Rock On (Humble Pie album)

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Rock On
Studio album by Humble Pie
Released	March 1971
Recorded	Olympic Studios, London, January 1971
Genre	Blues rock hard rock
Length	38:43
Label	A&M
Producer	Glyn Johns & Humble Pie
Humble Pie chronology
Humble Pie (1970) Rock On (1971) Performance Rockin' the Fillmore (1971)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	link

Rock On is the fourth album by the English rock group Humble Pie, released in 1971. It reached #118 on the Billboard 200. It is the last Humble Pie studio album to feature guitarist/vocalist Peter Frampton, who embarked on a successful solo career.

Background[]

Rock On saw Humble Pie establishing the heavy blues/rock sound they became famous for, led in no small part by their new manager, Dee Anthony, after the collapse of Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate Records. But this was not where Frampton wanted to be and, within a year, he had quit the group to pursue his solo career, and take his music in a more acoustic direction.

Most of the songs on Rock On were performed live on tour before being recorded for the album. Marriott turned the production into a studio party of sorts, featuring numerous guest performers from the world of blues and soul. Distinguished performers such as PP Arnold, who Marriott knew very well from his Small Faces days, Doris Troy who had a U.S. hit in the early 1960s with her own self-composed song "Just One Look" (later covered by The Hollies), and Claudia Lennear (who had sung backing for artists such as Joe Cocker, Freddie King and Gene Clark), were featured on this album.

The album features the classic rock song "Stone Cold Fever" written by band members Marriott, Ridley, Frampton and Shirley.^[1] Steve Marriott's ballad "A Song For Jenny" (written for first wife Jenny Rylance) features The Soul Sisters (Doris Troy, P.P. Arnold and Claudia Lennear) on backing vocals. B.J. Cole contributes pedal steel guitar. "Strange Days" is a ballsy blues rock song, in which Marriott's powerful vocals soar as close to a live performance as any on this album. The vocals have a delayed echo, sounding grounded yet "out there"; and Frampton's guitar solos weave throughout. It is also the longest song on the album. "Sour Grain" was a joint composition by Peter Frampton and Steve Marriott, keeping the same tempo as "Shine On", but with just Marriott on vocals.^[2]

Track listing[]

1. "Shine On" - (Frampton) – 3:00
2. "Sour Grain" - (Frampton, Marriott) – 2:40
3. "79th and Sunset" - (Marriott) – 3:01
4. "Stone Cold Fever" - (Ridley, Marriott, Shirley, Frampton) – 4:09
5. "Rollin' Stone" - (Muddy Waters, arranged by Humble Pie) – 6:00
6. "A Song for Jenny" - (Marriott) – 2:35
7. "The Light" - (Frampton) – 3:15
8. "Big George" - (Ridley) – 4:08
9. "Strange Days" - (music-Humble Pie; words-Marriott) – 6:36
10. "Red Neck Jump" - (Marriott) – 3:06

Personnel[]

Humble Pie[]

• Steve Marriott - guitar, Lead & Backing vocals, keyboards, organ on (1), harmonica
• Peter Frampton - guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, Lead Vocal on (1) & (7)
• Greg Ridley - bass, guitar, backing vocals, Lead Vocal on (8)
• Jerry Shirley - drums, piano on "79th and Sunset"

Guest musicians[]

• Alexis Korner - backing vocals
• Bobby Keys - saxophone
• B. J. Cole - pedal steel guitar
• Soul Sisters :
  • P. P. Arnold - chorus
  • Claudia Lennear - chorus
  • Doris Troy - chorus

Production[]

• Recorded and Mixed by Glyn Johns at Olympic Sound Studios, London, January 1971
  • (track 03 recorded by Andrew Johns)
• A Glyn Johns and Humble Pie Joint Production
• John Kelly - Album cover design and photography

References[]

External links[]

• Humble Pie history and biographies