reissued in remastered form on vinyl, and remastered and expanded on CD as part of the box set (along with the rest of the Faces catalogue of studio recordings) 1970–1975: You Can Make Me Dance, Sing Or Anything....

MEMBERS

Rod Stewart – lead vocal (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 & 9), banjo & secondary electric guitar (track 3) - not present on tracks 6, 8 & 10
Ronnie Lane – bass, rhythm and acoustic guitars, percussion, tambourine & lead vocal (tracks 3 & 8)
Ronnie Wood – lead electric, slide, acoustic and rhythm guitars, electric bouzouki, co-lead vocal (track 4 & 8) & lead vocal (track 10)
Ian McLagan – piano, organ, harmonium, backing vocals & co-lead vocal (track 8)
Kenney Jones – drums & percussion

TRACKS

01. Silicone Grown (Written-By – Rod Stewart, Ron Wood) 3:06
02. Cindy Incidentally (Written-By – Ian McLagan, Rod Stewart, Ron Wood) 2:35
03. Flags And Banners (Written-By – Rod Stewart, Ronnie Lane) 2:02
04. My Fault (Written-By – Ian McLagan, Rod Stewart, Ron Wood) 3:06
05. Borstal Boys (Written-By – Ian McLagan, Rod Stewart, Ron Wood) 2:53
06. Fly In The Ointment (Written-By – Ian McLagan, Kenny Jones, Ron Wood, Ronnie Lane) 3:48
07. If I'm On The Late Side (Written-By – Rod Stewart, Ronnie Lane) 2:35
08. Glad And Sorry (Written-By – Ronnie Lane) 3:07
09. Just Another Honky (Written-By – Ronnie Lane) 3:35
10. Ooh La La (Written-By – Ron Wood, Ronnie Lane) 3:35