Anymore for Anymore: The Ronnie Lane Story lands in August, which should be essential reading for any Small Faces (or Faces) fan.
It’s a long overdue telling of the story too. We have had a couple of Steve Marriott takes – Steve Marriott All Too Beautiful book by Paolo Hewitt and John Hellier and All Or Nothing: The Story of Steve Marriott by Simon Spence, along with numerous magazine articles. But Ronnie Lane, a total cog in the Small Faces wheel, seems to have been missed out.
Not so now, with Omnibus Books (which tends to produce good quality reads) taking on publisher duties of a 320-page hardback book written by Caroline and David Stafford.
What’s it about? Well, obviously, it is about the life and career of Ronnie Lane. The official write-up goes thus:
“Ronnie Lane’s story is that of a working-class kid who started his musical career busking a ukulele at the age of eight. As a young man, he signed with legendary manager Don Arden, who paid him in paisley shirts. He then enjoyed a phenomenal 17 consecutive Top 40 singles, womanising and LSD, and fell under the spell of a mystic before joining forces with Rod Stewart. Ronnie was later diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, moved to America, went broke and died far too young.
Drawing on extensive research and interviews with friends and family, Caroline and David Stafford unearth the truth and talent of the man behind the music.”
As I said, it’s obviously a story worth telling on both a personal and professional level. And if you are a fan, it’s likely a must-buy.
The release date is down for 17th August 2023, and the price of a copy is a discounted £17.60 at Amazon. Definitely one for my Christmas list.
Find out more at the Amazon website
