Faces Live 1970 / Buffalo Springfield Live 1967

Available now from http://www.1960s.london

Side One

1. Wicked Messenger (Dylan)
2. Devotion (Lane)
3. (You’re My Girl) I Don’t Want To Discuss It) ( Cooper, Beatty, Shelby)
4. Flying (Stewart, Wood, Lane)
5. Too Much Woman (For A Hen Pecked Man) (Turner) /
6. Street Fighting Man (Jagger, Richards)

Side Two

1. Maybe I’m Amazed (McCartney)

2. Gasoline Alley  (Stewart, Wood) /

3. Plynth (Stewart, Wood)

4. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Traditional)

5. Away In A Manger (Traditional)

6. Good King Wenceslas (Traditional)

7. Silent Night (Traditional)

8. O Come All Ye Faithful (Traditional)

Recording Details

Side One

Track 1 recorded for BBC Dave Lee Travis on March 10^th 1970, broadcast March 15th

Tracks 2-6 recorded for Swing In (German WDR TV) live at the Marquee 7^th December 1970

Side Two

Tracks 1-3 recorded for Swing In (German WDR TV) live at the Marquee 7^th December 1970

Tracks 4 -8 recorded for BBC as The Top Gear Carol Concert on December 8th 1970 and broadcast on December 26^th

Personnel

Side One Tracks 1 – 6, Side Two Tracks 1-3

Rod Stewart – lead and backing vocals

Ronnie Lane – bass, backing vocals, lead vocals

Ron Wood – lead guitar, slide guitar, backing vocals

Ian McLagan – Hammond organ, pianos, backing vocals

Kenney Jones – drums and percussion

Side Two

Tracks 4 – 8 David Bedford (piano and organ) and vocals from: Marc Bolan, June Child, Ivor Cutler, Sonja Kristina, (solo on track 7), Romey Young, Rod Stewart (solo on track 5), Robert Wyatt (duet on track 6), Mike Ratledge, Ron Wood , Ronnie Lane (duet on track 6), John Peel, Sheila Ravenscroft, Kenny Jones, Ian McLagan, Pete Buckland, Bridget St John.

Sleevenotes

Our second release from The Faces brings together a variety of tracks recorded in 1970 and broadcast on radio and TV. The version of Wicked Messenger is taken from the band’s very first radio session and it a focussed and compact version of the Dylan song.

The next selection of tracks are taken from the second half of a gig at the original Marquee Club (Wardour Street) filmed for German television. The ballad Devotion includes a lovely section where Rod Stewart and Ronnie Lane sing in unison. The tempo increases on a riff-driven (You’re My Girl) I Don’t Want To Discuss It which is from Stewart’s second solo album Gasoline Alley, released in June 1970. Despite audience calls for Tin Soldier(!) debut Faces single Flying is next, Ron Wood’s lead guitar and Ian McLagan’s organ combining well here with the harmonies of Lane and Wood. The cover of Ike & Tina Turner’s Too Much Woman (For A Hen Pecked Man) never made it onto a Faces studio LP despite it being a mainstay of their live set, frequently as part of a medley – tonight with a snatch of the Stones Street Fighting Man, another Stewart solo track. Ronnie Lane sings the introduction to Paul McCartney’s Maybe I’m Amazed before Stewart joins in and Ronnie Wood plays two elegant solos. The pregnant pause in the middle of the song fools the audience who start clapping before the band returns. Gasoline Alley features McLagan and Lane harmonising before Ronnie Wood uses Plynth to showcase his prowess on slide guitar. A cracking set, recorded when the band still drank pints of bitter rather than pints of Courvoisier .

Finally we include John Peel’s Christmas Carol concert from December 1970. This was a one-off, never attempted before or since. Peel and producer John Walters rounded up the usual suspects and recorded five traditional carols for broadcast on Boxing Day.  Keyboard accompaniment was provided by classically-trained David Bedford, then a member of Kevin Ayers and The Whole World : characteristically Kevin Ayers was contracted to appear but never showed up. All the Faces plus road manager Pete Buckland were present and incorrect – Rod sings Away In A Manger beautifully, whilst Sonja Kristina (Curved Air) contributes a solo Silent Night. Ronnie Lane duets with Robert Wyatt (Soft Machine) on Good King Wenceslas and the entire ensemble attempt God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and O Come All Ye Faithfull. Alcohol may have been consumed.

A suitably celebratory note with which to end our review of the Faces broadcast activities in 1970. Coming soon  – the Faces in 1971, where commercial success and artistic recognition coincide…

B. Lynde-Horse

Side One

1.Pay the Price (Stills)      

2.Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing (Young)            

3.For What It’s Worth (Stills)        

4. Mr.Soul (Young)                               

5. Rock & Roll Woman (Stills) 

6. For What It’s Worth (Stills)   

7. Interview with Dick Clark           

Side Two

1. For What It’s Worth (Stills)        
2. Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing (Young)            
3. Rock & Roll Woman /    
4. Bluebird (Stills)              
5. A Child´s Claim To Fame (Furay)
6. Pretty Girl Why (Stills)
7. For What It’s Worth (Stills) / Mr.Soul (Young)

Recording Details

Side One

Tracks 1- 4 recorded live at the Hollywood Bowl and broadcast by Rock Radio Powerhouse KHJ on April 29^th

Track 5 recorded live for the Popendity TV programme at the Warwick Theatre Studios, Providence, Rhode Island, broadcast on ABC November 16

Track 6 recorded live for the Smothers Brothers TV programme on February 17^th at CBS TV City, Hollywood, broadcast February 26^th 

Track 7 American Bandstand interview with Dick Clark, broadcast January 21^st

Side Two

Tracks 1- 6 recorded live at the Monterey International Pop Festival on June18th

Track 7 recorded live for the Hollywood Palace TV programme on January 20^th 1967, broadcast April 8th

Personnel

Stephen Stills – guitar, keyboards, vocals

Neil Young – guitar, vocals (Side One Tracks 1-7, Side Two Track 7)

Dewey Martin – drums, vocals

Richie Furay – guitar, vocals

Bruce Palmer – bass guitar (Side One and Side Two tracks 1-6)

David Crosby – guitar, vocals (Side Two Tracks 1-6)

Doug Hastings – guitar (Side Two Tracks 1-6)

Dick Davies – bass (Side Two track 7)

Sleevenotes

“While not really a folk-rock band the prodigiously talented Buffalo Springfield deserve special mention both for caring enough to preserve the very best qualities of the form and for conscientously consolidating them into inspired if idiosyncratic rock’n’roll. Like the Byrds, the Buffalo could either hang back on a song until all its juices boiled over or just come right out and say it. Although the group had a short but troubled career, their melodies not their maladies linger on’”

Paul Nelson, Rolling Stone

Named after a steamroller seen from their manager’s window, Buffalo Springfield was the sound of experienced folk-singers plugging in to go electric, in much the same way as the Byrds formed after seeing A Hard Days Night. Neil Young was from Toronto, Canada. He split up his second electric band The Squires to become a folk singer. On tour in Ontario Neil Young found himself on the same bill as The Company, a spin-off group from the Au Go Go Singers who included Stephen Stills (from Dallas) and  Richie Furay (from Ohio). In 1966 Neil joined The Mynah Birds with bass player and fellow Canadian Bruce Palmer. Neil then decided to relocate to  Los Angeles to try to find Stephen Stills, and was driving his distinctive hearse along Sunset Boulevard with Bruce one day in April 1966 when he was spotted by Stills and Furay. The band was completed by Nashville session drummer Dewey Martin, another Canadian from Ontario. You can hear Neil Young explain some of this to Dick Clark in an American Bandstand interview.

Buffalo Springfield was a mercurial group beset by managerial and personal disagreements throughout their career, which only lasted from April 1966 to May 1968. Although the band managed to produce three successful studio LPs both Stills and Furay have claimed the group were much better live. This compilation brings together the TV and radio broadcasts from 1967 to allow you to explore that claim.

The Springfield’s appearance at the Hollywood Bowl was part of a three hour concert organised by Rock Radio Powerhouse KHJ in celebration of their second year as a Top 40 station. The rest of the eclectic bill comprised The Fifth Dimension, Brenda Holloway, Johnny Rivers, The Seeds and The Supremes, reserved seats $0.93. The Springfield were on early with a short set as they had another gig at The Fillmore in San Francisco the same night. Pay The Price makes for a confident upbeat opener with some good unison vocals and spiky guitar solos. Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing is slower and more reflective with more strong harmonies and intertwined guitar parts. Hit single For What It’s Worth was left off the first Springfield LP before being hurriedly added: once again the mix of vocal harmonies and multiple guitars is very effective. Forthcoming single Mr Soul makes its first public appearance with a committed lead vocal from Neil Young ably supported by Stills  and those duelling guitars again. Stills’ Rock & Roll Woman was a highlight of second LP Buffalo Springfield Again. An uncredited David Crosby helped to write the song, allegedly about Grace Slick. More of those intoxicating harmonies are allied to a catchy tune, albeit one that only reached 44 on the Billboard charts when released as a single.

The Monterey International Pop Festival was a major event which helped establish both Jimi Hendrix and the Who in America. Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner said “Monterey was the nexus – it sprang from what the Beatles began, and from it sprang what followed.” What should have been a triumphant appearance by the Springfield was marred by Neil Young having temporarily left the band. His place was taken by Doug Hastings, from Seattle band The Daily Flash. Also sitting in for this gig was David Crosby. Under the circumstances the band did a good job. They were introduced by an effusive Peter Tork, who had known Stills’ since the latter’s teeth prevented him from becoming a Monkee. On Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing Richie Furay takes the lead vocal, working well with Stills’ on the verse and Crosby adding a supportive harmony. Martin and Palmer can be heard as a fine rhythm section, leaving space for some jazzy guitar fills. Rock & Roll Woman gives Crosby some space, before evolving into Bluebird, a showcase for Stills’ lead guitar. In contrast Furay sings a brief version of his A Child’s Claim To Fame, where the bands country influences become more apparent. The final Monterey song Pretty Girl Why is only available as a song fragment, it is included here to complete the set,

Finally two further TV appearances. The version of For What It’s Worth recorded for The Smothers Brothers is notable visually for Stills’ magnificent Stetson as well as a very literal interpretation of the lines “there’s a man with gun in his hand” and “hooray for our side”. After a smarmy introduction from Hollywood Palace host Tony Martin Stills kicks off with What It’s Worth before handing over to Young and his impressively fringed jacket for Mr Soul. Why was Bruce Palmer sitting with his back to the camera? Because it wasn’t Bruce – in another personnel change he had been replaced by Dick Davies.

Brian Hogg, Bam Balam magazine: ”Buffalo Springfield is the farewell to L.A folk rock, the last before its mutation into something different.” Different, but not necessarily better

Sleevenotes: Stan Peed

Special thanks to Neil Parison