The band recruited a new manager, Dee Anthony, who helped land them a new deal with A&M behind closed doors, Anthony encouraged Marriott to direct the group towards a harder-edged, grittier sound far removed from the acoustic melodies favored by Frampton. in support of 1969's Town and Country, Humble Pie returned home only to discover that Immediate had declared bankruptcy. Signed to the Immediate label, Humble Pie soon issued their debut single 'Natural Born Boogie,' which hit the British Top Ten and paved the way for the group's premiere LP, As Safe as Yesterday Is. Also featuring ex-Spooky Tooth bassist Greg Ridley along with drummer Jerry Shirley, the fledgling group spent the first several months of its existence locked away in Marriott's Essex cottage, maintaining a relentless practice schedule. Recorded 1970 at Olympic Studios, London, EnglandĪ showcase for former Small Faces' frontman Steve Marriott and one-time Herd guitar virtuoso Peter Frampton, the hard rock outfit Humble Pie formed in Essex, England in 1969. John Wilson, drums on 'Only a Roach' ex-Taste Jerry Shirley, drums, guitar, vocals, Lead Vocal on 'Only a Roach' Peter Frampton, guitar, keyboards, vocals Steve Marriott, guitar, keyboards, vocals 'One Eyed Trouser-Snake Rumba' and 'Red Light Mama, Red Hot!' show the hard-rocking direction in which Steve Marriott would move the band after Frampton's departure the following year.' (Jim Newsom, AMG) 'Earth and Water Song' provides a blueprint for the acoustic guitar-based sound Peter Frampton would ride to multi-platinum success as a solo artist later in the decade. All of the elements are in place for the sound that would reach its studio peak with the next release, Rock On, and culminate with the classic Live at the Fillmore album. 'Alternating hard-driving blues-rockers with country-folk numbers, Humble Pie neatly showcases the two sides of this band's personality on their first release for a major American label and third album overall.

At the end of 1969, the Pie's old label, Immediate, owned by Andrew Loog Oldham, went bankrupt – a saga chronicled by Marriott on the satirical ballad 'Theme from Skint (See You Later Liquidator)'. This was their first release under the auspices of new American manager Dee Anthony – who'd pushed for a louder, tighter sound both live and in the studio – and for their new label, A&M Records. Drummer Jerry Shirley contributed a rare lead vocal on his song 'Only a Roach,' a country-twinged ode to cannabis that also appeared as the B-side of the summer 1970 single 'Big Black Dog'. The material was darker than their previous two efforts, with striking contrasts in volume and style – Peter Frampton's gentle 'Earth and Water Song' is buttressed between two of the heaviest tracks on the record, the band composed 'One Eyed Trouser Snake Rumba,' and a cover of Willie Dixon's 'I'm Ready'. Humble Pie was a transitional album and a harbinger of the band's new, heavier direction. Humble Pie is the third studio album released by English rock group Humble Pie in 1970, and their first released through A&M Records.

Humble pie town and country