When the announcement came that this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction class would include the Faces, the reaction from many was, “They’re not in yet?” Two of the members have been inducted previously — singer Rod Stewart was inducted in 1994 as a solo artist, and guitarist Ronnie Wood was inducted in 1989 as a member of The Rolling Stones. (Although drummer Kenney Jones was a member of The Who in the late ’70s and early ’80s, he wasn’t included when they were inducted.) At times, it has seemed that the band’s legacy has been overshadowed by the careers of the individual members.
But this year, the group will finally get their due. And in a first for the Rock Hall, they are being inducted along with a band that preceded them, the Small Faces. (A history lesson for those having a hard time keeping score: The Small Faces were a British band in the late 1960s consisting of guitarist/singer Steve Marriott, bassist Ronnie Lane, keyboardist Ian McLagan and Kenney Jones. Marriott left the band in late ’68, and formed Humble Pie with a young Peter Frampton [who had just left his own band called The Herd]. Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood had just left the Jeff Beck Group [Wood actually played bass in that band], and the new collective changed their name to the Faces.)
Ronnie Wood and Kenney Jones recently spoke with CBS Local while they were promoting the new limited-edition photo book, The Faces: 1969-75, and the two joked about finally being inducted.
The induction of two bands together has been confusing for some, but Jones points out that the Faces’ popularity in America helped to spark interest in the Small Faces.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony takes place tomorrow night (April 14) in Cleveland, and will air May 5 on HBO. The Faces: 1969-75 is available now from Genesis Publications.
–Brian Ives, CBS Local
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