We’re a little spoiled here in Austin. Just about every week, we can see one of rock ‘n’ roll’s greats. Last Friday, we were honored to host one of them here at KUTX. Keyboardist, bandleader, rock ‘n’ roll legend, longtime Central-Texan, and all-around nice fella, Ian McLagan and his Bump Band dropped by to perform a few tunes in front of a live Studio 1A audience.
He was a member, along with Ronnie Lane, Steve Marriott and Kenney Jones, of the British group The Small Faces. His keyboard work was as integral to the group’s hard, Mod-friendly sound as Marriott’s shout or Lane’s deep, pumping bass. As the middle 60s morphed into the late 60s, The Small Faces incorporated more psychedelia into the mix, culminating in the excellent 1968 record Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake. They had a slew of hits back home, but the U.K. group had only one Top 40 hit stateside, 1968’s whimsical “Itchycoo Park.” After Marriott exited The Small Faces, Ron Wood and Rod Stewart joined up, and the new five-some became just The Faces. That band too called it quits in 1975, but not after leaving us great tunes like “Ooh La La” and “Stay With Me.”
After The Faces break-up, McLagan kept right on working. He joined The Rolling Stones in the studio and on the road, and over the years, McLagan’s worked with a who’s who of rock ‘n’ roll greats like Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Frank Black, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Bragg–to name just a few.
McLagan’s released his first solo LP Troublemaker in 1979, and since the late 70s, he’s led the Bump Band. Today the Bump Band is drummer Conrad Choucroun, guitarist “Scrappy” Jud Newcomb, and bassist Jon Notarthomas. Since 2005, you can find McLagan and the Bump Band performing at the Lucky Lounge on Thursday evenings, and they’ve just released a brand-new live album recorded at their home away from home. Live at The Lucky Lounge opens with The Small Faces’ classic “Get Yourself Together.” McLagan and the Bump Band also opened up their recent Studio 1A show with tune, and that performance is today’s song of the day.
