Eat It (Humble Pie album)

Background

Steve Marriott had been talking to the group about having backing singers from early on. During the recording of Eat It Steve Marriott had been in touch with Venetta Fields and asked her to find two other girls to help her out. Fields chose Clydie King and Sherlie Matthews (Both previously with Raeletts) to become the blackberries and flew to London. When Marriott asked them to perform on tour with Humble Pie Sherlie Matthews declined due to other commitments such as her two children and her husband. Matthews chose Billie Barnum to be missing member of the Blackberries.

Each side of this double album is different: Side 1 features Steve Marriott penned rock and roll; Side 2 has classic R&B covers; Side 3 is a collection of acoustic Steve Marriott songs; finally Side 4 features Humble Pie live in concert.

This album showcases the dynamic diversity and talent of Steve Marriott's gritty bluesy vocals with some funky soul mixed in throughout along with straight ahead blistering rockers.

Eat It was the band's seventh official album release and their fifth for A&M Records. [This was also their 3rd double LP (2-record set) within 18 months, the other 2 being 1971's Performance Rockin' The Fillmore and the late 1972 A&M compilation - Lost & Found.]

Steve Marriott produced this album and it was the first album recorded in Marriott's newly built home recording studio he titled Clear Sounds, in a converted barn at Beehive Cottage, Moreton, Essex.

"Get Down to It" was featured in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Side one

1. "Get Down to It" (Marriott) – 3:27
2. "Good Booze and Bad Women" (Marriott) – 3:18
3. "Is It for Love?" (Marriott) – 4:41
4. "Drugstore Cowboy" (Marriott) – 5:40

Side two

1. "Black Coffee" (Ike Turner, Tina Turner) – 3:11
2. "I Believe to My Soul" (Ray Charles) – 4:05
3. "Shut up and Don't Interrupt Me" (Johnny Bristol, Edwin Starr) – 3:07
4. "That's How Strong My Love Is" (Roosevelt Jamison) – 3:49

Side three

1. "Say No More" (Marriott) – 2:01
2. "Oh, Bella (All That's Hers)" (Marriott) – 3:28
3. "Summer Song" (Marriott) – 2:48
4. "Beckton Dumps" (Marriott) – 3:16

Side four

1. "Up Our Sleeve" (Humble Pie, lyrics by Steve Marriott) – 5:02
2. "Honky Tonk Women" (Keith Richards, Mick Jagger) – 3:58
3. "(I'm A) Road Runner" (Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland) – 13:29

Personnel

The Blackberries:

Guests:

Album Production:

Releases