The band initially consisted in 1969 of Steve Marriott (formerly of Small Faces; lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Peter Frampton (from The Herd; lead guitar), Greg Ridley (from Spooky Tooth; bass) and Jerry Shirley (from The Apostolic Intervention; drums).
The joining of all these fairly known players resulted in Humble Pie being considered a bit of a “supergroup”. Worried about great expectations, the group began working together in secret at Marriott's cottage in Moreton, Essex. Signed to Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate Records, their debut single "Natural Born Boogie" was rushed out in 1969 and was a UK number five hit; it was quickly followed by the album As Safe As Yesterday Is, praised as a progressive album in the vein of Small Faces. Their second album Town and Country was also released in 1969 and featured a more acoustic sound. Humble Pie concerts at this time featured an acoustic set followed by an electric set, an approach that would become popular decades later.
1970 saw the financial collapse of Immediate, a switch to A&M Records, and a change in band management. The albums Humble Pie and Rock On, both released that year, alternated between progressive rock and boogie rock excess. A concert at the Fillmore East in NYC was captured on Perfomance Rockin' The Fillmore (1971); it is considered one of the best live rock albums of its era, with Marriott, Frampton, and the rest of the group in fine form. The loud-quiet-loud epic "I Don't Need No Doctor" was an FM radio hit in the United States, propelling the album to the group's biggest commercial success yet.
However, Frampton had already left the band by the time of the album's release, to pursue a solo career that would become extremely successful later in the 1970s. With Dave "Clem" Clempson replacing Frampton, Humble Pie moved towards an even harder sound at the urging of manager Dee Anthony, emphasizing Marriott's blues and soul roots.
Smokin' (1972) had a minor hit in "Thirty Days in the Hole" and was reasonably successful commercially based on the group's constant touring. As a premiere US concert attraction, they traveled in a customized private jet, and partook in all forms of the rock n roll excess available to formerly working class musicians that rose to fame and riches in this era, even hiring The Blackberries, a trio of black backup singers including Vanetta Fields formerly of The Ikettes. Nevertheless the band's extended, long form concert boogie jam rock style was unable to break them into the mainstream radio. Eat It (1974) was three sides of mostly R&B covers and one side live, and while appreciated by their core fans, did nothing to expand the group's audience. The group staged the Goodbye Pie Tour in 1975 and essentially broke up.
In 1980 Marriott, divorced, and with financial problems in the UK, relocated to Atlanta Georgia and revived Humble Pie with Shirley, adding Bobby Tench (from Jeff Beck Group) on guitar and Anthony "Sooty" Jones on bass. Two albums with a more modern heavy metal sound were released but the effort soon fell apart. In 1991 Marriott and Frampton began collaborating again, with another Humble Pie rebirth possibly in the offing, but an unfortunate house fire took Marriott's life before anything tangible could materialise. http://rockandrollgarage.com/the-tragic-story-of-steve-marriott-death/
Bäng
Humble Pie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm your straight face for today
And I'm sorry if it's short
But I have to get away
And be sick
Well, first the powers that be
Line their pockets with your bread
That you're worth more to them dead
Don't you know the taxman
Mourns you to the nearest bank
Your news report
Your news report
And it's short, short, short
Get off my brother
I want to know why people die
Because they've been forgotten
It's your callin' fallin'
And if you're young, son, you're the one
To lead us into Hades
And if you're shot down, then you're called brave
As they shove you in your grave
And nothing is saved
Well, while you're getting fat
Wiping gravy from your sleeve
There's a child who's like a rat
Tryin' to beg for what you leave
Ah, but you won't be deceived by what you fear
Your news report
Your news report
And it's short, short, short
The lyrics of "Bang" by Humble Pie can be interpreted as a commentary on societal issues and corruption. The singer of the song presents themselves as a news reporter who is sorry for the shortness of their report. They then delve into the theme of greed and power, as they discuss how those in positions of authority profit from the people's hard work and ultimately value them more dead than alive. The lyrics also touch on the issue of exploitation, as the singer highlights how children suffer while the adults who have more than enough do not care. Overall, the song can be seen as a call to action for society to recognize and address these problems.
One interesting fact about "Bang" is that it was written by lead singer Steve Marriott and keyboardist Peter Frampton. The song was included on the band's fourth studio album, "Eat It," which was released in November 1973. The album received mixed reviews upon release but later gained critical acclaim in the years following its release. Another interesting fact is that "Bang" was Humble Pie's only song to enter the top-40 charts in the United States, peaking at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Additionally, the song became popular among anti-war demonstrators during the Vietnam War era because of its strong anti-authoritarian message. Another interesting fact is that "Bang" features a harder, more aggressive sound than much of the band's earlier work, with a prominent guitar riff and a driving drumbeat. The song also features a spoken-word section by Marriott in which he decries those who exploit and abuse others for their own gain.
The chords for "Bang" are as follows:
Verse: G, A, D
Chorus: D, A, G, D
Overall, "Bang" is a powerful and thought-provoking song that encourages us to contemplate the darker aspects of society and work towards positive change.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, here's your news report
I am the messenger of the latest events
I'm your straight face for today
I will report the news in an unbiased manner
And I'm sorry if it's short
Apologies for the lack of detail
But I have to get away
I can't stay and talk more
And be sick
I need a break from this onerous job
Well, first the powers that be
People in charge, claim their chunk of your earnings first
Line their pockets with your bread
They waste no time in enriching themselves with your resources
And it ain't too hard to see
It's evident to the public
That you're worth more to them dead
Your death brings them higher profits
Don't you know the taxman
The government needs their cut
Mourns you to the nearest bank
So they can store your hard-earned cash
Your news report
I'm delivering you the latest annoucement
Your news report
I'm delivering you the latest annoucement
And it's short, short, short
This update is concise
Get off my brother
Leave my sibling alone
I want to know why people die
I'm curious about the reason for human demise
Because they've been forgotten
People become disposable once they're disregarded
It's your callin' fallin'
Your purpose falling apart
And if you're young, son, you're the one
Young people should take the lead
To lead us into Hades
To guide us towards Hell
And if you're shot down, then you're called brave
If you're killed, you're celebrated
As they shove you in your grave
When they bury you
And nothing is saved
No progress has been made
Well, while you're getting fat
While enjoying your luxurious lifestyle
Wiping gravy from your sleeve
Cleaning off excess food
There's a child who's like a rat
A kid who resembles a rodent
Tryin' to beg for what you leave
Begging for your scraps
Ah, but you won't be deceived by what you fear
Don't be fooled by your doubts
Your news report
I'm delivering you the latest annoucement
Your news report
I'm delivering you the latest annoucement
And it's short, short, short
This update is concise
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROBERTO LUIS RIVERA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@scottbaker1800
I've heard my uncles mention humble pie most of my 53 years. I m just now getting to hear them . This is good stuff. Wish I could have gotten to them earlier.
@ianharper2934
Magnificent! and lets not forget how great Greg Ridley was on bass......
@brucefranklin6295
And cool vocals also.When Ridley,Frampton and Marriott took turns singing it was a dimension that almost no other band had.
@lastzeen
@Bruce Franklin Jeez, don't exclude Jerry Shirley. Steve was hanging out at Jerry's mom's house, who pretty much became his surrogate mom while young Jerry was cranking those drums for the band. It was an amazing group, and the chemistry came together perfectly while it lasted. Read Shirley's book if you get a chance.
@iancunningham5576
So true.
@noahcrews9149
@Bruce Franklin aren't you forgetting Jerry Shirley?
@grantshenton7079
This song kicks all kinds of ass in any genre in any decade . Would stand up today ,still sounds fresh and so much energy. I was a bit too young for the Pie but managed to see Mr Marriott live in Buxton in the mid eighties when I was 15 . I hung around afterwards to chat to him and he showed me a few licks ( he was a killer guitarist as well , people don’t give him the respect he deserves) really top bloke and he was extremely humble with me , let me play his natural 335 as well . He could go toe to toe with any musician in the world then and now .
@cindyfalstrom7231
That's a great story Grant. It lines up with what I have read in his biographies. Wife Jenny says Steve was always kind and encouraging to young musicians as he felt extremely grateful to have been given the opportunities he had. He was also known to give his guitars away to young musicians he met if they didn't have one. Both Jerry Shirley and Peter Frampton were mentored by Steve when they were teenagers as Steve recognized their talents and encouraged them.
@retiredguy7273
This line up was the gold standard for me, Steve, Peter, Greg and Jerry. Right on!
@mrmarriottsgirl
Say what you want but n my piddly opinion there was NEVER NEVER ANYONE in hard rock better than Steve Marriott. Period. No one & no band kicked that boogie more then Pie. The Stones wish they had this kind of raw passion to me. To me this is pure rock, There are many good ones but imo Marriott was the absolute true consummate rock musician/ performer.A diamond in the rough w/ few in this league.Zep & the Who aside I just can't think of any better., man I miss real rock .sigh