sign in sign up
<<
Home , Greg Ridley, Humble Pie, Immediate Records, Jerry Shirley, Natural Born Bugie

RECORDS ® Presents A “Secret” Release for

Exclusively from

IMMEDIATE RECORDS IM KC 1972

With Record Store Day fast approaching, you won’t find this special compilation LP by one of the UK’s most iconic bands in any store on 21st April. Except one. ‘On 79th Street’ will only be available from Pie & Vinyl. Obvious? Or are we bucking the trend of Record Store Day in the manner that , legendary founder of and Rolling Stones manager might have done? Or does this one- off LP celebrate the spirit of RSD more than any other release? Inspired by the beautiful pied-piperess Katherine who led us all to Pie & Vinyl and discoveries that linked her vibrant, musical town of Portsmouth & Southsea, an amazing record store and the timeless sounds of Humble Pie to dramatic events in Southsea over 40 years ago that culminated in a truly local effort to press the LP in Portsmouth and have it on sale in Southsea for Saturday 21 April. Says Immediate Records reissue producer Rob Caiger: “Wouldn’t it be great if by doing all of this, a new fan on Record Store Day discovers Humble Pie - in Pie & Vinyl - and feels the same excitement hearing ‘’ as I did in my own local record shop Downtown Records many years ago. There’s no better place to hear new sounds (however old…) then in a record shop - and that’s just one reason why we should celebrate Record Store Day.”

One of the first supergroups, Humble Pie formed in 1969 and soon SIDE ONE became one of the best-loved, hardest-rocking live acts of the 1970s. In , the one-time frontman, Pie had the 1. 79th Street (take 7) best showman and biggest voice in the business. , (previously unreleased) ‘Face Of ‘68’ with The Herd, had a new role - guitar hero. And with hard-hitting drummer and ex- bassist 2. Natural Born Bugie , Humble Pie quickly developed into a sophisticated 3. Growing Closer studio unit where tough riffs, rustic rock and bursts of blissed-out late 4. Silver Tongue psychedelia earned the band instant chart success and critical 5. The Light Of Love acclaim. 6. Ollie Ollie Supervised by Peter Frampton & Jerry Shirley, all songs have been 7. Wrist Job newly remastered by Nick Robbins at Soundmastering and cut half- speed by Matt Colton at Alchemy Studios. ‘79th Street Blues’ (take SIDE TWO 7) was recorded at on 3 January 1970 and mixed by Rob Keyloch at Church Walk Studios exclusively for this LP and will 1. The Sad Bag Of Shaky Jake not appear anywhere else. (alternate version) Strictly limited to 1,000 LPs pressed in Portsmouth at Vinyl Presents. (previously unreleased on vinyl) On sale in Southsea on Record Store Day at Pie & Vinyl and worldwide 2. Stick Shift from 22 April for one week via www.pieandvinyl.co.uk Any remaining 3. Cold Lady LPs after this period will be sold worldwide via www.Immediate- 4. Bang! Records.com 5. Only You Can See Inspired by Katherine, Pie & Vinyl, Portsmouth & Southsea, Humble Pie 6. As Safe As Yesterday Is happy to be a part of the industry of human happiness

® Reissue Producer Note – The Complete Story

Sometimes inspiration comes from the most unexpected Keyloch perform miracles and myself marvel at how the newly places… or place. You’re holding this record because four created mix of the previously unreleased seventh take of ‘79th things inspired its creation: A beautiful lady (seems to happen Street Blues’ puts you right in the room with the band and up a lot in music…); an amazing record store; a vibrant, musical close to Steve Marriott’s unique voice. A privilege. town; and very importantly, the timeless sounds of Humble With the rest of the songs selected to represent Humble Pie’s Pie. And as events unfolded, we discovered all were early career on the legendary Andrew Loog Oldham’s magically entwined… Immediate Records and a day spent at Alchemy Studios with It started in Southsea, Portsmouth, where Katherine grew up. Matt Colton cutting the lacquers half-speed for the best One lazy Sunday afternoon, she returned and took me with possible sound, our next challenge was to find a plant mad her, feeling I’d enjoy discovering the acclaimed (and unique) enough to agree to manufacture the album with less than a Pie & Vinyl. I certainly did, listening and exploring the great month to go to Record Store Day. After being turned down by and varied sounds that Steve Courtnell and his staff were every plant we knew in the UK, Europe and USA, we saw a spinning while noticing the impressive all-ages mix enjoying copy of Record Collector with a glowing review of newly- the same - and pies! As we hung out there (with Record Store opened Vinyl Presents – based in Portsmouth! Thank you, Day 2018 fast approaching) I thought wouldn’t it be nice to Daren Fudge, and if our album also supports the local industry, get on with… something. It wasn’t much of a leap during a then fate sometimes does work in mysterious ways… With lazy Sunday enjoying a delicious home-made pie to Humble such a tight deadline, we’ll probably be pulling the LP off the Pie. Especially as I was already collating the band’s presses and straight round to Pie & Vinyl, so its fortunate we’re forthcoming Immediate Records remaster series and deep in keeping this local! recently discovered tape reels. Back to that cancelled gig and the curators of all things Humble With surviving original Pie members Peter Frampton and Pie, Steve Letford and Iain McGonigal. They found an ad from Jerry Shirley loving the idea of supporting this dedicated 1972 for a Valentine’s Day concert on South Parade Pier, shop we got to work on producing a one-off limited edition Southsea, for the Portsmouth Student Charity Festival - but LP. And wouldn’t it be great if by doing this, a new fan on nothing on why the gig did not happen. Portsmouth and Record Store Day discovers Humble Pie - in Pie & Vinyl - and Southsea have an active live music scene with young and feels the same excitement hearing ‘Natural Born Bugie’ as I older bands regularly playing there and it was no different in did in my own local record shop Downtown Records many the 60’s and 70’s. The area’s musical legacy is looked after by years ago. There’s no better place to hear new sounds Dave Allen’s excellent Pompey Pop Facebook page with (however old…) then in a record shop - and that’s just one photographer Nigel Grundy curating the Portsmouth Music reason why we need them. Experience, a permanent exhibition in the Portsmouth Guildhall. Dave reached out to fans, Nigel went through his All the logistical deadlines for RSD had long gone when Jerry photos while Chris Broom of the Portsmouth News, dug deep said, “I’ve just remembered, we had to cancel a gig in into the newspaper’s archives. With the help of fans who Southsea for some reason, so we should do something remembered that Valentines night in 1972, they solved the special for them”. Probably not my wisest decision to say mystery and further linked Humble Pie to the area. “yes” – but I did. One 24-hour session later saw engineer Rob The Portsmouth Student Charity Festival was a big deal at the time and Humble Pie’s gig was close to a sell-out. Their road crew were setting up their gear on stage and over 1,400 fans were packed into South Parade Pier. The band were on-route and had been pulled over by a police motorcyclist, Pat Lawrence, not to bust them but to get Jerry, Peter, Greg and Steve’s autographs. Relief! But shortly after, disaster fell when the guys were told that an anonymous phone call had been received saying a bomb had been planted at the venue. Despite Humble Pie wanting to play, this was the time of The Troubles and with the tragedy of Bloody Sunday occurring just 14 days before the concert, every call was going to be taken seriously and every venue checked thoroughly. By the time it was discovered to be a hoax, it was too late and the gig was cancelled, with front-page headlines proclaiming: ”Southsea bomb hoax kills pop concert”. Humble Pie did return to play a few years later but at the Portsmouth Guildhall, not Southsea. So as a thank you (especially to fans in Southsea) for waiting since 1972, here’s Humble Pie (at last!) on 79th Street. And there’s one more important – and happier - event that occurred in Portsmouth and Southsea a few months later in 1972 that ultimately led to me putting this album together. Katherine was born…

Rob Caiger, Immediate Records, , 2018 (Twitter: @CaigerRob)