Humble Pie was one of the first supergroups, formed at the tail end of the 1960s with members from Small Faces (Steve Marriott), The Herd (Peter Frampton) and Spooky Tooth (Greg Ridley). Their first album, As Safe As Yesterday Is (1969) earned the distinction of being the first album described by Rolling Stone magazine as “heavy metal”.
The album peaked at No.16 in the UK charts and, buoyed by the success of their debut, a second album was released in quick succession. However, it failed to match the success of its predecessor and their record label folded. The move to A&M Records marked a move away from the British market in order to focus on American dollars – barring their first album, Humble Pie never really captured their home market. Subsequent albums were hits in America and the band became known for their popular live shows. Frampton left after Rock On in 1971 but, though the band continued to be successful, internal conflicts were starting to surface, and by 1975 it was all over for Humble Pie.
An attempt was made to reform in 1980 and they managed to keep going for two albums before splitting again. The dawn of the 90s prompted a new reunion effort, but the plan was abandoned when, in 1991, Marriott died in a fire which ravaged his home. The reunion did happen eventually, but with only one member of the original band involved, Jerry Shirley. Together with an assembled cast of musicians he toured as Humble Pie featuring Jerry Shirley for the next decade, but never quite recaptured the glory days with Marriott at the front. The remaining members of the original band did reform in 2001, but only for the duration of a Steve Marriott tribute concert.
