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/
Up Our Sleeve
Humble Pie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Ladies and Gentlemen]
[Please welcome the most famous rock and roll group in the land]
[It's Humble Pie!]
Even though we get kicked around
Won't get caught with my trousers down
'Cause I know it all myself, come on boys.
Up our sleeve
Up our sleeve
Up our sleeve
Up our sleeve
Slow down.
Getting it on to the whole world, yeah
Feels fine, puts my head in place
Feels as fine as I'd ever be
Thought I'd get it on myself, come on boys.
Up our sleeve
Up our sleeve
Up our sleeve
Up our sleeve
Oh yeah.
Up our sleeve
Up our sleeve
Up our sleeve
Up our sleeve
Alright, oh.
The lyrics to Humble Pie's song Up Our Sleeve are about resilience and the band's ability to hold their own in the face of adversity. The opening lines state that they may get "kicked around" but they won't be caught off guard. They empathize with others who have faced similar struggles, but they are confident in their ability to push through. The repeated refrain of "Up our sleeve" emphasizes that they have tricks up their sleeve and won't give up easily.
The verses also have a sense of triumph and celebration. The band is "getting it on to the whole world" and feeling great about it. They describe the feeling as "puts my head in place" and "as fine as I'd ever be." The repetition of "up our sleeve" throughout the song acts as a rallying cry, a reminder to themselves and their fans that they are capable and talented.
Overall, the lyrics to Up Our Sleeve suggest a band that has faced challenges but remains optimistic and determined. They celebrate their successes and use their experiences to inspire themselves and others.
Line by Line Meaning
Even though we get kicked around
Despite facing obstacles and difficulties, we do not lose our calm and composure
Won't get caught with my trousers down
We won't be caught off guard or unprepared
Oh I know how you others feel
We understand the struggles and experiences of those around us
'Cause I know it all myself, come on boys.
We have the experience and knowledge to lead, and encourage others to follow suit
Up our sleeve
We have tricks and strategies that we keep in reserve
Slow down.
Take a moment to relax and refocus, don't rush ahead
Getting it on to the whole world, yeah
Making our presence and voice known to everyone, spreading our message
Feels fine, puts my head in place
We feel content and satisfied when we are accomplishing our goals
Feels as fine as I'd ever be
Nothing could be better than achieving our objectives
Thought I'd get it on myself, come on boys.
We have the confidence and determination to succeed, and inspire others to join us
Alright, oh.
Acknowledging our success and feeling satisfied with our efforts
Contributed by Lincoln S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ferenc Zakharides
on C'mon Everybody
ez egy szuper music mind