| Ronnie Lane | |
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| Birth name | Ronald Frederick Lane |
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| Born | (1946-04-01)1 April 1946 Plaistow, Essex, England |
| Died | 4 June 1997(1997-06-04) (aged 51) Trinidad, Colorado, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1964–1992 |
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Ronald Frederick “Ronnie” Lane (1 April 1946 – 4 June 1997) was a musician, songwriter, and producer who is best known as the bass guitarist and founding member of two prominent English rock and roll bands: the Small Faces where he was nicknamed “Plonk” (1965–69), and, after losing the band’s frontman, the Faces, with two new members added to the line-up (from The Jeff Beck Group), who dubbed him “Three-Piece” (1969–73).
Subsequently Lane collaborated with other musicians, leading his own bands and pursuing a solo career, while remaining close to his former bandmates. In the late 1970s he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and was supported by charity projects and financial contributions from friends, former bandmates and fans. After suffering from the disease for 21 years, he died at 51.
For his work in both Small Faces and Faces, Lane was inducted posthumously into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.
The Small Faces consisted of Lane on bass guitar, Marriott as guitarist and lead vocalist, Kenney Jones as drummer, and Winston on keyboards. (The name “Small” was chosen as they were all under 5’5″ in height.) They made their debut in 1965, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston in November 1965. Lane and Marriott began writing hit songs consistently, including “Itchycoo Park” and “All or Nothing”. At least a dozen successful songs credit Lane, and the 1968 concept album Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake features songs co-written by Lane with one exception. The album stayed at number one on the UK Albums Chart for six weeks.
Lane formed the Faces with McLagan, Jones, Ronnie Wood and Rod Stewart in 1969. He shared primary songwriting duties with Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood, composing, or co-composing, many of their best-loved pieces and taking a central role during the recording of their fourth and final album, Ooh La La, particularly, as the band’s front man Rod Stewart focused on his own solo career. Unhappy due to poor reviews of the album and Stewart’s lack of commitment, Lane quit. The group made no further studio albums following Lane’s departure and split in 1975.
After leaving the Faces, Lane formed his own band, Slim Chance, who recorded the singles “How Come” (UK No. 11) and “The Poacher” (UK No. 36) and the album Anymore for Anymore, showcasing a blend of British rock, folk and country music. The original line-up of this band included Scottish singer-songwriters Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle, who provided harmony vocals and played a variety of instruments including keyboards, accordion, acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo and harmonica. They left in May 1974 to continue their career as a duo
In 1994 Ronnie and his wife Susan moved to the small town of Trinidad, Colorado. Jimmy Page, Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood continued to fund his medical care because no royalties from the Small Faces’ work was forthcoming until Kenney Jones and Ian McLagan were eventually able to secure payments, by which time Steve Marriott had died in a house fire and Lane had also died.
Lane succumbed to pneumonia, in the final stages of his progressive multiple sclerosis, on 4 June 1997 and was buried in the Masonic Cemetery in Trinidad, Colorado An album of live BBC recordings was about to be released to raise money for his care when Lane died.
Like the majority of guitarists who switched to bass in the ’60s, Lane played with a pick. He also favoured basses made by the UK’s Zemaitis. He was a song-oriented player in much the same manner as REM‘s Mike Mills or Colin Moulding of XTC, and generally delivered neat, functional basslines with hints of blues, rock’n’roll and soul influences. While we’re not talking monster technique, you can generally find something in most of Lane’s grooves that draws you in – and his choice of notes was seldom less than perfect.
Bass Stuff 