Whatcha Gonna Do About It?

Album: Small Faces (1965)
Charted: 14
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was the first single for Small Faces. At the time, the Who were popular in West London, and these guys were seen as East London's answer to the Who.
  • This song was recorded 6 weeks after the group first got together, and Keyboardist Jimmy Winston left immediately after this single for a solo career. He was replaced by Ian McLagan, who stayed with the band until they disbanded in 1978.
  • When first performing, Small Faces were just as popular for their stylish Mod clothing as for their music.
  • This did not appear on an album for 10 months after its release.
  • Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane already had the melody for the song. However they had no lyrics so their manager Don Arden brought in "Move It" songwriter Ian Samwell to provide the words. Kenney Jones recalled to Uncut magazine: "We hadn't fully established our own songwriting abilities – our stage show was mainly covers of things like Otis Redding's 'Shake' – and this really suited the power of Steve's voice. The style was very indicative of the time and we loved it."
  • Arden later admitted to spending £12,000 chart fixing to ensure their debut song would be a hit. Asked by Uncut if this was true Jones replied: "That's what he told us. Everybody did that at the time, including the Beatles. Probably still do."
  • The feedback was Marriott's idea. Recalled Jones: "He was pissing about in front of his old Marshall amp and it sounded lovely, so we kept it."

Comments: 2

  • Keith from Downey, CaThat's Steve Marriott singing; who went on to form Humble Pie with Peter Frampton.
  • Joshua from Twin Cities, MnFittingly enough for a band likened to the Who, the drummer tapped by the Who to replace the late Keith Moon was Small Faces alumnus Kenny Jones.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Wedding Bell Blues

Wedding Bell BluesSong Writing

When a song describes a wedding, it's rarely something to celebrate - with one big exception.

Judas Priest

Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford, Richie Faulkner and Glenn Tipton talk twin guitar harmonies and explain how they create songs in Judas Priest.

Billy Joe Shaver

Billy Joe ShaverSongwriter Interviews

The outlaw country icon talks about the spiritual element of his songwriting and his Bob Dylan mention.

John Kay of Steppenwolf

John Kay of SteppenwolfSongwriter Interviews

Steppenwolf frontman John Kay talks about "Magic Carpet Ride," "Born To Be Wild," and what he values more than awards and accolades.

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

Glen Burtnik

Glen BurtnikSongwriter Interviews

On Glen's résumé: hit songwriter, Facebook dominator, and member of Styx.