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EARLY YEARS - STEVE MARRIOTT’S BANDS BEFORE THE SMALL FACES
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Click on any picture for a larger image in a separate window.
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8
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Steve’s dad Bill, who was an accomplished East End pub pianist, buys him a plastic ukulele. Steve earns coppers busking at the bus queue at the local cemetery gates.
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10
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Steve’s first band was with his dad and his mum Kay on the washboard. They played skiffle in places like old folks’ homes - and they got paid, which made it an early age for Steve to be professional, although Kay remembers it as more for their own amusement than actual performance.
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Steve earned first place in a talent show while on holiday.
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11
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Successful audition for Lional Bart’s “Oliver”, where he auditioned with Buddy Holly’s “Oh Boy” and Connie Francis’ “Who’s Sorry Now?”. Lionel Bart recognised him from busking and was clear that Steve was who he was looking for. Steve believes there was also some family connection in the background.
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Steve played the Artful Dodger for 14 months, six nights a week at the New Theatre, St Martin’s Lane, London West End.
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At this time he lived in Manor Park, a few doors away from David Essex, who also later climbed to fame on the West End stage in Godspell.
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Steve wins a talent competition on holiday in Clacton.
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12
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Wheels
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His first real band was a trio. Steve was “Buddy” with thick rimmed glasses. they played local coffee bars in East Ham.
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?
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Mississippi Five
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School group.
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?
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The Coronation Kids
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Saturday morning pictures group. Only known song from this period is called “Sheila”, a busk/strum Buddy Holly type song.
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13
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Release of “Oliver” soundtrack on World Record Club. Steve singls lead on three tracks, “Consider Yourself”, “Be Back Soon” and “I’d Do Anything”.
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14/15
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The money from his stint in the West End pays for his tuition at the famous Conti School of Drama, where incidently he studied with Don Arden’s son. Guest appearances on “Mr. Pastry”, “Dixon of Dock Green” and “William the Peacemaker” continue to pay for his tuition. He also did TV advert voice overs (1001 Carpet Cleaner) and radio shows such as”Mrs. Dale’s Diaries”. He had a regular Saturday night slot on radio Luxembourg reading out letters to agony aunt Marjorie Proops. He made Saturday morning films, and finished this phase of his career appearing with no than Peter Sellers in the film “Heavens Above”.
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15
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The Moonlights
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Did Shadows things, and current songs like “Cut Across Shorty”, as well as played “I’m a Hog for You Baby”, “Route 66” and “Talking ‘Bout You”. They also caught the very start of the R&B boom. Played local halls and libraries.
The Old Vic Repertoire wanted him to go to Chichester with Laurence Olivier. However, he was getting more into music, and he refused, also thinking that the child parts he was getting would come to an end. All this resulted in family rows and he left home.
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16
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Moonlights/Frantics
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The Moonlights became The Frantics.
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Solo
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Decca released his first solo single “Give Her My Regards” b/w “Imaginary Love”.
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The Frantics
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Appeared in a Beat Film, “Live It Up”, as a drummer.
Cross between R&B and cabaret. They played recent hits and Shane Fenton and Shadows things. Very echo chamber. But also played American R&B covers. This was the first real showing of the Mod ethos.
Steve was playing piano and harmonica at the time, but not guitar. He also handled singing chores. Jimmy Winston may have been a temporary member. Dennis Thompson was the drummer. They released a single “Move It”, but only in one obsure market - allegedly Malaysia.
Eventually they mutated into the Moments.
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aka The Frantiks
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aka The Frantic Ones
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17
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The Moments aka Steve Marriott & the Moments
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The group’s loose membership included Vin Nicholls (drums), Sean Buckley (guitar), Jimmy Winston (guitar/bass), Kenny Rowe (bass-some say drums), John Weider (guitar), who would later play with the Animals and Family, and Johnny Mooreshead.
Most available photos show five members. With an overall soul feel, they played Muddy Waters, Rufus Thomas and James Brown. Performances included “Love Potion No. 9” and the Beatles’ “Anna”, “I Saw Her Standing There” and “Twist and Shout” as an encore. Steve’s girlfriend, Adrienne Posta would often join in with the band to duet with Steve. They also covered Rolling Stones songs.
The Who’s manager Pete Meaden apparently managed them for a short time, and they were a very popular in East London and in Essex. Aregular attraction at the Attic Club in Hounslow.
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17
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The Record Mirror reported a new single “I Cried” backed with “Maybe”.
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Despite the truth of meeting Ronnie Lane in the J60 Music Shop in 1964, it is a fact that the Moments and the Outcasts, with Lane and Kenney Jones, played on the same bill on this date.
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World Artists release “You Really Got Me” b/w “Money Money” for the US market in a bid to beat the Kinks there. However, the single dropped without a trace. The “B” side is the better of the two with the first recording of Steve’s “Come On Children” signature.
Eventually, the band kicked him out and hired an older singer. He had caught a cold, lost his voice and missed three gigs. He ended up on the pavement with his case.
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17
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Steve did a short solo residency for two to three weeks with the group Johnny Be Great and the Quotations. He also won a major talent competition at Ilford Palais singing “House of the Rising Sun”.
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18
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Scheduled release for Steve’s second solo single, as advertised in the NME. It was pre-announced as “Out Soon” via Ronnie Vaughn Management. There are no obvious gaps in the Decca catalogue to suggest it was ever given a catalogue number. However in an interview with Chris Welch, Steve refers to “Tell Me” as one of the singles he did for Andrew Oldham. Certainly this brought Steve into contact with Oldham, and he claims to have played harmonica on ALO Orchestra projects-presumably by Bo & Peep, Cleo and Jeannie and the Redheads.
Steve made a low budget follow-up to the film “Live It Up” titled “Be My Guest”. He again played drummer Ricky in a plot surrounding the band making a demo. This was to be his last major acting role as music took over his whole attention.
Appeared with the Outcasts as “Jerry Lee Marriott” at the British Prince Pub in Ilform. Famed gig.
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18
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Auditioned for the Lower Third, eventually losing out to David Bowie
With Jimmy Winston in tow, and briefly as The Pioneers, Steve’s girlfriend Annie famously named them the Small Faces. There has been talk of weddings and bar mitzvahs, but the first official gig was at Workingman’s Club in Sheffield.
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