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/
The Sad Bag Of Shaky Jake
Humble Pie Lyrics
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I had to use a gun, well for my own sake
I shot a man down when I was just eighteen
And from that day they call me Shaky Jake
Shaky Jake, boy, what you gonna do?
Texas Rangers coming after you
Here's the price you pay for one mistake
Ma says I was born under bad sign
I was lookin' for the chance to make or break
I cut my teeth on a brandin' iron
I'm the devil's own son, I'm Shaky Jake
Shaky Jake, boy, what you gonna do?
Texas Rangers coming after you
Here's the price you pay for one mistake
So get off the streets, it's Shaky Jake
I keep on the run now
I travel by night
I don't need anyone
But someone, one day, somewhere's gonna see me right
Dig a hole about six foot deep
Pray the Lord my soul to take
I don't want flowers and nobody's gonna weep
Here lies that outlaw, Shaky Jake
Oh Shaky Jake, boy, what you gonna do?
Texas Rangers coming after you
Here's the price you pay for one mistake
So get off the streets, it's Shaky Jake
Shakey Jake
Shakey Jake
Shakey Jake
Shakey Jake
Shakey Jake
Shakey Jake
Oh Shaky Jake, boy, what you gonna do?
Texas Rangers coming after you
Here's the price you pay for one mistake
So get off the streets, it's Shaky Jake
"The Sad Bag of Shaky Jake" by Humble Pie is a poignant song that tells the story of a man named Shaky Jake who is constantly on the run. The song is set in Abeline, Texas, where as a young man, Jake was forced to shoot a man in self-defense. This act of violence earned him the nickname "Shaky Jake," and he has been on the run ever since, with the Texas Rangers relentlessly pursuing him.
Jake is a tragic figure, born under a bad sign with a life that has been fraught with hardship and danger. He was raised in a violent environment, as evidenced by the fact that he "cut his teeth on a brandin' iron." Despite all this, he is a man of courage and resilience, traveling by night and living life on his own terms. However, he realizes that one day he will be caught, and he is prepared for that inevitability. In the end, he accepts his fate, wishing to be remembered not with flowers, but as an outlaw.
The lyrics of "The Sad Bag of Shaky Jake" are powerful and evoke a sense of empathy for the character. The melody and the simple chord progression in the song complement the sad story that it tells. The song conveys the feeling of loneliness and despair felt by those who are constantly on the run, and the haunting chorus will remain with the listener long after the song has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was just a kid back in Abeline
Back when I was young and living in Abeline
I had to use a gun, well for my own sake
I had to use a gun to defend myself
I shot a man down when I was just eighteen
I killed a man when I was only eighteen years old
And from that day they call me Shaky Jake
Since then, people have referred to me as Shaky Jake
Ma says I was born under bad sign
My mother always believed that I was doomed to have bad luck
I was lookin' for the chance to make or break
I was searching for an opportunity to either succeed or fail
I cut my teeth on a brandin' iron
I learned the tough skills of the trade from a young age
I'm the devil's own son, I'm Shaky Jake
People think that I am evil and a son of the devil, hence the name Shaky Jake
I keep on the run now
I live my life on the run now
I travel by night
I only move around at night
I don't need anyone
I don't rely on anyone else for anything
But someone, one day, somewhere's gonna see me right
But someday, someone will see me for who I truly am
Dig a hole about six foot deep
Bury me six feet deep in the ground
Pray the Lord my soul to take
Hope that the Lord takes my soul to Heaven
I don't want flowers and nobody's gonna weep
I don't want any flowers, and I don't want anyone to cry for me
Here lies that outlaw, Shaky Jake
This is where the outlaw, Shaky Jake, will be buried
Oh Shaky Jake, boy, what you gonna do?
Hey Shaky Jake, what are you going to do?
Texas Rangers coming after you
The Texas Rangers are after you
Here's the price you pay for one mistake
This is the consequence of making one mistake
So get off the streets, it's Shaky Jake
Get off the streets, or else you will find Shaky Jake
Shakey Jake
Shaky Jake
Shakey Jake
Shaky Jake
Shakey Jake
Shaky Jake
Shakey Jake
Shaky Jake
Shakey Jake
Shaky Jake
Shakey Jake
Shaky Jake
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: STEVE MARRIOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@davidsobrevilla242
Greg Ridley is the unsung hero of the band. Not only he grooved in his bass, but also sang great vocals, lead and backing.
@oenobuzzoenobuzz832
He is a gifted bass player, a mix of a rock bass and motown bass ! Good choice for Steve Marriott, they match so well together
@luisMusicoLurhier
Un maestro!
@rhiannonrede
Just love & miss Steve Marriott.
@michaelrhodes9294
YES
@undercarver8777
Hot damn! I grew up on Smokin and Eat It—never checked out the rest of them. Such a feast ahead of me ❤
@edwardcowardin4014
Love this!!! Music today sucks. RIP STEVE MARRIOTT!!!!!
@stevewelsh8560
one of the most underrated bands of all time, what talents.
@dudleyvasausage7879
yes i heard they wanted to be like the band. i love em.
@woody816
Never where they underated. Your comment is used for anything this days. A Beatles record comes on and there's going to be 1 idiot that says they were underated. Absolute bollocks. Steve Marriott was a bloody god during the 60/70s and was loved by the masses