Faces and Rod Stewart are recording their first new music since the mid-1970s

19 July 2021, 12:16 | Updated: 16 November 2023, 14:30

Ronnie Wood, Rod Stewart and Kenney Jones get together in the studio for the first time in 40 years.

Ronnie Wood has revealed that Faces have been back in the studio together for the first time since the mid-1970s.

Speaking to The Times, the guitarist said that as well as working with Mick Jagger on some new Rolling Stones music, he had hooked up with singer Rod Stewart and drummer Kenney Jones.

“I saw Mick here last week and Rod and Kenney were here yesterday,” Wood said.

Read more: Rod Stewart to play 10th anniversary Hits residency in Las Vegas

"Me and Mick have done nine new tracks for the re-release of Tattoo You. And me, Rod and Kenney have been recording some new Faces music."

Wood, who has had ongoing cancer issues in recent years, added: "I've had a front-row seat on some amazing rock 'n' roll projects these past couple of weeks.

"I'm making every day count. Not wasting a moment."

Faces formed in 1969 when Small Faces frontman quit the band to form Humble Pie.

The Faces - Maybe I'm Amazed

Bassist Ronnie Lane, keyboard player Ian McLagan and drummer Jones joined forces with Wood and Stewart, who left the Jeff Beck Group to start the new band.

They released four albums between 1970 and 1973 – First Step, Long Player, A Nod Is As Good As a Wink... to a Blind Horse and Ooh La La – before breaking up in 1975.

The band formally reformed in 2008 for rehearsals, with Stewart's touring bassist Conrad Korsch taking the place of Lane who died in 1997.

The Small Faces / Faces Explosive "Stay With Me" Induction Performance

The Faces minus Stewart, with Bill Wyman on bass, played a one-off charity show in 2009, before a lineup featuring ex-Sex Pistols star Glen Matlock on bass and Simply Red's Mick Hucknall on vocals toured in 2010-11.

The Small Faces/Faces were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 and Stewart intended on playing with the band but was replaced by Hucknall once more due to illness

McLagan died in 2014, again delaying plans for a proper comeback, but the three surviving Faces eventually got on stage together the following year.

The Faces (Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Kenney Jones) - Stay With Me - The Brits 2020

The trio also got together to play 'Stay With Me' at the 2020 Brit Awards.

A year earlier, Stewart had released You're in My Heart: Rod Stewart with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, which mixed his original vocal tracks, including Faces' 'Stay With Me' with new backing from the Royal Philharmonic.

The album became Stewart's tenth to top the UK charts.