Small Faces / “Here Comes The Nice: Immediate Years box set 1967-69”

In January 2014 Charly Records will release Here Come The Nice: The Immediate Years Box Set 1967-1969, a lavish Small Faces package that celebrates the band’s 1960s career on Andrew Loog Oldham’s Immediate Records label.

This set features every worldwide hit single, A & B side plus EPs and rare and previously unreleased material, unheard recording sessions from Olympic, IBC & Trident Studios, outtakes, early mixes, alternate versions and live material.

In total, 75-songs remastered from original analogue master tapes and studio multi-tracks, presented across the four CDs. In addition three replica seven-inch vinyl records are included, pressed on red, white and blue vinyl. A fourth seven-inch replicates an original Olympic Sound Studios acetate that features an embryonic Something I Want To Tell You called “Mystery…”

This box comes with a 72-page hardback coffee-table style book complete with a forward by Pete Townshend and an introduction by surviving band members Kenney Jones & Ian Mac McLagan (who have also curated and supervised this set). The book contains rare and unpublished photos, sleeve notes by Mark Paytress as well as newly written contributions from the likes of Robert Plant, Paul Weller, David Bowie, Nick Mason and many more.

Additionally, fans will find in the book a track-by-track illustrated guide to every song on the box set and an interview with Gered Mankowitz on photographing Ogdens Nut Gone Flake.

A separate lyric book features the complete lyrics transcribed and endorsed by band members for the first time.

On top of all this is a host of replica memorabilia including two large posters (Tin Soldiers single and Newcastle City Hall live concert), the press kit for Ogdens Nut Gone Flake, five double-sided postcards, two art prints featuring shots from Gered Mankowitz’s 1967 Itchycoo Park photo sessions.

There will only be 3000 of these sets and they all come with a certificate signed by Kenney and Mac.

Here comes the frustrating part for British residents: this set is not being released in the UK. Charly Records do not own UK rights for this set. BMG-Chrysalis do have the rights in the UK and the word is they are working on something, but not this.

Here Comes The Nice: The Immediate Years Box Set 1967-69 is released on 28 January 2014

• • USA Pre-order: Here Come the Nice

Track listing

Disc 1: Small Faces Singles Worldwide As Bs & EPs:  

• 1. Here Come the Nice
• 2. Talk To You
• 3. (Tell Me) Have Youe Ever Seen Me
• 4. Something I Want To Tell You
• 5. Get Yourself Together
• 6. Become Like You
• 7. Green Circles
• 8. Eddie’s Dreaming (b-side edit)
• 9. Itchycoo Park
• 10. I’m Only Dreaming
• 11. Tin Soldier
• 12. I Feel Much Better
• 13. Lazy Sunday
• 14. Rollin’ Over (Part II of Happiness Stan)
• 15. Mad John (single version)
• 16. The Journey (single version)
• 17. The Universal
• 18. Donkey Rides, A Penny A Glass (single version)
• 19. Afterglow of Your Love (single version)
• 20. Wham Bam Thank You Mam

Original Immediate single versions. Taken from original mono master tapes.

Disc 2: Small Faces In The Studio – Olympic, IBC & Trident Sessions – Part 1: 

• 1. Shades of Green (take 4 instrumental)
• 2. Green Circles (take 1)
• 3. Green Circles (take 1 alt – mix 1)
• 4. Anything (tracking session)
• 5. Anything (backing track)
• 6. Show Me The Way (stripped down mix)
• 7. Wit Art Yer (tracking session)
• 8. Wit Art Yer (backing track)
• 9. I Can’t Make It (alt mix)
• 10. Doolally (tracking session)
• 11. What’s It Called? (overdub session)
• 12. Call It Something Nice (take 9)
• 13. Wide Eyed Girl (take 2)
• 14. Wide Eyed Girl on the Wall (alt mix)
• 15. Donkey Rides, A Penny A Glass (stripped down mix)
• 16. Red Balloon With a Blue Surprise (take 5)
• 17. Red Balloon (alt mix)
• 18. Saieide Mamoon (tracking session)

All tracks previously unreleased versions. Taken from original studio multitrack and session master tapes.

Disc 3: Small Faces In The Studio – Olympic, IBC & Trident Sessions – Part 2:

• 1. Wham Bam Thank You Mam (alt mix)
• 2. I Can’t Make It (stripped down mix)
• 3. This Feeling of Spring (take 1)
• 4. All Our Yesterdays (backing track)
• 5. Talk To You (alt mix)
• 6. Mind the Doors Please (instrumental)
• 7. Things Are Going To Get Better (stripped down mix)
• 8. Mad John (tracking session)
• 9. A Collibosher (take 4)
• 10. Lazy Sunday Afternoon (early mix)
• 11. Jack (backing track)
• 12. Fred (backing track)
• 13. Red Balloon (stripped down mix)
• 14. Kolomodelomo (take 1)
• 15. Donkey Rides, A Penny A Glass (alt mix)
• 16. Jenny’s Song (take 2)

All tracks previously unreleased versions. Taken from original studio multitrack and session master tapes.

Disc  4: Alternate Small Faces Outtakes & In Concert: 

• 1. Itchycoo Park (take 1, stereo mix)
• 2. Here Come The Nice (take 1, stereo mix)
• 3. I’m Only Dreaming (take 1, stereo mix)
• 4. Don’t Burst My Bubble
• 5. I Feel Much Better
• 6. Green Circles (take 1 – Italian version)*
• 7. Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow (alt mix)*
• 8. Piccanniny (alt mix)
• 9. Get Yourself Together (alt mix)*
• 10. Eddie’s Dreaming (take 2 – alt mix)*
• 11. (Tell Me) Have You Ever Seen Me (take 2 – alt mix)*
• 12. Up the Wooden Hills To Bedfordshire (US alt mix)*
• 13. Afterglow of Your Love (alt single version)*
• 14. (If You Think You’re) Groovy (The Lot version – PP Arnold & Small Faces)
• 15. Me You & Us Too
• 16. The Universal (take 1, stereo mix)
• 17. Rollin’ Over (live)
• 18. If I Were A Carpenter (live)
• 19. Every Little Bit Hurts (live)
• 20. All Or Nothing (live)
• 21. Tin Soldier (live)

All tracks rare or * previously unreleased versions. Taken from original studio and session master tapes. Live tracks recorded at Newcastle City Hall 18 November 1968. Taken from Pye Studios master tape, pitch and speed corrected.

Vinyl seven-inch #1: Small Faces Album Sampler – One-sided promo single – Excerpts From The Small Faces L.P. (mono)

• The original 7″ vinyl was issued as a promotional single for the debut Immediate album. Featuring excepts from Get Yourself Together, Green Circles, Talk To You, All Our Yesterdays, Up The Wooden Hills To Bedfordshire with DJ Tommy Vance announcements, the original vinyl has gone on to become the rarest Small Faces single amongst collectors.

Vinyl seven-inch #2: Here Come The Nice – French E.P.

• • Here Come The Nice (mono) – This is the same performance as the regular ‘Here Come The Nice’ mixed to mono but similar to other releases at the time, was subjected to varispeed so plays slightly faster.
• • Talk To You (mono)
• • Become Like You (mono)
• • Get Yourself Together (mono)

Vinyl seven-inch #3: Itchycoo Park – French E.P.

• • Itchycoo Park (mono)
• • I’m Onky Dreaming (mono)
• • Green Circles (mono)
• • Eddie’s Dreaming (mono)

Vinyl seven-inch #4: Replica acetate: “Mystery…”

• Intended to be a single, a handful of acetates of Mystery were produced for the band and Andrew Loog Oldham to check the mix. For unknown reasons, the single wasn’t released, and Ronnie went back into Olympic to record a new vocal during April 1967 for the newly entitled Something I Want To Tell You. This is a replica of the acetate delivered to Andrew Loog Oldham back in 1967.

• • USA Pre-order: Here Come the Nice