Faces hope to reunite while the time is ripe

Shocking news hot off the wire this morning: five bands that broke up before 1980 have not reunited. Oh yeah, and the Faces want to get back together again.

Keyboardist Ian McLagan spilled his hopes and dreams for the planned revival to BBC 6 Music, including the possibility of brand new material from the 60-something group.

“We’re hoping to get together later this year, just to get together, to play and then we may have some news - but I want it to happen, badly," McLagan said to BBC 6. "It’s gonna be great if it does happen.”

For the uninitiated and forgetful, the Faces project was born from the untimely demise of psychedelic pop geniuses Small Faces. In 1969, McLagan, bassist Ronnie Lane (since deceased) and drummer Kenney Jones brought aboard guitarist Ronnie Wood and singer Rod Stewart. They dropped the "Small" and proceeded to get big, scoring hits on both sides of the Atlantic (most notably "Stay With Me"). You might also know them by the tune "Ooh La La," which provided a perfect ending to Wes Anderson's opus Rushmore.

In the decades since their breakup in 1975, Stewart has authored a devastatingly successful solo career, while Wood has earned a lifetime pass on the Rolling Stones gravy train. Oh yeah, and he's got a bit of extracurricular hanky-panky going on at the moment. So while it's going to be a bit difficult to rope in these two busy gentlemen, McLagan remains optimistic.

“The Stones aren’t gonna tour for over a year so Woody has a window of opportunity, Rod has a window approaching," McLagan said. “My window is ever being opened and shut but I’ll open that window and climb through it to work with The Faces anytime, and Kenney’s up for it.”

McLagan hopes to tour with the group, including some stops in America, and says he has some new songs that he'd like to collaborate on with Stewart. As for Rod the Bod himself, he doesn't have any official quotes in the BBC 6 story, but McLagan says that Stewart has come around to the idea after years of doubt and hesitation.

While it might sound like McLagan's just being wistful and raising everyone's reunion expectations unrealistically high, keep in mind that partial reunions of the lineup have occurred in the past. Now it seems like it's just a matter of getting the four fellows in a rehearsal room.

Related links:
The-Faces.com
IanMcLagan.com
YouTube: Faces - "Sweet Lady Mary" live

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