It’s hard to believe it was decades ago that we were first introduced to Faces.
The English rock band formed in London in 1969, and were put together by members of Small Faces after lead singer and guitarist Steve Marriott left to form Humble Pie.
It was then that remaining members – Ian McLagan (keyboards), Ronnie Lane (electric bass, vocals) and Kenney Jones (drums and percussion) were joined by new members, guitarist Ronnie Wood and singer Rod Stewart.
When all five came together Faces was born, and a number of hits were created afterwards. Even though the group was big in the ’70s, people have recently been talking about them on Reddit.
The band was dubbed “underrated” by fans who were quick to reflect on their legacy. One social media user wrote: “I started listening to the Faces because of Ronnie Wood. Where have they been all my life?
“I know they’re not directly tied to the Rolling Stones, but Wood and Richards have toured together. The Faces have some truly great songs.”
Another replied: “Hell yes. The Faces were spectacular. Plus they played on a lot of early Rod Stewart solo stuff. Ronnie Lane was a true artist that brought earnest songs and playing to life. They were fantastic.”
Someone else also chimed in with: “Stay With Me is one of the best rock songs ever recorded. It sounds like it’s going to spin out of control at any moment but never does. It’s truly a remarkable and unique thing they pull off on that one.”
But, like most good things, Faces came to an end in 1975 and, according to Rod Stewart, one person played a big part when it came to calling it a day.
Even though most people remember Stewart fronting the group, it was Ronnie Lane who embodied a big spirit. How he approached the guitar is said to have been a signature part of their sound.
He would often put twists on the classic blues formula and work to fill out the sound.
Even though the band stuck together until Ooh La La, it’s said Lane started to grow bored of being a sideman. With Stewart starting to emerge as the breakout star, by 1973, Lane decided it would probably be best to go his own way to let the singer shine.
And that’s pretty much what happened, as Stewart went onto become one of the greatest solo artists of the 1970s. But, deep down, he knew Faces would never be the same without Lane.
In a previous interview, he said: “We’d lost the soul of the band when Ronnie Lane left to go and do his gypsy tour around Britain. And once we lost Ronnie, then I think the other Ronnie (Wood) was always gonna join The Stones eventually. But hey, they were five hilarious years.”
When Lane left the band in 1973, he did go onto have a few great moments, including collaborations with Pete Townshend and Steve Marriott. But, when he departed, it appears the band seemed to lose a bit of its spark.