Review

Humble Pie : Up Our Sleeve Official Bootleg Vol 3 5CD BOXSET

When it comes to blue eyed soul singers perhaps there is no one better than Steve Marriott.Quite frankly he was a force of nature and an incredible performer who excelled in playing bluesy,gutsy and incredibly soulful hard rock throughout his short life and this official bootleg box series pays testament to that.Although the sound quality is dog rough it still portrays a band at the top of their game.This era of HP tends to concentrate heavily on covers but Marriott’s unique interpretations of such tunes as Ray Charles’s Hallelujah Girl I Love You So’and the piercing ‘IDon’t Need No Doctor ‘ never fall short - he basically makes them his own by deconstructing them.

Clem Clempson, Peter Frampton’s successor has a rich and fluid blues style that complements Marriott’s stinging persona and cd 3 see the Blackberries ( seminal 3piece black backing singers) add a soulful, gospel element to proceedings propelling Steve on to great vocal prowess.In their day they were an incredible live act that put fear into anyone else who happened to be on the bill with them including The Who live at Charlton 74! This exhaustive compilation will prove to be essential listening to any fan of the man and his phenomenal band who cracked America but came away penniless due to crooked management. A trait that seemed to dog the man throughout his career!
Words Emrys Baird