In May 1966, the Small Faces released their fourth single for Decca, the catchy powerhouse pop of Hey Girl. Like Sha La La La Lee, it was a song in the mainstream pop mould, far removed from their rhythm & blues beginnings. Nevertheless, it gave the Marriott/Lane songwriting team, a chance to prove that could could write their own hit singles. Released simultaneously with Hey Girl on 10 May 1966 was the band's eagerly awaited debut album called, simply enough, Small Faces. The album was hailed as one of the most exciting releases of the year and contained some great tracks, as well as showcasing Steve Marriott's gruff and soulful yearning tones to great effect. Numbers like One Night Stand and Don't Stop What You're Doing stood up well against the out and out rave-ups of Come on Children and You Need Loving. The latter song has Steve belting out "Woman...you need love" at the close and was significant in the fact that it pre-empted Robert Plant and Led Zeppelin by a good four years on Zep's Whole Lotta Love although no-one knew that at the time!

The whole sound and feel of the album was a mutant hybrid of Booker T & the MGs meets the Who, via dashes of Motown thrown in for good measure. The great British public certainly went for it and the album hoisted itself to the number three spot where it stayed for a good few weeks. On top of this, Kenney bought himself a black & white checked Mini Cooper S, which must have turned a few heads in downtown Stepney! Talking of heads, Steve was by now sporting his classic onion-shaped haircut complete with centre parting and back in 1966 you could actually buy a Steve Marriott wig, which must have been a godsend if you were a bald Mod!

The summer of 1966 was a great time to be young and about town. There were some great records in the charts like Sunny Afternoon by the Kinks; the Yardbirds' Over Under Sideways Down; and classic albums by the Beach Boys (Pet Sounds), the Rolling Stones (Aftermath) and everybody was waiting the new Beatles album to be called Revolver. 

The social climate was at a peak too. There were many jobs to be found, money was easy to obtain and, above all this, England had just won the World Cup. England was top for fashion and style. Carnaby Street was the focal point of the world's media, the renowned Time magazine had just coined the term "Swinging London" and the Small Faces were so on the case it wasn't true....

• Part 10: Hitting the top spot
• Return to part 8