4.08.2012

RONNIE LANE: OOH LA LA!!



Ronnie Lane

Two of my very favorite songs of the early 70's had Ronnie Lane attached to them... "Itchy Coo Park" (Small Faces Steve Marriott) and "Ooh La La" (Faces Ronnie Lane).


I thought I'd share a bit about the mate...



Ronald Frederick "Ronnie" Lane (1 April 1946, Plaistow Maternity Hospital, Plaistow, East London – 4 June 1997)was an English musician, songwriter, and producer who is best known as the bass guitarist and founding member of two prominent English rock and roll bands; the Small Faces where he was nicknamed "Plonk", (1965–69) – and, after losing the band's frontman, Faces, with two new members added to the line up, (from The Jeff Beck Group), who dubbed him "Three-Piece" (1969–73).



Subsequently Lane collaborated with other musicians, leading his own bands as well as pursuing a solo career while remaining close to his former bandmates. In the late 1970s he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and, despite charity projects and financial support from friends, former bandmates and fans, Lane, after suffering from the disease for 21 years, died at 51.

After leaving school at the age of sixteen, Lane met Kenney Jones at a local pub and they formed a group they named The Outcasts. Initially playing lead guitar, Lane quickly switched to bass. When shopping for a Harmony bass guitar Lane visited the J60 Music Bar in Manor Park, London where he met Steve Marriott who was working there.


Lane bought his bass and went to Marriott's house after work where Marriott introduced him to his Motown and Stax collection. Lane and Marriott set out to form a band, recruiting friends Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, who switched from guitar to organ. Marriott was chosen to be the frontman and singer.

After the Small Faces...Lane formed The Faces with Ian McLagan, Kenney Jones, Ronnie Wood and Rod Stewart in 1969. He shared primary songwriting duties in Faces with Rod Stewart, composing, or co-composing, many of their best-loved pieces and taking a central role during the recording of their fourth and final album, Ooh La La.

As the Faces front man, Rod Stewart focused on his own solo career. Unhappy due to poor reviews of the album and Stewart's lack of commitment, Lane quit in 1973, making his last appearance at the Sundown Theatre in Edmonton, London on 4 June. He was replaced by Tetsu Yamauchi but the group split up totally in 1975.

Here is Ronnie singing Ooh La La...

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