In this piece from the Uncut archives (March 2014, Take 202), McLagan and Kenney Jones reveal the stories behind every one of the band’s historic 45s, and how Ronnie Lane “found beauty in a nettle patch in the East End of London.” Story: Garry Mulholland ________________________ https://www....
Tin Soldier
Immediate, december 1967. UK: 9; US: 73
A powerful love letter from Marriott to his future wife. A key example of the fusion between rock and soul.
McLagan: “This is the best track we cut. It was us going back to our roots.”
Jones: “Dramatic, great build-up, lovely key change, and it suited Steve’s personality and vocals. Then there’s PP Arnold’s backing vocals… ah, this was right where we wanted to be. It was originally meant for PP but the one we did give to her was ‘(If You Think You’re) Groovy’, one of my all-time favourites. Steve Marriott was such a great singer; that high voice at the end… we kept asking, ‘How the fuck can he do that?’ The answer was, ‘Because he’s Steve Marriott.’ He loved Ray Charles and James Brown and you can hear those influences here. He had three different voices: the gentle, soft one, the screaming, soulful rocker and the cockney actor. And then, on something like ‘I’m Only Dreaming’ [‘Itchycoo Park’ B-side], he’d combine all three.”