Ronnie Wood and Mick Hucknall on Small Faces' Steve Marriott

Ronnie Wood and Mick Hucknall talk about the vocal talents of Steve Marriott and the impact of british band Small Faces.
This clip is taken from The Ronnie Wood Show, an award-winning TV series first broadcast on Sky Arts. Every episode features top artists joining Ronnie for impromptu jamming, lively chat and reminiscing about the wild days of rock'n'roll.

[@vanshipman]

The ol Soppy Pratt Stevie Marriott was the greatest rock singer ever in my humble (pun absolutely intended lol) opinion. I think he was at his peak during the era of Pie with Frampton. His voice on the Rock On album and of course the Fillmore live record, was just earth shattering. Boy do I miss him. R.I.P. Steve The GOAT 🙏 🎤 🎸

[@thestrengthwithin4249]

Fantastic words there mate 👏👏👏👏🇬🇧

[@vanshipman]

@@thestrengthwithin4249 Thanks so much👍🏻

[@nervo6321]

Steve Marriott one of the greatest vocalists this country has ever produced.....Mick Hucknall also...i hold them both in the highest esteem....

[@harveyditcher9226]

My favourite band ever small faces now for a 15 year old from Hertfordshire to say that in 2021 they must have been amazing

[@AmarettoSour710]

I'm also from Hertfordshire but I'm in my 20's! Small world I guess! Small Faces and Humble Pie are two of the most underappreciated bands from that period, Steve is easily one of the greatest English vocalists of all time, and a bloody amazing guitar player too!

[@user-dc3ly2sp8m]

He was so under rated. One of the best.

[@madeleinehague3247]

“ More electric than anybody you’ve ever met. Funniest guy I’ve ever met, sharpest guy I’ve ever met, cleverest guy I’ve ever met. ” - Ian "Mac" McLagan on Steve Marriott. RIP Mac and Steve.

[@angelalombardi6164]

Interesting Mac didn't attend Marriott's funeral.

[@madeleinehague3247]

@@angelalombardi6164 Mac was pretty broke. He couldn't even afford to have Rod Stewart ship his Hammond organ across the USA, so a flight to the UK was probably not in the cards. Mac was a working musician, he didn't get royalties. He only got paid when he toured or did session work.

[@colinmartin2921]

Mac wasn't personally enamoured of Marriott, most people weren't; he was full-on all the time, was a big drink and drug addict and when in that state was abrasive and nasty. He was also, when sober, a very generous and sensitive person. None of us are perfect. Mac did take the time to play in the Steve Marriott memorial concert though.

[@Rocketman10057]

What a wonderful amount of praise from Ronnie

[@rob1921]

beautiful tribute to you i consider the real modfather,, brilliant voice brilliant tunes,, mick is the best vocalist since steve marriott,

[@riffdigger2133]

Great description by Ronnie who saw it all and lived it.

[@prettypeggy5292]

Get back on the airwaves Ronnie. We need to hear more of your stories.

[@mikee758]

A snippet of good info coming from a master muso/artist 🎧 😎 🎶

[@TheCondriacs]

ronnie it was amazing watching you and the faces you have influenced me on writing and were just in the middle of writing a new album [theres a nod to the faces on it with a song called momma please i hope you like it

[@wslvingtsun6768]

Where can u watch the whole show,gotta love Ronnie wood! His daughters were on their website, they were backstage, and they said ladies and gentlemen the rolling stones lol so cute.

[@maplespak]

luv ronnie's 1 min utubz thanks ronnie

[@jennyq4979]

Awwww "His little legs stickin out."

[@MusicMan75388]

Legend has it that Marriott tried out for the Stones after Taylor left.

[@dellafenton2417]

Jon Holland That is true, Keith Richards wanted Marriott to join The Stones but Mick Jagger would have none of it. Think he was in fear of being overshadowed...

[@liamfitzgerald7217]

@@dellafenton2417 They also auditioned Rory Gallagher at one point. I believe it was after Brian Jones died.

[@dellafenton2417]

@@liamfitzgerald7217 I didn't know that!!

[@colinmartin2921]

That is true, it was after Mick Taylor left and Keith Richards wanted Marriott to replace him. Marriott auditioned with the Stones, and Richards told him to stand at the back and under no circumstances steal the spotlight from Jagger, which Marriott obeyed at first and then his instincts took over and he burst forth and took over, which ended his career in the Stones. There is a tape of the audition doing the rounds. It is interesting to speculate what would have happened to Marriott if he had joined the Stones, and whether he would be alive today......

[@saxa21]

Steve would have wiped the floor with jagger wise move Mick.

[@NAHAJI133]

These chat's are not long enough. Anyone know how to hear the entire broadcast? I have been searching around and am subscribed to Ronnie's channel. I need to hear more.

[@oldskoolfool141]

I ask this same question every time but never a reply, maybe Sky Arts are being tightarses, painfully short these

[@thomasmatthews9495]

what documentary is this from? Steve Marriott the greatest

[@thomasbutcher3593]

Nice little clip, you can't watch that and not smile.

[@ronaldmitchell3665]

... heavily influenced by BookerT, but to also have this “ Memphis soull” stood out to me....

[@Hamish_888]

black tea

[@macadoo2530]

'Can't compare with me...'

[@PAULLONDEN]

Some of Marriott's old colleagues are of the opinion that Steve's later soul and blues wailing sometimes bordered on the Spinal Tap though.Especially entering the mid 70's when his once sharp mind got clouded by massive amounts of coke.Now and then this London cockney lad seemed to pretend he was Tina Turner.Even Hendrix managed to refrain from some of that over the top blues and soul screaming where Marriott excelled in.He was great ofcourse with the Small Faces and early Humble Pie days.

[@deannayoung892]

Or did Spinal Tap border on him? Steve was at his greatest in the Small Faces though. No question.

[@bethh.9647]

@@deannayoung892 So agree with you! His voice was absolutely pitch perfect with incredible range and depth of tone. Even Jerry Shirley said in his book Best Seat in the House how kind and generous of a person Steve was to other musicians but that after 1971, he never saw that Steve again because of the coke and alcohol addiction. He had a brief detour in mid 80s from the addictions when he was with Manon Piercy but ultimately was an alcoholic. He had however the greatest voice full of passion and mesmerizing stage performer.

[@colinmartin2921]

Marriott after 1972 became almost unlistenable due to his frenetic soul shouting, caused by excess energy derived from his coke addiction. I don't know if coke ruined his vocal chords, but his voice became very high pitched and thin.

[@Stonesygirl]

@@colinmartin2921 What Marriott were you listening to? His voice was always stellar.

[@thewhatorwhy]

Why didn't these guys out Robert Plant out at the very beginning as a straight copycat of Steve Marriotts?? How could they let this Zeppelin farce go on through the decades?!

[@bordonbert]

I'd say "Zeppelin farce" is a bit unfair Roxy but I'm right with you on the "straight copycat" bit. My take on it is that Robert Plant certainly was a Marriott clone when he first started. He was second choice to Marriott as the vocalist in Zep anyway and had spent a lot of time around Marriott at his gigs. But Plant's strength is that he took what he learned from Steve, used it well in LZ then stretched himself to produce other really worthwhile things after it collapsed. Some of his work in projects like the Alison Krause partnership and his current Band Of Joy are superb. Marriott could not have been as exploratory, he had his path and he stuck to it and would have throughout the whole of a longer career had it been possible. You're right though, they definitely should have given accreditation to Steve for his just being able to get where he is today. Page was a clever lad though, if you can't get the one you really want then go for a clone and make him as big.

[@yourturn777]

@@bordonbert current? band of joy.

[@leolicursi662]

Hucknall big northern soul man wouldn't be into otis as much

[@mrspester]

What happened to Mick Hucknall? He looks like angry kid

[@theonlyantony]

A beetroot that can speak! Amazing! Hucknall is not fit to lap up the spittle from Marriot's microphone. Go back to your appalling 'Fairground!'

[@debbymabalcon2789]

This is wrong you must listen to music that isn't appreciated do you even know real music?

[@thomasbutcher3593]

He's actually a great white soul vocalist - you just need to get past image and genre and you see it.

[@defunctt]

He has much more of a greater range than you appreciate. Easily one of the best singers out of England in the 20th century.