Faces

"Well, there may have been better bands, but there was never a band to make you feel so good … And to give you and indication how highly I esteemed the members of the band, they were the only band who were actually invited to my wedding, and their roadies and they all came too." (John Peel, 18 August 1976)



The Faces are an English rock band formed in 1969 by members of the 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), 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 the Faces.

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 ... (read more at Wikipedia)

Links to Peel
ONGOING


 * Peeling Back The Years 3 (Transcript):

John Walters: One band that we have not mentioned in this pre-punk programme that were great favourites of yours and certainly brought you back quite sensibly to good old rock and roller’s enjoyment – and that was the Faces.

John Peel: ''Yes. Well, I always say, again, when being sort of interviewed by fanzines or whatever, that all the sort of stars came into conjunctions as it were around the same time. I mean, I started – I met the Faces and started.''

JW: You say you met them, what do you mean?

JP: Well…

JW: ''They were a band of lads. They’d been the Small Faces, Rod the Mod, all people that were seen – and I remember this very clearly because time changes – in the early ‘70s they were all seen as played out, frankly.''

JP: Yes, yes.

JW: “No, not that lot again.”

JP: ''Well, that was very much my attitude. But as I say, I met them and you and my wife at around the same time – all people with very different attitudes to mine, much more realistic attitudes I think than I had. And I met the Faces backstage at a gig in Newcastle City Hall. And I can’t remember who else was on the bill – I think the Nice were, oddly enough. But anyway, they had a dressing room and I was sitting in – I didn’t have a dressing room – and there was a phone booth backstage and I was sitting in that thinking beautiful thoughts. I mean, genuinely thinking beautiful thoughts, in as far as I was capable of doing that. And they came and flung the door open and said, “Hello, John, mate, how’s it going, squire?” You know, “Come on, let’s have a drink.” And I didn’t drink at the time at all. And as they went away, my first reaction was, “Dear, oh dear, what dreadful rowdy people.” And then I saw them disappear into their dressing room that was full of scantily clad women and so forth and the sound of breaking glass and curries being flung against walls and so on, and I thought to myself, “Actually, these people are having a much better time than I am,” you know.''

JW: ''So that rather implies that you were attracted socially as a bit of relief. What about the musical side?''

JP: ''Well, because it was – I mean, the music exactly defined the band, you know. There was no sort of pretence in there at all. And I suppose I just got fed up – and as I say, it came about at the same time as I started to work regularly with you and meeting the pig, whose background was vastly different to mine, and as I say, much more rooted in reality. And I just, the Faces for me recaptured the kind of feelings I’d had when I first Little Richard and people like that and Jerry Lee Lewis, in the same way as the Undertones were to a few years later.''


 * My Top Ten (Transcript):

JP: ''The Faces were my all-time favourite live band. And the best ever gig, I always say this, the best gig that I ever went to in my life, was in Sunderland the night after Sunderland had beaten Arsenal in the sem-final the year they went on to win the cup, and the Faces wee the perfect band to capitalize on that atmosphere. And I saw them many, many times and they were great friends, but there was one song whenever we went to see them – the Pig (my wife) and myself used to follow them around – but whenever they started this one, this is when we sort of got hold of each other - Maybe I’m Amazed.''

Andy Peebles: …Well, John, you appeared on Top Of The Pops many years ago playing a musical instrument, didn’t you, with the Faces?

JP: ''I did, pretending to play the mandolin, yes, when they did Maggie May. As you could tell from that record they were always a bit chaotic, but the chaos was part of it, and as I say, live they were actually better than anybody else, I think.''

Festive Fifty Entries

 * None

Sessions
Three sessions. Any commercial release of sessions? Session #3 was selected for Peel Sessions: The Best 125.

1. Recorded: 1970-03-09. First broadcast: 28 March 1970. Repeated: 06 June 1970 2. Recorded: 1970-09-15. First broadcast: 19 September 1970. Repeated: 19 December 1970, 26 September 1972, 11 July 1977
 * Wicked Messenger / Devotion / Pineapple And The Monkey / Shake Shudder Shiver
 * Had Me A Real Good Time / Around The Plynth / Country Comforts

3. Recorded: 1971-09-28. First broadcast: 06 October 1971. Repeated: 22 September 1975, 12 September 1981
 * Stay With Me / Miss Judy's Farm / Maggie May

Live

 * 05 July 1970: Recorded 1970-06-25, Paris Theatre.
 * 1) You're My Girl
 * 2) Wicked Messenger
 * 3) Devotion
 * 4) It's All Over Now
 * 5) Feel So Good


 * 29 November 1970: Recorded 1970-11-19, Paris Theatre.
 * 1) Country Comfort
 * 2) You're My Girl
 * 3) Too Much Woman For A Henpecked Man
 * 4) Maybe I'm Amazed
 * 5) Around The Plynth


 * 23 May 1971: Recorded 1971-05-13, Paris Theatre. Repeated 26 August 1977. 'Cut Across Shorty' was officially released on the Five Guys Walk Into A Bar box set.
 * 1) You’re My Girl
 * 2) Cut Across Shorty
 * 3) Love In Vain
 * 4) Bad’n Ruin
 * 5) It’s All Over Now
 * 6) Had Me A Real Good Time
 * 7) I’m Losing You


 * 26 February 1972 (with Long John Baldry?), recorded Paris Theatre, 1972-02-17
 * 1) Three Button Hand Me Down
 * 2) Miss Judy’s Farm
 * 3) Memphis, Tennessee
 * 4) Give Me The Moonlight [a capella]
 * 5) Too Bad
 * 6) Last Orders Please
 * 7) Devotion
 * 8) Medley:That’s All You Need-Country Honk-Gasoline Alley-That’s All You Need
 * 9) I’m Losing You
 * 10) Stay With Me
 * 11) Had Me A Real Good Time
 * 12) Underneath The Arches [a capella]
 * 13) Every Picture Tells A Story


 * 24 February 1973: Recorded at the Paris Theatre, 1973-02-08. Not broadcast.
 * 1) Silicone Grown
 * 2) Cindy Incidentally
 * 3) Angel
 * 4) Memphis, Tennesse
 * 5) True Blue
 * 6) I’d Rather Go Blind
 * 7) You’re My Girl
 * 8) Twistin’ The Night Away
 * 9) It’s All Over Now
 * 10) Miss Judy’s Farm
 * 11) Maybe I’m Amazed
 * 12) Three Button Hand Me Down
 * 13) I’m Losing You


 * 21 April 1973: Recorded 1973-04-01 (some sources give 1973-03-29), Paris Theatre. Repeated 26 December 1977.
 * 1) Silicone Growth
 * 2) Cindy Incidentally
 * 3) Memphis Tennessee
 * 4) If I’m On The Late Side
 * 5) My Fault
 * 6) Stealer
 * 7) Borstal Boys
 * 8) Angel
 * 9) Stay With Me
 * 10) You’re My Girl (I Don’t Want To Discuss It)
 * 11) Twistin’ The Night Away
 * 12) Miss Judy’s Farm
 * 13) Jealous Guy
 * 14) Too Bad

Other Shows Played

 * 1970
 * 28 February 1970: Flying (single) Warner Bros
 * 21 March 1970: Three Button Hand Me Down (LP - The First Step) Warner Bros
 * 04 April 1970: Around The Plynth (LP - The First Step) Warner Bros
 * 11 July 1970: Stone (LP - First Step) Warner Bros.
 * 25 July 1970: Wicked Messenger (LP - First Step) Warner Bros
 * 14 November 1970: Had Me A Real Good Time (single) Warner Bros
 * 28 November 1970: Gonna Have Me A Real Good Time (single) Warner Bros
 * 12 December 1970: Had Me A Real Good Time (single) Warner Bros


 * 1972
 * 07 January 1972: Debris (b-side of single Stay With Me) Warner Bros.
 * 21 January 1972: Love Lives Here (LP – A Nod’s As Good As A Wink … To A Blind Horse) Warner Bros
 * 28 January 1972: You’re So Rude (LP – A Nod’s As Good As A Wink … To A Blind Horse) Warner Bros
 * 07 March 1972: Had Me A Real Good Time (single) Warner Brothers
 * 10 March 1972: Memphis (LP - A Nod Is As Good As A Wink...To A Blind Horse) Warner Brothers
 * 04 August 1972: Three Button Hand Me Down (LP - The First Step) Warner Brothers
 * 12 September 1972: Oh Lord I'm Browned Off (single b-side Maybe I'm Amazed) Warner Brothers
 * 22 September 1972: Stay With Me (LP - A Nod Is As Good As A Wink...To A Blind Horse) Warner Brothers
 * Radio Luxembourg Tracklistings 2: Around The Plynth (LP - The First Step) Warner Bros.


 * 1973
 * 22 March 1973: Borstal Boys (LP – Ooh La La) Warner Bros
 * 22 March 1973: Fly In The Ointment (LP – Ooh La La) Warner Bros
 * 22 March 1973: Ooh La La (LP – Ooh La La) Warner Bros
 * 22 March 1973: My Fault (LP – Ooh La La) Warner Bros
 * 27 March 1973: Glad And Sorry (LP – Ooh La La) Warner Bros
 * 27 March 1973: Just Another Honky (LP – Ooh La La) Warner Bros
 * 29 March 1973: Silicone Grown (LP – Ooh La La) Warner Bros
 * 29 March 1973: If I’m On The Late Side (LP – Ooh La La) Warner Bros
 * 03 April 1973: Borstal Boys (LP – Ooh La La) Warner Bros
 * 05 April 1973: Flags And Banners (LP – Ooh La La) Warner Bros
 * 12 April 1973: My Fault (LP – Ooh La La) Warner Bros
 * 19 April 1973: Borstal Boys (LP – Ooh La La) Warner Bros
 * 24 April 1973: Shake Shudder Shiver (LP – The First Step) Warner Bros.
 * 29 May 1973: Around The Plynth (LP – The First Step) Warner Bros
 * 18 December 1973: Maybe I'm Amazed (7 inch) Warner Bros


 * 1974
 * 05 December 1974: You Can Make Me Dance, Sing Or Anything (Even Take The Dog For A Walk, Mend A Fuse, Fold Away The Ironing Board, Or Any Other Domestic Short Comings) (7") Warner Bros


 * 1975
 * 26 May 1975: Pool Hall Richard (single)
 * D013: Maybe I'm Amazed (JP: 'That was released a few years ago.')

''("Well, hello there, fans. As we move relentlessly on with our sorties into the best of British, we come to my own all time favourite band. The Faces.") ("I remember doing a gig with the Small Faces and indeed with The Nice at Newcastle City Hall. And I was sitting in the backstage area thinking beautiful thoughts, and our [Ronnie] Lane gentleman came up to me and said, 'Hello, John Darling, like to go for a drink?' and I thought, what an appalling bunch of people they were, but eventually I realised they were probably right and I was probably wrong.) ("About 5 or 6 years ago, I arranged to get my sister-in-law who adored, and indeed still adores Rod Stewart, into a BBC studio where the band were recording an In Concert programme, without her knowing that they were going to be on. And I mentioned it to Rod, and they started a number he and Ronnie Wood went down and started to sing a song to her.") ("Well there may have been better bands, but there was never a band to make you feel so good, I think.) (“And to give you and indication how highly I esteemed the members of the band, they were the only band who were actually invited to my wedding, and their roadies and they all came too.")''
 * 1976
 * 13 January 1976: Memphis (LP - A Nod's As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse) Warner Bros.
 * 13 August 1976: Too Bad (LP-A Nod's As Good As A Wink....To A Blind Horse)' (Warner Bros.) (JP: 'Well I don't care what you say, at their peak they were the best of the lot, I think.”) (Rolling Stones retrospective)
 * 18 August 1976: Faces band retrospective – many tracks, including associated bands, solo, etc


 * 1977
 * 03 October 1977: You Can Make Me Dance, Sing Or Anything (7", Single: You Can Make Me Dance, Sing Or Anything) Warner Bros.


 * 1978
 * 23 October 1978: I Wish It Would Rain (Live: Coast To Coast – Overture And Beginners) Mercury (Mentions that the Faces are still one of his all-time favourite bands. Even though Rod Stewart “acts like a berk a lot of the time,” he’s still the only tax exile Peel misses.)
 * 1979
 * 30 August 1979: Have Me A Real Good Time' (Warner Bros) (40th birthday 40)
 * 1980s
 * 10 January 1980: Silicone Groan (LP - Ooh La La) Warners
 * 22 August 1981: Jealous Guy (Peel recalls their live gig in Sunderland, "one of the best nights of my life") (Peel's Pleasures)

1990s
 * 05 April 1993 (John Peel Is Jakki Brambles): Stay With Me (JP: 'One FM, where the hits keep happening. Those were the Faces from 1971, "Stay With Me", and if you weren't listening to that so loud that your ears are now bleeding then you've missed the point entirely. The best live gig that I ever saw in my life - and I can say that quite categorically - featured the Faces. And they played in Sunderland the night that Sunderland had beaten, I think it was Arsenal - there are one or two One FM producers who could confirm that for me - but in the semi-final of the Cup. The Faces were playing in Sunderland and the entire place was floating three or four feet above the ground and the Faces were the perfect band to capture the atmosphere. I'm not much of a dancing man myself, not got the physique for it really, but I ended up dancing on stage with them. Quite wonderful.')
 * 09 September 1997: You Can Make Me Dance, Sing or Anything (LP: Snakes & Ladders) Warner Brothers
 * 01 October 1997: Three Button Hand Me Down (1972 concert) (JP 30 years on Radio 1 special)
 * 04 November 1999: You Can Make Me Dance, Sing Or Anything (CD-The Best Of Faces: Good Boys....When They're Asleep...)' (Warner) (JP: "Family, Faces, Fairport Convention, the Fall...amazing how many of my favourite bands have begun with the letters Fa.")

Stay With Me (clip probably from second half of 1971)
 * Other
 * Peeling Back The Years: Had Me A Real Good Time LP – Long Player)
 * My Top Ten: Maybe I’m Amazed
 * Radio Radio: (JP: “A fine start, I think you’ll agree, to practically any programme. Musically, there is really only one way to start.”)
 * 31 October 2004 (Andy Kershaw): Had Me a Real Good Time
 * John Peel: In Session Tonight: Stay With Me