Stevie Marriott

menamestom

I had Stevie Marriot night the other night and stayed up listening to various Humble Pie clips and reading about him.  What a talent he was.  Great voice and his guitar playing was far better than people give him credit for (as mentioned in another thread recently). Pity things went the way it did for him with financial issues and drink etc.  Also, I never knew he was lined up to replace Mick Taylor in the Stones, I wonder how that would have turned out.  Apparently in the audition he needed to sit back and just play the guitar parts but that was never him and Mick knew he'd be upstaged and put a block on it.  Can you imagine what it would have been like with Stevie and Mick strutting around trying to out do each other!

I also watched a documentary about the Whisky a Go Go.  I didn't know Humble Pie had played there so much and also that they had inadvertently burned the place down!  Peter Frampton had some really nice words to say about Stevie, saying he was lucky to work with somebody with so much talent, he said basically he's the best there's ever been.   

I listened to 60's / 70's blues rock for years and have moved on a bit, bored of the re told cliches, but Humble Pie seem to go under the radar a bit, so it was nice to discover something new from that era.  (Documentary on an Sky Arts I think btw).  

Anyway, just a few musings about the little fella with the big voice 

StageStruck

Humble Pie didn't seem to make much of an impact here in Britain, probably due to them touring hard in America. The lead guitar interplay between Marriot and Peter Frampton (Dave Clempson later on) is fantastic. Plus that voice was something else too! Their live albums are a great listen, especially the King Biscuit Flower Hour '73 if you can find it these days.

Schnozz

I've was listening to Frampton and Marriot (Humble Pie) all last week

'Frampton Comes Alive' is one of my favourites 

Phil_aka_Pip

Schnozz said:

I've was listening to Frampton and Marriot (Humble Pie) all last week

'Frampton Comes Alive' is one of my favourites 

I really wanted to like that album, but didn't like the voice box all over it

impmann

Marriot was one of the greatest front men ever - he also happened to be a shit hot guitar player too. 
A great loss, IMHO

Neill

StageStruck said:

Humble Pie didn't seem to make much of an impact here in Britain, probably due to them touring hard in America. The lead guitar interplay between Marriot and Peter Frampton (Dave Clempson later on) is fantastic. Plus that voice was something else too! Their live albums are a great listen, especially the King Biscuit Flower Hour '73 if you can find it these days.

They were definitely "underground", but "Rockin the Fillmore" was absolutely essential listening when I was at school.  "Walk on Gilded Splinters" and "I don't need no Doctor" is about as good as rock music gets.

axisus

Phil_aka_Pip said:

Schnozz said:

I've was listening to Frampton and Marriot (Humble Pie) all last week

'Frampton Comes Alive' is one of my favourites 

I really wanted to like that album, but didn't like the voice box all over it

Surely it was one track? Two at most?? (I haven't heard it for a long time ...)

axisus

Whenever I see clips of the Small faces I'm blown away by what a great band they were. I used to have some humble Pie vinyl, not sure where they went??? He was an awesome artist and performer.

IvisonGuitars

Love Steve!

My mates dad used to tell us a great story when we were 12/13. He was good friends with Sticky Wickett - the final drummer in Packet of Three with Steve. He was invited down to one of their gigs at The Half Moon in Putney and during the show, Steve's microphone kept cutting out. Steve, getting visibly annoyed each time, eventually shouted "FACK THIS!!" and booted the mic out of the way. Then proceeded to count the band off into the next song, stand on the lip of the stage and sing unaided above the band until the engineer got it sorted. He said you could hear him clear as a bell!

mudslide73

I'm a massive fan of his. An acquaintance of mine toured with The Small Faces (or maybe the Frantics/Moments) and describes Steve as a complete legend. His best story involves Marriott and a girlfirend falling through the floor whilst "cuddling" on a snooker table.

StageStruck

Neill said:

They were definitely "underground", but "Rockin the Fillmore" was absolutely essential listening when I was at school.  "Walk on Gilded Splinters" and "I don't need no Doctor" is about as good as rock music gets.

My band used to play I Don't Need No Doctor with our previous singer. Great track with incredible energy about it, great fun to play as well.

john_r

the King biscuit flower hour broadcast is available as 'Live 73' or 'Winterland 73' or variations thereof, all the same show but tracks are in a different order on some releases, still a great live recording though!

english_bob

I know him better from the Small Faces, but I agree- in the realms of "white British blokes who sing like black American blokes" there are few who can touch him. 

Tin Soldier is one of my all time favourites.

CHRISB50

I do like a husky singing voice and his has always been up there with the best. 

Like others have said, he was none too shabby playing a guitar either. 

Red Balloon is my favourite featuring him. Great song and singing. 

Nitefly

Many years ago, I worked with a lad who liked him so much he changed his surname to Marriott by deed poll.

IvisonGuitars

john_r said:

the King biscuit flower hour broadcast is available as 'Live 73' or 'Winterland 73' or variations thereof, all the same show but tracks are in a different order on some releases, still a great live recording though!

Absolutely! One of my favourite live albums. Knocks spots off ‘Rockin the Filmore’ for me.

john_r

miserneil said:

john_r said:

the King biscuit flower hour broadcast is available as 'Live 73' or 'Winterland 73' or variations thereof, all the same show but tracks are in a different order on some releases, still a great live recording though!

Absolutely! One of my favourite live albums. Knocks spots off ‘Rockin the Filmore’ for me.

Couldn't agree more there Neil, but then I am a sucker for soul/gospel style backing vocals!

IvisonGuitars

john_r said:

miserneil said:

john_r said:

the King biscuit flower hour broadcast is available as 'Live 73' or 'Winterland 73' or variations thereof, all the same show but tracks are in a different order on some releases, still a great live recording though!

Absolutely! One of my favourite live albums. Knocks spots off ‘Rockin the Filmore’ for me.

Couldn't agree more there Neil, but then I am a sucker for soul/gospel style backing vocals!

Yeah! The Blackberries added to the line up, clem clempson and those heavier guitars, coupled with Steve's "preaching" inbetween the tracks, really flicks my switches!

ChrisMusic

Just watching an old documentary, Humble Pie "The Life & Times Of Steve Marriott", perfect to while away (get away) for an hour over Xmas, mebee.

Duration 1:02:21

https: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdQvh1pR5CU

McSwaggerty

Steve Marriott. Humble Pie.
Just Dynamite. 

McSwaggerty

Read Jerry Shirley's book ( The Pie's Drummer) 'The best seat in the house'
Good read and insight to Stevie, Greg (Ridley - Bass player and equally terrific voice) and Humble Pie.......
Jerry was a teenager when he joined Humble Pie and was only in his early 20's when they split......