The Small Faces: "Patterns" b/w "E too D". Decca, 1967. VGC. Scarce Freakbeat.

	£		27
	$		36

The Small Faces

Patterns b/w E Too D

Decca Records: F 12169; 1967

By 1967, when this single was released, the Small Faces had had a string of chart hits including some of the finest rock / pop singles to emerge from the British R&B / beat scene of the early 1960s. Sha-La-La-La-Lee, Here Comes The Nice, Lazy Sunday, Itchycoo Park and All Or Nothing are among the classic singles of the period. The band had also developed a huge following on the London mod scene.

The Small Faces had begun their recording career with Decca Records in 1965 but left the label in 1967 after a contractual dispute. They signed straight away for the hip, new, independent label, Immediate, where they continued hit-making career without any kind of break. The band split in 1968 but all its members went to become mainstays of the British rock scene.

Most of the Small Faces single releases were hits with around a dozen making the Top Twenty during their recording years - and several of those making the Top Ten. The major exception was the single listed here, Patterns b/w E too D. This single was released on the Decca label shortly after the band had left for Immediate. The online Small Faces discography lists it an “unauthorised release” and presumably Decca’s decision to put it out it was in some way connected to the difficulties around the band’s departure from the label.

Whatever the back story, Patterns failed to sell and made no impression on the charts. Consequently it is now by some way, the hardest to find of the Small Faces singles. Looking online, I see that many sixties music fans much prefer the B-side E too D, which is a loud, raucous track, that I guess a lot of people would class as “freakbeat”. To me, the A-side sounds like a lot like the Who’s singles of this same period.

The copy of Patterns is in very good condition and plays very well. It does have light surface marks and scuffs but this does not cause any intrusive crackling. The labels are also in excellent condition and the record is in its original sleeve.

This single came from a small collection of records from this period, including a number of demos, that I bought fairly recently. The majority of the singles in the collection seem to have been rarely only played and some have clearly never been played at all. Because of this and because there are demos among them, I think it is possible that the singles were originally owned by a radio station, DJ or music reviewer. I will be listing the others over the next few weeks. Please click on See Other Items above, if you would like to see the others that I have listed at the moment.

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I hope this description has given you enough to go on but should you require any further information, or more images, please do e-mail.  Please also look carefully at the hi-res photos – they are part of the description.  Thanks for your interest in this auction and good luck if you decide to bid.

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