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
http://www.musicpilgrimages.com/articl/4012.php
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.
http://www.musicpilgrimages.com/articl/4002.php
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.
http://www.musicpilgrimages.com/articl/4014.php
Song For A Baker
Small Faces Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And water in the stream
And salt in the mine
And an aching in me
I can no longer stand and wonder
Cause I'm driven by this hunger
So I'll jug some water
Store some salt and wait the hour
While I'm thinking of love
Love is thinking for me
And the baker will come
And the baker I'll be
I am depending on my labor
The texture and the flavor
The lyrics of the Small Faces’s song, Song For A Baker tell the story of a man who is driven by his hunger to bake bread. As he watches the wheat fields, the flowing stream, and the salt mines, he realizes the importance of each of these elements in his baking. He prepares himself to bake bread by gathering water, flour, and salt. He is thinking of love while he is thinking about the bread he is going to bake. However, he knows that love is thinking for him and that he is dependent on his labor to bake the bread. The texture and flavor of the bread is what he wants to bring forth with his labor.
The song is a metaphorical take on the importance of bread in a man's life. It's not just an ordinary staple food, but something that grows out of the earth and is shaped by the baker's labor. It is a reflection of the connection between man and nature. The song portrays how one can find meaning in the most ordinary things, such as bread made from wheat and salt from the mines, and how it can manifest itself in love.
Line by Line Meaning
There's wheat in the field
There is wheat growing in the field
And water in the stream
There is water running in the stream
And salt in the mine
There is salt in the mine
And an aching in me
I feel a strong desire to bake
I can no longer stand and wonder
I cannot simply observe, I must act
Cause I'm driven by this hunger
I have a strong and persistent desire
So I'll jug some water
I will collect some water
Bake some flour
I will use the flour to make bread
Store some salt and wait the hour
I will save some salt and wait for the right time
While I'm thinking of love
As I ponder the concept of love
Love is thinking for me
I am consumed by my love for baking
And the baker will come
I will become a baker
And the baker I'll be
I will devote myself to the art of baking
I am depending on my labor
My success depends on the effort I put into my baking
The texture and the flavor
The qualities that make my bread unique and special
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jeremywilliams7983
This is an amazing track; you can see how powerful of a force they were and how just amazing the craftsmanship of the song is, on all levels - musically, lyrically...It's a fantastic song. Live, the harmonizing vocals and power of all the players really comes through - what a beast on the skins Kenney Jones was - how fucking great are Marriott, Lane and McLagan? Screaming Trees did a version of it in 1992, probably one of the few bands that could do it justice.
The Small Faces were amazing and are an example of what the music business (in that time) could do to a wonderful band. Their earlier manager (Don Arden - Sharon Osbourne's dad I believe) really didnt treat them like the phenomenal band they were and by many accounts overworked trying to treat them like they were a flash in the pan and screwed them over many times - then they were on Andrew Loog Oldham's label.
A lot has been written about that era- it's really a tale of how greedy, shortsighted management can interfere with the trajectory of talented artists.
I have read that they didnt feel they could take Ogden's on the road properly - but if this performance is any indication that isnt correct. Sadly Marriott passed away in 1991 in a fire and I've read that he never got royalties on this.
@simonjones7727
Anyone watching this in 1968 was witnessing the absolute cutting edge of pop music; the later 60s and early 70s would sound just like this. It is still fairly exciting to hear now. At the time it must have been amazing.
@selewachm
Born in 53. Grew up loving music. Mostly British. Love this album! RIP Steve.
@williamsherman1089
Always thought that about original rock and roll also, just sounds like innovation, not sure if that's the right word for it or not but can't think of another one for it. I'm of the opinion that all the good music at least the cutting edge stuff was from about 1982 going backwards
@brianjlevine
Had the Small Faces had decent management, they could've been one of the biggest acts of the 60's. Incredibly creative. Not sure if anyone had more energy than Steve Marriott.
@tonys6237
They still were one of the biggest bands
@brianjlevine
@Tony S but not well known in the States. Hugely influential though.
@emilymay3660
Agreed. Absolutely criminal how they were exploited.
@nigelwillmott6177
They were one of the biggest bands of the 60's, despite the fact Sharon Osbourne's dad, Don Arden, was, for the most part, their 'manager'. IMO, the most diverse & creative band of their era; and Steve Marriott was the best vocalist of his generation, if not of all time.
@greatunz67
@Brian Levine When they morphed in the Faces with Rod they were certainly huge in North America as well.
@markalan2752
Marriott is THE most 'unsung', under-rated rock star of the era.