Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells A Story

On or around January 5th 1964, Stewart was drunk and waiting on the Twickenham railway station platform, playing "Smokestack Lightnin'" on his harmonica. Long John Baldry heard him and invited him to sit in with his group. Stewart gradually overcame his shyness and was sometimes added to the billing as "Rod the Mod" Stewart, the nickname coming from his dandyish style of grooming and dress.
He appeared on several regional television shows around the country and recorded his first single in 1964. Stewart insisted that the session musicians he was given, including John Paul Jones, learn a couple of Sonny Boy Williamson songs he had just heard. The resulting single, "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl", was recorded and released in October 1964.
Stewart played some dates on his own in late 1964 and early 1965, sometimes backed by the Southampton R & B outfit The Soul Agents.
Baldry and Stewart put together Steampacket, with Brian Auger and Julie Driscoll. Their first appearance was in support of The Rolling Stones in July 1965.
Stewart's "Rod the Mod" image gained wider visibility in 1965, when he was the subject of a 30-minute London television documentary titled "An Easter with Rod" that portrayed the Mod scene. His parallel solo career attempts continued on EMI's Columbia label with the November 1965 release of "The Day Will Come", a more heavily arranged pop attempt, and the April 1966 release of his take on Sam Cooke's "Shake", with the Brian Auger Trinity.
Stewart departed from Steampacket in March 1966, and joined a somewhat similar outfit, Shotgun Express, in May 1966 as co-lead vocalist with Beryl Marsden. Amongst the other members were Mick Fleetwood and Peter Green.
Guitarist Jeff Beck recruited Stewart for his new post-Yardbirds venture, and in February 1967 Stewart joined the Jeff Beck Group as vocalist and sometime songwriter. This would become the big break of his early career. There he first played with Ronnie Wood whom he had met in a London pub in 1964, and the two soon became friends. Sewart's sputtering solo career also continued, with the March 1968 release of non-hit "Little Miss Understood" on Immediate Records. Touring America, Stewart suffered terrible stage fright during the opening show and hid behind the amplifier banks while singing; only a quick shot of brandy brought him out front. Nevertheless, the show and the tour were a big success.
In July 1969, Stewart left, following his friend Ron Wood's departure.
In 1969, Stewart and Wood joined existing members Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan, and Kenney Jones in The Small Faces, who soon decided to call the new line-up Faces.
An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down became Stewart's first solo album in 1969 (it was known as The Rod Stewart Album in the US).
Faces released their debut album First Step in early 1970. The Faces quickly earned a strong live following. Stewart released his second album, Gasoline Alley that autumn. Rod sang guest vocals for the Australian group Python Lee Jackson on "In a Broken Dream", recorded in April 1969 but not released until 1970. His payment was a set of seat covers for his car. It was re-released in 1972 to become a worldwide hit.
Stewart's 1971 solo album Every Picture Tells a Story made him a household name when the B-side of his minor hit "Reason to Believe", "Maggie May", started receiving radio play. The album and the single hit number one in both the US and the UK simultaneously, a chart first, in September. A loss of innocence tale set off by a striking mandolin part (by Ray Jackson of Lindisfarne), "Maggie May" was also named in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll, which is one of three songs by him to appear on that list. The rest of the album was equally strong, with "Mandolin Wind" again showcasing that instrument; "(I Know) I'm Losing You" adding hard-edged soul to the mix; and "Tomorrow Is a Long Time", a cover of a Bob Dylan song. But the ultimate manifestation of the early Stewart solo style was the Stewart-Wood-penned "Every Picture Tells a Story" itself: powered by Mick Waller's drumming and a mostly acoustic arrangement, it is a fast, rocking, headlong romp relating the picaresque adventures of the singer. Maggie Bell from Stone The Crows provided the additional vocals.
The second Faces album, Long Player, was released in early 1971. The Faces also got their only US Top 40 hit with "Stay With Me" from their third album A Nod Is as Good as a Wink...To a Blind Horse released in late 1971. Throughout this period there was a marked dichotomy between Stewart's solo and group work, the former being meticulously crafted while the latter tended towards the boozy and sloppy.
This video falls under Fair Use Copyright Law as described in Title 17 USC, Chapter 107.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Rod
• Stewart
• Every
• Picture
• Tells
• Story
• (I
• Know)
• I'm
• Losing
• You
• Faces
• Maybe
• Amazed
• Stay
• With
• Me
• Maggie
• May
• Ron
• Wood
• Ronnie
• Lane
• Bell
• Stone
• The
• Crows

[theluckyfr0g]

Why not lyrics to the song instead of Stewart's entire life story? It's just that there's Wikipedia for that.

[clayopalstar]

@theluckyfr0g,

Well, since you asked...

This video/music is not allowed on youtube by Warner Brothers, and is blocked worldwide.

I file a dispute to allow it under fair use copyright law for educational and historical purposes, using pictures and text to describe/illustrate the time/person/event in a way that the corporations cannot block, and the song is then in the public domain for all to see/hear.

And the lyrics?

I post them if I can, but there are hundreds of lyric sites for that.

[clayopalstar]

@cooljunkproductions,

Yes, it's when Rod almost starts singing the verse too early...

They didn't "fix" it because it was perfect anyway!

If you don't understand that in today's "perfect" homoginized, commercial, uninspiring, computer auto-tuned music world, it's how many rock 'n roll classics were made - as they happened. Live in the studio. A take was favored for the feeling, not for it's "perfection". Like this one!

[veitchy88]

@clayopalstar That's a pretty clever way round it actually...

[mrfishbooty]

Rod's raspy voice & the soul-sister's voice hit that perfect international harmony-pitch

[arjun2191]

Oh yeah, did I forget to mention? This is one of my favourite songs of all time.

[arjun2191]

Maddie Bell adds such a magic touch to this song!

I'm surprised so many people only know this from GTA. Don't know any young folks that like this song (I'm 18) so gimme a thumbs-up if you're under 20, people!

[LifeWithLou13]

@TheOhSponge The Lost.... I know what's up. Johnny the Jew! LOL

[MarcusCMarcellus]

@01chohan Yes, there's a melancholic quality about it, about a past better than the present. It's really the only Rod Stewart I like.

[kneapoe51]

Excellent video in support of a Classic Stewart tune. Love vid & of course......the song. Killer!! Much appreciated.

[HUTINAK]

The Slit-Eyed Lady...what about her Rod? Awesome..This is why you need to come to YT to hear this song...It's not allowed on radio

[MarcusCMarcellus]

Very nice video. My favorite Rod Stewart song - and I don't even like Asian women. Good drumming on this one.

[NewYorkerForGood]

Every picture tells a story donut