Humble Pie biography
Humble Pie was a rock band from England, finding success both in the UK and the US. They are remembered for songs such as "Black Coffee" "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
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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. 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. 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.
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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 double 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 Ikettes and with Ray Charles as The Raelettes. 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 conducted their 'Goodbye Pie Tour' before disbanding.
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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' with Ted Nugent and Aerosmith and also recorded the album Go for the Throat (1981). due to contractual differences.
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