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"...I'm Ready..."
Like so many British Rock Bands
(Zeppelin, Purple, Sabbath, Floyd etc) - Humble Pie knew they had to break
America. And after four well received but commercially underwhelming studio
albums on two different labels (Immediate and A&M) - they finally hit pay
dirt by going back to basics. I can still recall the excitement of hearing this
beast for the first time in late 1971 - like a Gladiator unleashed on a baying
crowd - the Pie 'rocked' like the proverbial sweaty sandals-and-swords
blade-swinger with "Performance..." - and how. But which version to
buy...
If I'm honest the best
version is Omnivore Recordings 4CD monster "Performance: Rockin' The
Fillmore - The Complete Recordings" issued USA and UK in October 2013. The
UK version on Omnivore Recordings 3751304 (Barcode 602537513048) captures
Remasters of all four shows from 28 and 29 May 1971 at The Fillmore East venue
in New York as they were played. Seven of these electric versions then formed
the basis for the November 1971 double-album we've all known and loved for over
four and half decades. But as many will have noticed, that 2013 multiple-disc
limited edition has become rare and very pricey in certain circles.
In the absence of anything
else (their catalogue is strangely ignored by British reissue companies) - I
would suggest this back-to-basics full double-album onto 1CD reissue from
November 2016 in Japan. It can be purchased as new for about £22 to £24 online
from several sites including Amazon (sometimes less secondhand) – has a 2007
Remaster, Mini LP Gatefold Repro Artwork and both looks and sounds amazing.
Here are the Stone Cold Fevers...
Released 23 November 2016 in
Japan - "Performance: Rockin' The Fillmore" by HUMBLE PIE on
Universal/A&M Records UICY-77979 (Barcode 4988031188125) is an SHM-CD
Reissue (Double-Album onto 1CD) in Mini LP Repro Artwork with a 2007 Remaster
that plays out as follows (72:39 minutes):
1. Four Day Creep [Side 1]
2. I'm Ready
3. Stone Cold Fever
4. I Walk On Gilded
Splinters [Side 2]
5. Rolling Stone [Side 3]
6. Hallelujah (I Love Her
So) [Side 4]
7. I Don't Need No Doctor
Tracks 1 to 7 are the live
double-album "Performance: Rockin' The Fillmore" - released November
1971 in the UK on A&M Records AMLH 63506 and November 1971 in the USA on
A&M Records SP 3506. Produced by HUMBLE PIE - it peaked at No. 32 in the UK
and No. 21 in the USA.
HUMBLE PIE was:
STEVE MARRIOTT – Lead Vocals
and Lead Guitar
PETER FRAMPTON – Lead Vocals
and Guitar
GREG RIDLEY – Bass
JERRY SHIRLEY – Drums
Fans will know that Japan
has had a 'long' history of reissuing Humble Pie – in this case a whopping four
times on the SHM-CD format alone. Number one came 14 February 2007 on
Universal/A&M Records UICY-93221 (Barcode 4988005459756) - that issue featuring
SHM-CD technology and Mini LP Repro Artwork (or Paper Sleeve) and most
importantly - a new Remaster by Audio Engineer HIDEAKI NISHIMURA (all reissues
since have been based on this variant).
Second was 22 April 2009 on
Universal/A&M UICY-94068 (Barcode 4988005555175) – again on SHM-CD and Mini
LP Artwork. Third arrived as part of the 'Back To The Rock Years...' reissue
series on 10 April 2010 – but this time the SHM-CD Universal/A&M Records
UICY-20095 (Barcode 4988005638977) came in a standard jewel case only.
Which brings us to number
four and our chosen poison today - the 23 November 2016 variant - essentially
yet another reissue of the 2007 Remaster but one that is still on catalogue
(the earlier discs are all deleted). The artwork repros the gatefold colour
artwork – but as the original tan label A&M double-albums contained no
inserts or booklet – your foldout white paper inlay is a basic job –
approximated lyrics in English and Japanese with a history of Humble Pie in
Japanese and naught else. But the Hideaki Nishimura Remaster is great...
Right from the off you
notice that out of the seven songs – six are covers arranged by the Pie with
Side 1’s "Stone Cold Fever" being the only band original. So the
double felt new at the time – moulding these fantastic R&B, Blues and Soul
songs into their own HP variant of British Blues Rock (much like Zeppelin had
done so many times). The British Four-Piece that had produced "Humble
Pie" in June 1970 and "Rock On" in March of 1971 were on top
form and had gelled as a powerhouse Rock Band – miles away from Marriott’s days
with The Small Faces and Frampton’s tint with The Herd.
And it's this hybrid of a
great band using great tunes that comes storming out at you with their Ida Cox
opener "Four Day Creep" – originally a scratchy 78” from 1939 on Okeh
05298 - the original big mama bemoaning that her man might be an opportunist
lover and a low-down thief taboot. As Marriott shouts "...aw right!"
twice – they launch into a sexy riff and you can just hear how tight Humble Pie
are – those twin guitars delivering huge power – a swagger that bands in the
early 70ts seemed to have in spades. Then you notice the other double-whammy –
the twin vocals of Marriott and Frampton. As track 2 shuffles into play first
Marriott works the crowd into a frenzy with his stop-start guitar-and-vocals
intro – are you ready – cause this one is a long one! The audience giggles and
as soon as that drum whacking beat hits them they’re clapping and in the mid of
a fantastic Humble Pie reworking of the Muddy Waters classic "I'm
Ready" – Frampton taking over the vocals half way through. At times you
think – it just doesn't get any better than this when it comes to Classic Rock.
"...This is something
off our album that we haven't played here awhile..." - Marriott shouts in
his fabulous cheeky-chappy London accent introducing their "Stone Cold
Fever". And off we go again – another killer twin-guitar riff – the two
leads working off each other like Thin Lizzy in absolute go-mode. Even now it's
a marvel to hear it and the Remaster is just huge. You might think it too much
to have one song take up a whole side - but the 23:27 minutes of Dr. John’s
voodoo anthem "I Walk On Gilded Splinters" is broken down in such a
way as to make it not just palatable but awesome. Starting out with a lone
guitar playing soulfully (check out that broken bottle that hits the floor) -
The Pie sound like Led Zeppelin in destroy-all-comers form. And cleverly
Marriott introduces the Harmonica half way through to liven up the mix -
fabulous stuff.
For Side 3 up jumps another
one-sider - the 16:10 minute Blues of Muddy Waters "Rolling Stone"
that they covered on the "Rock On" LP in March of 1971. Seriously
great Marriott guitar comes 'man' like out of his guitar - a fabulous Blues Rock
version - and then 'that voice'. As he warbles the 'say I will' lyrics like
Johnny Winter losing it - you can hear the crowd reacting - loving the heavy
guitar and soloing (even if we do get that clumsy and prudish edited out curse
- a beep). Mama takes him another room and tells our hero of her intentions -
none of which are decent (ain't had none for a long time).
They bring the gig home with
two upbeat covers - Frampton singing Ray Charles' Atlantic Records hit
"Hallelujah (I Love Her So)" - the second half taken over by
Marriott, then a rare slot by Bassist Ridley. Continuing on with the Brother
Ray connection - finally we a Nicholas Ashford and Valerie Simpson hit they
penned for him in 1966 on ABC Records -
"I Don't Need No Doctor". Telling the crowd they're going home
on Monday and they've had a gas playing in the States - Marriott leads his
rocking troupe in a Soul tune that sounds like they wrote it. The crowd baying,
clapping wildly, the twin guitars riffing and soloing - the show is brought to
a properly memorable end – prescription filled...
Frampton would soon jump
ship for what was to ultimately become a hugely successful solo career - while
Humble Pie would return with the excellent but overlooked studio album "Smokin'"
in 1972. But after the monster that was "Performance..." - I suppose
a single LP in a rather boring sleeve felt like an anti-climax (even if in
hindsight – it wasn’t).
I've always loved Humble Pie
and many rate this as one of their many highlights and easily up there as one
of the all-time great live double-albums – a British/American lightning-in-a-bottle
moment that only grows in stature as the years pass.
We would lose Marriott in
1991 aged only 44 from a horrible home-fire accident – robbing the world of one
of the great front men and characters in Rock (much like the equally beloved
Ronnie Lane). I miss him and them – and this reissue had brought that home with
a hammer blow. And isn't that the best compliment of all...
The Japan-Only 23 November
2016 Series of
HUMBLE PIE SHM-CD Reissues in Mini LP Repro Artwork are:
1. "Humble Pie"
(July 1970) – Universal/A&M UICY-77977 (Barcode 4988031188101)
2. "Rock On"
(March 1971) – Universal/A&M UICY-77978 (Barcode 4988031188118)
3. "Performance:
Rockin' The Fillmore” (November 1971, Live 2LP Set onto 1CD) –
Universal/A&M UICY-77979 (Barcode 4988031188125)
4. "Smokin'"
(March 1972) – Universal/A&M UICY-77980 (Barcode 4988031188132)
5. "Eat It" (April
1973, 2LP Set onto 1CD) – Universal/A&M UICY-77981 (Barcode 4988031188149)
6. "Thunderbox"
(February 1974) – Universal/A&M UICY-77982 (Barcode 4988031188095)
7. "Street Rats"
(February 1975) – Universal/A&M UICY-77983 (Barcode 4988031188156) – 11
Tracks
8. "Street Rats – UK
Version" (February 1975) – Universal/A&M UICY-77984 (Barcode
4988031188163) – 15 Tracks
