Following last year’s Humble Pie’s “Official Bootleg CollectionVolume 1” double LP comes the “Official Bootleg Collection Volume 2”, collating rare and previously (officially) unreleased live shows that were illicitly recorded between 1971 and 1981.
Originally emerging from the remnants The Small Faces, Humble Pie formed in 1969 when guitarist and vocalist Steve Marriott joined forces with Peter Frampton, drummer Jerry Shirley and bassist Greg Ridley, and began their assent to conquering the theatres and then arenas of North America, culminating in 1972’s double live “Performance: Rockin’ The Filmore”. Frampton left in 1971 for a highly successful solo career, replaced by Colosseum’s Clem Clempson, and it was this line-up that was captured in New York in 1971 at one of Clem’s first shows with the Pie.
The extemporisations of “Performance: Rockin’ The Filmore” became the basis for much of Humble Pie’s live repertoire for the remainder of the 1970s, but this 1971 New York show does include their unique take of Eddie Cochran’s ‘C’mon Everybody’ and ‘I Wonder’ from the soon to be released “Smokin’” LP. Side Two find The Pie backed up by the soulful backing vocals of The Blackberries; Venetta Fields, Clydie King & Billie Barnum, who appear on ‘Oh La-De-Da’, ‘I Don’t Need No Doctor’ and ‘30 Days In The Hole’ Humble Pie split in 1975 following their Street Rats LP, but not before Side Three’s Philadelphia show on March 15, 1975, featuring ‘Four Day Creep’ and ‘I Don’t Need No Doctor’.
The Pie would eventually reform for 1980’s “On To Victory” comeback record, this time with a line-up featuring Bobby Tench from the Jeff Beck Group on guitar and vocals and bassist Anthony “Sooty” Jones. Side Four from Privates Club, N.Y.C. on March 25, 1981 features the epic 23 minute take of ‘30 Days in the Hole’ / ‘I Walk on Gilded Splinters’.
Housed in a gatefold sleeve, as well as plenty of rare memorabilia, the booklet features an essay from based on new interviews with Pie drummer, Jerry Shirley.
Whilst every effort has been made to produce the best possible audio, limitations in the material drawn from various, non-standard, and un-official sources means that the quality may not be up to the standard usually expected. All tracks have been included for their historical importance, and to present an anthology of Humble Pie live on stage from 1971- 1981.
The Official Bootleg Collection Volume 2 is a raw testament to what this band did best; playing bluesy, gutsy, soulful hard rock, live on stage.
Drawn from a variety of mainly audience recordings that have previously only been available as “under the counter” pirate releases, this is an honest, often unforgiving, tribute to a classic and much missed ’70s supergroup. Housed in a gatefold sleeve, the artwork features two essays, one of which is based on new interviews with Humble Pie drummer, Jerry Shirley.
Humble Pie’s “Up Our Sleeve: Official Bootleg Box Set Vol 3” is latest recorded testament to what this band did best; playing bluesy, gutsy, soulful hard rock, live on stage. Drawn from a variety of audience recordings that have previously only been available as “under the counter” pirate releases, this is an honest and raw tribute to a classic and much missed super-group on the 1970s, released in conjunction with Pie founder member and drummer, Jerry Shirley.
Originally emerging from the remnants of 1960s beat heroes The Small Faces, Humble Pie formed in 1969 when mercurial guitarist and vocalist Steve Marriott joined forces with The Herd’s Peter Frampton, joined by drummer Jerry Shirley and bassist Greg Ridley. After two albums for Andrew Loog Oldham’s Immediate label, Humble Pie switched to A&M records, and began their ascent to conquering the theatres and then arenas of North America, culminating in 1972’s double live “Performance: Rockin’ The Filmore”.
Peter Frampton left shortly after to pursue a successful solo career, replaced by Clem Clempson. It was this line-up that is captured across these 5 discs. .Spread across CDs 1 & 2, The Pie were promoting their latest studio record “Smokin'” when they hit Gaelic Park, in Riverdale, NY on 22nd August 1972, from which ‘Hot ‘N’ Nasty’, ‘I Wonder’ and their cover of Eddie Cochran’s ‘C’mon Everybody’ were taken.
Also featured are ‘Hallelujah (I Love Her So)’, ‘I Don’t Need No Doctor’, ‘Four Day Creep’ and ‘Rollin’ Stone’ from the previous year’s “Performance: Rockin’ The Filmore”. .Recorded three days later, CD 3 features a similar set, as well as their take on the Stones ‘Honky Tonk Women’ plus ‘Up Our Sleeve’, both of which would feature on 1973’s “Eat It”. .By the time they hit Boston’s Music Hall on 10th April 1973 featured on CD 4, Humble Pie had been joined by the Blackberries, Venetta Fields, Clydie King & Billie Barnum. Promoting the new double LP “Eat It”, the set includes band original ‘Up Our Sleeve’.
Formed by Steve Marriott in 1969 Humble Pie were one of the first super group rock bands to form, the original band line-up featured lead vocalist and guitarist Steve Marriott from the Small Faces, vocalist and guitarist Peter Frampton from The Herd, former Spooky Tooth bassist Greg Ridley and a seventeen-year-old drummer, Jerry Shirley. Signed to Andrew Loog Oldhams Immediate label. After two albums for Immediate, Humble Pie switched to A&M Records, and began their ascent to conquering the theatres, then arenas of North America, culminating in 1972s double live Performance: Rockin The Filmore. Frampton would leave to pursue a highly successful solo career, to be replaced by Clem Clempson, and it was this line-up that was captured at the Arie Crown Theatre, Chicago on 22nd September 1972, whilst touring to promote that years Smokin opus, from which Hot ‘n’ Nasty and C’mon Everybody were taken.
This selection of never legally released bootleg live versions of the 1970′ s supergroup concerts in Chicago 1972, Tokyo 1973 and Charlton Athletic Football Ground in 1974, housed in a gatefold sleeve. This is the first time that they even been officially and legitimately released with much improved audio, and with the input and consent from Humble Pie’ s Jerry Shirley.
Some of the tracks taken from one of these gigs, the Charlton FC one from May 1974 when the Humble Pie, who were third on the bill that day,stole the honours from headliners The Who,and now 44 years later all who attended can relive that day again.
Humble Pies Official Bootleg Box Set Volume 1 is a raw testament to what this band did best; playing bluesy, gutsy, soulful and often hard rock, live on stage to an adoring audience. Drawn from a variety of mainly audience recordings that have previously only been available as under the counter pirate releases, this is an honest, and often unforgiving, tribute to a classic and much missed 70s supergroup.
First and foremost, to have this album on vinyl – is incredible! because as you’ll clearly hear – this baby rocks! HumblePie had to rock because they followed a blazing performance by Slade. From a concert on May 6th, 1973 at San Francisco’s Winterland Theatre. Opening this show was a little known band then named Steely Dan. Marriott is on fire from the fist note to the last.
there is more material from this show, maybe so. Most gigs from this time period, however, did not run too much over an hour’s worth of material, especially, when three or more bands shared the bill. My only gripe with this package is the packaging, itself! Open the gate fold & do we get a concert photo of the band at Winterland? No! A generic photo, instead. Winterland has some historic significance that should have been highlighted with some photos of that gig or at least the marquee.
And, why is the included poster that of a gig in Europe? Why not a replica of the hand bill that Bill Graham had reproduced of the gig at Winterland? Cleopatra Records gets an A+ for releasing this on vinyl. The sound is fantastic! Cleopatra Records gets a D for liner notes. Do your homework, guys. This is historical stuff and deserves the full package and better information.
This live recording of Humble Pie was made at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom in May of 1973, during what many consider to be the band’s creative peak. This Winterland show being only the fifth show recorded for the then brand-newly syndicated King Biscuit Flower Hour radio concert series, features a blistering set of material. From “I Don’t Need No Doctor” to the infectious Top 10 hit “Hot ‘N Nasty” this recording features all the essential music from the Humble Pie catalogue. And since the band built their reputation on legendary live shows, is arguably better than anything the band ever did in the recording studio.
Humble Pie first came together on New Year’s Eve, 1968/69. Marriott had just played a disastrous gig with The Small Faces, whose opening act, oddly enough, was Ridley’s Spooky Tooth. Frampton had already left The Herd and was forming a new band with Shirley, a child prodigy drummer, who was only 16 at the time. Marriott called Shirley after the show and asked if he and Ridley could join the new band he and Frampton were assembling. According to Shirley, he couldn’t believe a singer as acclaimed as Steve Marriott was even interested, and was “thrilled” at the prospect of what the new band could achieve.
The band made its debut in April of 1969, but almost collapsed at the onset. Despite the media hoopla surrounding their supergroup status and a slew of critical raves, Humble Pie’s early albums (As Safe as Yesterday Is and Town and Country – both on Oldham’s Immediate label) were not commercial hits. Marriott and Frampton couldn’t decide if the band should move in an acoustic or electric direction, a dilemma that made the initial records hard to market. The band also had to hit the road before they really had time to work out their live show, and early tours were mostly lackluster as a result. Then, in 1970, the tides began to turn.
The band hired Dee Anthony as its manager, who promptly signed them to A&M Records. The band recorded Humble Pie and Rock On in 1970 and ’71, respectively. Both albums forged the band into a solid – and very electric – blues/rock machine. The critics got behind the band en masse, and records began selling in large numbers. By the time the band had recorded and released Rockin’ The Fillmore in 1971, the word had spread: Humble Pie was one of the hottest live band since the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Just then, Frampton decided he didn’t feel comfortable in the band’s hard rockin’ blues direction and left to pursue a solo career. While the most memorable material from Rockin’ The Fillmore (“I Don’t Need No Doctor,” “4 Day Creep” and the soulful remake of Ray Charles’ “Hallelujah I Love Her So”) also appear on this LP, but the versions differ dramatically, as Frampton had since been replaced by Dave “Clem” Clempson.
Though some in the rock press predicted the band’s demise upon Frampton’s departure, the opposite seemed to happen. Clempson revitalized the band, and helped take it in an even harder direction. When the band returned in 1972 with Smokin’, they had become a well-oiled rock ‘n’ roll dynamo. Five of the album’s tracks – “Hot ‘N Nasty,” “30 Days In The Hole,” “Road Runner,” “You’re So Good For Me” and Eddie Cochran’s classic “C’mon Everybody” – soon became radio staples. Smokin’ became a multi-platinum Top 10 smash, and remains the best selling album of the band’s career.
This concert was recorded while the band was promoting Eat It!, a double LP that featured three sides of studio songs and one side of live material. Though Eat It! went to the Top 15, and Humble Pie had firmly established themselves as a powerful live act, the band’s powers (and their popularity) seemed to gradually decline following this tour. The band returned in 1974 with Thunderbox, but the constant focus by the media and the fans on Steve Marriott began taking its toll within the group. In 1975, Humble Pie reunited in the studio with ex-manager Andrew Oldham, and recordedStreet Rats, a quirky collection of tracks, including three Beatles covers. The band embarked on a “Farewell” tour, and called it a day.
Though Humble Pie never quite reached the commercial status of Led Zeppelin or Eric Clapton, they did leave an indelible mark on the contemporary rock music. The passion of Marriott’s blue-eyed soul, the powerful blast of the band’s clever rhythm section, compounded by the skillful guitar work of Frampton (and later, Clem Clempson), will forever keep Humble Pie near the head of the blues/rock class of legends.
This new 4CD boxed set that lovingly documents the final musical years of a true legend, a great songwriter, musician, and formidable frontman – Steve Marriott. Steve was sadly taken from us prematurely at the age of 44 on the 30th April 1991. Vocalist and guitarist in such great bands as Small Faces and Humble Pie, Steve clearly had so much more to give, as is evidenced here, and this box set attempts to pay respect to the inspirational talent that is Steve Marriott by compiling four of his last ever live shows from his final year with us in 1991
Humble Pie: Official Bootleg Box Set Volume 1 collects four gigs from the English rockers on three CDs recorded between September 1972 and June 1974 with the line-up of Steve Marriott (guitar/vocals/harmonica/keyboard), Clem Clempson (guitar/vocals), Greg Ridley (bass/vocals) and JerryShirley (drums) supported by The Blackberries on background vocals. This collection has been curated by founding member Shirley, who drew upon the band’s numerous bootleg recordings to select ones which he felt were of a high audio and performing standard.
The first show, on Disc One, hails from Chicago’s Arie Crown Theatre on September 22nd, 1972 and features band originals alongside blues-drenched covers of “Honky Tonk Women,” “Hallelujah (I Love Her So),” “I Don’tNeed No Doctor,” and more. This disc also begins a Tokyo show from May 1973 which is continued on Disc Two. Shirley recalls in his liner notes that Jeff Beck (then playing Tokyo with Beck, Bogert and Appice) attended the concert, making Clempson (who had replaced Peter Frampton in Humble Pie in 1971) nervous as he played the guitar solo to Ray Charles’ “I Believe to My Soul.” The show also features scorching takes on Holland/Dozier/Holland’s Motown classic “(I’m A) Road Runner” and Marriott’s “Steve’s Little Jam” and”30 Days in the Hole.”
Disc Three kicks off with the band’s May 18, 1974 concert at the Charlton Athletic Football Ground in which they shared a bill with The Who, Maggie Bell, and Bad Company (in one of their first major appearances). Playing alongside fellow onetime Mods The Who, Marriott opened the show with The Small Faces’ “What’chaGonna Do About It.” This disc concludes with a short four-song performance at London’s Rainbow Theatre on June 6th, 1974, broadcast for U.S. television’s The Midnight Special. The group tackled three band originals plus Eddie Cochran’s “C’mon Everybody,” a staple performed at all of the shows preserved here.
Jerry Shirley shares his memories in the full-color 16-page booklet included within the clamshell box. Though sound is mostly listenable throughout, a disclaimer helpfully notes that these far-from-pristine recordings were originally made as audience bootlegs, and aren’t up to studio quality (or professionally-recorded live quality) standards, but are significant nonetheless for their historical importance in the band’s arc.
Humble Pie’s Official Bootleg Box Set Volume 1 are available now
Speaking of frequently covered songs, ’30 Days in the Hole’ ranks with Humble Pie’s most oft-revisited tracks since it was first unveiled as the second-side opener on 1972’s ‘Smokin’’ LP. Not only does the song absolutely cook with a funky vengeance, but its virtual catalog of chemical bad habits makes it an irresistible fix for bad boy rockers of all ages. Indeed, Humble Pie never sounded more addictive, and we therefore had no choice but to tap out ‘30 Days in the Hole’ as one of the Top Humble Pie songs.
Smokin’ comes as close to any Humble Pie LP ever did to achieving classic status. My advice to the neophyte is to check out Eat It, Smokin’,and 1971’s Rock On (the last Humble Pie LP to feature the work of Peter Frampton)
The Fat Angel Sings 