He quit Faces in 1973 and formed his own band, Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance, in 1973 to record the hit single "How Come" (UK No. 11) and "The Poacher", then the album Anymore For Anymore, showcasing his own blend of British rock music, folk, and country music.
After initial success with the singles, he commenced a tour called "the Passing Show", touring the UK as a carnival, complete with tents, barkers, etc. Viv Stanshall, from the The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, was a short-lived ringmaster (of sorts).
Lane moved to Island Records and issued Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance and One For The Road. In late 1976, he joined a short-lived reformation of the Small Faces, but quit after two rehearsals, to be replaced by Rick Wills (who currently plays alongside the former Small Faces drummer, Kenney Jones, in the Jones Gang). However, since Lane had already signed a contract with Atlantic Records as part of the reformed Small Faces, Atlantic informed him that he owed them an album. Pete Townshend recorded an album with Lane, titled Rough Mix, which was released in 1977. Rough Mix was lauded as contender for best album of the year by many critics, but the label did not promote it, and sales were thereby lacklustre. Rough Mix not only left Lane out of debt to the label, but it cemented his credentials as an unsung hero.[citation needed]
During the recording of Rough Mix, Lane was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (his mother had also suffered, and died, from the disease). Nonetheless, he toured, wrote, and recorded (with Eric Clapton, among many others) and managed to release yet another album, See Me, which features several songs written by Lane and Clapton.
In 1983, his girlfriend, Boo Oldfield, contacted record producer Glyn Johns in the hopes of getting a concert going to help fund Action for Research into Multiple Sclerosis, a London-based organization. Johns was already arranging Clapton's Command Performance for Prince Charles, so they decided to book the Albert Hall for another couple of nights and hold a benefit. The resulting A.R.M.S. Concerts featured Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Steve Winwood, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, Kenney Jones, Andy Fairweather-Low, and more. With the addition of Joe Cocker and Paul Rodgers, they toured the U.S. It was during this time that Rodgers and Page started the band, The Firm.
Move to Texas
Lane moved to Texas in 1984, where the climate was more beneficial to his health, and continued playing, writing, and recording. He formed an American version of Slim Chance, which was, as always, a loose-knit conglomeration of available musicians. For much of the time, membership included Alejandro Escovedo. For close to a decade, Lane enjoyed his rock royalty status in the Austin area, and even toured Japan. Still, his health continued to decline, and his last performance was in 1992 at a Ron Wood gig. Also in the band that night was Ian McLagan. In 1994, Ronnie and his last wife, Susan, moved to the small town of Trinidad, Colorado. Jimmy Page and Rod Stewart generously continued to donate money for his medical care because there were yet no royalties from Small Faces' work. Through the efforts of Kenney Jones and Ian McLagan, the Small Faces were eventually able to secure ongoing royalty payments. By then, however, Steve Marriott had died in a house fire, and on June 4, 1997, Lane had succumbed to pneumonia.
In 2000, Paul Weller recorded "He's the Keeper", a song dedicated to Lane's memory. An album of live BBC recordings was about to be released to raise money for his care when Lane died. An album of live and in-studio recordings from Lane's Austin days was later culled, and released as Live in Austin. The place where he was born, Plaistow (in East London) named a street after him, fittingly called "Ronnie Lane", in 2001. In January, 2006, BBC Four debuted an extensive documentary about Lane, which had been in the works since 2000. They also aired vintage concerts by the Faces and Slim Chance. In October 2006 the documentary was also shown on BBC Two.
Just for a Moment
Ronnie Lane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've loaded and wasted, by my design
I've been using myself, like I only I can,
But I understand that you understand.
'Cause just for a moment, I found my peace,
Just for a moment, I came across me,
Everything is, and there's nothing a-missing,
Just for a moment I found my peace,
Well just for a moment, I came across me,
Everything is, and there's nothing a-missing,
Just for a moment, I was complete.
Ronnie Lane's song "Just for a Moment" is a heartfelt confession of a man who has been leading a reckless life but has found solace in a fleeting moment of clarity. The opening lines, "I've been a drinking, biding my time, I've loaded and wasted, by my design," suggest a life of excess and self-destructive behavior. However, in the next lines, the confession takes a surprising turn, as he admits that he has been "using myself, like only I can." This line implies that he is aware of his flaws and has been choosing to indulge in them.
Despite this, the singer confesses that he has found a moment of peace and understanding, and in that moment, he has found himself. He repeats the lines "Just for a moment, I found my peace, Just for a moment, I came across me," suggesting that this moment of clarity has been a rare occurrence in his tumultuous life. He describes this moment as being complete, implying that he had been feeling incomplete until that juncture.
The song's final lines, "Everything is, and there's nothing a-missing," suggest that he has found a sense of contentment and fulfillment that has eluded him for a long time. The song offers a ray of hope to those who feel lost or incomplete, asserting that even the tiniest moment of peace and understanding can make a significant difference.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been a drinking, biding my time,
I've spent my time aimlessly, drinking away my sorrows.
I've loaded and wasted, by my design
I've purposefully wasted opportunities and squandered my potential.
I've been using myself, like I only I can,
I've been living recklessly, as only I can, without regard for consequences.
But I understand that you understand.
Despite my self-destructive behavior, you still understand and accept me.
'Cause just for a moment, I found my peace,
But for a brief moment, I found inner peace and contentment.
Just for a moment, I came across me,
During that moment of peace, I was able to reconnect with my true self.
Everything is, and there's nothing a-missing,
In that moment, everything felt complete and nothing was lacking.
Well just for a moment, I found my bliss.
It was during that moment that I found true happiness and contentment.
Just for a moment I found my peace,
Once again, emphasizing how fleeting and rare that moment of peace was.
Just for a moment, I came across me,
Reiterating that during that moment of peace, I was able to reconnect with my true self.
Everything is, and there's nothing a-missing,
Stressing how complete and fulfilling that moment was.
Just for a moment, I was complete.
Summing up that during that brief moment of peace and happiness, I felt whole and fully content with who I am.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RONALD LANE, RONALD DAVID WOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind