The Faces: just like the 70s?
Original ramshackle rockers The Faces on getting the band back together after 35 years – with a surprise choice of lead singer.
By Neil McCormick
Published: 5:21PM BST 04 Aug 2010
This group of musicians are enjoying themselves: Mick Hucknall, Kenney Jones and Ronnie Wood
n a room at London’s O2 arena, photographers have assembled to commemorate the return of a classic British rock band. A familiar figure with spiky, dyed-black barnet and impenetrable shades casts a sceptical eye over a banner advertising sponsors American Express. “We’re not having that in the picture,” mutters Ronnie Wood and (to the visible alarm of various PR persons) starts to tear it down. His band mates join in, laughing, three old men wreaking havoc amidst drum kits and guitars. “There’s a little igniting mischievous flame in this band,” Wood later, rather gleefully, explains.
“The Faces would be like schoolboys terrorising the classroom. I suppose when we all get together that still comes out.”
The Faces are back. Well, sort of. Of the original line-up, one is dead (bassist, vocalist and genius songwriter, Ronnie Lane) and one is absent (superstar frontman Rod Stewart). “But there’s three of us,” drummer Kenney Jones, points out. “That must count for something.”
“If you close your eyes,” says the heavily wrinkled, 63-year-old Wood, “it’s just like the Seventies.”
The Faces are a key band in British rock history. Although never huge sellers, they were a phenomenal live act who marked a transition from the very stylised pop and rock of the Sixties to something looser, blending rock, soul and folk with a good-time spirit and lack of pretension that made them heroes to many of the punk bands that followed. They formed in 1969 from the ashes of London mods The Small Faces. When singer Steve Marriot left, Jones, Lane and keyboardist Ian McLagan joined forces with two members of The Jeff Beck Group, singer Rod Stewart and guitarist Wood. The Faces released four studio albums between 1970 and 1973, although Stewart’s simultaneous solo career began to eclipse the band. The much admired Lane left in 1973 (he later developed multiple sclerosis and died in 1997). Wood deputised with The Rolling Stones in 1974 after guitarist Mick Taylor left.
Then Stewart announced he was going solo and the band officially called it a day in 1975, with Jones going on to replace the late Keith Moon in The Who and McLagan pursuing a solo and session career in the US.
Rumours of a reunion have abounded in recent years. There were even secret rehearsals with Stewart in 2008. But, much to everyone’s surprise, when The Faces did announce their return to headline this year’s Vintage At Goodwood Festival on August 13, it was with ex-Sex Pistol Glen Matlock on bass and Simply Red’s Mick Hucknall on vocals.
“I know this is a bit of weird one,” admits Hucknall, with a grin like the cat who’s got the cream. “I had a poster of the Faces on my wall when I was 11 years old.”
“Now you’re making me feel old,” chortles Wood.
Although perhaps not regarded with the same kind of affection, the red- headed Mancunian singer has certainly sold more records than The Faces ever did. And if anyone can step into Britain’s most famous soul singer’s shoes, it might just be him.
“I am stepping into the image we all have, as fans, of what the Faces were in the early Seventies,” says the 50-year-old Hucknall. “And, God bless him, I don’t even think Rod could step into that role identically. So what I’m trying to do is just sing the songs, pure and simple. I don’t sound like Rod but I can hit the notes.”
“Well, he uncannily does sound like Rod, the way he sang back then,” interjects Wood. “A lot of thought went into developing the Faces sound, originally. We were influenced by New Orleans musicians like The Meters and Memphis people like Booker T and trying to work out how to get behind a vocalist who paid tribute to Otis Redding and Sam Cooke. So that’s why Mick fits in, he’s got the same roots. Everybody’s got the same end in mind, to make it soulful rock ’n’ roll.”
“I never thought I’d say this,” smiles Hucknall, “but I’m just the singer in a rock ’n’ roll band.”
It is immediately obvious how much this group of musicians are enjoying themselves. “It’s amazing how all the chords came back,” says Wood. “It’s like no time has passed. You like to think that after 35 years you’re a different player but really I’m the same. We dug out some of the original records for tempos and thought: 'Ooh, that was a bit slow, let’s spice it up.’ And then somehow it fell back into its bag.”
“We lock in naturally together,” suggests Jones. “Glenn’s playing is a big tribute to Ronnie, you can tell he really loved him.”
“Listening to these guys play is a thrill. What got me was they immediately sound like the Faces,” says Hucknall. “It’s kind of raucous pre-punk; it’s got an edge to it that’s exciting. Ron and Mac have this fantastic musical interaction, the way the guitar and keyboard bounce off each other is magic.
“They play so well together, I think they just shut their eyes and get on with it. I had to do all the work, ’cause I had to learn these songs.”
Hucknall is full of praise for his predecessor. “People don’t understand how high Rod sings. I’m known for hitting high notes but this boy is up there all the time, yet the miracle of Rod’s voice is it sort of sounds deep. I am standing in for the great man but if he wants to pop down and have a sing-song, I’ll stand on the side of the stage any time. The door is always open to Roderick.”
At Stewart’s recent arena shows, he made some vaguely positive comments about the Faces reunion, calling Hucknall “a great little shouter,” and suggesting he himself would “get back there some time”. Fan forums haven’t been so forgiving, with some dubbing the new band The Red Faces. With Cod Stewart. “That’s a good one,” cackles Wood.
“Its hard to say things without them being taken the wrong way - but Rod ain’t here,” says Hucknall. “That’s the bottom line: Rod’s not doing it. So is everyone just supposed to sit around? The boys want to make music and I’m here to help.”
Attempts to reunite the original line-up were apparently scuppered when Stewart’s manager proposed a profit-split heavily weighted in favour of his client. “Oh yeah, he made us an offer we could refuse, very easily,” chortles Wood. “Silly things get in the way, but we’re still pals. I talk to him on the phone. It was all happening in rehearsals and then there’d be some stumbling block, red tape, commitments; we just got fed up putting it on the back burner. The flame was still burning: it never went out on the Faces.”
Apparently there has been no shortage of volunteers to sing. “We’ve had offers from Noel Gallagher, Kelly Jones from Stereophonics, Chris Robinson from the Black Crowes, loads of people. But Mick can sing the ---- out of this stuff. We’ve just taken him under our wing. It’s the gang again. We’ve got our singer.”
“We’ve had a great time in rehearsals,” says Hucknall. “It just felt so damn easy.”
“We put it to bed after three days,” claims Wood. “It sounded raw and that’s what we are: rough and ready and raw.”
The Faces play the Vintage At Goodwood festival on August 13, sponsored by American Express. There are plans to tour in 2010.The Telegraph
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