1967 APRIL – JUNE

The dog ranran aroundaround in circles and chased its tail and Steve danceddanced around inin circles and explained thatthat the the Small Small Faces had been using electronic tapes onon stage recently, but the group were still apprehensiveapprehensive aboutabout theirtheir own actionsactions and the audience reaction. “It’s"It's allall backback toto this this thingthing aboutabout going over youryour fans'fans’ heads. AndAnd I believebelieve it’sit's something something aa groupgroup can do easily. Man,Man, oftenoften we’rewe're playingplaying thingsthings that I'dI’d never havehave understoodunderstood when when I I was 1313- – so how can you expect the kids to? They’veThey've come to see us entertain them. them. We've We’ve got got toto put a show on for themthem- – not not ourselves.ourselves. WeWe openedopened up withwith `Paperback‘Paperback Writer'Writer’ the other day and then wewe got stuckstuck onon thisthis riffriffwhile while we listenedlistened to thethe electronic tape tape sounds. sounds. It It was was too too much. much. We We allall got hunghung upup listeninglistening to thethe tapetape andand justjust backingbacking it-butit – but I Idoubt doubt if if itit got throughthrough toto the kids. “Naturally"Naturallywe'd we’d like like toto do more of thesethese kindkind of soundssounds-because – because they're they’re sounds sounds we we really dig. Man, the jet sound on `Itchycoo‘Itchycoo Park'Park’ is is too much-wemuch – we nearly nearly blew blew up up Top Top Of Of The The Pops'Pops’ speakers when when we we recordedrecorded it it last last week.week. But the thing is,is, it takestakes timetime before you getget intointo thosethose kind of moremore complex sounds. We want to leadlead up to thosethose kind of things, things, becausebecause that’sthat's how we learnt to dig them.them. “But"But we’rewe're gettinggetting down toto quite a a few changes inin the stage act now,"now,” admittedadmitted Steve,Steve, "and“and we'rewe’re tryingtr ying toto calm thethe kids kids downdown a a bit,bit, too. We usuallyusually givegive them them somesome smoothsmooth kind ofof floatingf loating sounds at at firstfirst and telltell them toto cool down and stop all that screaming and noise. noise. It'sIt’s nice when they get quiet,quiet, becausebecause then they work up to climaclimax x slowlyslowly instead instead of justjust blowing blowing their minds andand throats throats out out straight straight away. away. We We give themthem sounds that theyknow,they know, like like our hits which is whatwhat theytheywant want to hear,hear, andand graduallygradually we'rewe’re building all the time. “Then"Then we gogo into into more more free, free, random random thingsthings and start to to freakfreak aa bit and take things out out a a little. Then like, thethe last numbernumber is the ‘everybody'everybody dig and letlet go'go’ one. But you’veyou've got to do things likelike that. WeWe playedplayed inin GlasgowGlasgow recently recently and and openedopened up with ‘Paperback`Paperback Writer’Writer' andand theythey didn’tdidn't knowwhatknow what was was going on. Might havehave punched punched our heads in!"in!” Steve putput onon some some supersonic supersonic electronicelectronic music, which immediatelyimmediatelygot got Seamus the dog “We’ve"We'vegot got to to put oneon a showshowfor for thethekids kids -– not ourselves”:ourselves":Steve Steve veryver y hunghung up trtrying ying to see thethe sound,sound, looking Marriott and and theSmall the Small Faces Faces hard round the speakers for the soundwaves. in thetheT TV V studio,studio, earlyearly1967 1967 Steve had to start getting getting ready ready for for a a gig gig inin Hull. Everybody glided aboutabout the house and the peaceful air of Marriott’sMarriott's latestlatest environmentenvironment ruled supreme. It’sIt's notnot rainy afternoon. HavingHaving relievedrelieved me of mymy raincoat,raincoat, RonnieRonnie settledsettled a secludedsecluded atmosphere but but aa congenial and happyhappy one, one, with friends into his armchairarmchair andand talked talked of of thethe Faces'Faces’ travelling problems. "Last“Last and faces dropping in in and outout from the banks of of the river. week wewe arrivedarrived atat NorwichNorwich toto findfind thethe promoterpromoter had us down to play It’sIt's thethe kindkind ofof atmosphere atmosphere that means a a lotlot to SteveSteve Marriott,Marriott, andand far the day before,”before," saidsaid Ronnie, “all"all thethe publicity was for thethe day before,before, from getting awayfromaway from it it all (“it("it all”all" beingbeing thethe spotlightedspotlighted public side ofof so onlyonly aa fewfew kids kids turned turned upup –- thenthen wewe missedmissed aa giggig at at Streatham Streatham a pop star’sstar's life), SteveSteve isis in in fact fact storing storing up up all all of of these these beautiful beautiful vibrations vibrations completely. That was becausebecause we were returningreturning from from aa Paris TV showshow of aa happyhappy lifelife to to put put into into his his life’s life's creative creative groove groove-the – the Small Small Faces. Faces. As and Stevie'sStevie’s FrenchFrench taxitaxi driverdriver missedmissed thethe airport!airport! they sing in “Itchycoo"Itchycoo Park”Park" and as they are going to singsing inin manymany soundssounds “AtAt least the driver missed the turnoff on the motorway, and because it to come, "It's“It’s AllAll TooToo Beautiful.”Beautiful." was aa motorwaymotorway theytheyhad had to go rightright toto the the end end to to turn turn round, round, bybywhich which time the plane hadhad gone.gone. Anyway, bybythat that time we'dwe’d realised wewe were atat -— NME NME OCTOBER OCTOBER 14 14 — - the wrong airport and and went went for for the right one. Poor SteveSteve arrivedarrived atat LondonLondon around midnight midnight with with no no money, money, stranded. stranded. We'll We’ll have have to to make make it it upup toto rTHEHE SMALL SMALL FACES FACES- – most most often often through through no no fault fault of of their their own own- – them and playplaythe the gig another another time.’”time. find great difficulty inin getting fromfrom placeplace toto place, ie interviews,interviews, Seeing thethe SmallSmall FacesFaces on on stage stage is is becoming becoming something something of aa rarity rarity Tphotographic sessions sessions and and gigs. gigs. And And soso it was last weekweek thatthat these days, and II asked Ronnie if thisthis waswas aa deliberatedeliberate policy to playplayfewer fewer I wentwent toto themthem- – or or ratherrather to to Ronnie Ronnie "Plonk" “Plonk” Lane'sLane’s padpad justjust offoff Earls ballrooms and and clubs. clubs. This This week they are off promotingpromoting in Europe and Court. What with a livelylively discussion discussion betweenbetween himhim and his father on next month there are only two bookings for livelive performances. performances. The Beatles’Beatles' new philosophy of of life –- Ronnie is one of “yeractual”"yeractual" “Let’s"Let's faceface it,it, ballrooms ballrooms and clubsclubs are are a a bit of aa dragdrag now,”now," said said Ronnie.Ronnie. meditators -a – asneak sneak preview preview of of the the new new Beach Beach Boys' Boys’ Smiley Smiley Smile Smile LP “We’ve"We've donedone two-and-a-halftwo-and-a-halfyears years hard hard of of those kindkind of dates. Anyone

TONY GALE/PICTORIAL PRESS/ALAMY GALE/PICTORIAL TONY and his lovely girlfriend "Susie"“Susie” to look at,at, itit proved proved aa very very pleasant pleasant who wanted to see us must have had the chance by by now. now. When I was a kidkid

58 I HISTORY| HISTORY OF OF ROCK ROCK 19 19651967 67