Small Faces (1967 album)

Small Faces
Studio album by Small Faces
Released 23 June 1967
Recorded October 1966 – April 1967
Olympic Studios, London
Genre British Invasion, mod, psychedelic rock
Length 30:24
Label Immediate
Producer Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane
Small Faces chronology

From the Beginning
(1967)		 Small Faces
(1967)		 Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake
(1968)
Alternative cover
Cover of the US version entitled There are but Four Small Faces.
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [1]
AllMusic (US album) [2]
Classic Rock 8/10[3]
Mojo [4]

Small Faces is the second studio album by the English rhythm and blues band Small Faces released via Immediate Records in June 1967. It peaked at number 12 in the UK Album Chart[5] and was their first LP for Immediate in 1967. In America, the album was issued with an alternative track order as There Are But Four Small Faces. Confusingly, the band's debut album, released on Decca in 1966, is also entitled Small Faces.

Album profile

At the time of the release of this album, an unofficial compilation From the Beginning was released by Decca. Small Faces had transferred to the Immediate label headed by Andrew Loog Oldham. At the beginning of "All Our Yesterdays" Steve Marriott can be heard in an exaggerated cockney voice announcing "And now for your delight ah, the darling of Wapping Wharf launderette, Ronald ah 'Leafy' Lane!!!". An alternative version of the Immediate Small Faces, entitled There are But Four Small Faces, was released in the United States somewhat belatedly through Columbia Records distribution.[6]

The album is a favourite of Small Faces obsessive Paul Weller, who named the album in his 'Top Ten of All-Time' in 1992. The Jam had covered 'Get Yourself Together' between 1981–1982. Donovan (a friend of the Small Faces) recorded Hurdy Gurdy Man (1968), a song that both musically and thematically references 'Green Circles'.

Track listing

All tracks written by Marriott/Lane, unless otherwise noted.

All lead vocals by Steve Marriott except where as noted

UK version: Small Faces

Side one
  1. "(Tell Me) Have You Ever Seen Me" – 2:16
  2. "Something I Want to Tell You" – 2:10 (lead vocal by Ronnie Lane)
  3. "Feeling Lonely" – 1:35
  4. "Happy Boys Happy" – 1:36 (Instrumental)
  5. "Things Are Going to Get Better" – 2:39
  6. "My Way of Giving" – 1:59
  7. "Green Circles" (Marriott/Lane/Michael O'Sullivan) – 2:46 (lead vocal by Ronnie Lane)
Side two
  1. "Become Like You" – 1:58
  2. "Get Yourself Together" – 2:16
  3. "All Our Yesterdays" – 1:53 (lead vocal by Ronnie Lane)
  4. "Talk to You" – 2:09
  5. "Show Me the Way" – 2:08 (lead vocal by Ronnie Lane)
  6. "Up the Wooden Hills to Bedfordshire" (McLagan) – 2:05 (lead vocal by Ian McLagan)
  7. "Eddie's Dreaming" (Marriott/Lane/McLagan) – 2:54 (lead vocal by Ronnie Lane)

USA version: There Are But Four Small Faces

  1. "Itchycoo Park" – 2:50
  2. "Talk To You" – 2:08
  3. "Up the Wooden Hills"¤ (McLagan) – 2:04
  4. "My Way of Giving" – 1:58
  5. "I'm Only Dreaming" – 2:25
  6. "I Feel Much Better" (Marriott/Lane/McLagan) – 3:57
  7. "Tin Soldier" – 3:23
  8. "Get Yourself Together" – 2:15
  9. "Show Me the Way" – 2:08
  10. "Here Come The Nice" – 3:03
  11. "Green Circles" – 2:51
  12. "(Tell Me) Have You Ever Seen Me" – 2:14

¤The 'to Bedfordshire' part of the title is missing on the US LP.

Combined version: Small Faces

Castle Communications released a combined version of the two albums on CD in 1997, it retained the original UK track listing, with the five USA tracks added at the end.

  1. "(Tell Me) Have You Ever Seen Me"
  2. "Something I Want to Tell You"
  3. "Feeling Lonely"
  4. "Happy Boys Happy"
  5. "Things Are Going to Get Better"
  6. "My Way of Giving"
  7. "Green Circles" (Marriott/Lane/O'Sullivan)
  8. "Become Like You"
  9. "Get Yourself Together"
  10. "All Our Yesterdays"
  11. "Talk to You"
  12. "Show Me the Way"
  13. "Up the Wooden Hills to Bedfordshire" (McLagan)
  14. "Eddie's Dreaming" (Marriott/Lane/McLagan)
  15. "Here Come the Nice"
  16. "Itchycoo Park"
  17. "I'm Only Dreaming"
  18. "Tin Soldier"
  19. "I Feel Much Better" (Marriott/Lane/McLagan)

Personnel

Steve Marriott – lead vocals, guitar
Ronnie Lane – lead & backing vocals, guitar, bass guitar
Kenney Jones – drums
Ian McLagan – keyboards, backing vocals, bass guitar on "Show Me The Way", lead vocals and acoustic guitar on "Up the Wooden Hills to Bedfordshire"

See also

References

  1. ↑ Eder, Bruce. "Review: Small Faces (Immediate) – The Small Faces". Allmusic. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
  2. ↑ Eder, Bruce. "Review: There Are But Four Small Faces – The Small Faces". Allmusic. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
  3. ↑ Martin, Gavin (October 2014). "Small Faces: Reissues". Classic Rock. p. 101.
  4. ↑ Wilson, Lois (October 2014). "Small Faces There Are But Four Small Faces". Mojo. p. 105.
  5. ↑ Hewitt, Paulo; Hellier, John. Steve Marriott – All Too Beautiful... Helter Skelter. p. 149. ISBN 1-900924-44-7.
  6. ↑ "Small Faces There Are But Four Small Faces". Artistdirect. Retrieved 17 August 2007.

Further reading

External links