Showing posts with label Ronnie Lane and Slim Chance. Show all posts

Saturday, October 18, 2025

Ronnie Lane and Slim Chance. How Come

Ronnie Lane and Slim Chance 'How Come' on The Basil Brush Show 1973

Sunday, April 14, 2024

“PLONK”! | Albums That Should Exist | Ronnie Lane BBC SESSIONS ’73-’76 Vol 1

Ronnie Lane - BBC Sessions, Volume 1: 1973-1976

Paul says : I've posted a couple of Ronnie Lane stray tracks albums. Now, I'll start turning my attention to what music he performed for the BBC. He was in the Small Faces, and then the Faces. But his time in the spotlight for his solo career only lasted for a few years due to having multiple sclerosis. (He was diagnosed in 1977, but in retrospect he was showing signs since the early 1970s.) Despite that short time frame, I found enough for four BBC albums. This one consists of studio sessions. The other three are all live concerts.

All but one of the performances here are officially released, and all of those come from the BBC compilation album "You Never Can Tell." The one exception is the song "You Never Can Tell" (ironically enough), which is from an appearance on the BBC TV show The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1975.

The first four songs are from a 1973 session. The next four are from a 1974 session. The last four are from a 1976 session. (As usual, check the mp3 tags for more details.) Most of the songs are originals either from his solo career or his years with the Faces, plus one song ("All or Nothing") that he did with the Small Faces. "Sweet Virginia" is originally by the Rolling Stones and "You Never Can Tell" is originally by Chuck Berry.

This album is 47 minutes long.
01 Ooh La La (Ronnie Lane)
02 Flags and Banners (Ronnie Lane)
03 How Come (Ronnie Lane)
04 Careless Love (Ronnie Lane)
05 Anniversary (Ronnie Lane)
06 Sweet Virginia (Ronnie Lane)
07 Lovely (Ronnie Lane)
08 You Never Can Tell (Ronnie Lane)
09 Don't Try and Change My Mind (Ronnie Lane)
10 One for the Road (Ronnie Lane)
11 Steppin' and Reelin' (Ronnie Lane)
12 All or Nothing (Ronnie Lane)

Thursday, November 23, 2023

RONNIE LANE & SLIM CHANCE - DEBRIS | Colouring The Past

From COLOURING THE PAST

From the other day (17/11) in 1971, British rock band The FACES released their third album, A Nod's as Good as a Wink...To a Blind Horse, featuring one of RONNIE LANE's most poignant compositions, DEBRIS (Nov 17, 1971)
While Lane penned plenty of clever rock songs during his time with Small Faces and Faces, "Debris" stands out for its tender autobiographical lyrics and bittersweet melody. Chronicling Lane's childhood visits to his father at the Sunday junk market, the song reflects on working class life in post-war London. Beyond just a nostalgic stroll down memory lane, "Debris" captures the deep bond between a son and his hardworking father.
In the accompanying music video, we see Ronnie Lane and his post-Faces band Slim Chance performing the song in a 1974 concert for the BBC. Backed by acoustic guitar, slide guitar, and saxophone, Lane's weathered voice sings of going to the Debris, the local term for an improvised flea market "thrown together on the bleak streets of a city still bearing very visible scars of the WWII Blitz," as one writer put it.
Lane sets the scene, reminiscing about hearing his father's footsteps at the door after a long morning sifting through the Debris, "sorting through the odds and ends" and "looking for a bargain." Even as a child, Lane seemed to grasp his father's endless labor amidst the rubble, singing "Now we both know you got no money." Yet the devotion shines through in the line, "Oh, you was my hero
How you are my good friend?"
Beyond the touching lyricism, the song has a wonderfully bittersweet melody that aligns with the reflective mood. With its lilting folk-rock finesse and saxophone colorings, "Debris" stands out as a highlight amidst the boozy British rock of Faces. Knowing Lane's background adds poignancy to the song's compassionate vignette of working class life in London.
Lane grew up in London's East End in an apartment so tiny he had to share a bed with his parents. His mother Elsie suffered from multiple sclerosis, while his father Stanley worked grueling hours as a truck driver. Despite the family's perpetual lack of money, Lane always spoke of his father in glowing terms, calling him "Happiness Stan" and a saint. In fact, the whimsical central character in the Small Faces concept album Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake was inspired by Stan.
After finding success with the Small Faces, Lane certainly could have left his humble roots behind. But songs like "Debris" show that he never forgot where he came from. The nostalgia feels more like empathy than sentimentality. When Lane sings "Now, we both know you got no money," he is standing in solidarity with his father, not looking down on him. And in the line about wondering what Stan might have done without "me hanging around," Lane hints at his father's unrealized potential, rather than any burden.
Lane's soulful vision stands out in the earthier milieu of Faces and their contemporary British blues-rockers. The sensitivity and lyrical depth reveal Lane's pivotal role in propelling his bands beyond just good-time party music. His songwriting added shades of melancholy and reflection that gave classics like "Itchycoo Park" and "Ooh La La" their staying power.
Sadly, Lane's musical career was cut short when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the mid-1970s, the same disease that afflicted his mother. But he continued making music for as long as possible, right up until his death in 1997 at age 51. Near the end, close friends like Pete Townshend and Ronnie Wood helped provide for Lane's medical care, while Rod Stewart funded a research clinic at a U.S. hospital. This outpouring of support speaks volumes about the love Lane inspired from fellow musicians and fans.
While Lane's days as a star may have passed quickly, his songs carry on his artistic spirit. And tracks like "Debris" offer a window into the soul of this unforgettable artist. Like a faded photo album preserving memories of harder times, "Debris" will continue striking a chord with listeners whenever we need reminding of endurance, loyalty, and love.

Colouring The Past [Facebook]

Thursday, April 01, 2021

RONNIE LANE - Birthday Greetings - My Favourite April Fool!

RONNIE LANE

THE MYSTIC MOD

My Favourite April Fool!

"I've been there and back just to see how far it is . . . . ."

Ronnie 'Plonk' Lane was born this day in Plaistow Essex an underrated singer songwriter and founder of the Small Faces and bass player with The Faces to his sojourn with his own gig with Slim Chance before taken away from us by illness (MS). Thoughts to his family his sons Luke and brother Sonny . . . . . the legend lives on as long as we make it so!

Ronnie Lane an appreciation - The Guardian