STEVE MARRIOTT

Steve Marriott was the eternal street kid, the ‘spitting image’ token cockney, even as a teenager!   After his stage debut in the West End musical ‘Oliver’ and appearances in early black and white episodes of ‘The Famous Five’ he was chucked out of school (for setting fire to it!)   Subsequently your Steve spent more time listening to Alexis Korner’s record collection - and sleeping on his couch - than coming to terms with any career move.  Eventually, after a spell with his band, ‘The Moments’, he formed ‘The Small Faces’ with a music shop acquaintance, Ronnie Lane, drummer Kenney Jones and organ grinder Jimmy Winston who had far more road qualification than musical ones - he owned a van!   (He was soon replaced by Ian McLagan).

The Small Faces first success was the mod-soul ‘Watcha Gonna Do ‘bout It’, followed by ‘Sha-la-la Lee’.   For three years, a career with wonderful singles continued, ‘All Or Nothing’, ‘Here Come The Nice’, ‘Itchycoo Park’, ‘Tin Soldier’ etc. and live appearances based on rhythm and blues, mod image and smashed hotel rooms!

When their legendary, chart topping, concept album ‘Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake’, complete with in-between-track banter by cockney compere Stanley Unwin, could not be reproduced on stage, the Small Faces realised that they had treated studio and stage separately for too long and to make matters worse, they were seen as one hit wonders in the States, which they never cracked.  

Disillusioned, Steve Marriott left the Small Faces, who would soon enlist Rod Stewart and Ron Wood.   In January 1969, Steve joined Humble Pie which he had initially helped Peter Frampton to form as a trio with ex-Spooky Tooth member, Greg Ridley and young Jerry Shirley.

  Far from having lost his idealistic view on music making in general, the new outfit started to work on loads of songs and sounds in Steve’s  in Essex.   Two albums worth of material were recorded, hard rock stuff with Faces stage character as well as acoustic numbers in the vein of the Small Faces final release. ‘The Autumn Stone’.   When Steve was finally brought out of old contracts, stuff began to be released on, Rolling Stones manager Andrew Oldham’s ‘Immediate label’.

   Humble Pie first had a hit with ‘Natural Born Bugie’ then two albums appeared, the harder, ‘As Safe As Yesterday Is’ and the more acoustic ‘Town And Country’.    Concerts were legendary for their Springsteen-like length, the wealth of material was presented in a quieter, country half and a toe-tapping ‘Town’ finale.   Humble Pie’s appearances in Amsterdam’s ‘Paradiso’ built their reputation on the European circuit.

The career of the band suffered in early 1970- when the Immediate label folded.   After months of uncertainty, A & M picked them up and new manager Dee Anthony streamlined their act.   Out went the peaceful numbers, although a few excellent examples appeared on their third album, ‘Humble Pie’.   Anthony sent the band on gruelling stateside tours, and by the time album no 4 ‘Rock On’ hit the shops, their hard rocking status spanned Fillmores east to west!   Peter Frampton, though provider of fine melodies and more restrained frontman, felt under represented the more Steve Marriott got command of the US punters with blues and rock belters.  Frampton left before the highly successful live album ‘Rockin’ At The Fillmore’ was released, for an eventually successful solo career.

Steve Marriott brought in a more bluesy guitarist in Coloseum’s David ‘Clem’ Clempson, who played his unprepared, admirable debut in Dusseldorf, Germany in 1971.   The band seemed a tight, happy unit.   Steve had initially joined Humble Pie to leave the stage front to others, but over the years, his high spirited nature had got the better of him.   Whereas the early Pie had thrived on the musical tensions and tempers of Frampton and Marriott, all the attention was now on Steve, with the result being a clearer direction of sound and image - but with less variety.

Tours all over the world, especially in the States continued, and Steve found himself becoming more and more of a soul shouter (connections with Motown having been familiar since his Small Faces mod-days).   For the next album project, ‘Eat It’, as well as the 1973 tours, the four piece Humble Pie were augmented by saxophone player Sidney George plus Ike & Tina Turner’s ‘Ikettes’, now called The Blackberries.    However Steve’s own singing became a little too erratic, to be heard especially on the live-part of the double ‘Eat It’!    the two soul sides were musically fine if over produced, whereas the sparse acoustic side was a pleasant reminder of the less boozy Pie-times.   Things must have gone over the top a little in ‘74 and ‘75 if the tour reports are to be believed, and albums of the time surely serve as an indication.   ‘Thunderbox’ has it’s rock highlight, ‘No Money Down’ and soul moment, ‘I Can’t Stand The Rain’, but the self-produced sound is worse than ever before.   Finally ‘Street Rats’ is an unauthorised hotchpotch of unfinished material intended for a future Pie release as well as solo albums by Steve and Greg Ridley.

Small Faces - All Or Nothing