When I Was Younger by Rod Stewart (maybe with the Small Faces)

whyaduck, August 5, 2008; 6:02 AM

The song is called Ooh La La written by the Great Ronie Lane (of Small Faces & The Faces) and recorded by The Faces(minus Rod Stewart) for their final album in 1973 titled Ooh La La.

The released version was actually sung by Ronnie Wood(of Faces & Rolling Stones) if you can believe that. Undoubtedly Wood's best vocal ever(with Ronnie Lane doing a background shadow vocal to smooth it out).

Word has it that Rod Stewart didn't show up for the sessions so Lane let Wood sing it just to get under Stewart's skin. Stewart publicly denounced the song as 'rubbish' in the media, obviously jealous he had not been involved in such a great song. The Faces disbanded shortly thereafter.

Stewart later BLATANTLY ripped off Lane's Irish/Folk sound for most of his early hits(Mandolin Wind, Gasoline Alley, Maggie May, you Wear It Well, etc ,etc, etc..)

When Ronnie Lane died of MS in the mid-nineties or so, Rod Stewart recorded and sung the song for the VERY FIRST TIME as a tribute to Ronnie Lane on his release titled "When We Were the New Boys" or something to that effect. It's funny how many people still recognize the original recording as a Rod Stewart song when Rod wasn't even on the recording of the originally released 1973 version.

If you really like this song, be sure to check out Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance album titled One For The Road. Five star in any competition. Ronnie Lane belted out songs of the same quality as Ooh La La *one after another* after he left the Faces and this great songwriter has slipped under critics radar ever since.

bellfoosh, August 10, 2008; 4:57 AM

I don't doubt that's all true. The fact remains I've found in several sources as I listed it. So now
we've all learned something new :)

whyaduck, August 12, 2008; 4:32 AM