After teasing their legendary BBC recordings on two Record Store Day releases, the Faces are set to make fans āShake, Shudder, Shiverā with a comprehensive boxed set compiling all of the groupās BBC concerts and surviving studio sessions. This new collection ā much of it previously unreleased ā has been remastered with the full participation of band members Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, and Kenney Jones.
On September 6,Ā Faces At The BBC ā Complete BBC Concert & Session Recordings 1970-1973Ā will be available as an 8CD/Blu-ray set atĀ rhino.comĀ and select retailers. Pre-orderĀ HERE. The Blu-ray includes newly restored footage of the Facesā April 1972 appearance onĀ Sounds for Saturday. The concert finds the āBorstal Boysā in peak form, radiating their swaggering, joyous spirit of rock ānā roll that continues to inspire generations.
The hardback set includes a 48-page booklet with new commentary from surviving band members and archival quotes from Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan, and legendary BBC broadcaster John Peel. Lavishly illustrated with many previously unseen photos, the booklet details every Faces BBC session, concert, and broadcast. BBC broadcaster Gary Crowley wrote the detailed liner notes, which include a new interview with Jeff Griffin, who produced all of the Facesā BBC concert appearances.
Once thought lost, many of the bandās BBC recordings were recovered from the Facesā own archives and private collections. (Notably, only one BBC session of three songs remains missing.) Rarities include a stereo mix of the May 13, 1971, Paris Cinema concert, which was only broadcast in mono, and a February 1973 show that was never aired due to the BBCās concerns over the bandās on-stage banter with the rowdy audience.
The Facesā BBC appearances are cherished by fans today. Itās shocking to think they almost didnāt happen. The BBC initially dismissed the band as not āseriousā enough for airplay. Enter John Peel, who championed the band and was instrumental in securing the groupās first BBC session on March 9, 1970.
In the liner notes, the band gratefully acknowledges Peelās role. Stewart says, āIf it wasnāt for John Peel, the Faces would never have broken through.ā Wood adds, āHe gave the Faces our first break.ā Jones says, āJohn Peel helped the Faces so much in England, in the press and on his show.ā
Faces At The BBC ā Complete BBC Concert & Session Recordings 1970-1973 spans the bandās formation and meteoric rise. Exploring a period of intense creativity, which included four Faces studio albums (First Step, Long Player, A Nod Is As Good As A Winkā¦To A Blind Horseā¦, and Ooh La La) and several solo albums that Stewart recorded with most of the band (Gasoline Alley, Every Picture Tells A Story, Never A Dull Moment, and Smiler).
Faces At The BBC ā Complete BBC Concert & Session Recordings 1970-1973 includes live versions of fan favorites like āBad ānā Ruin,ā āHad Me A Real Good Time,ā āMiss Judyās Farm,ā āToo Bad,ā and āStay With Me,ā a gold-certified single in the U.S. and a Top 10 smash in the U.K. Several of Stewartās solo songs were performed as well, including, ā(I Know) Iām Losing Youā and the U.S. and U.K. No. 1 hit, āMaggie May.ā
John Peelās Christmas Carol Concert rounds out the collection. Originally broadcast on Boxing Day 1970, this unique holiday performance features Stewart singing āAway n A Mangerā and a Christmas carol medley sung by a choir that includes the Faces, their roadies, John Peel, Marc Bolan of T-Rex, and others.
Faces At The BBC – Complete BBC Concert & Session Recordings 1970-1973
CD Track Listing
Disc One
John Peelās Sunday Concert (Broadcast July 5, 1970)
1. āYouāre My Girl (I Donāt Want To Discuss It)ā *
2. āWicked Messengerā *
3. āDevotionā *
4. āItās All Over Nowā *
5. āI Feel So Goodā *
John Peelās Sunday Concert (Broadcast November 29, 1970)
6. āCountry Comfortā
7. āYouāre My Girl (I Donāt Want To Discuss It)ā
8. āToo Much Woman (For A Henpecked Man) / Street Fighting Manā
9. āMaybe Iām Amazedā
10. āAround The Plynth / Country Honk / Gasoline Alleyā
Disc Two
John Peelās Sunday Concert (Broadcast May 23, 1971)
1. āYouāre My Girl (I Donāt Want To Discuss It)ā *
2. āCut Across Shortyā
3. āLove In Vainā
4. āBad ānā Ruinā *
5. āItās All Over Nowā *
6. āHad Me A Real Good Timeā *
7. ā(I Know) Iām Losing Youā *
8. āI Feel So Goodā *
Disc Three
Sounds For Saturday (Broadcast April 1, 1972)
1. āThree Button Hand Me Downā *
2. āMaybe Iām Amazedā
3. āToo Much Woman (For A Henpecked Man) / Street Fighting Manā *
4. āMiss Judyās Farmā
5. āLove In Vainā *
6. āStay With Meā
7. ā(I Know) Iām Losing Youā
Disc Four
John Peelās Sunday Concert (Broadcast February 26, 1972)
1. Intro / āYouāre My Girl (I Donāt Want To Discuss It)ā *
2. āThree Button Hand Me Downā *
3. āMiss Judyās Farmā *
4. āMemphis, Tennesseeā *
5. āGive Me The Moonlightā *
6. āToo Badā *
7. āLast Orders Pleaseā *
8. āDevotionā *
9. āThatās All You Need / Country Honk / Gasoline Alleyā *
10. ā(I Know) Iām Losing Youā *
11. āStay With Meā *
12. āHad Me A Real Good Timeā *
13. āUnderneath The Archesā *
14. āEvery Picture Tells A Storyā *
Disc Five
In Concert (Recorded February 8, 1973) not originally broadcast
1. āSilicone Grownā *
2. āCindy Incidentallyā *
3. āAngelā *
4. āMemphis, Tennesseeā *
5. āTrue Blueā *
6. āIād Rather Go Blindā *
7. āYouāre My Girl (I Donāt Want To Discuss It)ā *
8. āTwistinā The Night Awayā *
9. āItās All Over Nowā *
10. āMiss Judyās Farmā *
11. āMaybe Iām Amazedā *
12. āThree Button Hand Me Downā *
13. ā(I Know) Iām Losing Youā *
Disc Six
In Concert (Broadcast April 21, 1973)
1. āSilicone Grownā *
2. āCindy Incidentallyā *
3. āMemphis, Tennesseeā *
4. āIf Iām On The Late Sideā *
5. āMy Faultā *
6. āThe Stealerā
7. āBorstal Boysā
8. āAngelā
9. āStay With Meā
10. āTrue Blueā
11. āTwistinā The Night Awayā *
12. āMiss Judyās Farmā
13. āJealous Guyā
14. āToo Badā
Disc Seven
Top Gear (Broadcast March 28, 1970)
1. āWicked Messengerā *
2. āDevotionā
3. āShake, Shudder, Shiverā
4. āPineapple And The Monkeyā *
Dave Lee Travis (Broadcast March 15, 1970)
5. āThree Button Hand Me Downā *
6. āFlyingā
7. āWicked Messengerā *
Top Gear (Broadcast September 19, 1970)
8. āHad Me A Real Good Timeā *
9. āAround The Plyth / Gasoline Alleyā
10. āCountry Comfortā *
Top Gear: John Peelās Christmas Carol Concert (Broadcast December 26, 1970)
11. āAway In A Mangerā ā Rod Stewart *
12. āGod Rest Ye MerryGentlemen / Good King Wenceslas / Silent Night / O Come All Ye Faithfulā ā Faces & Choir *
Disc Eight
Sounds Of The Seventies (Broadcast May 3, 1971)
1. āHad Me A Real Good Timeā *
2. āLove In Vainā *
3. āOh Lord Iām Browned Offā *
4. āMaybe Iām Amazedā *
Top Gear (Broadcast October 6, 1971)
5. āStay With Meā
6. āMiss Judyās Farmā
7. āMaggie Mayā
Blu-ray
Sounds For Saturday (Broadcast April 1, 1972)
1. āThree Button Hand Me Downā *
2. āMaybe Iām Amazedā*
3. āToo Much Woman (For A Henpecked Man / Street Fighting Manā *
4. āMiss Judyās Farmā*
5. āLove In Vainā *
6. āStay With Meā*
7. ā(I Know) Iām Losing Youā*
* previously unreleased