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My interest and admiration of Humble Pie and Steve Marriott began for
me while I was in High School. My first concert that I attended was a
Humble Pie show at Cleveland's Public Hall in 1972. I was a junior in
High School, 11th grade. My brother Mark, our friends Steve and Kim
and I took the rapid transit from the suburbs to downtown Cleveland.
It was the first time that I remember smelling weed and seeing girls
wearing midriffs (bare belly tank tops) and they were in abundance,
yes sir !!
Alexis Korner opened up the show, but he wasn't mentioned in the
advertising beforehand, and frankly we didn't know who he was at all
at the time. Little did I know that he was on Smokin' which was just
about to be released. The Pie did their "Rocking the Fillmore" show,
but a very energetic "C'Mon Everybody" was a new one that they played
we hadn't heard before.
J Geils Band played before the Pie, so it was a very rockin' show
indeed.
Sometime around this time period I read the article in Creem
Magazine "Eat Out" about Steve Marriott and Humble Pie. It was the
first full length article that I can remember reading about them, or
maybe it just never interested me that much. But something clicked
with me and Humble Pie after reading that article. Maybe it was the
fact that the authors made a point of mentioning that Steve Marriott
stood "five feet short without his elevator boots", something that I
wasn't aware of at the time and something I could relate to (I'm 5ft
7in myself). I soon made the conection that this was the same singer
with the Small Faces. I remembered Itchycoo Park and Tin Soldier
vividly from Junior High School. Hearing them on the radio in the
morning on the school bus and at school dances etc. This became the
the band and musicians that I would follow. That would include Peter
Frampton who left before I could even see him perform with them. But
because of our FM rock stations at the time like WMMS and WNCR I had
been introduced to Shine On, 79th & Sunset, Rolling Stone, Strange
Days and Stone Cold Fever from the Rock On album.
And then of course I Don't Need No Doctor, the unedited version from
the live album.
These interests followed me into Art School (the Art Institute of
Pittsburgh)
I did see the '73 tour (again at Public Hall) in May, just before the
summer and then beginning AIP in September. That show was the same
one as the version put out by King Biscuit. Except the Pie also did
Oh La De Da as their finale encore at the Cleveland show.
At this point interests have seemingly gone full circle. From Art
School projects to photographing Clem's band Rough Diamond in
Concert, to interviewing both Steev and Peter on separate occasions
While I worked at Scene Magazine.
Then on to WMMS where I worked for 15 years as their Art Director and
also drawing the station's mascot the Buzzard. This found me two
years ago involved with the movie "Almost Famous", written and
directed by Cameron Crowe. Crowe was also the same author of that
Creem article on Humble Pie back in '72 (surprise surprise). It also
happened to be his very first published assignment for that magazine
(while he was just in High School) and began his career as a rock
journalist, evolving into the director, screenplay writer that he is
today.
As you'll see with the enclosed samples, this is where all these
pieces have come together and fit like puzzle pieces. I've tried to
organise the material under the "Almost Famous" banner and my other
Marriott/Frampton experiences and tid bits in their own order. Whew !
Here we go !
Hopefully you will find interest in these and have use for them. I
would truly like to share these with as many Marriott / Pie fans as
possible.
Included also here are some interviews on cassette tape and in print.
It's all here, everything but the kitchen sink.
My involvement with "Almost Famous" is detailed within. Included in
that story are the experiences I had interviewing Humble Pie in 1980
and how I finally secured a very short interview with Steve Marriott
sitting outside of Swingo's Lounge where Steve had just played drums
with the local house band the Bruno Brothers. On the tape you can
hear the jukebox blaring Michael Jackson everytime somebody opened
the lounge door.
The interview was supposed to take place backstage at Public Hall
with all four members straight after their set - but Steve had gotten
into a fight with the stage manager. I had actually run into him for
the first time backstage when we were first there. I was taken by
surprise because he was standing right next to me. He had changed
from his stage clothes into a cowboy shirt and straw hat. I shook
hands with him and said it was great to finally meet him. I had him
sign my "On to Victory" poster. He also drew the swastikas on the
enemy planes (but only backwards) and said that's how we had wanted
them originally, but the record company had them removed.
He said he had to take care of business but that he would be back for
the interview.
One by one the other band members came back to the room provided for
us. First Anthony, then Jerry, followed by Bobby. Photos were taken
by Scene photographer Bob Ferrell. The tape was used only to capture
and then transcribe the interview. The recording picked up all the
other noises backstage, plus the echo of Mahogany Rush playing
onstage etc. At one point somebody told us that Steve was actually
splitting 'cause he was still pissed off about the fight, the result
of the band playing an enocre (due to the crowd's response) and
overextending the time they were scheduled for., I stepped out to
catch him at the elevator to see if I could convince him to stay.
His mood had changed since the time we had just met. He said "Nah, I
gotta split". Thinking this would probably be the last I ever saw of
him I tried to say something profound and uttered "well I just want
to tell you that you're still great Steve!"
He kind of gave me the once over and said "well you're not so bad
yourself"
Yikes - I felt about two feet tall. To be caught red handed gushing
compliments and made to look silly by your own hero himself !
And then he was on the elevator and was gone.
So I went back and brushed myself off to finish talking to Bobby and
Jerry. Bobby was a really nice guy and invited me and my friends to
hang out with the band at Swingo's (also in the "Almost Famous"
film). When we got there he also helped me to approach Steve again
while he was at the bar. Because frankly, without any quotes from
Marriott my editor wouldn't be iterested in using the other
interviews - and the story would be sunk and wasted.
As I said in the "Almost Famous" stuff I asked Steve if we could talk
for awhile on tape and he said "If you buy me a Heineken....the beer
in Almost Famous.....
I gladly got one for him and one for me and the short but sweet
interview began. We were interrupted by someone I think may have been
his road manager, who told Steve he had to go.
But I had gotten my quotable quotes. I was able to take a few photos
of Steve with two more of his fans...."Happiness" Stan from the
Baloney Heads (local band) and Frank Conge from Shattered Records.
(Frank claims that he once sang onstage with Ray Davies and the
Kinks. Steve was also teaching them a cockney song)
This was my first experience with this sort of this. Raj Bahadious,
an experienced writer and interviewer then transcribed my tape into
the finished published piece. But to be able ot pull this off was a
dream come true indeed. It made me appreciate what full-time writers
had to do and go through to chase down their interviews etc
As it turned out, this wouldn't be my last meeting with Steve and the
band. The next time was the follwoing year in '81 and at one of my
favourite haunts (sadly torn down after a fire in the mid-80's). The
Agora. This time I brought some Humble Pie buttons that I had made at
home with a kit. Plus, I brought along an art school project that I
started in 1975, but never had finished. It was just a rough layout
on coloured paper stock - a story book that I based around "Happiness
Stan" from the Small Faces. I remember I had to try to write the
storyline down by playing a little on the record at a time, and then
lifting the needle and replaying it many times over until I got it. I
drew the characters out of my head and gave Stan a dog as a sidekick.
I opened the book with the narrators sitting in an armchair as I
imagined he may look. Mad John was only thought out in pencil. The
other pages I had used some Martin dyes to indicate the color
direction on colored pages.
So I thought it would be cool to show Steve. After everyone got their
Pie button I ahowed Stee the book layout. I said "Steve, do you
remember Happiness Stan ?" He said "Do I remember it ? I f******
wrote it!!"
I explained how I had begun the project, out of my head as far as how
the characters looked. He looked at the Narrator page and said "It
looks f****** just like him !!"
Years later, after seeing a video of Stanley, I think Steve was being
too kind. But he was really thrilled about looking at the book and
called Jerry over to check it out. Since he liked it so much I
said "Steve, would you like to keep it ?" He looked at me
thoughtfully and replied "You would give this to me ?" I said "man,
you wrote it - it's yours". He was totally touched and
said "Thankyou, bless you, mate" and gave me a big hug. Another
memorable moment for me to say the least.
Unfortunately, I didn't make copies of all the pages before I gave it
to him. Later that year, after another Agora show and once again at
Swingo's I asked him if he remembered me.
He said "you look familiar !". I reminded him about the Happiness
Stan book and he said "Oh yeah - my wife had it framed for me". It
was also sitting at the bar in Swingo's that I asked Steve
if "Teenage Anxiety" (Go for the Throat had just come out around that
time) was about John Lennon. "Yeah, man, he was my f****** hero". I
mentioned how great I thought the first two Immediate albums were and
how I always liked "What You Will". He looked pleased and began to
sing the opening lines of the song for me.
I asked if he thought that bands like AC/DC were ripping him off or
is he saw ir as a compliment. He said something about not being able
to control the influence he had on the new bands, but I think he
accepted it as a compliment.
We also talked about Stephen Stills siging on Hot & Nasty - but it
was difficult to have a long conversatio. Everyone and their mothers
were sending beers over to Steve - and they were all sitting in fornt
of him, more than any person could drink (at least in one sitting).
Everyone wanted to get a word with him too.
We talked about Rock On, and how he'd got Brian Cole to call himslef
BJ Cole, 'cause he didn't like the name Brian (what were you trying
to tell me Steve !).
I'd have to say that I probably caught a glimpse of Melvin with him a
few times on these occasions
Another great show was shen Steve played the Agora yet again in the
summer of '83.
I had given Pappy Fagan (one of Steve's biggest fans) a Humble Pie
button before the show. Steve saw it and said "where the f*** did you
get that ? Gimme that !" And he wore it on stage.
I talked to Steve in the lobby of his hotel after that show. He was
on his way to his room and I asked him if he would take a photo with
the lead guitarist of the localband "SnakeRock" (who also had opened
up his show). He seemed nervous and distracted, but said he's come
back down. Got the feeling he would just blow it off. But a little
later he was.
He said "I told you I'd be back down, so here I am" he was
accompanied by a tall blonde who made a bee-line for the ladies room.
He made a signal for her to come straight back, and he kept watching
to see when she came back, still tense.
I took the photo with him and Spike Wray. I said "Steve, would you
like a drink ?" And gestured towards the bar. He declined (I think it
was after his ulcer problems) but the offer seemed to relax him and
he gave me a hug and said "thanks anyway mate"....that was the last
time I ever got to speak with him.
In 1985, through his Road Manager Bill Hibbler, I was asked to design
Steve's Tour Poster, plus they chose one of my clack and white shots
from the '83 Agora show as his 8x10 promo glossy.
Another dream come true !
My brother Mark and I went to see his last Cleveland appearance at
Peabody's Downunder in the Flats. We didn't get backstage for this
show. But Bill got Steve to sign my poster (For Bwian ? A tribute to
Monty Python I suppose) and he signed my friend Mark Hilms' Small
Faces LPs, even drawing his won face on one of the early Small Faces
covers. A couple came back that he wouldn't sign "'cause they were
f****** compilations" and I guess Steve wasn't getting any money from
them. I also was able to give Fallon, his drummer, some of the live
shots I had taken of him playing with Steve at the previous Agora
shows. He was thrilled 'cause he didn't have any photos as a matter
of record at all. There was a very small crowd there that night, but
Steev, Jim and Fallon played like it was a full house. I, for one,
drank way too much, before and during the show, which made getting
home afterwards interesting, but that's another story for another
time.
As far as other stories, there was the one that was told to me by my firend Snake
Rock (his band had the same name). He and Pappy were hanging out with
Steve after the Pie opened for Ted Nugent at the Richfield Coliseum
in 1980. Now both Snake and Pappy were both huge fans of Steve's. But
Pappy Fagan was also physically huge, in girth and weight. He was
also a bouncer at the Agora, and although he didn;t look it, he was
fast and annoyingly light on his feet when it came to a fight. He
also had a lightning fast punching style. I had witnessed him kicking
some ass. (Pappy sadly passed away in his sleep some years ago. Jerry
Shirley spoke at his wake held at the new Agora location and told a
story of how Pappy rescued and revivied him after he passed out at a
very hot Fastway show at the old Agora)
Pappy had tattoos everywhere he could on his body. Inclusing his name
on the inside of his bottom lip. On this particular occasion, the
three of tehm were sharing a smoke (Steve, Snake and Pappy) when
Pappy announced that he had just gotten a new tattoo....on his ass.
He asked Steve if he wanted to see it. "No....I don't want to see
your fat f****** ass Pappy !!"
Snake said that Pappt looked like a little kid who didn't get the
bike they wanted for his birthday. Funny stuff, indeed, but then I
guess you had to be there.
Hey, wait a minute - I wasn't even there !
God rest 'em both, Steve and Pappy
Also included within is the Scene interview that I conducted with
Peter Frampton in 1982. Although the interview was done over the
phone I had met Peter the year before after his Music Hall show (the
same Music Hall that Stillwater plays at in the Cleveland scenes
in "Almost Famous"). He was touring "Breaking all the Rules" and had
just recently cut off his trademark long hair really short. I had
brought along a couple of 8x10 color shots that I took of him in Oct
1975 at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena when he opened for Rod Stewart &
the Faces (their lkast tour). His live album "Comes Alive" came out a
few months later.
He looked at these photos quite fondly, I think because of the time
period of the shots and that they had his original black Les Paul
that got lost in a plane crash in most of the shots. He signed each
one graciously. I mentioned that I had met and interviewed Humble Pie
and even hung out with them. He gave me a somewhat dubious look, so I
said "you're still friends with Jerry Shirley, aren't you ?". So he
replied "Then obviously you know that Steve and I are not friends".
He didn't really explain whatever riff he and Steve were experiencing
at the time, but it was good to see htat they had patched it up to
start recording again together in '91.
After the Agora WMMS Coffee Break concert, where he played for free,
Peter signed my Scene interview with him and said he tought it was
quite good. Which was a relief 'cause I had to go to battle with my
Editor and friend Mark Holan, who also ended up putting his name
before mine on the printed piece....whatever !
As he had already taken out what I thought were key elements and
quotes etc - the space had already been assigned and the piece edited
to fit it, but I argued that if the missing quotes etc weren't put
back in then I wanted my name taken off it. Mark said he didn't have
the time to do so - but that I could if I wanted ('cause he liked me
and wouldn't do it for any other of his writers) So I had the missing
stuff reset in type and cut and pasted them in.The enclosed tape and
transcript reveals the missing parts.
Peter gave me his address in Westchester County New York, so I was
able to send him copies of the photos he signed the year before and
shots of him taken backstage at the Agora. One with the two of us he
sent back, also autographed.
There were two more meetings that followed in the years to come. One
in 1990 the night before he and Jerry Shirley jammed together (the
first time since Humble Pie ?) With local musicians the Armstrong
Bearcat Band at the Sahara Club, to blues songs including "Red House".
This is when Jerry was a Dj at WNCX FM. Peter was his guest on his
show earlier that day. It was great to see them play together and see
Peter letting it rip on someone's borrowed guitar. The crowd was
obviously into this extra added bonus too.
The again during 1995's Comes Alive II tour I was able to give Peter
copies of some of the shots taken at the Sahara Club. He actually had
played in LA with the guitarist Butch Armstrong's brother - a session
drummer. Also included was a shot of Steve at the Agora in '83.
My friend Tony and his pregnant wife Shelley went with us. Peter
asked when she was expecting and that he and his girlfriend Tina (now
his wife) had a baby on the way too.
This show was at Cleveland's Music Hall. His voice box actually went
out on the blink that night in mid song. He said that "after all
those years the damn thing was bound to go out sometime"
The Cleveland Indians were in the play-offs and Peter and the band
showed their suport for the audience and the Tribe. Bob Mayo
played "take me out to the ball game", John Regan had "Go Tribe" on
the back of his bass guitar and Peter put on an Indian's hat for one
song and a Tribe t-shirt for the encore. Go Tribe !
Also included are photo's and a tape of Clem's band "Rough Diamond".
The tape was recorded from a radio speaker in mono in 1977 so it's
not that great. Clem is wearing a WMMS t-shirt in the concert
shots.....the station I would come to work for some nine years late.
Two of the photos show David Byrona dn Clem walking towards the Agora
from their bus. In this one, David is waving the "bird" at me. I
actually sat to say hello to him and tell him they put on a good
opening show, later at the bar. I don't think he knew I was the same
guy he popped the bird at.
There are also photos of Jerry Shirley's Humble Pie with Anthony
Jones, Wallie Stocker and Charlie Huhn (now with Foghat) playing at
Saber's in the Flats, Cleveland 1988.
They were actually very convincing and a tight band, playing numbers
from the albums that Steve's Pie never played in concert.
Another example of how far reaching Steve and the Pie have been is
there's a black guy named Tony at the Kinko's where I copied a lot of
the material here. He saw the Steve Marriott poster and said "wow
Steve Marriott ! Humble Pie and I Don't Need No Doctor is why I
started playing bass guitar !!" He said he was still playing bass
today. You never know where you'll run into someone who's been
touched and influenced by Steve's music, do you ?
So, there is a lot of stuff here, I'm sure. Thanks for your time and
attention !!
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