Tin Soldier (song)

Last updated

"Tin Soldier"
Smallfacestinsoldier.jpg
UK picture sleeve
Single by Small Faces
B-side "I Feel Much Better"
Released2 December 1967 (1967-12-02)
Recorded5–13 November 1967 [1]
Studio Olympic, London
Genre Power pop [2]
Length3:06
Label Immediate
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Steve Marriott
  • Ronnie Lane
Small Faces singles chronology
"Itchycoo Park"
(1967)		"Tin Soldier"
(1967)		"Lazy Sunday"
(1968)
Music video
Small Faces with P. P. Arnold - "Tin Soldier" (1968) on YouTube

"Tin Soldier" is a song released by the English rock band Small Faces on 2 December 1967, written by Steve Marriott (credited to Marriott/Lane). The song peaked at number nine in the UK singles chart and number 38 in Canada. [3] It has since been covered by many other notable rock artists.

Contents

Song profile

Tin Soldier was originally written by Steve Marriott for singer P.P. Arnold, but Marriott liked it so much he kept it himself. [4] It was a song that he wrote to his first wife, Jenny Rylance. P.P. Arnold can be heard singing backing vocals on the song and also performed as guest singer at television recordings of the song. The song signalled a return to the band's R&B roots whilst continuing their forays into psychedelic rock and other musical experiments. When Tin Soldier was released the BBC informed the band that the last line of the song had to be removed from all TV and radio broadcasts, mistakenly believing that Marriott sang "sleep with you", when in fact the lyric is "sit with you". Marriott explained that the song was about "getting into someone's mind—not their body". [5] Tin Soldier reached number nine in the UK Singles Chart and remains one of Small Faces' best known songs.

Talking about the song, and the influence of his wife Jenny, Marriott stated:

The meaning of the song is about getting into somebody's mind—not their body. It refers to a girl I used to talk to all the time and she really gave me a buzz. The single was to give her a buzz in return and maybe other people as well. I dig it. There's no great message really and no physical scenes. [6]

The song seems to have been influenced by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Steadfast Tin Soldier , the story of an imperfect tin soldier's desire for a paper ballerina. The opening lyric is "I am a little tin soldier that wants to jump into your fire". [7]

Upon reaching No. 73 in the U.S. with this single, their label Immediate Records abandoned its attempts to penetrate the American market. "Tin Soldier" would ultimately be the last song performed live by the Small Faces during their original incarnation; It was performed on 8 March 1969 at Springfield Ballroom (now demolished and replaced by the football stand of Springfield Stadium) in Jersey. [8]

Mojo readers' poll

In 1997, some 30 years after the song's original release, Mojo voted "Tin Soldier" the tenth-best single of all time, in a readers' poll. The poll placed it ahead of anything by The Who or The Rolling Stones. [6] The song has also been much mentioned over the years by Paul Weller and featured in Noel Gallagher's personal all-time top ten song list. [9]

Personnel

Additional personnel

Charts

Covers

The song has been covered by Quiet Riot, Lou Gramm, Uriah Heep, Streetheart, Todd Rundgren, The Guess Who, Paul Weller, Transatlantic, and Humble Pie (which also featured Marriott). Scorpions made a cover of the song for their 2011 album Comeblack . Progressive rock band Transatlantic covered this song on their 2014 album Kaleidoscope , on disc 2 of the special edition. In October 2007 Tim Rogers, of You Am I, and Talei Wolfgramm performed the track on Australian music quiz show RocKwiz . [23] In 1998 the Argentine musician Charly Garcia recorded a version, in Spanish, on his album El aguante, titled "Soldado de lata". P.P. Arnold has performed the song live.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small Faces</span> English rock band

Small Faces were an English rock band from London, founded in 1965. The group originally consisted of Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston as the band's keyboardist in 1966. The band was one of the most acclaimed and influential mod groups of the 1960s, recording hit songs such as "Itchycoo Park", "Lazy Sunday", "All or Nothing" and "Tin Soldier", as well as their concept album Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake. They evolved into one of the UK's most successful psychedelic bands until 1969.

<i>Small Faces</i> (1967 album) 1967 studio album by Small Faces

Small Faces is the second studio album by Small Faces, released through Immediate Records on 23 June 1967. Although this was their first album for new manager Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate label, recording actually commenced during their tenure with Decca Records, whom they left in January 1967 after severing professional ties with original manager Don Arden. As a result of the switch of label and management, Decca and Arden released an outtakes compilation album, From the Beginning in early June 1967 in order to sabotage the chart success of the Immediate Small Faces release - something that it managed to do to some extent when From the Beginning reached number 17 in the UK charts. The Immediate album shares its name with their 1966 Decca debut album, which has led to some confusion regarding the titles. As a result of this, it has been unofficially dubbed The First Immediate Album by several fans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">P. P. Arnold</span> American singer (born 1946)

Patricia Ann Cole, known professionally as P. P. Arnold, is an American soul singer. Arnold began her career as an Ikette with the Ike & Tina Turner Revue in 1965. The following year she relocated to London to pursue a solo career. Arnold enjoyed considerable success in the United Kingdom with her singles "The First Cut Is the Deepest" (1967) and "Angel of the Morning" (1968).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackberry Way</span> 1968 single by The Move

"Blackberry Way" is a 1968 single by British band The Move. Written by the band's guitarist/vocalist Roy Wood and produced by Jimmy Miller, "Blackberry Way" was a bleak counterpoint to the sunny psychedelia of earlier recordings. It nevertheless became the band's most successful single, reaching number 1 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Go Now</span> 1964 single by Bessie Banks

"Go Now" is a song composed by Larry Banks and Milton Bennett and first recorded by Bessie Banks, released as a single in January 1964. The best-known version was recorded by the Moody Blues and released the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All or Nothing (Small Faces song)</span>

"All or Nothing" is a song written by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane of the British rock band Small Faces and released as a single in 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sha-La-La-La-Lee</span> 1966 single by Small Faces

"Sha-La-La-La-Lee" was the third single by English R&B-influenced group Small Faces, recorded in December 1965 and released on 28 January 1966, reaching number three in the UK Singles Chart. It was also the first single by the group to feature Ian McLagan on keyboards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Mind's Eye (Small Faces song)</span> 1966 single by Small Faces

"My Mind's Eye" was the sixth song released on 11 November 1966 by the successful English rock group Small Faces. It reached number four on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Here Come the Nice</span> 1967 single by Small Faces

"Here Come the Nice" is a song by English rock band Small Faces. Written by guitarist Steve Marriott and bass guitarist Ronnie Lane, it was released as a single on 2 June 1967, through Immediate Records. The song, which was the band's debut on Immediate, was their first promoted release of 1967, following feuds with Decca Records. It marked a distinct turning point for Small Faces' career, being their first single to deliberately venture into psychedelia, though they had previously done that on a few album tracks for Decca. The song's subject regarding a drug dealer somehow bypassed the BBC censors, who did not ban it, which resulted in the song managing to chart at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart during the summer of 1967. The song received mostly good reviews from music critics, with many positively noting the change of genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I've Got Mine</span> 1965 single by Small Faces

"I've Got Mine" was the second official song released by the English rock band Small Faces in 1965. The song failed to chart despite receiving favourable reviews in the British music press.

<i>From the Beginning</i> (Small Faces album) 1967 compilation album by Small Faces

From the Beginning is the first compilation album by the English rock band Small Faces. It was released by Decca Records of group material after the band had left the record label; it consisted of the band's Decca hit singles combined with various unreleased recordings. The album rose to Number 17 in the UK Album Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Set Me Free (The Kinks song)</span> 1965 single by the Kinks

"Set Me Free" is a song by Ray Davies, released first by the Kinks in 1965. Along with "Tired of Waiting for You", it is one of band's first attempts at a softer, more introspective sound. The song's B-side, "I Need You", makes prominent use of powerchords in the style of the Kinks' early, "raunchy" sound. "Set Me Free" was heard in the Ken Loach-directed Up the Junction, a BBC Wednesday Play which aired in November 1965; this marked the first appearance of a Kinks song on a film or TV soundtrack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(You're the) Devil in Disguise</span> 1963 song by Elvis Presley

"(You're the) Devil in Disguise" is a 1963 single by Elvis Presley. It was written by Bill Giant, Bernie Baum and Florence Kaye and was published by Elvis Presley Music in June 1963. The song peaked at No. 3 in the US on the Billboard singles chart on August 10, 1963, and No. 9 on the Billboard Rhythm and Blues singles chart, becoming his last top ten single on those charts. The single was certified "Gold" by the RIAA for sales in excess of 500,000 units in the US. The song also topped Japan's Utamatic record chart in the fall of 1963. In June 1963, when the song was debuted to a British audience on the BBC television show Juke Box Jury, celebrity guest John Lennon, leader of The Beatles, voted the song "a miss" stating on the new song that Elvis Presley was "like Bing Crosby now". The song went on to reach No. 1 in the UK for a single week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Get Yourself Together</span> 1967 song by psychedelic rock group Small Faces

"Get Yourself Together" is a song by British rock band Small Faces, first released in 1967. It was cut during their tenure on both Decca and Immediate Records in 1966 and 1967 and was written by the Marriott/Lane partnership, who wrote a majority of the Small Faces material. It is regarded as one of their best compositions. It remains one of their most popular efforts despite it not being released as single in the United Kingdom nor the United States and has since been covered by other influential artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Talk to You</span> 1967 song by Small Faces

"Talk to You" is a song by English rock band Small Faces. It was recorded in 1967 and issued as the B-side of "Here Come the Nice" that peaked at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart.

"(Tell Me) Have You Ever Seen Me?" is a song by English rock band Small Faces. It has a complicated release history and was issued by both Decca and Immediate Records in 1967. The track apparently had a working title of "Mystery" in 1966. Initially planned as the Small Faces debut single on Immediate in mid-1967, it was shelved due to threats from Decca.

"Green Circles" is a song by English rock band Small Faces first recorded in 1966. While not issued as a single in the United Kingdom, it was originally intended as the B-Side of "Here Come the Nice", their first single release on Immediate Records, this release was cancelled and the B-Side was replaced with "Talk to You." It remains one of the group's most well known and influential songs, and showcases the group's venture into psychedelic music, which would be prevalent in their later work, such as on "Itchycoo Park", "Lazy Sunday" and Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patterns (Small Faces song)</span> Single by English rock band Small Faces

"Patterns" is the eighth single by British rock band, Small Faces, first released on Decca Records in 1967. It was the first of two unauthorised singles released in the United Kingdom. It was written by the Small Faces primary songwriters Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane. It became one of few singles by the group that features Lane on primary vocals, in contrast to Marriott's standard role as the group's lead vocalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Need Love (Muddy Waters song)</span>

"You Need Love" is a song with lyrics written by American blues musician Willie Dixon. The instrumentation was recorded first by slide guitarist Earl Hooker and backing musicians, then Chicago blues artist Muddy Waters overdubbed vocals, and Chess Records released it as a single in 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Way of Giving</span> Song written by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane

"My Way of Giving" is a song written by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane. Initially demoed by their band Small Faces in 1966, it was given to British singer Chris Farlowe, who released his version as a single in early 1967. It was Farlowe's first single not written by Jagger–Richards since 1965's "The Fool". The Small Faces themselves decided to go on and record a version which was released on two different albums on two different record labels.

References

  1. ↑ Caiger, Rob; Flood, Tosh (2014). Greatest Hits: The Immediate Years 1967–1969 (Liner notes). Small Faces. Immediate, Charly. F 847.
  2. ↑ Borack, John M., ed. (2007). Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Guide To Power Pop. Fort Collins, Colorado: Not Lame Recording Company. p. 59. ISBN   978-0-9797714-0-8.
  3. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Singles - 27 April 1968" (PDF). Library and Archives Canada. 27 April 1968. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  4. ↑ Hewitt, Paolo; Hellier, John (2004). Steve Marriott: All Too Beautiful... London, England: Helter Skelter Publishing. p. 159. ISBN   1-900924-44-7.
  5. ↑ Hewitt & Hellier, pp. 160-1
  6. 1 2 "Small Faces Tin Soldier- Room for Ravers". Makingtime.co.uk. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  7. ↑ Hewitt & Hellier, p. 56
  8. ↑ Hewitt & Hellier, p. 197
  9. ↑ "Small Faces Tin Soldier- Room for Ravers". Makingtime.co.uk. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  10. ↑ Kent, David. (2005). Australian chart book (1940-1969). Turramurra, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-44439-5. OCLC   62561852.
  11. ↑ "Small Faces – Tin Soldier" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  12. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Singles - 27 April 1968" (PDF). Library and Archives Canada. 27 April 1968. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  13. ↑ Hung, Steffen. "Small Faces - Tin Soldier". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  14. ↑ "flavour of new zealand - search listener". www.flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  15. ↑ Hallberg, Eric (193). Eric Hallberg presenterar Kvällstoppen i P 3: Sveriges radios topplista över veckans 20 mest sålda skivor 10. 7. 1962 – 19. 8. 1975. Drift Musik. ISBN   9163021404.
  16. ↑ Hallberg, Eric; Henningsson, Ulf (1998). Eric Hallberg, Ulf Henningsson presenterar Tio i topp med de utslagna på försök: 1961 - 74. Premium Publishing. ISBN   919727125X.
  17. ↑ "Small Faces – Tin Soldier". Swiss Singles Chart.
  18. ↑ "tin soldier | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  19. ↑ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (6 April 1968). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.{{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  20. ↑ "Cash Box Top 100 4/13/68". cashboxmagazine.com. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  21. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". www.offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  22. ↑ Hung, Steffen. "Small Faces - Tin Soldier". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  23. ↑ "Tim Rogers & Talei Wolfgramm duet on RocKwiz". YouTube . RobWellington. 29 October 2007. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.