THE SMALL FACES - OGDENS' NUT GONE FLAKE - ORIG - UK LP
£
205
$
272
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Description
JUST LIKE IT WAS BACK IN THE '60s .
IN IMMACULATE CONDITION.
MINT.
INCLUDES ORIGINAL ROUND INNER.
NEAR PERFECT.
Album profile
The A-side is a mix of early heavy rock with "Song of a Baker"; psychedelic cockney knees-up songs "Lazy Sunday" and "Rene"; and the soul influenced ballad "Afterglow (Of Your Love)".[3]
The B-side is based on an original fairy tale about a boy called Happiness Stan, narrated in his unique ‘Unwinese’ gobbledegook by Stanley Unwin, who picked up modern slang from the band and incorporated it into the surreal narrative.[3]
Happiness Stan
Story
When Stan looks up in the sky and sees only half the moon, he sets out on a quest to search for the missing half. Along the way he saves a fly from starvation, and in gratitude the insect tells him of someone who can answer his question and also tell him the philosophy of life itself. With his magic power Stan intones, "If all the flies were one fly, what a great enormous fly-follolloper that would bold," and the fly grows to gigantic proportions. Seated on the giant fly's back Stan takes a psychedelic journey to the cave of Mad John the hermit, who explains that the moon's disappearance is only temporary, and demonstrates by pointing out that Stan has spent so long on his quest that the moon is now full again. He then sings Stan a cheerful song about the meaning of life.[3]
Due to the album's complexities, Ogdens' was never performed live, however it was performed as a whole once on the BBC's television programme Colour Me Pop[3] on Friday 21 June 1968. Songs featured were "Song of a Baker", "Happiness Stan", "Rollin' Over", "The Hungry Intruder", "The Journey", "Mad John" and "Happydaystoytown". Although the band mimed to recordings made earlier in the studio that afternoon their microphones were left on to capture little ad libs.[4]
In 2000 Q magazine placed Ogden's Nut Gone Flake at number 59 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever.[5]
Highest UK album chart position: 1968, Number One (for six weeks), and a total of 19 weeks on chart.[3]
Playbox Theatre, UK, have performed the whole album as a theatre piece in November 2008. It was directed by Stewart McGill and performed by a young cast with a Small Faces tribute band, and it was narrated by Stanley Unwin's son, John.
Packaging
The album was originally released on vinyl in a circular novelty package resembling a paper replica of a giant tobacco tin, with a gatefold cover.
The award-winning artwork for the album cover was done by Mick Swan who was a product of the sixties art school scene. Any other work by him is unknown but he is known to have worked as a fine arts tutor at Lowestoft F.E. College in 1974.[6]
Track listing
Side one # Title Music Length 1. "Ogden's Nut Gone Flake" Marriott, Lane, McLagan, Jones 2:26 2. "Afterglow (Of Your Love)" Marriott, Lane 3:31 3. "Long Agos and Worlds Apart" McLagan 2:35 4. "Rene" Marriott, Lane 4:29 5. "Song of a Baker" Marriott, Lane 3:15 6. "Lazy Sunday" Marriott, Lane 3:05 Side two # Title Music Length 1. "Happiness Stan" Marriott, Lane 2:35 2. "Rollin' Over" Marriott, Lane 2:50 3. "The Hungry Intruder" Marriott, Lane, McLagan 2:15 4. "The Journey" Marriott, Lane, McLagan, Jones 4:12 5. "Mad John" Marriott, Lane 2:48 6. "Happy Days Toy Town" Marriott, Lane, McLagan 4:17Controversy
To promote the album Immediate issued an advertisement that parodied The Lord's Prayer. It caused uproar in the British press and outraged readers wrote in and complained.
Small Faces
Which were in the studios
Hallowed by thy name
Thy music come
Thy songs be sung
On this album as they came from your heads
We give you this day our daily bread
Give us thy album in a round cover as we give thee 37/9d.,
Lead us into the record stores.
And deliver us Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake
For nice is the music
The sleeve and the story
For ever and ever, Immediate
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