With the release of his new retrospective collection Fearless: Anthology 1965–2025, Ronnie Wood is taking fans on a journey through six decades of music history. And as part of the celebration, the Rolling Stones guitarist has been sharing personal video stories online — including the surprising and heartfelt origin story of Faces, the band he co-founded with Rod Stewart after the breakup of Small Faces.

1969: When One Departure Sparked a New Beginning

In his video, Wood recalls that during his time touring America with The Jeff Beck Group, he and Stewart were obsessed with Small Faces’ psychedelic masterpiece Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake. So when word spread that Steve Marriott was leaving Small Faces in 1969 to form Humble Pie with Peter Frampton, Ronnie says he was stunned.

“I didn’t know them from Adam, but I said, ‘This is a criminal shame. We can’t have the Small Faces splitting up.’”

At the same time, The Jeff Beck Group was also falling apart. So Wood made a move.

A Phone Call That Changed British Rock

Ronnie says he tracked down Ronnie Lane’s phone number and made the call.

“I said, ‘Well, what are you guys gonna do?’ And he said, ‘I don’t know. Would you help us?’”

Wood didn’t hesitate. Lane invited him to Bermondsey, London, where the Rolling Stones — through tour manager and pianist Ian Stewart — had a rehearsal space. It was there that history began to take shape.

Backs Turned, Music First

In that first jam session, Wood, Lane, drummer Kenney Jones, and keyboardist Ian McLagan played with their backs to each other — no frontman, no plan, just music.

“We all played The Meters, Booker T. & the MG’s — and it was fantastic,” Wood recalls.

Eventually, Lane asked the obvious question:

“Who’s gonna sing?”

Ronnie laughed and told him they’d get to that later.

Enter Rod Stewart — And a Name Change

A few months on, Rod Stewart joined the sessions. With both Wood and Stewart notably taller than the original members — who had been jokingly known for their shorter stature — the name “Small Faces” no longer fit.

So, “Small” was dropped — and simply, Faces were born.

Fearless: A Career in Motion

Ronnie Wood’s new collection features music from The Creation, Faces, The Rolling Stones, his solo catalog, and ends with four brand-new tracks. The Faces story is just one of many milestones he’s been revisiting — and fans are loving every behind-the-scenes detail.

From One Phone Call to Rock History

What began as a single phone call to save a band turned into the creation of Faces, one of the most influential rock groups of the early 1970s. And according to Ronnie Wood, it all started with a simple thought:

“We couldn’t just let Small Faces disappear. So we built something new.”

And British rock was never the same again.