Tag Archives: Small Faces

Song of the Week – Wham Bam Thank You Ma’am

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Ignored             Obscured              Restored

The expression “wham, bam, thank you ma’am” has come to signify a sexual quickie — abrupt, transactional, over almost before it begins.  But like so many bits of pop vernacular, its journey into common usage runs straight through the jukebox.

Its first notable appearance in song form came in 1950, when Western swing bandleader Hank Penny recorded “Wham! Bam! Thank You, Ma’am” as the B-side to his “Jersey Bounce” single.  That same year, Dean Martin cut his own version for Capitol (1139), smoothing the wink-and-nudge hillbilly humor into something more cocktail-lounge urbane.

A dozen years later, the phrase resurfaced in a very different context. Jazz visionary Charles Mingus included the instrumental “Wham Bam Thank You Ma’am” on his 1962 album Oh Yeah.  The record was already unusual — Mingus played piano rather than his customary double bass — and the title suggested a kind of bawdy exuberance translated into avant-garde swing.

In 1969, British mod heroes Small Faces wrote and released their own “Wham Bam Thank You Mam” as the B-side to “Afterglow of Your Love,” giving the phrase a late-’60s rock strut.

For many listeners, though, the line achieved immortality when David Bowie deployed it in “Suffragette City” (1972), the turbo-charged glam stomper from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.  Bowie uses the phrase with theatrical precision, building tension toward a false ending before snapping the song back to life with that perfectly timed exclamation — “wham, bam, thank you ma’am” — both punchline and propulsion.

The glam connection didn’t end there.  In 1975, Slade released “Thanks for the Memory (Wham Bam Thank You Mam)” as a non-album single.  It climbed to No. 7 in the UK, though it failed to chart in the U.S., proof that the phrase’s cheeky bravado traveled better at home than abroad.

What began as a sly bit of postwar country humor became a durable pop-cultural refrain — migrating from Western swing to jazz experimentation to mod and glam rock — each time retaining its wink while dressing up in new stylistic clothes.  A throwaway line, perhaps, but one that has echoed across decades with a grin.

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – Itchycoo Park, The Small Faces

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Ignored             Obscured              Restored

Few songs scream “summer” as loudly as “Itchycoo Park” by the Small Faces.

The track was released in August 1967 – the Summer of Love!  It has a joyous pop melody with carefree lyrics about frolicking in the park, in the sun, getting high.  That sounds like a great summer day to me!

“Itchycoo Park,” written by the talented duo of Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane, peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968.  It famously employed an effect called flanging, which produced that “swooshing” sound heard in the drum breaks and choruses.

Both songwriters went on to further their careers in rock and roll.  Marriott left the Small Faces to form Humble Pie alongside Peter Frampton.  When Marriott split, Lane hired Ronnie Wood to replace him, then snatched Rod Stewart from the Jeff Beck Group.  The band dropped the word “small” from their name and became known simply as The Faces.

Tragically, both died in the ‘90s at young ages. Yet, their contributions to the realm of music endure. So, crank up the volume, let the music take you back to the trippy ‘60s, and groove to the eternal magic of “Itchycoo Park.”

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – Whole Lotta Love, Led Zeppelin; You Need Love, Muddy Waters; You Need Loving, Small Faces

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Ignored           Obscured            Restored

Today’s post is yet another in the ongoing Evolution Series.

Led Zeppelin left a huge influence on the development of Rock and Roll.  It seems ironic, then, that they’ve been accused so often of plagiarism.

I first wrote about this in February 2009 when the subject was “Dazed and Confused,” an obvious and undisputed rip off of Jake Holmes “I’m Confused.”  In June 2016 I posted about the lawsuit by the estate of Randy California that claimed the intro to “Stairway to Heaven” was lifted from Spirit’s “Taurus.”  I defended Zep on that one because, although there are similarities, there just wasn’t enough to justify calling it plagiarism (at least IMHO).

But let’s move on to “Whole Lotta Love.”

Most people attribute Robert Plant and Jimmy Page’s song to an original by Muddy Waters.  His 1962 release, “You Need Love,” was written by Willie Dixon and has lyrical similarities to “Whole Lotta Love.”

You’ve got yearnin’ and I got burnin’
Baby you look so ooh sweet and cunnin’
Baby way down inside, woman you need love
Woman you need love, you’ve got to have some love
I’m gon’ give you some love, I know you need love

Although Page and Plant were steeped in the traditional American blues masters, I don’t think the Muddy Waters track was their inspiration.  Instead, it may have been the Small Faces “You Need Loving,” released in 1966.

The Small Faces recording clearly copped the same lyrical phrases from Waters/Dixon, but they modernized it into a blues-rock version.  Ronnie Lane and Steve Marriott took writing credits for their song.  But aside from the lyrics, it is undeniable that Marriott’s vocal approach was an influence on Plant.  If you’re not convinced, check out the breakdown near the end of the Small Faces cut at about 3:35 in.  If that doesn’t seal the deal, I don’t know what will!

Enjoy… until next week.