Steve Marriott is best remembered as the frontman of the quintessential mod group, Small Faces. They accomplished much in their original run, morphing into heavyweights of the psychedelic sound, and influencing the likes of Paul Weller, Sex Pistols and Oasis.
However, the group only accounts for a small slice of Marriott’s career. The band he was in for much longer, who also enjoyed ample success was Humble Pie. One of history’s formative supergroups, they also boasted a young Peter Frampton in their ranks, giving him a leg up to superstardom.
Humble Pie wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for two factors. The first was Frampton’s teenage band, The Herd, supporting Small Faces multiple times at The Marquee Club. The second, and most significant, was his dream of one day joining the ‘Itchycoo Park’ tastemakers.
One day, Marriott and Small Faces bandmate Ronnie Lane found out that The Herd were being financially wronged by someone in their inner circle, but couldn’t figure out who. This was something Small Faces had first-hand experience of, so they invited Frampton and Herd member Andy Brown to Buckinghamshire to offer some words of advice.
Speaking to Get Ready to Rock in 2017, Frampton recalled that fateful day, and how his teenage “dream” put the wheels in motion for the eventual formation of Humble Pie. He said: “So they invited myself and Andrew Bown down to Marlow in Buckinghamshire where they were both living at the time. Andy and I went down and they were telling us all about what they had been through, and maybe Andrew Oldham could help us or whatever and what we could do.”
Continuing: “We started jamming, and I think Andy then went back and I stayed because I already wanted to be a member of the Small Faces. My dream, my fantasy was to be a member of The Small Faces. So I was a pig in shit, as it were and enjoying myself and that led to friendship with me, Steve and Ronnie.”
Before long, Frampton would serve as stand-in guitarist on a handful occasions for Small Faces, and even featured on their work with French star Johnny Hallyday, their final recording session. During this period, the band was grinding to a halt, with the other members protesting at the potential of Frampton joining permanently, which was exacerbating existing tensions. Things came to a head on at Alexandra Palace on New Year’s Eve 1968, as Marriott stormed off stage during their hit song, ‘Lazy Sunday’, which he openly hated and considered a gimmick. He yelled “I quit!” and left the remaining Small Faces and Alexis Korner to finish the show.
Frampton was not at the show, and was instead at producer Glyn John’s house, listening to the first side of Led Zeppelin, an album that was about to change the face of rock music. While sitting on the floor, listening intently to this colossal new sound, Marriott phoned Johns and asked if Frampton was there. He told him: “Well Pete, I’ve just left the Small Faces.”
Frampton couldn’t believe it, and before he had time to realise the gravity of the schism, Marriott said: “Well that’s it. Can we form a band together?” At the time, Marriott was helping his protégé to form an outfit outside of The Herd, and over the phone, told him he’d already spoken to Spooky Tooth bassist Greg Ridley, who was willing to join a new band featuring both of them. Accordingly, Frampton told him, “well that’s fantastic – I’m in”.
Within just 48 hours, the remaining members of the Small Faces visited Frampton at home and, ironically, asked him to join them. He suggested that they move forward as a five-piece including him and Marriott, but ultimately, because he’d already said yes to Marriott, knew that he should stick with him and pursue this new musical endeavour. That he did, and Humble Pie was born.
Editors’ Picks
- 1960s Music
- 1970s Rock
- Band Origins
- Classic Rock
- Humble Pie
- Mod to Rock
- Peter Frampton
- Small Faces
- Steve Marriott
- Supergroups
