The Small Faces: A Splendid Spot of Saturday Psychedelia

March 14th, 2009

Oh indeed so. And if you’re after something psychedelic for the weekend, what better than cock-er-nay mod-gods, the Small Faces?

Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan and Kenney Jones were at the forefront of the mod movement in 1966 but by 1967 the lure of psychedelia had slipped its seductive fingers around their creative craw. This culminated in the 1968 album Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake, a psychedelic game of two halves, somewhat spoiled by the fairy tale interjections of hired idiot, Professor Stanley Unwin.

Ignoring the aforementioned paid purveyor of all things bollocks, here’s three crackers from the psych phase of one of the great British bands.

Itchycoo Park

Who cares if the song may be about getting high as a kite, or may be not? It’s ‘Itchycoo Park’. From 1967. The first British song to feature the psychedelic technique of phasing -- playing two tapes together at slightly different speeds to produce that slightly out-there sound.

Tin Soldier

Alright, not particularly psychedelic in the strictest sense, but a belter nonetheless. ‘Tin Soldier’ is also from 1967 and harks back to their mod roots with a distinct motown/R&B flavour thrown into the mix. Here featuring soulstress PP Arnold, for whom Marriott initially wrote the track but liking it so much, kept it for himself.

Happy Days Toytown

Here’s the Small Faces horsing about and having a rare old time with the final song on 1968′s Ogden’s Gone Nut Flake, and what a rip-snorter of a cock-er-nay knees-up it is, cor blimey guv. This is Steve Marriott and the Small Faces sinking into pure Brit-psychedelic music-hall whimsy. This is no surprise considering Marriott toured with the stage production of Oliver during his youth and provided the vocals for the Artful Dodger on the official stage show album. ‘Happy Days Toytown’ rounds off Ogden’s Gone Nut Flake in fine style.

All in all, three (with the exception of ‘Tin Soldier’) psych crackers. Even if I do say so myself. What more can a man ask for of a Saturday?

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