Humble Pie (band)

Humble Pie were a rock band from England and were one of the first supergroups of the 1970s, finding success in America and the UK. They are best remembered for their dynamic live concert performances and songs such as "30 Days in the Hole", "I Don't Need No Doctor", and "Natural Born Bugie". The original band lineup featured Steve Marriott from Small Faces, vocalist and guitarist Peter Frampton from The Herd, Greg Ridley former bassist from Spooky Tooth and seventeen-year-old drummer Jerry Shirley.

History

Steve Marriott in concert, Chicago, 1973

In late 1968 Steve Marriott formed Humble Pie with Greg Ridley, Peter Frampton and Jerry Shirley who had been the drummer for the mod band Apostolic Intervention. Because they had previously played in high-profile groups many viewed Humble Pie as a "supergroup" and they were signed to Andrew Loog Oldham's record label Immediate Records. Their debut single "Natural Born Bugie" was released in July 1969 becoming a #4 hit in the UK Singles Chart and was quickly followed by the album As Safe As Yesterday Is, which peaked at #16 in the UK album charts. As Safe As Yesterday Is was one of the first albums to be described by the term "heavy metal" in a 1970 review in Rolling Stone magazine.^[1] Their second album, Town and Country released in the UK during 1969 while the band was away on its first tour of the US. This album featured a more acoustic sound and songs written by all four members. Humble Pie concerts at this time featured an acoustic set, with a radical re-working of Graham Gouldman's "For Your Love" as its centerpiece followed by an electric set. Recent tape archives show that the band recorded around 30 songs in its first nine months of existence, many of which remained unreleased for decades, including a cover of Henry Glover's "Drown in My Own Tears".

During 1970 Humble Pie switched to A&M Records and Dee Anthony became their manager. Anthony was focused on the US market and discarded the acoustic set, instigating a more raucous sound with Marriott as the front man. The group's first album for A&M Humble Pie was released later that year and alternated between progressive rock and hard rock. A single "Big Black Dog" was released to coincide with the album and failed to chart, however the band was becoming known for popular live rock shows in the US. In 1971 Humble Pie released their most successful record to date Rock On as well as a live album recorded at the Fillmore East in New York entitled Performance Rockin' the Fillmore. The live album reached #21 on the US Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA. "I Don't Need No Doctor" was an FM radio hit in the US peaking at #73 on the Billboard Hot 100, propelling the album up the charts. Frampton left the band by the time the album was released and went on to enjoy success as a solo artist.

Marriott and guitar Courtesy: Dina Regine

Frampton was replaced by Clem Clempson and Humble Pie moved towards a harder sound emphasizing Marriott's blues and soul roots. Their first record with Clempson Smokin' was released in 1972, along with two singles "Hot 'n' Nasty" and "30 Days in the Hole." It was the band's most commercially successful record, and reached #6 on the US charts, helped by a busy touring schedule. After the success of Smokin' the band's record label A&M released Humble Pie's first two Immediate albums in one album, as Lost and Found. The marketing ploy was a success and the album charted at #37 on the Billboard 200. Looking for a more authentic R&B sound, Marriott hired three female backing vocalists, 'The Blackberries'. The trio consisted of Venetta Fields, Clydie King and Sherlie Matthews who was later replaced by Billie Barnum. They had performed with Tina Turner as the The Ikettes and with Ray Charles as The Raelettes.^[2] This new line-up included Sidney George on saxophone for the recording of Eat It, a double album released in 1973 made up of Marriott originals (some acoustic), R&B covers, and a Humble Pie concert recorded in Glasgow . The album peaked at #13 in the US charts. Thunderbox was released in 1974, and Street Rats a year later. In 1975, joined by keyboardist Tim Hinkley Humble Pie, and played on their 'Goodbye Pie Tour' before disbanding.

During 1979 Marriott revived Humble Pie with Jerry Shirley, adding Bobby Tench, vocalist and guitarist from The Jeff Beck Group and bassist Anthony "Sooty" Jones, from New York. They submitted "Fool for a Pretty Face", a song Marriott and Shirley had just written, to record labels. They secured a recording contract with Atlantic Records subsidiary Atco and in the UK their material was released by Jet Records, owned by former Small Faces manager Don Arden. They recorded the album On to Victory (1980) and the single "Fool for a Pretty Face" reached #52 on the US Billboard Hot 100. On to Victory reached #60 on the Billboard 200. Humble Pie toured the US as part of the 'Rock 'N' Roll Marathon Bill' and recorded the album Go for the Throat which was released in 1981. At the beginning of this tour Marriott crushed his hand, delaying earlier scheduled appearances by the band, and he later developed a duodenal ulcer forcing the cancellation of all further tour dates. Soon afterwards this line up disbanded.^[3]

Jerry Shirley obtained the rights to the name Humble Pie in 1989, and reformed the group with different musicians. This project was called 'Humble Pie featuring Jerry Shirley', where Shirley was the only original performing member. The band began performing concerts and was based in Cleveland, Ohio. The line-up included vocalist Charlie Huhn, who also played lead and rhythm guitar. Huhn had previously worked with Ted Nugent and the Victory. While Huhn and Shirley were the only permanent members of the group, several other musicians appeared, including Wally Stocker formerly of Rod Stewart's band and Cleveland guitarist Alan Greene. "Humble Pie featuring Jerry Shirley" developed a reputation as a live act but never released any official studio recordings. They were featured on several live radio broadcasts and appeared in the line-up at the Woodstock Festival's 20th Anniversary Celebration which was broadcast live on television in the United States and other countries.

Frampton and Marriott started collaborating again in 1990. Two songs from this collaboration, "The Bigger They Come" and "I Won't Let You Down", with Steve Marriott's vocals, appeared on Frampton's album Shine On: A Collection. On 20 April 1991, Marriott died in a house fire, aged 44 years old.^[4] After Marriott's death Shirley revived "Humble Pie Featuring Jerry Shirley", which dissolved in 1999 when Shirley returned home to England. Shirley re-formed Humble Pie again in 2001, with a line-up including the original bassist Greg Ridley, former Humble Pie vocalist and guitarist Bobby Tench and new rhythm guitarist Dave Colwell. They recorded Humble Pie's thirteenth studio album, Back on Track (2002), which comprised new songs and was released by Sanctuary Records.^[5] Keyboard players Zoot Money and Victor Martin are brought in for recording sessions. A brief tour of UK and Germany with Company of Snakes followed, but Ridley fell ill late in 2002 and the band split up. Shirley appeared at the Steve Marriott Tribute Concert held at the London Astoria in 2001 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Marriott's death. The concert featured an early Humble Pie line up of Frampton, Clempson, Ridley and Shirley.^[6] Former Humble Pie guitarist Bobby Tench also appeared as the frontman for the house band, which included Zak Starkey from The Who and Oasis, keyboard player Rabbit Bundrick of The Who and bassist Rick Wills from Foreigner. This concert was released as a DVD by Chrome Dreams in 2005 entitled The Steve Marriott Astoria Memorial Concert 2001,^[7] and as an album with the title One More for the Ol' Tosser (2006).^[8]

Ridley died on 19 November 2003 in Alicante, Spain of pneumonia and resulting complications. He was 56.^[9]

Discography

Studio albums

• As Safe as Yesterday Is (1969) Immediate, #32 UK
• Town and Country (1969) Immediate
• Humble Pie (1970) A&M
• Rock On (1971) A&M #118 US
• Smokin' (1972) A&M #6 US, #28 UK
• Eat It (1973) A&M #13 US, #34 UK
• Thunderbox (1974) A&M, #52 US
• Street Rats (1975) A&M, #100 US
• On to Victory (1980) ATCO #60 US
• Go for the Throat (1981) ATCO #154 US
• Back on Track (2002) Sanctuary

Live albums

• Performance Rockin' the Fillmore (1971) A&M #21 US, #32 UK
• King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents: In Concert Humble Pie Live 1973 (1995)
• Extended Versions (2000) BMG
• Natural Born Boogie: The BBC Sessions (2000) Fuel
• Live at the Whiskey A-Go-Go '69 (2002) Sanctuary

Compilations

• Lost and Found (1973) A&M #37 US
• Back Home Again (1976) Immediate UK
• Best of Humble Pie (1982) A&M
• Classics Volume 14 (1987) A&M
• Early Years (1994) Griffin
• Hot n' Nasty: The Anthology (1994) A&M
• The Scrubbers Sessions (1997) Archive/Paradigm
• The Immediate Years: Natural Born Boogie (1999) Recall (UK)
• Running with the Pack (1999) Pilot
• Twentieth Century Masters: The Millennium Collection (2000) A&M
• The Atlanta Years (2005) previously unreleased studio album (1980) and live performance (1983)
• The Definitive Collection (2006)
• One More for the Old Tosser (2006)^[10]

Singles

• "Natural Born Bugie" / "Wrist Job" #4 UK (1969)
• "The Sad Bag of Shaky Jake" / "Cold Lady"
• "Big Black Dog" / "Strange Days"
• "Big Black Dog" / "Only a Roach" U.S.
• "Shine On" / "Mister Ring"
• "I Don't Need No Doctor" / "A Song for Jenny" #73 U.S.
• "Hot 'n' Nasty" / "You're So Good For Me" #52 U.S.
• "30 Days in the Hole" / "C'mon Everybody" / "Road Runner"
• "Get Down to It" / "Honky Tonk Women"
• "Shut Up and Don't Interrupt Me" / "Black Coffee" (1973)
• "Black Coffee" / "Say No More"
• "Oh la de Da" / "The Outcrowd"
• "Ninety-Nine Pounds" / "Rally With Ali"
• "Rock and Roll Music" / "Scored Out"
• "Fool for a Pretty Face" / "You Soppy Prat" (1980) #52 US (from Onto Victoryref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/>
• "Tin Soldier (song)" (1981) #58 US (from Go For The Throat)^[10]

Video games and DVDs

• "Cocaine" - Grand Theft Auto IV (2008) Rockstar North/Rockstar Toronto
• "Get Down to It" - Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) Rockstar North/Rockstar Games
• The Steve Marriott Astoria Memorial Concert 2001 (2005) Chrome Dreams

References

Bibliography

• Hewitt, Paulo and Hellier, John. Steve Marriott - All Too Beautiful... Helter Skelter (2005). ISBN 1-900924-44-7

External links

• Official Steve Marriott website
• Greg Ridley site's band history
• Pete Frampton official website