The Faces | Artist

The Faces were an English rock band formed 1969 in London by Ronnie Lane (bass, vocals), Ian McLagan (keyboards), Kenney Jones (drums), Rod Stewart (vocals) and Ronnie Wood (guitar, vocals). Lane, McLagan and Jones came from the Small Faces after the departure of Steve Marriott, and they were joined by Wood and Stewart from the Jeff Beck Group. Lane left in 1973 to form Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance, and was replaced by Tetsu Yamauchi who was previously with Free. In the final years of the band, they brought in ex-Sex Pistol Glen Matlock on bass, and Simply Red's Mick Hucknall to replace Rod Stewart, who departured in 1975 to pursue a solo career. The Faces were a shambolic live act but they were all excellent musicians in their own right and produced some of the most engaging rock music of the 1970's, with hit singles such as "Maybe I'm Amazed", "Stay With Me", "Oh La La" and "Poolhall Richard". Stewart increasingly took the limelight until the band effectively split in 1975, with Rod going solo and Wood joining The Rolling Stones. In 1978 Kenney Jones joined the Who after the demise of Keith Moon. The band released four studio albums and one live album. First Step (1970), Long Player (1971), A Nod's As Good as a Wink to a Blind Horse (1972) and Ooh La La (1973), are all bona fide classics. The 2004 compilation Five Guys Walk Into a Bar... is also highly recommended. When Rod Stewart started with the Faces he already had a solo recording contract, and he released his first six solo albums whilst playing with Faces. His parting shot, the hugely successful Atlantic Crossing (1975), was the catalyst for Stewart's move to America and pop stardom. When the Faces reformed for the encore of Rod Stewart's Wembley Stadium concert in 1986, Ronnie Lane, who was by then suffering from multiple sclerosis, was on stage to sing in his wheelchair but was unable to play bass, so Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones filled in for him.

Artist Website: the-faces.com

Featured Albums: The Faces

Related Artists: Small Faces, Rod Stewart, Ronnie Lane, Ron Wood, Jeff Beck Group