Humble Pie – Performance: Rockin’ The Fillmore 

The Complete Recordings

Album Review By Johnny Zapp

To say Humble Pie was a supergroup would be hard to argue.  To credit them as being one of the very first supergroups could also be accurate.  A sum of its’ parts, Humble Pie was comprised of four individuals who had all built reputations in the U.K. as solid players with various groups; some of which were well established such as the Small Faces and Spooky Tooth.  Steve Marriott (vocals/guitar), Greg Ridley (bass), Peter Frampton (vocals/guitar) and Jerry Shirley (drums) would get together in 1969 to form a heavy blues-rock outfit second to none.  They promptly churned out what are now regarded as four highly influential and great records that at the time, sold dismally.  Record sales however, were not at all indicative of ticket sales and the band was a force to be reckoned with live.

At the suggestion of band manager Dee Anthony, the group decided to record some shows for a live record.  Makes perfect sense, right?  We would see it later on in the 70’s with acts like Cheap Trick, Kiss and Peter Frampton, ironically.  You’ve got a band that packs their live shows, but has yet to achieve notable record sales or chart success.  Time to bring the live Humble Pie concert experience to the record stores.  Released in November 1971, Performance: Rockin’ The Fillmore was the band’s breakthrough LP and has since become one of the most popular, influential and highly acclaimed live albums of all time.

In just three short years between 1968 and ‘71, Bill Graham’s Fillmore East in Manhattan became host to bands like Frank Zappa and the Mothers, Jimi Hendrix and the Band of Gypsys, Zeppelin, Jefferson Airplane and tons more.  Factors such as sound, lighting, location and status made the Fillmore East the venue where countless performances would be immortalized on vinyl.  With two nights and four performances booked for the recordings, Humble Pie owned The Fillmore East Friday and Saturday nights, May 28th and 29th 1971.

Many years later when CDs were first introduced, the record companies were in such a rush to press all of the recordings from the past that little to no consideration was taken regarding mastering and packaging.  As a result, many of us have purchased the same albums in various re-releases and formats throughout the years.  Recognizing this, the record-collecting, music-loving folks at Omnivore Records got together with surviving Humble Pie members Jerry Shirley and Peter Frampton to re-master all four shows.   The result is an un-edited four disc boxed set dubbed Performance: Rockin’ The Fillmore – The Complete Recordings.

Sonically, Rockin’ The Fillmore has been improved leaps and bounds.  Frampton and Shirley, along with Ashley Shepherd of Audiogrotto and Bob Ludwig of Gateway Mastering, mixed and mastered everything straight from the original source tapes.  The sound quality of these newly polished recordings is phenomenal.  The clarity and presence in some of the quieter moments like the intro to “I Walk On Gilded Splinters” from disc four (and the original LP), bring out things like the sound of a bottle dropping on the floor, rolling and hitting the front of the stage.   It’s details like that that take you from your listening environment to the concert hall.

As evident by all four shows, Humble Pie was absolutely on fire.  There were only two slight variations in the set lists.  At the first show on the first night, they did not perform “Rollin’ Stone”.  At the first show on the second night, they had to nix “I Don’t Need No Doctor” and “Rollin’ Stone” due to time restraints, but they added the lone Humble Pie original “Stone Cold Fever”.  Notably, nothing from the very first show was selected for the final product.  That decision was not due to performance issues; rather the first show served as oiling the machine and greasing the wheels.  By the time the first show was under their belts, the mics and mixing board were well dialed in and the energy and vibe of both the band and the room were peaking.  In addition to hearing the alternate performances the band had to choose from when assembling the original LP, it’s equally great to hear some of the banter from the other shows.  Steve Marriott boasting “I’ve got a new axe, it’s gonna make me rock hard man!” right before they launch into the show opener, “Four Day Creep”, or “don’t sit down man, this is the last time we’ll be here and I don’t wanna forget it!”  Fun stuff indeed.

Something that has always made Humble Pie stand out was the exceptional lead vocals by three of the bands members.  Steve Marriott had this incredibly soulful, powerful voice that clearly came from his gut, while Frampton and Ridley also delivered adding rich inflections and color to many of their numbers.  The vocal trade-offs and interaction in songs like the aforementioned “Four Day Creep” and “I’m Ready” are absolutely astounding.  Frampton and Marriott’s guitar tones on these recordings are also incredible, and the swing in Jerry Shirley’s playing is inspiring to say the least.  His left foot hi-hat work is something I’ve tried to emulate with my playing for years.  The re-masters also sharpen up Greg Ridley’s bass track making you feel as though you are right there in the room.  You can feel the rumble of the stage; hear the snare wires vibrating off Greg’s low E string, and plenty of other lovely nuances that bands today would work feverishly at the mixing desk to eliminate.

The packaging here is also an outstanding treat for music geeks like myself.  It comes in a 5×5 box resembling an old BASF reel box, with four mini LP sleeves and a 19 page booklet including interview excerpts and insights from Peter and Jerry.  The extensive liner notes and photos really give this masterpiece its due.  Good stuff.

Considering that the entire set list made up the original 1971 release, The Complete Recordings may not be for the casual Pie fan (if there is such a person).  That said, it is an essential addition to the collection for fans and record buffs.  It’s a huge account of an incredible period in rock music, a legendary venue and a kick a$$ British band just killing it four times over in two nights.   Ultimately, it was the sheer power and solid, bombastic performance of four guys that knew how to bring it that made each of these recordings brilliant.  Pick a Friday night, close your eyes sit back and listen to the first two discs and transport yourself to that evening in Manhattan some 42 years ago.  Rinse and repeat with the subsequent discs Saturday night.

Cheers~

HUMBLE PIE BOX SET ON AMAZON | OMNIVORE REOCORDINGS 

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