Steve Marriott may have been small in size, but he truly was a giant figure as a performer. He strutted and sweated through every song, making an all-out attempt to push the audience, the other musicians, and himself to the farthest end of joyful endurance.
It was a full-scale production of boisterous rocknroll, with Clem Clempson, Greg Ridley, and Jerry Shirley playing as ardently as they could, and The Blackberries singing in tones that were both spicy and sweet.Ībove all, Steve Marriott proved himself to be a master showman. The band now included a threesome of female singers (Vanetta Fields, Clydie King, Billie Barnum) known as The Blackberries, who added a distinctly soulful flavor to the music. In the Bay Area, Humble Pie appeared at both the Berkeley Community Theatre and Winterland during 1972. The band toured relentlessly in those years, particularly in the USA, and their lusty performances were among the best that any band of the period had to offer. The next album by Humble Pie, Smokin, was released in 1972 and included Hot n Nasty and 30 Days in the Hole, two of the strongest tracks that they had ever recorded. On their second album, Town and Country, released in November of 1969, they mainly used acoustic guitars, creating tracks with a softer sound that was rustic and folksy.īy that time, Humble Pie had settled into a bluesy style of hard rock, with the powerful voice and spirited personality of Steve Marriott firmly at the forefront, and the band had gained a deserved reputation for their exciting shows. In addition to Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton, the new band had Greg Ridley (formerly of Spooky Tooth) on bass and Jerry Shirley on drums. As guitarists, singers, and songwriters, they both were seeking to play music that better expressed their talents.