One of the few places where linguists can study its weird and wonderful contortions of the English language is on the Small Faces’ 1968 album Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake, on which Unwin narrates the tale of Happiness Stan and his quest for the missing half of the moon. "We didn't want to release [it] as a single even though we virtually knew it would be a hit," Marriott recalled in Marriott and Lane added narration between two songs to move along their story, enlisting eccentric British actor Stanley Unwin for the gig. What the Small Faces constructed with Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake were the blueprints to some of the most important music movements of the '70s … We envisaged that rather than cigarette machines there’d be joint machines, with all the packaging and everything. Shop Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake. Oldham was happy to let the band continue their studio adventures, and McLagan stressed that their manager was never involved in the creative process. Every Little Bit Hurts (early session mix) Lyrics: 10.

Rollin’ Over Lyrics: 8. ‘He’d come in occasionally and pass a joint around, have a laugh and wander off after an hour or so. ‘We assumed that marijuana would become legal quite soon, which was perhaps a little naïve,’ stated McLagan. We were looking at this design on a tin which said ‘Ogdens’ Nut Brown Flake’, and Steve suddenly went: ‘Nut brown – nut gone! Published By – CBS Songs Ltd. From the whimsical "Happiness Stan" to the rollicking "Rollin' Over," the Small Faces attempt to cram in as many styles as they can on the LP's second side.The album proved to be a huge hit in the group's homeland, shooting straight to No. ‘He and his partner Tony Calder were having problems with the label because they were running up bills, and although we didn’t realise it at the time they were going under. In May 1968, the Small Faces released their final LP, Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake, putting an end to their short but stimulating career.. The excuse was that I’d been busted for dope, but that wasn’t true. Released on 24 May 1968, the LP peaked at number one on the UK Album Charts on 29 June, where it remained for a total of six weeks. The song was released as a single before the album came out and made it to No. You couldn’t get that effect on stage. They had no problem switching from the mournful Feeling Lonely to the rowdy Cockney knees-up All Of Our Yesterdays, via the LSD-tinged Green Circles. ‘You couldn’t play an acoustic guitar as the front instrument with a band. They didn’t want to let us go because there would have been other managers and agents sniffing around and they would have told us that we were mad if we weren’t being paid properly; we would have been enlightened.’As it was, The Small Faces gradually fell apart at the seams over the latter part of 1968.

It was an indication that the band’s best interests were not always at the top of the managerial agenda.‘We were not progressing in any way because we were constantly gigging and we weren’t spending enough time in the studio,’ said Jones. ‘I’d taken over the finances because it was impossible to tell who wasn’t stealing from us at that point.’By the time they played their final gig, Marriott was already setting up Humble Pie with his mate Peter Frampton. Happy Days Toy Town Lyrics: 3. ‘So we thought we’d be ahead of the game. Then there's "Song of a Baker," written by Side one ends with the campy music hall-inspired "Lazy Sunday," featuring Marriott in an exaggerated cockney accent.

‘He booked us some boats and told us to go away and clear our heads and come up with an idea and some songs to go with it,’ Jones said.It was a bold suggestion, not least because the Small Faces’ nautical inclinations had never progressed beyond the confines of the paddling pool in their local park.

McLagan reckoned it was the only time they saw any money as a band. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Their catalog holds up, especially The LP was issued in a round sleeve made to look like a tobacco tin, which opened up in four folds (at the time, tobacco tins were often used to store other, less legal substances). Looking back, what the Small Faces really needed at this point was a manager who could have given the band creative guidance through this rocky phase in their career and taken them to the next level, much as The Who’s managers Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert did with Tommy. At that point they agreed to disband, although they carried on for a couple of months, playing the gigs they’d been contracted for. ‘It was like a breath of fresh air.

We should have gone to America but we never did. Instead they opted for a circular something up their sleeve: the original circular Ogdens’… album cover cardboard fold-out sleeve – which was almost as impractical when it came to shop displays.

Unwin was not the Small Faces’ first choice of narrator. Drummer Kenny (now Kenney) Jones and keyboardist Ian McLagan, along with guitarist and lead singer Steve Marriott and bassist Ronnie Lane, had shot to the forefront of the Swinging London scene, sharp-dressed mods with a sound to match. We gave him a glossary of hip terms to throw in with the Cockneyisms."

‘We were in Germany when we picked up a copy of Melody Maker and discovered that we had a hit record with Lazy Sunday, Jones remembers. And despite the complex nature of the recordings, drummer Kenney Jones envisioned taking the album to the stage, complete with Unwin to narrate. 2 on the U.K. chart. Happiness Stan Lyrics: 7. The others would soon be moving on to the next phase of their career in the company of Immediate Records staggered on into 1970 before collapsing in a haze of bankruptcy, but at least its finest hours still survive, and prime amongst them is Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake.We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website.

Mad John (extended version) Lyrics: 2. It wasn’t easy to rack, it was flimsy, and the record kept falling out. "Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake" – even now - the name makes me weak at the knees.

‘We’d just done the record for fun, but Andrew took it upon himself to release it as a single without telling us.

For casual punters, though, it was a bit more confusing.But the singles – none of which came from the album – were another matter.