The Humble Pie Album by Album thread

Yeah, reading the book ("All Too Beautiful") was kind of sad. The guy did not care about anyone but himself. And yes, the stuff is destructive.

 

Yeah, I have found quite a few rock bios depressing. If it isn't the self destruction, it can be the endless legal fights, or that any mystique is killed revealing a bunch of dum dums who got lucky and can't even see it.

That being said at the moment I am reading James Brown: The One, which is beautifully written and well researched. Also reading George Clinton's bio which is interesting, but the timeline is a bit of a mess, and definitely has the feel of spoken anecdotes fleshed out by a writer. LOoking Forward to also reading the recent Wilson Pickett bio.

 

Sorry for quoting my own post, but it will put the following in context.
I’ve just spent a happy couple of hours analysing Gilded Splinters and I present my findings here for anyone as sad and obsessive as I am to enjoy.

The version on the original Performance: Rockin’ the Fillmore album is from the second show on 29 May 1971, apart from one sixty second segment, taken from the second show a day before. It is 4 minutes and 5 seconds shorter than the performed version.

Here are the details:

At 01:22, 32 seconds removed
At 08:47, 80 seconds replaced with 60 seconds from the previous night’s show
At 12:19, 35 seconds removed
At 14:07, 53 seconds removed
At 14:19, 18 seconds removed
At 17:00, 17 seconds removed
At 19:19, 32 seconds removed
At 22:11, 19 seconds removed
At 22:30, 19 seconds removed

I’m usually annoyed by edits in live albums, but if ever there was a case of less being more, this is it. Perhaps it’s because I’m so familiar with the original release that it just sounds ‘right’. The full performance seems to lack the tightness and impact of the edited version, which, despite its length, doesn’t waste a single moment in self-indulgence or unnecessary repetition. Whoever was responsible for the editing created a masterpiece.

My next task is to recreate the original edit using the superior sonics and mix of the new version. (I obviously have too much time on my hands!)

 

Thanks for posting this. I had no idea there were that many edits to Splinters. I will get to the Fillmore Box set for the final post in the thread.

 

This may sound like a crazy question, but I'm just now getting around to listening to more from this band other than The Definitive Collection from a few years ago.

I'm a big Small Faces fan though, especially from the Immediate era. I'm wondering if any of the Pies earlier albums sound anywhere remotely similar to what the Small Faces were doing before they broke up, or is it completely different like the direction The Faces went in?

Mark

 

Great question. I will reply when I am sober.

 

Cool info.

There was an article/interview I read somewhere (probably in Classic Rock magazine?) about the boxset release that had some comments about what shows went into the original release and why, but I can't remember the details. I don't recall anything about there being edits done to any of the songs flying in parts from different shows in different places but I could be totally wrong on that.

 

The magic you are looking for is Marriott's voice, and you will find it in moments through the first 5, strongest in the first three, and fleeting there after including the solo album , and the two Small Faces' reunion lps.

 

James Brown: The One - great read!

 

Definitely! But I think it's actually more the song oriented direction of the band I'm after. I love The Faces, but the straight up British blues style they hit on right from the first album is quite different from the intricate, well crafted songs with all sorts of neat instrumentation that the Small Faces were putting out, even with Lane in the band.

So I guess I'm wondering if Steve brought some of that song oriented approach with him to early Pie? I know Frampton can obviously be very melodic as well.

Mark

 

Suffering from a hangover!?

Mark

 

The first Humble Pie album, "As Safe As Yesterday Is," would be the closest to Small Faces-type music they did. After that, I don't see too much of a similarity.

 

This.

 

Natural Born Boogie-The BBC Sessions

Released February 29, 2000

1. Natural Born Boogie (Bugie?)
2. Sad Bag of Shakey Jake
3. Heartbeat
4. Desperation
5. The Big Black Dog
6. Rolling Stone
7. Four Day Creep
8. The Light
9. Black Coffee
10. I Don't Need No Doctor

• Steve Marriott - guitar, keyboards, vocals
• Greg Ridley - bass, vocals
• Jerry Shirley - drums, vocals
• Peter Frampton - guitar, vocals

Some comments-
Natural Born Boogie
Not a bad version of this early tune of theirs. I think that is Steve on piano and he sounds pretty good to me. Fades out kinda early.

Sad Bag of Shakey Jake
Another decent version IMO. Not too bad sound either. Frampton does a fine job on the vocals.

Heartbeat
Cool version of the Buddy Holly tune. Ridley really pops on this version.

Desperation
Decent version of the John Kay tune. Steve sounds great as usual.

The Big Black Dog
Not many versions of this song so it is a welcome addition. The riff of the song is similar to 4 Day Creep riff.

Rolling Stone
IMO a killer version of this standard of theirs. Great use of dynamics is their forte and this version is proof of that. Steve sounds a little more laid back on this version.

4 Day Creep
Comes in without the call and response intro. I am pretty sure this was intentional and not an edit. Nonetheless, a great version.

The Light
A little surprise on the intro as it changes keys three times. It was little things like this that made their music interesting. Nice version of the Frampton song.

Black Coffee
Fine version of this song from Eat It. The sound is a little wonky though.

I Don't Need No Doctor
A warning on the CD notes is appropriate. Really poor sonics. IIRC, there is a video on You tube of this performance.

Many fans trash this CD release for good reason due to the sonics and the mistakes in the credits. David Essex wrote Rolling Stone? Anyway, I enjoy the CD and a few of the performances are great. Maybe at some point we will get an upgrade of the stuff on this release.

 

Up next-

 

Love that album!

 

Terrific news! I only hope that Frampton's era will be extensively covered by live recordings. Bring'em on!

I have to say that I have totally opposite feelings, as I usually skipped the version of Gilded Splinters when playing the original Fillmore release. To me it had no flow, which was only confirmed when the Whisky recording surfaced with an earlier smoothly flowing take. The full unabridged versions from the complete Fillmore recordings box finally did the justice to that rendition to these ears.

But hey, I am never against "self-indulgence and repetition" when it comes from masterful instrumentalists on a good day, jamming and improvising in the heat of the moment! I am so so so happy that so many official live (or "live") releases from the past are being obliterated by the recent avalanche of archival recordings from all corners! Down with the scissors, long live music!

One of my favourite slices of the hot Pie! Smoking! Rock on!

 

Live at the Whisky A-Go-Go

Released March 2002

1. For Your Love
2. Shakin' All Over
3. Hallelujah I Love Her So
4. The Sad Bag of Shakey Jake
5. I Walk on Gilded Splinters

• Steve Marriott – guitar, vocals, keyboards, harmonica
• Jerry Shirley – drums, keyboards
• Greg Ridley – bass, vocals, guitar
• Peter Frampton – guitar, vocals, keyboards
• Clem Clempson – guitar, vocals, keyboards

A few comments on the songs-

For Your Love

Steve greets the crowd warmly telling them to shut up. We soon realize why when the band launces into a percussion and acoustic guitar version of the Yardbirds tune. It is a fine version but maybe just maybe, goes on for a little longer than it should.

Shakin' All Over

A radical rearrangement of this cool song. Stretched out to the max but still keeps your attention with rhythmic and harmonic twists and turns. The main riff of the original tune is played in harmony with contrasting lines. A showcase how The Pie could damn near make any cover song sound like their own.

Hallelujah I Love Her So

Pretty close to how they played the song throughout their career. Evidence they had this one in line way back to 1969.

Sad Bag of Shakey Jake

Always a fun tune with country tinges and they know just what to "not" play to pull it off. The Pie knew when not to overplay. Fine singing from PF as well as Steve.

I Walk on Gilded Splinters

This version does not have the long stretched out "exposition" intro that the live version morphed into later. PF plays some really great solos and the band once again show how they had brilliant control of dynamics. Some nice improvisation but it falls a little short of the Fillmore version IMO. The minor laden intro on later versions shows up towards the end of this version. Some references to "Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed".


This live show from early in the career was released on DVD-A and it sounds pretty good to me as far as sound quality goes. The band is a little more laid back as can be expected I guess for the venue. This release is a great snapshot in the evolution of the band and is a worthy purchase.

 

Clem Clempson was most definitely NOT on this though. He did not join until years later when he replaced Frampton, on the Smokin' album.

I actually have two versions of this album - one on CD and the other the DVD-A version. I think there may be at least one other version too, a "dual-disc" maybe?

 

Thanks for the correction. I forgot to edit out Clem in my review. You are correct, he is nowhere to be heard on this release.

 

Apparently, these truly are from bootleg audience source tapes:

Humble Pie’s “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.

IMWAN • [2017-04-28] Humble Pie "Official Bootleg Box Set Volume 1" 3CD box set (Hear No Evil UK)

 

Yes I know. Humble Pie - Official Bootleg Box Set Vol 1 (April 2017) Here is a thread about. One of the people that worked on the set said if there are enough sales, there will be a second volume. Unfortunately, there is no information about whether a second volume would contain material from the Peter Frampton line up.

 

Well I am definitely confused now. I've heard for about 2+ years now that a Humble Pie boxset was in the works, and it was not bootleg/live stuff at all. It was really cool studio outtakes/demos. I'll try to check on this....

 

Pretty sad their not in the Hall