Small Faces were an English rock band from London, founded in 1965. The group originally consisted of Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones, and Jimmy Winston, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston as the band's keyboardist in 1966. The band was one of the most acclaimed and influential mod groups of the 1960s, recording hit songs such as "Itchycoo Park", "Lazy Sunday", "All or Nothing", and "Tin Soldier", as well as their concept album Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake. They later evolved into one of the UK's most successful psychedelic bands until 1969.
When Marriott left to form Humble Pie, Small Faces did not disband. The remaining three members collaborated with Ronnie Wood, Ronnie's older brother Art Wood, Rod Stewart and Kim Gardner, releasing four tracks under the name of Quiet Melon, after which Art Wood and Kim Gardner departed the situation and the remaining five members became Faces, except in North America, where this group's first album was credited to Small Faces. This practice has continued on all subsequent North American reissues of the album.
Following the breakup of both Faces and Humble Pie (who coincidentally broke up in 1975), the classic line-up of the band reformed (consisting of Marriott, Lane, McLagan and Jones) during the later parts of that year after a re-release of "Itchycoo Park" became a top-ten hit. Lane left shortly thereafter, and was replaced by Rick Wills (later of Foreigner fame). This line-up (dubbed Mk-II by Marriott) recorded one album Playmates before recruiting Jimmy McCulloch. This five-piece line-up released only 78 in the Shade before breaking up.
Small Faces have been considered as one of the early inspirations for - and even an early root of - the later Britpop movement. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. McCulloch died of an overdose on 27 September 1979. Marriott died in a house fire on 20 April 1991. Lane died of multiple sclerosis on 4 June 1997. McLagan died due to a stroke on 3 December 2014. Winston died on 26 September 2020. Wills and Jones both remain musically active as of 2020.
