Video Du Jour: The Small Faces

Members of the latest class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Small Faces put out their most ambitious album in 1968 – Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake. The psychedelic concept album is not only their best, but it pops up on many “best of” lists, particularly in the United Kingdom.

Here, bassist Ronnie Lane takes the lead vocals on “Song Of A Baker,” with help on vocals and guitar from the great Steve Marriott. That’s Kenney Jones on drums, and although we don’t get a good view of him, our friend (and fellow  Texas resident) Ian McLagan on keyboards. It doesn’t get any better than this – R.I.P. Ronnie Lane and Steve Marriott.

By the way, Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake has been reissued as a 3-CD deluxe edition set. Check it out on iTunes.

Ian McLagan official website

Video Du Jour: Ian McLagan

There are two really cool things about Austin, Texas, that maybe you don’t know: 1. This weekend, an Austin resident will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That would be Ian McLagan, keyboardist for the legendary Small Faces and the Faces.

McLagan, who has made Austin his home for about 10 years, will be in Cleveland to accept the induction along with surviving Small Faces mate Kenney Jones and Faces mates Ron Wood and Rod Stewart. They’ll all pay tribute to fallen band members Ronnie Lane and Steve Marriott.

And the other cool thing? 2. Austin’s Bergstrom International Airport has a permanent stage, where live bands play regularly to welcome travelers to the “Live Music Capital of the World.” On this stage yesterday, the city of Austin threw a little bon voyage party for McLagan as he jetted off to Cleveland for the Hall of Fame ceremony.

Congratulations, Mac!

Thanks to chickrock for letting us borrow this video.

Macspages – Ian McLagan official website

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Faces in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – Finally!

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland announced yesterday its 2012 class of inductees, and it includes the rockin’ British quintet the Faces. Finally!

The Faces rocked the late 1960s and early 1970s like no one else, including the Rolling Stones.  First known as the Small Faces, the core group of keyboardist Ian McLagan, bassist Ronnie Lane and drummer Kenney Jones found themselves at a crossroads when lead singer Steve Marriott left the group.

Salvation came in the form of two new members: guitarist Ron Wood and singer Rod Stewart.  So in 1970 the Small Faces became simply the Faces, and they came on like a bunch of rowdy boozers who just happened to be great musicians.  With Lane (and sometimes McLagan) the group already had strong songwriting, but Stewart and Wood contributed some great numbers too, like the classic “Stay With Me.”

The induction includes both versions of the band. Both Stewart and Wood will become second-time members of the Rock Hall (Stewart was inducted as a solo artist in 1994 and Wood as part of the Rolling Stones in 1989) for the Small Faces/The Faces.

“Well it’s quite a thrill and honor to make it in the Hall of Fame a second time,” Stewart said in a statement. “We (The Faces) were always synonymous with a good party and with this list of fellow artists being inducted I’m looking forward to (it) … and it’s a hell of a good reason to reunite and celebrate with my old mates.”

Other inductees announced Wednesday include Guns n’ Roses,  the Beastie Boys, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the late singer/songwriter Laura Nyro and trippy-dippy singer/songwriter Donovan.

Other inductees include Freddie King for early influence; rock promoter Don Kirshner, who died earlier this year, receives the Ahmet Ertegun award; and Tom Dowd, Glyn Johns and Cosimo Matassa will be honored for musical excellence.

The Rock and Roll Hall of fame induction ceremony will be held in Cleveland on April 14.

If you are in or around the Austin area, you can still get a healthy dose of prime Faces by catching a performance of Ian McLagan’s Bump Band.  “Mac” still plays free happy hours (at the Lucky Lounge, next door to Antone’s) and will happily take requests for Faces songs, although don’t ask him to perform any by “Big Nose” (guess who).  It is, truly, the World’s Greatest Happy Hour. He says he’s gonna be there this Thursday, too! McLagan keeps alive the spirit and songs of Ronnie Lane, who died in 1997.  Congratulations on your long-deserved honor, Mac!

Ian McLagan official website

YouTube: “Tin Soldier” by the Small Faces (with P.P. Arnold)

YouTube: “All or Nothing” by the Small Faces

YouTube: “Stay With Me,” by the Faces

YouTube: “Maybe I’m Amazed” by the Faces

Video Du Jour: The Rolling Stones

What better way to kick off the holiday season: the Rolling Stones offer a gift idea for the rocker in your life! The new video Some Girls: Live In Texas ’78 features Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Co. rockin’ through 17 Stones favorites on a hot July night in Fort Worth, Texas.

The video is available in conjunction with the newly released and remastered Some Girls, the 1978 album that featured such hits as “Miss You” and “Beast of Burden.” The tour supporting that album is where this video comes from – the performances are polished and professional but ferocious, even for the Stones.

Our buddy Ian McLagan, now a happy resident of Austin, supported the Stones on this tour – look quickly and you’ll catch a glimpse of him here and there.

You can get Some Girls: Live In Texas ’78 as a DVD (or Blu-Ray) alone or in a combo with an audio CD of the concert.  It’s available at your favorite video/music store, or at Amazon.com.

Video Du Jour: Ian McLagan/The Faces

I can’t think of a better way to wrap up a week than with a tune or two by Ian McLagan, the world’s greatest rock and roll keyboard player. In the first video, he does up “Get Yourself Together” from the Small Faces days. This one was recorded in 2009 with his always-awesome Bump Band.

And I can’t resist – George and I were talking earlier this week about acts who are woefully ignored by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and McLagan and the Faces are right at the top of the list. Even without Rod Stewart the band is truly great, as seen in this video from 2010. Hey Mac, when are you guys gonna bring the Faces to the States?

Mac’s Pages – Ian McLagan’s official website

Ian McLagan’s 11 career-defining tracks

The always-great Ian McLagan.

The great Ian McLagan – keyboardist for the Faces, a Texas resident and friend of this blog – has been cornered long enough to talk a little about the career-defining tracks he’s either played on, sung on, or written.

Mac just finished a handful of festival shows with the reunited Faces (with Mick Hucknall on lead vocals, replacing Rod Stewart) and now he’s touring the United Kingdom and Europe doing solo gigs.  He won’t be back in Austin until October … so in the meantime check out this amazing portfolio of music by the Small Faces, the Faces, the Rolling Stones and more.

Ian McLagan on his top 11, as told to MusicRadar magazine

The World’s Greatest Happy Hour

Ian McLagan, left, and Austin radio personality Jody Denberg at the Lucky Lounge.

If you are ever in Austin, Texas, on a Thursday night and you happen to enter a place called the Lucky Lounge … well, you may be luckier than you thought. That’s because most Thursday nights, the Lucky Lounge hosts a free happy hour between 6-8 p.m. with Ian McLagan and the Bump Band for entertainment.

And bruddah, that’s entertainment – Ian McLagan is of course the diminutive keyboard player for the Small Faces (with Steve Marriott) and later the Faces (with Ron Wood and Rod Stewart), two of the greatest British bands to ever invade the States. McLagan has been an Austin resident for a number of years, and he does not hesitate to play often in his adopted hometown.

Cake was served in honor of the birthday boy.

His Bump Band is a seasoned, polished unit – Don Harvey on drums, Jon Nortarthomas on bass and “Scrappy” Jud Newcomb on guitar – that is easily the the best band you’ll ever see playing at a free happy hour. The night we went, it happened to be the day after McLagan’s 66th birthday, so this happy hour was a true party.

And “Mac” was in rare form: even introducing one song with “this was written by Ron Wood, Rod Stewart and me …” and he kicked an awesome “Cindy Incidentally.”  Right after, “You’re So Rude.” He doesn’t need to lean on old Faces warhorses, though; some of the Bump Band originals were just as rockin’ and heartfelt, like “Date With An Angel.” I’ve seen McLagan pull out a Small Faces tune like “Get Yourself Together,” but unless I missed it, he didn’t do one this time.

McLagan never forgets to pay tribute to his dear friend Ronnie Lane, the Faces bassist who moved to Austin after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Lucky Lounge - home of the world's greatest happy hour.

“Ronnie’s the reason I’m here in the first place,” said McLagan, and played Lane’s “Spiritual Babe” before pulling out the Lane/Faces classic “Glad and Sorry.” All the while, birthday cake was being passed around and between songs Mac would take a moment to open a gift, thank the giver and accept a kiss from a lady in the crowd.

McLagan invited Austin radio personality Jody Denberg up to sing a few tunes, and hey, Jody’s not a bad singer. They wrapped it with Wood’s “Mystifies Me,” then “Little Troublemaker,” from McLagan’s first solo album (1979). By this time, Mac was shouting from the stage, “This round’s on me … tell ’em to put it on my tab!  I’m not kidding!”

And he wasn’t – the bartender placed a frothy cool one in front of me and pointed to the stage. Where else can you see one of the world’s most legendary rock musicians playing up close and personal, and have him buy you a beer on his birthday? The world’s greatest happy hour, that’s where.

MP3: “You’re So Rude” (live) by Ian McLagan & the Bump Band

The Lucky Lounge official website

Ian McLagan official website

Ian McLagan's birthday party - a good time was had by all. (Click to enlarge)

When you see this you're about to get lucky.

Your Sister’s (Record) Rack: Ron Wood & Ronnie Lane

My big sister’s bedroom is still locked tight – you think she’s on to me? Well, since we can’t riffle through her record collection I might as well share an LP from mine. Today we’re spinning Mahoney’s Last Stand, a 1976 soundtrack album by Ron Wood and Ronnie Lane, both members of the Faces.

The soundtrack music – mostly instrumentals – was recorded for the 1972 Canadian movie Mahoney’s Estate, which starred Sam Waterston and Maud Adams. The soundtrack was originally supposed to be released in North America but some kind of legal hassles delayed the movie for almost two years and the soundtrack for more than three years. So the album was finally released about a year after the Faces broke up.

Lane was of course the Faces’ bass player and Wood the guitar player. And Mahoney’s Last Stand features an all-star cast of sidemen including Faces bandmates Ian McLagan and Kenney Jones, Pete Townshend on guitar, Ric Grech (Blind Faith) and Benny Gallagher (Gallagher and Lyle) on bass, Ian Stewart (Rolling Stones) on keyboards, Bobby Keys and Jim Price on horns, Mickey Waller (Rod Stewart) on drums and producer Glyn Johns on backing vocals!

If you like the Faces’ bloozy, boozy-woozy good-time music, you’ll like the numbers here. “Car Radio” puts the pedal to the metal, and “Tonight’s Number” (with Jones, McLagan and Townshend) kicks out like Rod Stewart is going to jump out of the shadows and start wailin’ at any moment. But who needs him: Wood and Lane ably share vocals on the steppin’ “Chicken Wired,” and Wood’s Dylanesque voice is perfect for “‘Mona’ The Blues.” And “Just For A Moment,” an unmistakably Lane contribution, is supplied in two doses: an instrumental and a version with Lane’s sweet vocals.

While the album was being delayed due the legal wrangles, Lane re-cut “Chicken Wired” for his first solo LP, and he often played the song in his live appearances. In 1998 the Mahoney’s Last Stand soundtrack emerged on CD with a bunch of bonus tracks – some rejects from the original recording and a couple of tunes that were early versions of songs that would eventually appear on Ooh La La, the final Faces studio album (1973).

Wood would of course join the Rolling Stones in 1975, and Lane would quit Faces shortly after Ooh La La. He had some brilliant moments after that before succumbing to complications from multiple sclerosis in 1997. Ian McLagan, now a proud resident of Austin and the genius behind the World’s Greatest Free Happy Hour, often pays tribute to his dear friend Ronnie Lane. It’s fitting, because “Plonk” was a genius.

MP3: “Car Radio”

MP3: “Tonight’s Number”

MP3: “Just For A Moment”

Rock Moment: A Rolling Stone goes Face to Face in Houston

McLagan and Wood, Continental Club Houston 2005

If you’ve gone to more than a few rock shows, or if you like to see musicians playing in small clubs, you probably have heard of these once-in-a-lifetime shows, where somebody really famous unexpectedly jumps onstage in an unlikely spot.  I always wondered if I’d ever experience one of these unique occasions – and five years ago it happened.

December 2005: The Rolling Stones are touring behind their latest album, A Bigger Bang, and tonight’s show is in Houston’s downtown Toyota Center.  At almost the same moment as the “World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band” cranks up its show, another group of musicians are setting up a few miles away in the Continental Club.  A small but devoted crowd of people are gathered at the Continental to see Ian McLagan and the Bump Band, from just down the highway in Austin.  McLagan is, of course, the keyboard genius who powered the Small Faces and the Faces in the 1960s and 1970s.  And his Bump Band this night consists of drummer Don Harvey, bass player Mark Andes and guitarist “Scrappy” Jud Newcomb – crack musicians all.

Ian McLagan, left, with Mark Andes at the Continental Club in Houston

There’s a buzz going through the admittedly small crowd: will there be a mini-reunion of the two members of the Faces in town?  Guitarist Ron Wood has been with the Rolling Stones since 1975 but before that he was McLagan’s bandmate in the good-timey Faces.  The buzz gets louder as the Bump Band takes the stage and rip into “Little Girl,” from their first album.  Seeing a music legend like McLagan up close, you can’t help but marvel at your good fortune – these guys play free happy hours most Thursdays in Austin’s Lucky Lounge and occasionally make the 165-mile trek to Houston to make even more people feel lucky.

SXSW: Emily Long, Rock Vixen/The Watermarks

Emily Long

Expect a sweaty dance party scene when Emily Long brings the catchy hooks and anthemic melodies of her debut album When I Was In Love With for a couple of shots at SXSW.  She opens for Ian McLagan and the Bump Band at the Dog and Duck Pub‘s annual St. Patrick’s Day party on Wednesday, then hits the Moose Lodge on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.

Houston’s own the Watermarks are also playing at the Moose Lodge, 10 p.m. Saturday.  The Watermarks effortlessly bridge the gap between rock and electronic music. The band are known not only for their incendiary live performances, but also their D.I.Y. approach to recording, writing, and producing which has yielded two self released EPs.  Indie rock D.I.Y. ethics, noise-pop sensibilities and electronic textures have led the band to craft a unique sound where melody is the main character …a  sound that is danceable and poppy yet full of loud guitars and heavy organic drums.

MP3: “Anyone Else” by Emily Long

Emily Long MySpace page

Emily Long Facebook page

The Watermarks

MP3: “I Used To Be Your Rock and Roll” by the Watermarks

The Watermarks official website

The Watermarks MySpace page