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I've wanted to put this mix together for a while. It's a collection of some of my favorite Steve Marriott tracks from his Small Faces and Humble Pie days.

To me, he was one of the only artists to perfectly blend R&B vocals with rock and roll. He hit a lot of different genres during his time: Mod, Pop, Psychedelia, hard rock. But he was always able to keep it really soulful. That's what influenced me the most. And to say that he had a heavy influence on other rock vocalists of his era is an understatement. Just listen to "You Need Loving", then listen to Robert Plant on "Whole Lotta Love", which came out years later.

When Jimmy Page was formulating his ideas for Zeppelin, Marriott was his benchmark for a lead singer. When Brian Jones died and the Stones needed a guitarist, Keith Richards wanted Marriott as the replacement. When you get a chance, check out some other great quotes about Steve from other musicians.

I'm glad he didn't join Zeppelin or the Stones, cause those bands were great the way they were. This mix is just my way of giving him some credit that, to this day, he still doesn't get a lot of. Enjoy.

- Aren (desertfamilybusiness.com, ydmlabel.com)

Tracklist:

1. The Small Faces, Self Titled, (Decca) 1966
2. The Small Faces, From the Beginning, 1967
3. Small Faces, Self Titled, (Immediate) 1967
4. Small Faces, Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake, 1968
5. Small Faces, The Autumn Stone, 1969
6. Humble Pie, As Safe As Yesterday Is, 1969
7. Humble Pie, Town and Country, 1969
8. Humble Pie, Self Titled, 1970
9. Humble Pie, Rock On, 1971
10. Humble Pie, Smokin', 1972
11. Humble Pie. Eat It, 1973