On This Day 09/04/1966 Small Faces

On this day, 9 April 1966, rock and pop band The Small Faces played Sophia Gardens supported by Lou Christie, Martha & The Vandellas, Slade Brothers, The Koobas, Fran & Alan and Alan Field & The Time Box.

The band had recently released their biggest hit so far in their career with Sha-La-La-La-Lee which peaked at #3 in the UK singles chart.
Because Small Faces' previous song release, the Marriott/Lane composition "I've Got Mine," failed to chart in the UK, their manager, Don Arden, determined that the Small Faces would not be one hit wonders, decided to bring in well-known songwriters Kenny Lynch and Mort Shuman to make sure the group's next single would be a success.

"Sha-La-La-La-Lee" was recorded on 13 December 1965 at IBC Studios in London with audio engineer John Pantry.

Following the huge success of this song, the band developed a large female fan base, like many of their contemporaries. This situation would ultimately end in Marriott becoming so disenchanted that he would leave The Small Faces in 1969 in a bid to be seen as a serious musician and form his next group, the heavier rock- and blues-sounding Humble Pie.

On This Day 19/10/1966 The Hollies

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On this day, 19 October 1966, Manchester rock/pop band The Hollies played Cardiff’s Capitol Theatre. Also on their Babies tour bill were The Small Faces, Paul & Barry Ryan, Nashville Teens, Peter Jay & The New Jaywalkers, Robb Storme & The Whispers & Paul Jones.

One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Singer Allan Clarke and rhythm guitarist/singer Graham Nash founded the band as a Merseybeat-type group in Manchester, although some of the band members came from towns further north, in east Lancashire.

In October 1966, the group's fifth album, For Certain Because (UK No. 23), became their first album consisting entirely of original compositions by Clarke, Nash and Hicks.

Released in the US as Stop! Stop! Stop!, it reached No. 91 there and spawned a US release-only single, "Pay You Back with Interest", which was a modest hit, peaking at No. 28. Another track, "Tell Me to My Face", was a moderate hit by Mercury artist Keith, and was also covered a decade later by Dan Fogelberg and Tim Weisberg on their Twin Sons of Different Mothers album.

Meanwhile, the Hollies continued to release a steady stream of international hit singles: "Stop Stop Stop" (October 1966, UK No. 2, US No. 7) from For Certain Because, known for its distinctive banjo arrangement; "On a Carousel" (February 1967; UK No. 4, US No. 11, Australia No. 14[6]); "Carrie Anne" (May 1967, UK No. 3, US No. 9, Australia No. 7