New Release: Faces At The BBC — Complete Concert & Session Recordings (1970-1973)
On September 6th, 2024, the “Faces At The BBC — Complete BBC Concert & Session Recordings 1970-1973” will be released. This 8CD/Blu-ray box set captures all of the surviving BBC recordings of Faces, showcasing their electrifying performances and unique style.
The comprehensive box set compiles the band’s BBC concerts and studio sessions, much of which have never been released before. Remastered with the full cooperation of Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, and Kenney Jones, the collection promises a fresh, high-quality listening experience.
One of the standout features of this release is the Blu-ray, which includes newly restored footage from Faces’ April 1972 appearance on “Sounds for Saturday.” This concert is a testament to the band’s peak form, radiating their joyous rock ’n’ roll spirit that has inspired generations. Fans can get a preview with the release of “Stay With Me (Live on Sounds For Saturday, BBC, April 1, 1972)” available for listening now.
Accompanying the music is a lavishly illustrated 48-page hardback booklet, featuring new commentary from surviving band members and archival quotes from Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan, and John Peel. BBC broadcaster Gary Crowley provides detailed liner notes, including a new interview with Jeff Griffin, the producer of all the Faces’ BBC concerts.
Many of the recordings thought lost have been recovered from the Faces’ archives and private collections. Notably, the collection includes a stereo mix of the May 13, 1971, Paris Cinema concert and a February 1973 show that was never aired due to the BBC’s concerns over the band’s rowdy interaction with the audience.
The Faces’ journey with the BBC was fraught with initial challenges, as the band was initially deemed “not serious” enough for airplay. However, John Peel, the legendary broadcaster, championed the band and secured their first BBC session on March 9, 1970. In the liner notes, Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, and Kenney Jones express their gratitude for Peel’s support, acknowledging that without him, the Faces might not have achieved their breakthrough.
This collection spans the band’s formative years and their rapid rise to fame, a period marked by intense creativity. During this time, Faces released four studio albums and contributed to several of Rod Stewart’s solo projects. The box set includes live versions of fan favorites such as “Bad ’n’ Ruin,” “Had Me A Real Good Time,” “Miss Judy’s Farm,” “Too Bad,” and the hit single “Stay With Me.”
As a special highlight, the collection features John Peel’s Christmas Carol Concert, originally broadcast on Boxing Day 1970. This unique performance includes Stewart singing “Away In A Manger” and a carol medley sung by a choir featuring the Faces, their roadies, John Peel, Marc Bolan of T-Rex, and others.
“Faces At The BBC — Complete BBC Concert & Session Recordings 1970-1973” is available for pre-order now. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to own a piece of rock history, meticulously restored and presented for a new generation of fans.
Faces At The BBC – Complete BBC Concert & Session Recordings 1970-1973
CD Track Listing
Disc One
John Peel’s Sunday Concert (Broadcast July 5, 1970)
“You’re My Girl (I Don’t Want To Discuss It)” *
“Wicked Messenger” *
“Devotion” *
“It’s All Over Now” *
“I Feel So Good” *
John Peel’s Sunday Concert (Broadcast November 29, 1970)
“Country Comfort”
“You’re My Girl (I Don’t Want To Discuss It)”
“Too Much Woman (For A Henpecked Man) / Street Fighting Man”
“Maybe I’m Amazed”
“Around The Plynth / Country Honk / Gasoline Alley”
Disc Two
John Peel’s Sunday Concert (Broadcast May 23, 1971)
“You’re My Girl (I Don’t Want To Discuss It)” *
“Cut Across Shorty”
“Love In Vain”
“Bad ’n’ Ruin” *
“It’s All Over Now” *
“Had Me A Real Good Time” *
“(I Know) I’m Losing You” *
“I Feel So Good” *
Disc Three
Sounds For Saturday (Broadcast April 1, 1972)
“Three Button Hand Me Down” *
“Maybe I’m Amazed”
“Too Much Woman (For A Henpecked Man) / Street Fighting Man” *
“Miss Judy’s Farm”
“Love In Vain” *
“Stay With Me”
“(I Know) I’m Losing You”
Disc Four
John Peel’s Sunday Concert (Broadcast February 26, 1972)
Intro / “You’re My Girl (I Don’t Want To Discuss It)” *
“Three Button Hand Me Down” *
“Miss Judy’s Farm” *
“Memphis, Tennessee” *
“Give Me The Moonlight” *
“Too Bad” *
“Last Orders Please” *
“Devotion” *
“That’s All You Need / Country Honk / Gasoline Alley” *
“(I Know) I’m Losing You” *
“Stay With Me” *
“Had Me A Real Good Time” *
“Underneath The Arches” *
“Every Picture Tells A Story” *
Disc Five
In Concert (Recorded February 8, 1973) not originally broadcast
“Silicone Grown” *
“Cindy Incidentally” *
“Angel” *
“Memphis, Tennessee” *
“True Blue” *
“I’d Rather Go Blind” *
“You’re My Girl (I Don’t Want To Discuss It)” *
“Twistin’ The Night Away” *
“It’s All Over Now” *
“Miss Judy’s Farm” *
“Maybe I’m Amazed” *
“Three Button Hand Me Down” *
“(I Know) I’m Losing You” *
Disc Six
In Concert (Broadcast April 21, 1973)
“Silicone Grown” *
“Cindy Incidentally” *
“Memphis, Tennessee” *
“If I’m On The Late Side” *
“My Fault” *
“The Stealer”
“Borstal Boys”
“Angel”
“Stay With Me”
“True Blue”
“Twistin’ The Night Away” *
“Miss Judy’s Farm”
“Jealous Guy”
“Too Bad”
Disc Seven
Top Gear (Broadcast March 28, 1970)
“Wicked Messenger” *
“Devotion”
“Shake, Shudder, Shiver”
“Pineapple And The Monkey” *
Dave Lee Travis (Broadcast March 15, 1970)
“Three Button Hand Me Down” *
“Flying”
“Wicked Messenger” *
Top Gear (Broadcast September 19, 1970)
“Had Me A Real Good Time” *
“Around The Plyth / Gasoline Alley”
“Country Comfort” *
Top Gear: John Peel’s Christmas Carol Concert (Broadcast December 26, 1970)
“Away In A Manger” – Rod Stewart *
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen / Good King Wenceslas / Silent Night / O Come All Ye Faithful” – Faces & Choir *
Disc Eight
Sounds Of The Seventies (Broadcast May 3, 1971)
“Had Me A Real Good Time” *
“Love In Vain” *
“Oh Lord I’m Browned Off” *
“Maybe I’m Amazed” *
Top Gear (Broadcast October 6, 1971)
“Stay With Me”
“Miss Judy’s Farm”
“Maggie May”
Blu-ray
Sounds For Saturday (Broadcast April 1, 1972)
“Three Button Hand Me Down” *
“Maybe I’m Amazed”*
“Too Much Woman (For A Henpecked Man / Street Fighting Man” *
“Miss Judy’s Farm”*
“Love In Vain” *
“Stay With Me”*
“(I Know) I’m Losing You”*
* previously unreleased
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
