“You Wear It Well” is a song written by Rod Stewart and Martin Quittenton, It utilizes an arrangement markedly similar to that of “Maggie May.”
The Faces’ lineup in 1972 clip above included: Ian McLagan (keyboards), Ronnie Lane (bass guitar, vocals), and Kenney Jones (drums and percussion), Ronnie Wood (guitar), Martin Quittenton (classical guitar), and of course Rod Stewart on vocals.
Notable in the video is the exceptional fiddle playing of Dick “Tricky Dicky” Powell.
Stewart recorded “You Wear It Well” for the 1972 album Never a Dull Moment, and released it as a single on 12 August. The song became an international hit, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart. In the US, “You Wear It Well” peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
“Maggie May” has all the rock radio glory, but “Mandolin Wind” is every bit its equal, as effective a mixture of British folk and American rock (or, for that matter, American folk and British rock) as Fairport Convention’s best work from the same period. Although the song never rises beyond a midtempo stroll, even during the comparatively rocking fadeout, it’s nevertheless a masterpiece of dynamics. Almost entirely acoustic, the arrangement adds and subtracts instruments in waves, culminating in the thrilling wash of Martin Quittenton’s mandolins in the final instrumental break. Over this, Stewart sings quite possibly the most emotionally direct lyrics of his career; sung from the point of view of an aging rural husband, it’s a simple, sweet declaration of love and fidelity that’s about a hundred times more believable than later efforts like “You’re in My Heart.” – AMG
The identity of the mandolin player on “Mandolin Wind” is unclear. The liner notes state that “the mandolin was played by the mandolin player in Lindisfarne” but that Rod Stewart had forgotten his name.
In 2003, Ray Jackson claimed to be the mandolin player on the album, at least for the song “Maggie May.” Jackson is the mandolin player from English folk-rock band Lindisfarne. Other sources say the madolin is played by Martin Quittenton.