Tin Soldier (song)


UK picture sleeve

Single by Small Faces
B-side: "I Feel Much Better"
Released: 2 December 1967
Recorded: 5–13 November 1967
Studio: Olympic, London
Songwriter(s): Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane
Producer(s): Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane

Official audio
"Tin Soldier" on YouTube {below}

"Tin Soldier" is a song released by the English rock band Small Faces on 2 December 1967, written by Steve Marriott (credited to Marriott/Lane). The song peaked at number nine in the UK singles chart and number 38 in Canada. It has since been covered by many other notable rock artists.

Song profile

Tin Soldier was originally written by Steve Marriott for singer P.P. Arnold, but Marriott liked it so much he kept it himself. It was a song that he wrote to his first wife, Jenny Rylance. P.P. Arnold can be heard singing backing vocals on the song and also performed as guest singer at television recordings of the song. The song signalled a return to the band's R&B roots whilst continuing their forays into psychedelic rock and other musical experiments. When Tin Soldier was released the BBC informed the band that the last line of the song had to be removed from all TV and radio broadcasts, mistakenly believing that Marriott sang "sleep with you", when in fact the lyric is "sit with you". Marriott explained that the song was about "getting into someone's mind—not their body". Tin Soldier reached number nine in the UK Singles Chart and remains one of Small Faces' best known songs.

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Small Faces with P.P. Arnold - Tin Soldier (1968)

Official Ronnie Lane Records
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Small Faces with P.P. Arnold - Tin Soldier
Live performance, French TV Bouton Rouge program
March 2 1968 - dubbed over version

Posted with permission of The Ronnie Lane Estate.

For more on all things Ronnie Lane visit https://www.ronnielane.com