Street Rats

Background

Street Rats was created at the same time as Marriott was producing a solo album, and a collaboration album with Greg Ridley. He wasn't keen on producing another Pie album, and didn't want to tour the U.S. again, (they had been touring solidly for the past four years).

While on the road, everything they wanted was paid for, but once they got back to England, four years and 21 tours later there was no money in the bank. Understandably, they were loath to tour and promote another album. Steve Marriott: "We'd been on tour for about four years, and we were just very tired". But A&M as well as manager Dee Anthony were able to insist, Pie were contracted to do another tour, to do so without another album would have been an unwise move by the band.

In early 1975, the record company, tired of waiting for the new album, "confiscated" material from Marriott's Clear Sounds Studio, but much of the material was not meant for Pie, it was for a solo album and for his on-going project with Ridley. To make the best of a bad situation, A&M brought in Andrew Loog Oldham to mix and cut up the tracks and make them heavier, much to the disgust of Marriott. The title Street Rats was also thought up by A&M. Not surprisingly the band were never happy with the album, with Greg Ridley stating: "It was terrible". Clem Clempson elaborated on this. "The mixes were done by someone outside the band, [Oldham], and when we heard it we were horrified". Steve Marriott (1975): " "Street Rats" was a track with me, Ian Wallace and Tim Hinkley playing piano, It was nothing to do with Humble Pie". "Somebody stole the 16-track mix [ ] It was intended as the title track for my album".

The album has different mixes for the U.S. version. The U.K. version also has the track "Funky to the Bone" in place of "There 'Tis", Marriott stated in an interview that the song had nothing to do with Humble Pie. "It was just musicians up in my studio!"

Five of the albums' eleven songs are covers; "Rain", "We Can Work it Out" and "Drive My Car" from The Beatles; "Rock and Roll Music" by Chuck Berry and "Let Me Be Your Lovemaker" by Reid/Clark/Wright and originally recorded by R&B artist Betty Wright in 1973. There are two song written by Steve Marriott, "Street Rats" and "Road Hog". The remaining three are collaborations between the various band members. Focusing heavily on a dirty mixture of blues and rock, the title fits the album's sound. Perhaps most notable are the changes in style of the Beatles songs, especially "We Can Work It Out"; they are so blues/soulified that the only recognizable parts are the lyrics themselves. The album was produced by Andrew Loog Oldham and Steve Marriott; it was recorded in Olympic Studios and Marriott's Clean Sounds studio at his home in Essex, England.

The last word on the album by Greg Ridley: "Humble Pie were better than that, but we were not really consulted."

After the release of this album and their farewell tour, Humble Pie disbanded, citing musical differences. Marriott went on to produce his first solo album Marriott and promptly moved back to the U.K.

Track listing

1. "Street Rat" (Steve Marriott) - 2:52 (Lead Vocal: Steve)
2. "Rock and Roll Music" (Chuck Berry) - 2:55 (Lead Vocal: Greg)
3. "We Can Work It Out" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 3:18 (Lead Vocal: Steve)
4. "Scored Out" (Clem Clempson, Marriott) - 2:43 (Lead Vocal: Steve)
5. "Road Hog" (Marriott) - 3:08 (Lead Vocal: Steve)
6. "Rain" (Lennon, McCartney) - 5:58 (Lead Vocals: Steve and Greg)
7. "There 'Tis" (Marriott, Clempson) - 3:06 (Lead Vocal: Steve)
8. "Let Me Be Your Lovemaker" (Clarence Reid, Willie Clarke, Betty Wright) - 5:57 (Lead Vocal: Greg)
9. "Countryman Stomp" (Greg Ridley, Clempson, Tim Hinkley) - 2:20 (Lead Vocal: Greg)
10. "Drive My Car" (Lennon, McCartney) - 3:43 (Lead Vocal: Greg)
11. "Queens and Nuns" (Clempson, Marriott, Ridley, Jerry Shirley) - 3:04 (Lead Vocal: Steve)

Personnel

With guests musicians :