Humble Pie — Smokin'

      ^{Humble Pie — Smokin' (1972) [Japan mini LP, 2007]}
Γ   British hard rock supergroup with a turbocharged version of the blues that proved influential to many rock and metal bands.                      © Humble Pie’s 1971 Fillmore Shows Are Rockin’
Formed: 1968 in Essex, England
Location: Essex, England, UK
Album release: March 1972
Recorded date: February, 1972 at Olympic Studios
Record Label: Universal Music Japan
Duration:     43:52
Tracks:
01. Hot 'n' Nasty      3:22
02. The Fixer      5:02
03. You're So Good For Me      3:51
04. C'mon Everybody      5:13
05. Old Time Feelin'      4:01
06. 30 Days In The Hole      3:57
07. a) Road Runner b) Road Runner's 'G' Jam      3:44
08. I Wonder      8:53
09. Sweet Peace And Time      5:49
Written by:
Γ   Steve Marriott / Humble Pie     1, 2
Γ   Steve Marriott / Greg Ridley     3
Γ   Jerry Capehart / Eddie Cochran     4
Γ   Steve Marriott / Traditional     5
Γ   Steve Marriott     6
Γ   Lamont Dozier / Brian Holland / Eddie Holland / Humble Pie     7
Γ   Cecil Gant / Raymond Leveen     8
Γ   Steve Marriott / Humble Pie / Greg Ridley / Jerry Shirley     9
AWARDS:
Γ   Billboard Albums
Γ   1972 Smokin' The Billboard 200      #6
Γ   Billboard Singles
Γ   1972 Hot 'N' Nasty The Billboard Hot 100      #52                © HUMBLE PIE.....Jerry Shirley.....Peter Frampton.....Steve Marriot
CREDITS:
Γ   Clive Arrowsmith Photography
Γ   Madeline Bell Vocals
Γ   Jerry Capehart Composer
Γ   Clem Clempson Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Γ   Dave "Clem" Clempson Guitar
Γ   Eddie Cochran Composer
Γ   Mike Doud Art Direction
Γ   Lamont Dozier Composer
Γ   Richard Eckford Illustrations
Γ   Cecil Gant Composer
Γ   Minoru Harada Product Manager
Γ   Keith Harwood Engineer
Γ   Brian Holland Composer
Γ   Eddie Holland Composer
Γ   Humble Pie Composer, Producer
Γ   Alexis Korner Vocals
Γ   John Kosh Design
Γ   Raymond Leveen Composer
Γ   Steve Marriott Composer, Guitar, Harmonica, Harp, Keyboards, Lyricist, Vocals
Γ   Hideaki Nishimura Reissue Mastering
Γ   Chihiro Nozaki Art Coordinator
Γ   Alan O'Duffy Engineer
Γ   Pie Performer
Γ   Greg Ridley Bass, Composer, Vocals
Γ   Jerry Shirley Composer, Drums, Keyboards
Γ   Stephen Stills Unknown Contributor Role
Γ   Traditional Composer
Γ   Doris Troy Vocals
Γ   Masato Wakatsuki Art Research
Γ   Rick Wills Unknown Contributor Role
Γ   Tetsunari Yoshimura Art Coordinator
Γ   Produced by The Pie
Personnel
• Steve Marriott — vocals, guitar, harp, keyboards
• Clem Clempson — guitar, keyboards, vocals
• Greg Ridley — bass, vocals
• Jerry Shirley — drums, keyboards
Guests:
• Alexis Korner — vocals, mandolin–type Martin Tipple, guitar on "Old Time Feeling"
• Stephen Stills — organ, backing vocals on "Hot 'n' Nasty"
• Doris Troy — backing vocals on "You're So Good for Me"
• Madeline Bell — backing vocals on "You're So Good for Me"                             © Steve Marriott. Photo credit Chuck Pulin
Γ  Things finally clicked with the band's fifth studio album, Smokin'. It became the band's best–selling album, with chart peaks of #6 in the US and #28 in the UK. The album contained "30 Days in the Hole" which became one the band's best known songs. The album marked Marriot's emergence as the band's primary creative force, including being the album's producer. 24bit Remaster 2007.
Γ  The album was Humble Pie's first following the departure of guitarist Peter Frampton, which placed singer and co–founder Steve Marriott as the band's de facto leader. Smokin' is the band's best–selling album, due in large part to the success of the single "30 Days in the Hole".
Γ  Smokin' includes dramatically slowed down versions of Eddie Cochran's "C'mon Everybody", Junior Walker's "Road Runner", and the wah–wah laden slow blues "I Wonder". "You're So Good for Me", which begins as a delicate acoustic number, ultimately mutates into a full–bore gospel music rave–up, an element that would later influence bands like The Black Crowes.
Γ  Stephen Stills guests on "Road Runner 'G' Jam" (the title is a nod to the band's habit of developing songs out of jam sessions), playing Hammond organ, and his backing vocals were over–dubbed on "Hot 'n' Nasty" a slow–burning and then dynamic R&B song, after he strolled in after recording his own sessions next door.
Γ  Marriott insisted on producing the album himself for the challenge of creating a compact R&B sound with a high–tech 24–track mixing board. Marriott collapsed with exhaustion in February. New Musical Express (NME) reported at the time: "Following intense recording sessions with Humble Pie, Steve Marriott collapsed with nervous exhaustion and doctors told him to rest".
Γ  With this album the group were seen as leaders of the boogie movement in the early 1970s.
Γ  Alexis Korner guests on the track "Old Time Feelin'", Marriott's vocals take a back seat as the main vocals are provided by Greg Ridley and Korner who also plays a Martin Tipple, mandolin–type guitar. Its sound is reminiscent of the song "Alabama '69" on their first album.
STEVE MARRIOTT
Birth name: Stephen Peter Marriott
Born: 30 January 1947, Manor Park, Essex, England
Died: 20 April 1991, Arkesden, Essex, England
Notable instruments: Gretsch 6120, Gibson Les Paul Custom, Gibson ES–335, Gibson SG, Fender Telecaster
Review by Matthew Greenwald | Score: ****
Γ  After a couple of years of relentless touring, Humble Pie capitalized on their loyal U.S. following to capture the market with this, their fifth studio album. Although lead guitarist Peter Frampton was replaced by Clem Clemson — an excellent player — the band remained essentially the same. Led by singer/guitarist Steve Marriott's soulful wail, the group enjoyed a huge hit from this record, "30 Days in the Hole" — the track which defined the Pie's not–so–subtle appeal. The rest of the record is equally funky and intriguing. Stephen Stills guests on "Road Runner 'G' Jam," playing some nasty Hammond organ fills. In the end, though, the group defined themselves as the undisputed leaders of the boogie movement in the early 1970s, as a band.
Website: http://www.humble-pie.net/                                                           © Humble Pie in 1974
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Humble Pie — Smokin'

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