Kenney Jones: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview

Feature Photo courtesy of Kenney Jones

With the Small Faces, Kenney Jones helped usher in the 1960s British mod era. After that, with the Faces, Jones showed the world that good times via rock ‘n’ roll were a model that was built to last. And The Who, he had the unenviable task of following one of music’s most idiosyncratic drummers, Keith Moon, but he did so, and well at that.

Through it all, Kenney Jones taught drummers around the world an important lesson: when it comes to smashing the skins, it’s not always about flash and bombast. Instead, one should focus on keeping proper time and playing tasteful, razor-sharp fills. And if you’ve got that down, then you inject your style, which should always be based on what the song requires.

Amidst rumours of a proper Faces reunion album, the first since 1973’s Ooh La La, Kenney Jones beamed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to dig into the history of one of rock music’s most seminal groups, the Faces.

What led to the formation of the Faces after the Small Faces, as people often confuse the two?

After Steve Marriott left the Small Faces, the rest of us still wanted to play together. Ronnie Lane introduced us to his new next-door neighbour, Ronnie Wood, who was with the Jeff Beck group at the time, playing bass, and he wanted to play guitar, so he started playing with us. Ronnie Wood then brought along one of his mates, who happened to be Rod Stewart, and the rest is history.

What led to Rod joining the band as the singer? What made him the right fit?

Rod would sit on the amps watching us play, every now and again we’d take a break and disappear up the road to the King’s Arms pub for a few drinks and a giggle, then we’d head back to the warehouse to make more music, with Rod continuing to act as our one-man audience. It reached the point that we couldn’t continue messing around; we had to do something more.

We started writing songs and needed a singer. Ronnie Lane had a great voice, but it wasn’t strong, not after we’d been used to Marriott. Mac had a go, then Ronnie Wood, but throughout I kept thinking something was missing. We asked Rod to sing. He was fantastic! I asked him to join the band later that day at the pub.

Can you describe the chemistry that the members of the Faces share, and if it was evident immediately?

It was. We just loved what we were doing and had a great time doing it. The gigs were a riot!

Can you tell us about the writing and recording process of First Step?

Most of our writing and recording was done in the studio. We did some initial writing in Ronnie Wood’s house as well as a few demos, and then took it to the studio where the rest was done.

Do you remember the Faces’ first tour? As young guys on the road, what sort of things did you get into?

No! [Laughs] I do remember we had a great laugh; we were still getting to know each other in those early days. It was full of fun, and we had the best time. We were always taking the piss out of each other.

What was the objective of Long Player, and how did it differ from First Step?

It was just a natural improvement of our writing. It was a more progressive album, and in my opinion, the songwriting got better and better.

Rod had solo success with “Maggie May” by the time A Nod Is as Good as A Wink… was released. How did that impact the success of the Faces?

It added another dimension to the Faces, but we didn’t feel much difference. We would occasionally be called Rod Stewart and the Faces rather than the Faces, but that was it, really.

Photo courtesy of Kenney Jones

Tell us about writing and recording “Stay with Me.” Did you know it was a hit from the jump?

Ronnie and Rod wrote “Stay with Me.” I think once you start to develop a song, you know straight away if it’s going to be a good one. I definitely had that instinct with this one. We recorded it at Olympic Studios with producer Glyn Johns.

To date, the Faces’ last proper album was 1973’s Ooh La La. What’s the story behind that record?

Ooh La La reached No. 1 in the UK charts and was successful in the US as well. It was recorded at the Olympic Studios, and it cost me a small fortune, but not for the reasons you would think. We were in the upstairs studio, at around six or seven o’clock in the evening, having just finished a track, when Glyn Johns said, “I think we need an acoustic on this. Ronnie, have you got your J-200?”

He didn’t, but as he lived in nearby Twickenham, he was happy to nip back and get it. He walked back in with his guitar, and a huge smile on his face, laughing, and said, “Kenney, I’ve just smashed into your car.” No one believed him, but he kept on laughing and insisting it was true, even when we were saying we had to get back to work.

Eventually, I went down to have a look, and sure enough, there was my gorgeous Spyder with its bonnet crumpled. His Land Rover had this great big tow bar sticking out of it, and as he’d reversed into his spot, from where he was sitting, up high, he hadn’t noticed my brand-new low-slung coupe.

Was Rod’s solo career the reason the band ended in 1975? Could you have continued without him, and did you try?

Rod moved to LA, meaning there was a transatlantic gap, and Ronnie Wood filled in for Mick Taylor in the Rolling Stones, which ultimately led to him joining the band. That was the beginning of the end, really.

Are there any regrets about not doing more together as the Faces, given how good the band was?

It’s always sad when things end, and of course, there are some regrets, but we all went on to do incredible things, so without the band ending, those things may not have happened.

Do you think the Faces might have carried on had Ronnie not joined the Stones, and you, The Who?

Who knows!

Do you hold the Faces or The Who closer to your heart? What are your biggest takeaways from both those experiences, and which fit you better artistically?

The only way I can describe it is: The Small Faces were the most creative band I’ve been in. The Faces were the most fun, good-time band. We were great friends. When we were sober, we played great! And The Who was the most exciting. For that reason, I hold them all close to my heart for different reasons. I think they all fit me artistically for each moment I was in.

When you look back on the Faces, what sticks out most, and what are you most proud of? And what does the future hold?

I’m just proud to have been a part of it. I’m proud that we were a success, and we captured the hearts of all our fans all over the world. What the future holds, who knows? We’re all getting older, but we love music, and we love what we do, and we still have a laugh whenever we get together.