I Can't Make It

"I Can't Make It"
Single by Small Faces
B-side "Just Passing"
Released 3 March 1967
Format 7"
Recorded Olympic Studios, London, England
Genre Rhythm and blues
Length 3:06
Label Decca
Writer(s) Steve Marriott
Ronnie Lane
Small Faces singles chronology
"My Mind's Eye"
(1966)		 "I Can't Make It"
(1967)		 "Patterns"
(1967)

"I Can't Make It" is a song that was released in March 1967 by English band Small Faces. The single peaked at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart.

Contents

Song profile

When "I Can't Make It" was released in 1967, Small Faces had acrimoniously left the management of Don Arden and were signed to Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate label. However, due to contractual obligations, Decca released the song, and Immediate agreed to produce and license the song back to them until the issue was resolved.[1] The band refused to promote the single and as a direct result, the song only managed to climb to #26 in the charts.[2] The BBC also initially banned the song for the dubious sounding lyrics which they thought were of a sexual nature; the lyrics are actually ambiguous and it is left to the listener to decide their true meaning.[2]

The B-side, "Just Passing", is a short whimsical song only a minute long and is in the style of The Beach Boys song, "You Still Believe in Me".

In April 1967, Small Faces performed a live version of "I Can't Make It" on the well-known British television show, Morecambe and Wise, as well as their UK number-one single, "All or Nothing". The recording is notable for the particularly strong live vocal performance by Marriott. The episode was transmitted six months later.[3]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Hewitt, Paulo; Hellier, John. Steve Marriott - All Too Beautiful.... Helter Skelter. pp. pp.140. ISBN 1-900924-44-7. 
  2. ^ a b Hewitt, Paulo; Hellier, John. Steve Marriott - All Too Beautiful.... Helter Skelter. pp. pp.141. ISBN 1-900924-44-7. 
  3. ^ Hewitt, Paulo; Hellier, John. Steve Marriott - All Too Beautiful.... Helter Skelter. pp. pp.147. ISBN 1-900924-44-7. 

External links

Small Faces
Studio albums
Small Faces (1966)  • Small Faces (1967) • Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake (1968)  • Playmates (1977) • 78 in the Shade (1978)
Compilation albums
Live albums
The BBC Sessions (1999)  • Nice (2001)
Singles
"Whatcha Gonna Do About It" (1965) • "I've Got Mine" (1965) • "Sha-La-La-La-Lee" (1966) • "Hey Girl" (1966) • "All or Nothing" (1966) • "My Mind's Eye" (1966) • "I Can't Make It" (1967) • "Patterns" (1967) • "Here Come the Nice" (1967) • "Itchycoo Park" (1967) • "Tin Soldier" (1967) • "Lazy Sunday" (1968) • "The Universal" (1968) • "Afterglow of Your Love" (1969) • "Itchycoo Park" (rerelease) (1975) • "Lazy Sunday" (rerelease) (1976)
Related articles
Discography • Faces • Don Arden • Andrew Loog Oldham • Immediate Records • Tony Calder