Sad to hear that he has died, age 69, one day after suffering a stroke.
He lived in Austin, TX for many years, where he had a regular weekly gig at some bar. I had occasion to travel there in October - was looking forward to seeing him. Wouldn’t you know it, he was on the road then and actually played in my area (Boston) while I was out of town.
But it’s not about me. Let’s raise a glass to this talented geezer - it’s all too beautiful.
Apparently he hated that song ;). I believe the quote went something like “…well it’s not all beautiful, is it?” 
But I fully agree with the sentiment, I had a lot of respect for McLagan’s talent and take on life.
Also mentioned in Bobby Keys short memorial thread, but he certainly deserves his own.
Indeed. Thanks, Vashbul.
Incredibly sad, RIP Mac.
E’en so, I feel inclined to blow my mind.
But the Faces (Small and otherwise) were some scrappy little R’n’B pugilists, who got into and out of the psychedelic mode at approximately the right time. Ian played these organ washes that would knock you over.
A great shame; the Small Faces are one of my favourite 60s groups.
I saw them on a reunion tour back in 1977 with P.P.Arnold and it was great seeing them live (except for Lane, who dropped out of the reunion early on).
The audience were all there for the old songs so, sadly, any new material was met with a very muted response but they went wild at the big hits. I didn’t know their back catalogue so well back then and was a bit bemused by how fickle the audience seemed!
And I can recommend his autobiography, All the Rage, as a good read. Must dig it out again.
Well said - man, what a great keyboardist. I am pulling out my copy of Five Guys Walked into a Bar in his honor. Bless ya, Ian.
(I can’t help but recall the story he told on NPR where, when he was looking for work in the 70’s, he heard that the Grateful Dead needed a new keyboard player - I think after Brent Mydland died of an OD. Ian was excited as he told his wife how good the pay would be and he went down to get some Dead albums to check out their work - he hadn’t heard them. When his wife got back from being out for the day, she found him, upset. He told her that he realized he couldn’t join the band because they were absolutely dreadful ;))
Oh, man - this hurts!
Mac was a master of the B3. His work on “Afterglow (of Your Love)” from Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake (one of the most remarkable records you’ll ever hear!) all the way to a live version of “Maybe I’m Amazed,” found on the aforementioned “Five Guys Walk Into a Bar” gives me goose bumps no matter how many times I hear them.
Glad he got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame while he was alive (unlike Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane). With him gone, there is now but one Small Face. 
RIP Mac!
Here is Mac on “Afterglow (of Your Love)”. Just brilliant!!
I don’t know if he really hated the song, or just hated the fact that it was the ONLY Small Faces tune anyone in America knew.
The Small Faces were the most underrated band of the British Invasion. “Itchycoo Park” was the only song of theirs to become a hit in the USA but they had LOADS of great songs and one brilliant album (***Ogden’s Nutgone Flake ***is in my all time top ten).
McLagan probably thought that “Itchycoo Park” was a cute little piece of psychedelic fluff, but that he’d written or recorded MANY better songs than that one, songs he’d rather be remembered for.
Loved that one.
Everyone compares Oasis to the Beatles, but I always thought they were trying to be the Small Faces.
Better than being remembered, as he was in the AP obituary, for playing the organ solo on “Miss You.” (There’s no organ on “Miss You,” and although Mac does play piano on it, he doesn’t take a solo, at least not on the album version.)
Itchycoo Park meant the Small Faces are mostly remembered as a lightweight novelty band, but musically they were heavy hitters, sharp, funny, wicked song-craft and seriously, seriously talented: listen to them invent, mock and then discard what would go on sustain Led Zeppelin for an entire career in I Feel Much Better, and that was just as an outro on a half-joking B-Side.