We continue our look back at the music of 50 years ago…..
It was his show now. After the departure of Peter Frampton, the leader of the band Humble Pie was unquestionably Steve Marriot. On the 1972 break-through LP Smokin’, he sings, plays rhythm guitar, harmonica and keyboards, wrote 6 of the songs and produced the whole thing too. And then prompty collapsed from exhaustion.
The title of the record fits the product in the grooves. From the slow burn of “I Wonder” which features some fine harmonica work from Marriot and stinging riffs and solos from new lead guitarist Clem Clempson, to the uptempo grooves on songs like “Hot & Nasty” , ‘Sweet Peace & Time ” and the hit, “30 Days in The Hole,” the album lights a fire of English blues-rock that was top-notch at the time. I like “The Fixer” too.
They cover Eddie Cochran’s “I Wonder” and also cut a great version of Junior Walker’s “RoadRunner” which includes some killer guest work from Stephen Stills on the Hammond B-3.
Other guests include old British Bluesd legend Alexis Korner who plays an instrument called the tiple (think mandolin) on the tune “Old Time Feelin”. And Doris Troy & Madeline Bell deliver some nice harmony work.
Clempson was an excellent replacement for Frampton and the band’s rhythm section of Greg Ridley on bass and the under-rated Jerry Shirley on drums is spot-on.
If you like English blues-rock, you’ll dig this.
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