Humble Pie Natural Born Bugie CD

Recorded in session for BBC radio 1 between August 16, 1969 and October 23, 1973. Includes liner notes by Mick Fish.

NATURAL BORN BOOGIE collects the British blues-rock band Humble Pie's first two albums with rarities and B-sides on two CDs. Tracks include "Stick Shift" and "Take Me Back."

NATURAL BORN BOOGIE is a re-sequenced version of Humble Pie's first two albums, SAFE AS YESTERDAY IS and TOWN AND COUNTRY, neither of which got much exposure in America. Success would come later, with the live album PERFORMANCE--ROCKIN' THE FILLMORE, in 1971.

The two albums were showcases for co-founders Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton, both refugees from teeny-bop bands whose relief at finally being able to play their own way initially masked the fact that their styles--Marriott the rowdy blues rocker, Frampton more introspective, with a penchant for acoustic instruments--were rather less compatible than they realized. As a result, the first album is heavy on Marriott's heavy guitar army approach, whereas the second, as its title suggests, has more of a Frampton-influenced pastoral quality.

NATURAL BORN BOOGIE is an interesting collection of live performances from Humble Pie's original incarnation with Peter Frampton. It was mostly recorded in the studio for the BBC (the exception being a concert version of "I Don't Need No Doctor").

The sound is mono and the recording quality is variable, but overall this is a treat for devotees of early '70s Brit rock. The band is loose and funky, and Steve Marriott is at his blues-wailing best on Pie classics like "Natural Born Boogie" (adapted, not to say stolen, from Chuck Berry's "Little Queenie") and "4 Day Creep" (written, unbeknownst to most of the band's fans, by jazz singer Ida Cox).

UK reissue includes both of the British blues-rock act's 1969 albums (both of which are out-of-print in the U.S.), 'As Safe As Yesterday Is' and 'Town And Country', plus both sides of the non-album hit 'Natural Born Bugie' and a raft of rare and previously unissued tracks, 'I'll Drown In My Own Tears', 'For Your Love' (studio jam), '79th Street Blues' (instrumental), 'Greg's Song' (backing track), 'Road To Ride', 'BTMG's' (instrumental), 'Zeptoe Through The Tulips' (instrumental), 'Leave No Turn Unstoned' (aka Just A Riff), 'Every Mother's Son' (alternative mix) & 'The Sad Bag Of Shaky Jake' (demo). 34 tracks in all. 2001 release. Slimline double jewelcase.

Includes liner notes by Roger Dopson.

Humble Pie: Steve Marriot, Peter Frampton (vocals, guitar); Greg Ridley (bass): Jerry Shirley (drums).

Producers: Paul Williams, John Muir, Mike Appleton.

Humble Pie includes: Steve Marriott, Peter Frampton, Greg Ridley, Jerry Shirley.