"Ooh La La" | ||||
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Single by Faces | ||||
from the album Ooh La La | ||||
B-side | "Borstal Boys" | |||
Released | March 1973 | |||
Recorded | January 1973 | |||
Genre | Folk rock [1] | |||
Length | 3:35 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Glyn Johns | |||
Faces singles chronology | ||||
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Official audio | ||||
"Ooh La La" (2004 Remaster) on YouTube |
"Ooh La La" is a 1973 song by the band Faces, written by Ronnie Lane and Ronnie Wood. It is the title song of the band's last studio album, Ooh La La .
The lead vocals were provided by Wood, a rarity in the band's catalogue; lead vocals were usually performed by Rod Stewart and less often by Ronnie Lane. Stewart and Lane each recorded lead vocals for the song, but reportedly neither was satisfied by their attempt. Their producer Glyn Johns then suggested that Wood give it a try, and this version was used for the track on the album.
In 2021, it was listed at No. 246 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Best Songs of All Time". [2]
The lyrics describe a dialogue between a grandfather and grandson, with the elder man warning the younger about the perils of relationships with women: "Poor old granddad, I laughed at all his words / I thought he was a bitter man; he spoke of women's ways." The chorus laments, "I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger."
In addition to being the closing title track of the Faces' final studio album, the Faces version of the song appeared as a US single in May 1973. The first compilation on which the Faces version appeared was the album Snakes and Ladders / The Best of Faces . It appeared again on the 1999 Faces retrospective Good Boys... When They're Asleep and then also on the 2004 four-disc box set Five Guys Walk into a Bar... . It appeared on the Ronnie Wood greatest hits compilation Ronnie Wood Anthology: The Essential Crossexion , where Wood stated in the liner notes that he always thinks of Lane when he plays it.
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [3] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Lane recorded his own version with his new group Slim Chance soon after leaving Faces in 1973; it featured lyrics slightly altered from those he wrote for the Faces version. Although his studio version was never released during his lifetime, it appeared as the title track of the 2014 Slim Chance compilation Ooh La La: An Island Harvest. Lane regularly performed the song at concerts and on radio shows throughout his solo career until he retired from the music business in 1993, due to bad health.
"Ooh La La" | ||||
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Single by Rod Stewart | ||||
from the album When We Were the New Boys | ||||
Released | 18 May 1998 | |||
Length | 4:15 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Rod Stewart | |||
Rod Stewart singles chronology | ||||
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Rod Stewart covered the song on his 1998 solo album When We Were the New Boys in tribute to the recently deceased Lane. It was released in May 1998 as the lead single from the album and became a top-20 hit in the UK as well as a top-40 hit in the US.
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
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Europe | 11 May 1998 | Radio | Warner Bros. | [16] |
United Kingdom | 18 May 1998 |
| [17] | |
United States | 19 May 1998 | Contemporary hit radio | [18] | |
Japan | 25 May 1998 | CD | [19] |
Indie rock band Silkworm covered the song for their 2000 LP Lifestyle . [20] Banjo player Danny Barnes covered the song on his 2003 release Dirt on the Angel. [21] The song was covered by Counting Crows as a B-side for their 2003 single "If I Could Give All My Love (Richard Manuel Is Dead)" and re-released on their 2012 studio album Underwater Sunshine . In late 2012, punk rocker Tim Armstrong, best known as front man of Rancid, recorded a ska-flavored cover of the song under the moniker Tim Timebomb and Friends. Included in the recording, and featured in the video, were drummer Travis Barker of Blink-182, bassist J Bonner, and keyboardist Kevin Bivona of The Transplants. [22] American indie rock band Manchester Orchestra performed a version of the song in July 2013 for The A.V. Club 's Undercover series. [23] Canadian band Hey Rosetta! recorded a version in 2014.[ citation needed ] Folk act Redbird included a version on their album Live at the Cafe Carpe . [24]
"Ooh La La" was featured in the 1998 film Rushmore , played over the film's final shot and closing credits, and was included on the film's 1999 soundtrack album. It was also used in the 36th episode of the TV series "Californication" TV series (2007–2014) (Season 3 episode 12) "Mia Culpa"
Faces are an English rock band formed in 1969 by members of Small Faces after lead singer and guitarist Steve Marriott left to form Humble Pie. The remaining Small Faces—Ian McLagan (keyboards), Ronnie Lane, and Kenney Jones —were joined by guitarist Ronnie Wood and singer Rod Stewart, both from the Jeff Beck Group, and the new line-up was renamed Faces.
Ronald Frederick Lane was an English musician and songwriter who was the bassist and co-founder of the rock bands Small Faces (1965–69) and Faces (1969–73).
Ooh La La is the fourth and final studio album by the English rock band Faces, released in March 1973. It reached number one in the UK Albums Chart in the week of 28 April 1973. The album was most recently reissued on CD in a remastered and expanded form on 28 August 2015, including early rehearsal takes of three of its tracks, as part of the 1970–1975: You Can Make Me Dance, Sing Or Anything... box set. The box set's vinyl counterpart did not contain any bonus tracks, but it did replicate the original LP artwork and 'animated' cover.
Every Picture Tells a Story is the third studio album by Rod Stewart. It was released on 28 May 1971. It incorporates hard rock, folk, and blues styles. It went to number one on both the UK and US charts and finished third in the Jazz & Pop critics' poll for best album of 1971. It has been an enduring critical success, including a number 172 ranking on Rolling Stone's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
"Maggie May" is a song co-written by singer Rod Stewart and Martin Quittenton, and performed by Rod Stewart on his album Every Picture Tells a Story, released in 1971.
Snakes and Ladders / The Best of Faces was an October 1976 best-of album by British rock group Faces. While the first released Faces compilation was a repackaging of the group's first two LPs as a double album, this US-only release presented the first attempt to compile the popular songs from the group after they had disbanded in 1975. Featuring photography by Tom Wright and unique cover art by guitarist Ronnie Wood, it was only eventually superseded in the US market by the CD compilation Good Boys... When They're Asleep in 1999.
Never a Dull Moment is the fourth solo album by rock musician Rod Stewart. It was released on 21 July 1972; that year it became a UK number-one album and reached number two on the US Album chart. The track "You Wear It Well", co-written by Stewart and classical guitarist Martin Quittenton, was a smash hit, as well as "Twisting the Night Away", a song originally recorded by Sam Cooke.
"Ooo Baby Baby" is a song written by Smokey Robinson and Pete Moore. It was a 1965 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla (Motown) label.
"Hard Luck Woman" is a song by American hard rock band Kiss and the lead single from their 1976 album, Rock and Roll Over. It was originally written by Paul Stanley as a possible track for Rod Stewart, but after the success of the soft rock ballad "Beth", Kiss decided to keep it for themselves as a follow-up. Stanley has stated his admiration and love of Stewart's music numerous times, and that "Hard Luck Woman" was inspired by Rod Stewart, in particular the songs "Maggie May" and "You Wear It Well". While Stewart's music served as a partial inspiration for the song, the nautical themed song "Brandy" by American pop-rock band Looking Glass served as Stanley's main inspiration.
"Oh No Not My Baby" is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. The song's lyrics describe how friends and family repeatedly warn the singer about a partner's infidelities. The song is regarded as an American standard due to its long-time popularity with both music listeners and recording artists.
"I Don't Want to Talk About It" is a song written by American guitarist Danny Whitten. It was first recorded by American rock band Crazy Horse and issued as the final track on side one of their 1971 eponymous album. It was Whitten's signature tune, but gained more fame via its numerous cover versions, especially that by Rod Stewart. Cash Box magazine has described it as "a magnificent ballad outing."
"Downtown Train" is a song by Tom Waits released on his album Rain Dogs in 1985. The promo video for the song was directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino and features boxer Jake LaMotta.
"Reason to Believe" is a song written, composed, and first recorded by American folk singer Tim Hardin in 1965. It has since been recorded by many artists, most notably by the Carpenters in 1970, and Rod Stewart in 1971 and 1993.
"Have I Told You Lately" is a song written and recorded by Northern Irish singer and songwriter Van Morrison for his nineteenth studio album, Avalon Sunset (1989). It is a romantic ballad that is often played at weddings, although it was originally written as a prayer.
Lead Vocalist is a compilation album released by Rod Stewart on 22 February 1993. It was released by Warner Bros. Records in the UK and Germany, but was never released in the US. Three songs from this album either had previously or would be released as singles: "Tom Traubert's Blues", "Shotgun Wedding", and "Ruby Tuesday".
When We Were the New Boys is the eighteenth studio album by Rod Stewart released on 29 May 1998. It was Stewart's last studio album to be released by Warner Bros. Records. It produced the singles "Ooh La La", "Rocks", and "When We Were the New Boys".
"Stay with Me" is a song by English rock band Faces, written jointly by lead singer Rod Stewart and guitarist Ronnie Wood. Released from the band's third studio album A Nod Is As Good As a Wink... to a Blind Horse (1971), it became their only major hit in the United States, although they had a further three Top 20 singles in the UK chart. The song has also appeared on various Faces compilations and on albums by both songwriters. The lyrics describe a woman named Rita, who has a face that she has "nothing to laugh about", and with whom the singer proposes a one-night stand, on the condition that she be gone when he wakes up.
"Rhythm of My Heart" is a song written by Marc Jordan and John Capek that was first recorded by Dutch rock and roll artist René Shuman, included on his 1986 self-titled debut album. In 1991, British singer Rod Stewart recorded the song for his album Vagabond Heart with production by Trevor Horn. It is the album's opening track and was released as its second single on 4 March 1991 by Warner.
"Cindy Incidentally" is a song by the British group Faces, written by group members Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood and Ian McLagan. It was produced by Glyn Johns. It was included on the band's 1973 album Ooh La La, and in the same year was released by Warner Bros. Records as the first single from that album.
The Definitive Rock Collection is a two-disc retrospective of the British rock group Faces released in 2007, collecting thirty tracks from among the group's four studio albums, various single A and B-sides, and an outtake from the sessions for a proposed but ultimately abandoned 1975 album.
Radio promotion for 'Ooh La La' in the U.K. and throughout much of Europe begins on Monday (11).