“Eat It” was the decisively-titled Humble Pie album that made its chart debut exactly 43 years ago and progressed into the top 15, during a five-month chart run in the US.
The album saw the British rock band growing ever more confident and autonomous. A double LP and their seventh studio release, Eat It was the first Humble Pie record to be made in Steve Marriott’s new home studio, Clear Sounds, in Essex. What resulted was a set showcasing the group’s influences in an ambitious and imaginative way.
This album showcases the dynamic diversity and talent of Steve Marriott’s gritty bluesy vocals with some funky soul mixed in throughout along with straight ahead blistering rockers. The band is right on and they deliver an extremely energetic powerhouse combination on this double album that overall ranks with their best along with Smokin’ and Performance Rockin’ The Fillmore.
Each of the four vinyl sides was themed, showing both the current direction of Humble Pie, and where they’d come from. Side one had them rocking their way through four new Marriott compositions; side two featured R&B covers such as Ike & Tina Turner’s ‘Black Coffee,’ Ray Charles’ ‘I Believe To My Soul’ and the much-covered soul number probably best known by Otis Redding, ‘That’s How Strong My Love Is.’
Side three of “Eat It” was comprised of four more Marriott songs, but this time performed in acoustic style; side four was recorded live, with the band’s own ‘Up Our Sleeve’ alongside the Rolling Stones cover ‘Honky Tonk Women’ and Holland-Dozier-Holland’s Motown gem ‘(I’m A) Road Runner.’
“Hard rock and blues accompaniment blend perfectly on this double LP,” Assisting the British quartet are Clydie King, Venetta Fields and Billie Barnum, whose unison singing acts like horns to the band’s guitar lines.”
The band led into the album’s release with some shows in Britain, including one at the London Palladium. But in the week it hit the US chart, they were on the road there for extensive touring, augmented by Japanese dates in the spring. The album was on the UK chart for two weeks in April 1973,
- Steve Marriott – Guitars, Harmonica, Keyboards, Remixing, Vocals
- Dave “Clem” Clempson – Guitars, vocals
- Greg Ridley – Bass, vocals
- Jerry Shirley – Drums
The Blackberries:
- Billie Barnum – Vocals
- Clydie King – Vocals
- Venetta Fields – Vocals
The Fat Angel Sings 