By late 1967, the band had felt constricted financially & creatively by manager Don Arden (father of Sharon Osbourne), and were lured by Rolling Stones' publicist Andrew Loog Oldham into signing with his new Immediate label. They soon recorded more expansive psychedelic sounding material including hit pop tunes like "Lazy Sunday" which was included with their UK number one classic concept album Ogdens Nut Gone Flake and "Itchycoo Park" which was their only stateside charting single.
The demise of the Small Faces arrived on New Years Eve 1968, when Steve Marriott walked off stage at The Alexandra Palace in London. Marriott felt that despite the success of the group, he was still not being taken seriously as a musician. He went on to achieve major status in the U.S.A with Peter Frampton in Humble Pie. The others continued as the Faces, opting to drop the "Small" after one LP as new recruits Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood towered above their new band mates. Drummer Kenney Jones later joined The Who after the death of their drummer Keith Moon. As years went on, Marriott kept recording various lineups as Humble Pie but became somewhat of a caricature and casualty of rock excess. Tragically, Steve Marriott died in a house fire in 1991 and Ronnie Lane followed him in 1997 after a long battle with Multiple Sclerosis. Keyboardist Ian McLagan has continued to tour and record with his own band as well as with artists like Billy Bragg, The New Barbarians ( a group composed of Ian, Ron Wood, Keith Richards, Stanley Clarke, and Billy Cobham), and The Rolling Stones. According to announcements at the shows on the New Barbarians tour, the proceeds of the live gigs were going to pay Ronnie Lane's medical expenses associated with Ronnie's struggle with Multiple Sclerosis.
The Small Faces remain one of British rock's most important legacy acts, with their membership having links to so many other acts. Amongst the many bands they influenced were The Jam, Ramones, Oasis and X.
There are a number of locations around London linked to the Small Faces, many to be found in the East End where they grew up.
The J60 Music bar in Manor Park, an instrument shop where Steve Marriott first met Ronnie Lane
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Little Ilford park, also located in Manor Park, inspired the track Itchycoo Park, Steve and other kids in the East End used to play in this park when they grew up.
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In 1968 the Small Faces recorded a video for their track Lazy Sunday, Steve sings in his native East end accent and the video was shot in the East End using Kenney Jones parents' flat in Havering Street. The video ends with a shot of the nearby Thames.
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All Our Yesterdays
Small Faces Lyrics
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The darling of Wapping Wharf laundrette,
Ronald Leafy a-Lane!)
I just ain't sure, what she said you know
I just ain't sure, I know I've been a fool
I know I've got to wake, own up, I've been hung up
I knew her love it just weren't true
I know I've been a fool
She took me for a green up, shake up
Knew we'd break up
Fell from out the sky, thought she was mine
Records up her nose, cured me sunshine
It had to be this way
Sun clouded and the sky was grey
And when she went away
I knew she wouldn't come back
Look back, she'd get sidetracked
Fell from out the sky, thought she was mine
Records up her nose, cured me sunshine
The song "All Our Yesterdays" by the Small Faces tells a story of a failed relationship, where the singer acknowledges his foolishness and regret for being hung up on someone who didn't love him back. The opening lines, "And now for your delight, The darling of Wapping Wharf laundrette, Ronald Leafy a-Lane!" introduces Ronald Leafy a-Lane, a fictional character who is known for his quirky antics and sense of humor. Through the use of this character, the singer adds a lighthearted tone to the song, which contrasts with the melancholic, introspective themes of the lyrics.
The singer admits that he was unaware of the truth in the relationship, acknowledging his naivety: "I just ain't sure, I know I've been a fool, I know I've got to wake, own up, I've been hung up." However, the singer eventually comes to the realization that his partner did not share his feelings, and that their relationship was doomed from the beginning: "All the time I knew, I knew her love it just weren't true." The lyrics “Fell from out the sky, thought she was mine, Records up her nose, cured me sunshine” indicates that the singer had an epiphany about the partner’s real intentions in the relationship.
The song ends with the singer coming to terms with the end of the relationship, acknowledging that she is not coming back and that it was for the best. With the line "And when she went away, I knew she wouldn't come back, Look back, she'd get sidetracked", the singer is implying that the relationship was one-sided and that his partner wasn't devoted to him. In "All Our Yesterdays," the Small Faces use vivid images and inventive turns of phrase to convey the gamut of emotions that arise when a relationship comes to an end.
Line by Line Meaning
I just ain't sure, what she said you know
I am uncertain about what she said to me
I just ain't sure, I know I've been a fool
Although I know that I have been foolish, I am still uncertain
I know I've got to wake, own up, I've been hung up
I need to accept that I have been preoccupied with her
All the time I knew
Throughout the entire time
I knew her love it just weren't true
Her love for me was not genuine, and I was aware of it
I know I've been a fool
I acknowledge that I have made foolish decisions
She took me for a green up, shake up
She manipulated me and took advantage of my naivety
Knew we'd break up
I knew that our relationship would not last
Fell from out the sky, thought she was mine
I thought that I had a good thing when I met her
Records up her nose, cured me sunshine
Her drug use made me realize that she was not the right person for me
It had to be this way
It was inevitable for things to end this way
Sun clouded and the sky was grey
The weather matched my mood as she left me
And when she went away
After she left me
I knew she wouldn't come back
I had a feeling that she would not return
Look back, she'd get sidetracked
If she were to look back, she would be easily distracted from where she intended to go
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RONNIE LANE, STEVE MARRIOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind