Ronnie Lane

Ronnie Lane
Lane performing with his band, Slim Chance, in about 1975
Background information
Birth name	Ronald Frederick Lane
Also known as	Plonk Three-Piece Lanie
Born	(1946-04-01)1 April 1946 Plaistow, London, England
Died	4 June 1997(1997-06-04) (aged 51) Trinidad, Colorado, USA
Genres	Rock, rhythm and blues, psychedelic rock, folk rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter, producer
Instrument(s)	Bass, guitar, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, keyboards, vocals
Years active	1964–1992
Labels	A&M, Atlantic, Immediate, Island

Ronald Frederick "Ronnie" Lane (1 April 1946 – 4 June 1997) was an English musician, songwriter, and producer who is best known as the bass guitarist and founding member of two prominent English rock and roll bands: Small Faces where he was nicknamed "Plonk" (1965–69), and, after losing the band's frontman, Faces, with two new members added to the line-up, (from the Jeff Beck Group), who dubbed him "Three-Piece" (1969–73). It was for his work in both Small Faces and Faces that Lane was inducted posthumously into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.

Subsequently Lane collaborated with other musicians, leading his own bands as well as pursuing a solo career while remaining close to his former bandmates. In the late 1970s he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and, despite charity projects and financial support from friends, former bandmates and fans, Lane, after suffering from the disease for 21 years, died at 51.

Early life

Lane was born in Plaistow Maternity Hospital, Plaistow, a working class area in the East End of London, to Elsie Lane and Stanley Lane, a lorry driver. Lane later described his father as a "saint", who would work a long work day, and then return home to nurse his wife and two sons, all of whom were diagnosed with M.S. at differing points in their lives. Doctors assured Lane as a child that the destructive disease was not necessarily inherited, although he found out otherwise later in his life. After leaving school at the age of sixteen, Lane met Kenney Jones at a local pub and they formed a group they named The Outcasts. Initially playing lead guitar, Lane quickly switched to bass. When shopping for a Harmony bass guitar Lane visited the J60 Music Bar in Manor Park, London where he met Steve Marriott who was working there. Lane bought his bass and went to Marriott's house after work where Marriott introduced him to his Motown and Stax collection. Lane and Marriott set out to form a band, recruiting friends Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, who switched from guitar to organ. Marriott was chosen to be the frontman and singer.

Small Faces

Main article: Small Faces

Small Faces were Lane on bass guitar, Marriott as guitarist and lead vocalist, Kenney Jones as drummer, and Winston on keyboards, They made their debut in 1965, Ian McLagan replacing Winston in November 1965. Lane and Marriott began writing hit songs consistently, including "Itchycoo Park" and "All or Nothing". At least a dozen successful songs credit Lane, and the 1968 concept album Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake features songs co-written by Lane with one exception. The album stayed at number one on the UK Albums Chart for six weeks. The band disbanded in 1969 as Marriott left the group. The group reformed during the late 1970s but Lane did not join them.

Faces

Main article: Faces (band)

Lane formed Faces with McLagan, Jones, Ronnie Wood and Rod Stewart in 1969. He shared primary songwriting duties in Faces with Rod Stewart, composing, or co-composing, many of their best-loved pieces and taking a central role during the recording of their fourth and final album, Ooh La La, particularly, as the band's front man, Rod Stewart focused on his own solo career. Unhappy due to poor reviews of the album and Stewart's lack of commitment, Lane quit in 1973, making his last appearance at the Sundown Theatre in Edmonton, London, on 4 June. He was replaced by Tetsu Yamauchi but the group split in 1975.

Move to Wales

In 1973 Ronnie Lane moved to Fishpool Farm in the village of Hyssington, Wales, just over the border from England, just off the Shrewsbury to Bishop's Castle road. Lane and his wife thoroughly immersed themselves in country life.

Slim Chance and later career

After leaving Faces Lane formed his own band Slim Chance, who recorded the singles "How Come" (UK No. 11) and "The Poacher" (UK No. 36) and the album Anymore for Anymore, showcasing a blend of British rock, folk and country music. The original line-up of this band included Scottish singer-songwriters Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle, who provided harmony vocals and played a variety of instruments including keyboards, accordion, acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo and harmonica. They left in May 1974 to continue their career as a duo, though they would appear on 1977's Rough Mix as guests.

After initial success he commenced a tour called "The Passing Show", touring the UK as a carnival complete with tents and barkers. Viv Stanshall, from the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, was a short-lived ringmaster (of sorts). Lane moved to Island Records and issued Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance and One for the Road. In late 1976 he joined a short-lived reformation of Small Faces but quit after two rehearsals, to be replaced by Rick Wills (who later played alongside former Small Faces drummer Kenney Jones in The Jones Gang). However, Lane had signed a contract with Atlantic Records as part of the Small Faces, and was informed that he owed the company an album. His ensuing album with Pete Townshend, Rough Mix, produced by Glyn Johns, which was released in 1977, was lauded as contender for best album of the year by many critics, but the label did not promote it and sales were lacklustre.

During the recording of Rough Mix, Lane's multiple sclerosis was diagnosed. Nonetheless he toured, wrote and recorded (with Eric Clapton among others) and in 1979 released another album, See Me, which features several songs written by Lane and Clapton. Around this time Lane travelled the highways and byways of England and lived a 'passing show' modern nomadic life in full Gypsy traveller costume and accommodation.

In 1983 his girlfriend Boo Oldfield contacted Glyn Johns with a view to organising a concert to help fund Action for Research into Multiple Sclerosis. Johns was already arranging Clapton's Command Performance for Prince Charles so they decided to book the Royal Albert Hall for a further two nights and host a benefit concert. The resulting ARMS Charity Concerts. featured Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood, Kenney Jones, Andy Fairweather-Low and others. With the addition of Joe Cocker and Paul Rodgers they toured the US

Move to Texas and death

Lane moved to Texas, USA in 1984, where he continued playing, writing, and recording. He formed an American version of Slim Chance, which was, as always, a loose-knit conglomeration of available musicians. For much of the time, membership included Alejandro Escovedo. For close to a decade Lane enjoyed "rock royalty" status in the Austin area. He toured Japan but his health continued to decline. His last performance was in 1992 at a Ronnie Wood gig alongside Ian McLagan. In 1994 Ronnie and his wife Susan moved to the small town of Trinidad, Colorado. Jimmy Page, Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood continued to fund his medical care because no royalties from the Small Faces' work was forthcoming until Kenney Jones and Ian McLagan were eventually able to secure payments, by which time Steve Marriott had died in a house fire and Lane had also died. Lane succumbed to pneumonia, in the final stages of his progressive multiple sclerosis, on 4 June 1997. An album of live BBC recordings was about to be released to raise money for his care when Lane died.

Tributes

"Ronnie Lane", the street in Manor Park, Newham named after him

Ride recorded 'A Trip Down Ronnie Lane' as a b-side to their final single 'Black Nite Crash' in 1996. The Ocean Colour Scene song "Travellers Tune" on their 1997 studio album Marchin' Already was inspired by and written in the memory of Ronnie Lane, a strong influence on the group, which appeared at the tribute concert for Ronnie Lane. Likewise Lane had been such a source of inspiration to the members of Poi Dog Pondering that they created a tribute page for him and in 1995 band member Susan Voelz covered Lane's song, "Glad and Sorry" on her 1995 album, Summer Crashing, "out of her respect and affection for Ronnie Lane". In 2000, Paul Weller recorded "He's the Keeper", a song dedicated to Lane's memory. An album of live and in-studio recordings from Lane's Austin days was later culled, and released as Live in Austin. Plaistow (his birthplace in East London) named a street "Ronnie Lane" after him in 2001. In January 2006 BBC Four broadcast an extensive documentary about Lane, The Passing Show that had been in preparation since 2000 and included footage of vintage concerts by the Faces and Slim Chance. In October 2006 the documentary was also shown on BBC Two.

Discography

Small Faces

Main article: Small Faces discography

Studio albums

• Small Faces (1966)
• Small Faces (1967)
• Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake (1968)

Faces

Main article: Faces discography

Studio albums

• First Step (1970)
• Long Player (1971)
• A Nod Is as Good as a Wink... to a Blind Horse (1971)
• Ooh La La (1973)

Solo discography

Studio albums

• Anymore for Anymore (1974) UK No. 48
• Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance (1974)
• One for the Road (1976)
• See Me (1979)

Live albums

• You Never Can Tell (The BBC Sessions) (1997)
• Live in Austin (2000)
• Rocket 69 (Live on German TV) (2001)

Compilations

• Kuschty Rye (The Singles 1973–1980) (1997)
• Tin and Tambourine (compilation) (1999)
• April Fool (album) (1999)
• How Come (2001)
• Ain't No One Like (2003)
• Just For a Moment (2006)

Collaborative albums

• Happy Birthday (with Pete Townshend) (1970)
• I Am (with Pete Townshend) (1972)
• Mahoney's Last Stand (with Ronnie Wood) (September 1976) Atlantic
• With Love (with Pete Townshend) (1976)
• Rough Mix (with Pete Townshend) (1977) US No. 45 UK#44
• The Legendary Majik Mijits (with Steve Marriott) (1980)
• Victory Gardens (1991) (with folk duo John & Mary)

External links

• Slim-chance.co.uk The band have reformed
• The Forgotten Music of Ronnie Lane, a tribute from The Awl
• Video tribute to Ronnie Lane
• Small Faces on Room for Ravers
• http://www.furious.com/perfect/ronnielane2.html "How a Face Became a Gypsy," by Ray Robertson