Ronnie Lane – Roll On Babe

Whenever I’m in a reflective mood, I immediately put on Ronnie Lane’s solo albums. As I do with most of the Lane posts…I put a little of his history for people who don’t know him. He went from a historical mod band to a rock band to a solo career. His solo career was so different than other artists. He did what he wanted to do and not the standard artist path. He did a tour under a big top with circus performers and kept his music down to earth.

Ronnie Lane was a British songwriter and bass player. He started with the Small Faces as the bass player and he and Steve Marriott wrote most of the band’s songs. The Small Faces never toured America so they never really broke out big. They did have 11 top twenty hits in the UK but only one in America with Itchycoo Park charting at #16. Steve Mariott left the Small Faces in 1968 and Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood joined Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones, and Ian McLagan to start The Faces. The Faces released four albums between 1970-1973… First Step, Long Player, A Nod is as Good as a Wink…to a Blind Horse and Ooh La La. They were one of the top-grossing touring bands.

After Rod Stewart’s solo career took off his interest in the band began to wane and in 1973 Ronnie Lane quit. After Ronnie left the Faces, they made no more studio albums.

Ronnie started his own folk-country band named “Slim Chance” and released a surprise hit single “How Come?” in 1973 it went to #11 in the UK. Ronnie had a unique idea of touring. His tour was called “The Passing Show” which toured the countryside with a circus tent and included a ringmaster and clowns.

This song was on Lane’s first solo album after leaving the Faces called  Anymore for Anymore released in 1974. Look for a biography on youtube called Ronnie Lane: The Passing Show… I watched it around 5-6 years ago and discovered more about him.

The song was written by a folk player who played with Ramblin’ Jack Elliott named Derroll Adams. He released it in 1967.

Ronnie Lane was heavily into Mehar Baba and his philosophy. Pete Townshend was also a big follower.

Roll On Babe

Roll on, babe
Don’t you roll so slow
When the wheel don’t turn
You don’t roll no more

I dreamt last night
Ole Lola was dead
I saw the apron string
All around her head

Roll on, babe
Don’t you roll so slow
When the wheel don’t turn
You don’t roll no more

Well, I jumped a train
When I wanna go
And for where she’s bound
Well, I don’ t wanna know

Roll on, babe
Don’t you roll so slow
When the wheel don’t turn
Well, you won’t roll no more

Well, I’ve been drinking gin
I drank some whisky too
Yeah, I got hooked
Oh, whatcha gonna do
Roll on, babe
Don’t you roll so slow
When the wheel don’t turn
You don’ roll no more
mmm, mmm…

…

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

21 thoughts on “Ronnie Lane – Roll On Babe”

  3. Other than “Rough Mix”, Ronnie Lane’s 1977 collaboration album with Pete Townsend, I haven’t explored his catalog post Small Faces/Faces. I love the latter band(s).

    I like what Ronnie did with “Roll On Babe”. His rendition has a beautiful warm sound to it and the vocals sounds great as well. I also like the original by Derroll Adams who is entirely new to me.

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  6. I never have heard any of the Ronnie LAne songs you post, but they usually are pretty good and this one is no exception. Seems like even if he didn’t achieve major stardom, he should’ve perhaps done a bit better on the charts and in sales.

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    1. Yes…he had that one big hit…”How Come” which I didn’t understand why he didn’t have more…this one is not commercial but plenty are.

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  7. I loved the Small Faces, sort of lost track after them, but this is real nice- it could be on a film sound track, at the end, someone broken-heartedly slouched back on the Union Pacific or somesuch, off into the sunset…

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