The record that changed the Face of 60s pop music
Legendary Small Faces, and The Who drummer Kenney Jones talks sex, drums and rock ‘n’ roll with MARION McMULLEN as he celebrates the 50th anniversary of the world’s first concept album
IT WAS the year Britain went decimal and a Boeing 747 jet flew to Washington for the first time. People were also flocking to the cinema back in 1968 to watch sci-fi epics like Planet Of The Apes and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Meanwhile, British band the Small Faces were changing music by bringing out the world’s first concept album – Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake.
The psychedelic masterpiece has gone on to inspire generations of music lovers, including the likes of Paul Weller, who said: “They were the most complete pop group for me. They had everything – they were amazing players that all had the same influences. The image, the haircuts, blimey they were even all the same height. A kinda dream band everyone would want to be in.”
The groundbreaking album has been newly mastered and reissued in all formats to mark the 50th anniversary... with original Small Faces drummer Kenney Jones giving his approval.
The original release pushed the boundaries of the album format. At the time an LP generally just a collection of an artist’s singles, perhaps with the odd filler number.
The Small Faces fourth album saw them push beyond that to offer a record with a psychedelic theme.
The unusual circular packaging was inspired by Ogden’s Nut Brown Flake, a brand of tobacco once produced in Liverpool. The music was equally clever. Side A had mod classics like the flower power knees up Lazy Sunday, hard rocking Song Of A Baker and soulful Afterglow Of Your Love.
Side B took the unusual step of linking the tracks with a single theme, an original ‘fairytale’ about a character called Happiness Stan who goes on a quest to find the missing half of the moon. His adventures were narrated between the songs by comic Stanley Unwin in his ‘Unwinese’ – an amusing torrent of half intelligible gobbledygook.
The end result is an evergreen 60s curio that balances the era’s childlike optimism and artistic expression with winning pop tunes.
“It’s certainly stood the test of time,” Kenney chuckles. “Everything happened so quickly for us. We formed the band and I think we had our first hit when I was 15. The first TV programme we did was Thank Your Lucky Stars and Joe Brown was also on the bill.
“It was recorded and it was the first time I had ever seen myself on TV. I couldn’t believe it was me. I was like ‘Do I look like that?’.
“On Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake you can still hear it’s a real band firing on all cylinders, great dynamics and everyone equal in their musicianship. I remember we went on a trip down the Thames to write the songs and we had a boat each. We moored up when it got dark and looked up at the sky and there was only a half moon and we knew then we had our album. It was a real great thrill – the first concept album ever.
“We had no idea how it would be received when we released it, what people would make of it, but it was a huge seller, especially in America. We were bigger than the Rolling Stones in the States.”
The proud East Ender lived the rock’n’ roll lifestyle to the full with the Small Faces, then the Faces – with Rod Stewart taking the singing duties and Ronnie Wood on guitar. He later joined The Who’s line-up following the death of his mate and fellow drummer Keith Moon.
“It was pretty wild,” he grins, “one big party... and it still is. We were once banned from every Holiday Inn in the US. I remember going to a music festival and our manager coming out saying ‘they won’t let you stay you’re banned.’ And we said ‘Well, is there any other band from the festival staying there?’ and he said ‘Yeah, Fleetwood Mac.’ We said: ‘Tell them we’re Fleetwood Mac then.’ And we got in. Why were we banned? We used to smash up hotel rooms.”
Kenney, has just celebrated his 70th birthday, after beating cancer twice. “Every morning I wake up and think ‘s**t’ I’m still alive. How did that happen? I’ve six kids and six grandchildren and I make the most of every day.”
He looks back on his musical journey in his new book Let The Good Times Roll, still makes music and these days owns his own polo club.
“My mum and dad would be shaking their heads in disbelief if there were still around,” he laughs. “I stole £10 from my mum’s purse to get my first drum kit. I had some bits of drum kit about and my uncle was a band leader and I would go and play the side drums. “My dad had a shed, I would go there and hit the top of a biscuit tin. I think drumming was in the blood. I stole the £10 to put down a deposit on a proper kit and it was delivered in the evening. My parents just stood there with their mouths open as the guy came in with a big bass drum and set everything up in the front room. They were giving me daggers.
“He asked if I could play and when I said no he said he’d better show me and he took out some brushes – which I had never seen before – and did this jazz beat. I then sat down and played it back perfectly.
“My mum and dad said I had such a look of contentment on my face and looked so happy that they agreed to make the HP payments. I had just turned 13.
“Mind you, I’m not sure how popular I was with the neighbours. But everyone was so proud when the Small Faces became successful.”
Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake 50th anniversary deluxe editions are being released by Immediate Records with BMG Music and Charly Records. Go to small-faces. tmstor.es for more details.