All that fucking about taking nine months to do an album like 'Ooh La La' doesn't prove anything. I mean, the public ain't gonna like me saying it's a bloody mess. But I shouldn't say that, should I? Well, I should say it in a few weeks' time. He expounded further in the pages of Melody Maker, stating that the album was "A bloody mess. Shortly after Ooh La La 's March 1973 release, Stewart reported to the New Musical Express that he felt that the LP was a "stinking rotten album". Once the recording of Ooh La La was completed, the album's credits optimistically suggested an intention to work with Johns again in the future, with the comment: "Produced by Glyn Johns (see you in a year)". to a Blind Horse (the band's first two albums were, in contrast, lengthier self-produced affairs). As a result of this situation, Ooh La La was, according to Ian McLagan, " Ronnie 's album", with founder member Lane's contributions setting the tone of the LP's quieter, more reflective second side.ĭespite the difficult circumstances of the recording sessions, producer Glyn Johns held the group together, helping to placate internal tensions (as he had with the Beatles during their Get Back sessions) his efforts enabled the Faces to record a focused, concise album in the manner of its predecessor, A Nod Is As Good As a Wink. The production of the album would continue to be hampered by the singer's apparent lack of commitment to the project, with Stewart not appearing in any capacity on three of the LP's ten released tracks. Stewart himself was reportedly distracted enough by his newfound stardom that he missed the first two weeks of recording sessions for the latest Faces album entirely. "Son," he said laughingly, "I think your mom just answered that question for me." Ooh la la, indeed.By the end of 1972, following the critical and commercial successes of Rod Stewart's solo albums, the singer had become increasingly distanced from some of his Faces bandmates, who were frustrated by the fact that by this point they had come to be perceived by the public (and even by some concert promoters) as little more than Stewart's backing band for live work. My dad smiled, looked at me and winked an eye. “I'm going to run some errands now and when I get back, I want them done," she said sternly. "I've been asking for weeks, “ she continued. At that very instant my mother stormed into the room and tersely demanded to know why my dad hadn't cleaned the gutters yet. I nodded and asked him if he would still marry my mom knowing what he knows know. "So, I guess now you are old enough to understand what the song is about, aren't you?" my dad whispered and raised an eyebrow, looking over his shoulder.
After the song had ended, we looked at each other, both of us smiled. Years after listening to the Faces version with my dad, I played him this remake. It is a dialogue between a young grandson and his grandfather, who is trying to warn the youngster about the wicked ways of women but alas, to no avail.
And this is what "Ooh La La" is all about. To me there is no greater celebration of life than when an old geezer is trying to give advice to the next generation. The theme of the song is very much what the first line of the chorus manifests: "I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger." The charm of this lyrical hook, of course, is that it's one of those lines that must have been uttered about a zillion times during the history of man. The melody is infectious, vocals brilliant, acoustic guitars meticulous, bass, flute and fiddle playful and the lyrics, albeit humorous, are actually very, very clever.
One of my all time favorites, the Irish-flavored "Ooh La La" is truly one of those songs that is almost impossible not to like. This revamped version of "Ooh La La" can be found on Rod's strong "When We Were The New Boys" album from the late 1990s, an album that finds Rod in great shape and form and is consequently filled with excellent songs and vocals. This is an old Faces track, but as good as the original is with Ronnie Lane on vocals, the definitive version of "Ooh La La" is by far the one by Rod Stewart.
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