Song:Stay With Me
Album:The Best Of Faces: Good Boys...When They're Asleep
The history of Faces is complicated because it overlaps with Rod Stewart establishing his solo career. And that solo career eventually killed Faces though Stewart tried to do both. One thing is for sure. Stay With me is a classic rocker and Faces' biggest hit. When Steve Marriott left Small Faces in 1969, Ian McLagan (keyboards), Ronnie Lane (bass) and Kenney Jones (drums) decided to remain together. Rod Stewart was already known as lead singer of The Jeff Beck Group and Ronnie Wood played guitar. These five formed Quiet Melon with Wood's older brother Art Wood and Kim Gardner. They recorded four songs that were rejected by Fontana Records. Art Wood quit the music business and Gardner went on to form Ashton, Gardner & Dyke. But the rest of the band stayed together as Faces. Warner Bros. wanted to keep the Small Faces name but the guys thought the band was much different so they settled on Faces. The band was very successful. The 1971 album A Nod Is As Good As A Wink...To A Blind Horse reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 200 and was certified Gold. Stay With Me was their biggest hit. it reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 100. But Stewart became a big solo star at the same time. Ronnie Lane left Faces in 1973 because he thought Stewart had become bigger than the band. He was replaced by Tetsu Yamauchi of Free. Faces continued until Wood started working with The Rolling Stones in 1975. That split up Faces for good. You can get all their hits on this budget comp. Ronnie Lane had a brief solo career and then was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He died in 1997. Jones joined The Who after Keith Moon's death. McLagan moved to the US to play sessions. He is currently a member of Billy Bragg's band. Faces reunited with Mick Hucknall of Simply Red on vocals and Glen Matlock of The Sex Pistols on bass in 2010. That band toured but didn't record. Faces were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2012. Here's Faces performing Stay With Me 1971.
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