Official Faces News

It has been a long time coming but today SMILER has been given an exclusive first announcement of some very big news on the original peoples band, the Faces!

On Record Store Day Black Friday, November 24th, the first in a series of official Faces albums will be released worldwide. 

‘Had Me A Real Good Time at the BBC’ – In Session & In Concert 1971 – 1973 is a vinyl-only release available from independent record stores. Only 5,000 copies have been pressed and the UK will have just 500 of those – so be quick! 

The strictly limited edition LP will act as a sampler for the forthcoming BBC special collection and is pressed on “electric orange” vinyl. The cover features a great rare live shot from Faces photographer Martin Cook while the illustrated inner sleeve features full track and recording details plus new and archive quotes from each band member and beloved DJ and Faces champion, John Peel.

Side One is a rare mix of the complete ‘Sounds Of The Seventies’ session for Bob Harris, Recorded April 20th 1971 and broadcast in stereo in the London area only on May 3rd 1971 – and is exclusive to this release. Tracks are: ‘Had Me A Real Good Time’, ‘Love In Vain’, ‘Oh Lord I’m Browned Off’ and ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’.

Side Two features a sample of live tracks from various ‘John Peel’s Sunday Concert’ and ‘In Concert’ and focuses on the band’s inspired cover versions of classic tracks: ‘It’s All Over Now’, ‘Too Much Woman (For a Henpecked Man)’, ‘Twisting The Night Away’ and ‘(I Know) I’m Losing You’.

And now for the second part of the big news ..

This release is the start of the long-awaited official Faces remaster series that will go on over the next few years! 

Series producer is Rob Caiger who has worked with Kenney (and before his passing) Mac for many years on the Small Faces catalogue. Rob is working directly with Rod, Ronnie and Kenney and has spent the last three years going through band member archives, record label vaults and fan collections worldwide to amass a wealth of previously unreleased material,  original master tapes and rare photos and memorabilia. LP editions are being cut at the famous AIR Studios in London and sound will be mastered by Nick Robbins specifically to each format: vinyl; CD and streaming. Everything will be approved by Rod, Ronnie and Kenney who are hands-on with every aspect of the project.

SMILER has been privileged to hear some of the remastered tracks and can confirm the sound is incredible and is the best you will ever hear for the Faces! Every release will carry an official Faces logo sticker and the whole project is fully backed by the three remaining Faces and the estates of Ronnie Lane and Ian McLagan.  

Future treats will be announced soon… and some surprises!

More details of the releases and an exclusive competition to win a very collectable signed test pressing of the sampler LP will be in issue 103 of SMILER out early next year 

Also if you have anything Faces related that you think might be of interest to this project, cuttings, live photos, press photos..anything you think we might be able to use please let us know, anything used will be fully credited.

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