''Rock On'' is the fourth album by the English

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

group Humble Pie, released in March 1971. It reached #118 on the ''Billboard'' 200. It is the last Humble Pie studio album to feature guitarist/singer Peter Frampton, who left the band towards the end of the year.

Background

''Rock On'' saw Humble Pie establishing the heavy blues/rock sound they became famous for, led in no small part by their new manager, Dee Anthony, after the collapse of

Andrew Loog Oldham Andrew Loog Oldham (born 29 January 1944) is an English record producer, talent manager, impresario and author. He was manager and producer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 to 1967, and was noted for his flamboyant style. Early life Loog Oldha ...

Immediate Records Immediate Records was a British record label, started in 1965 by The Rolling Stones' manager Andrew Loog Oldham and Tony Calder, and concentrating on the London-based blues and R&B scene. History Immediate Records was started in 1965. Signed ...

. It was Frampton's favourite album with Humble Pie, but he was becoming unhappy with continuing in the band. In the latter part of the year, after their live album '' Performance Rockin' the Fillmore'' was mixed, and shortly before it was released, he left the band to pursue a solo career, and take his music in a more acoustic direction. Most of the songs on ''Rock On'' were performed live on tour before being recorded for the album. Singer and guitarist

Steve Marriott Stephen Peter Marriott (30 January 1947 – 20 April 1991) was an English guitarist, singer and songwriter. He co-founded and played in the rock bands Small Faces and Humble Pie, in a career spanning over two decades. Marriott was inducted pos ...

turned the production into a studio party of sorts, featuring numerous guest performers from the world of blues and

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

. Distinguished performers such as PP Arnold, who Marriott knew very well from his

Small Faces Small Faces were an English rock band from London, founded in 1965. The group originally consisted of Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston as the band's keyboardist in 1966. The ...

days,

Doris Troy Doris Troy (born Doris Elaine Higginsen; January 6, 1937 – February 16, 2004) was an American R&B singer and songwriter, known to her many fans as "Mama Soul". Her biggest hit was " Just One Look", a top 10 hit in 1963. Life and career She ...

who had a U.S. hit in the early 1960s with her own self-composed song " Just One Look" (later covered by

The Hollies The Hollies are a British pop rock band, formed in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Allan Clarke and Graham Nash founded the band ...

), and Claudia Lennear (who had sung backing for artists such as Joe Cocker,

Freddie King Freddie King (September 3, 1934December 28, 1976) was an American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar" (along with Albert King and B.B. King, none of whom were blood related). Most ...

and Gene Clark), were featured on this album. The album features the

classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prima ...

song "Stone Cold Fever", written by all four members. Marriott's ballad "A Song For Jenny" (written for first wife Jenny Rylance) features The Soul Sisters (

P.P. Arnold PP, pp or Pp may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Pianissimo'', a music term meaning ''very quiet'', from musical dynamics * Production code for the 1967–1968 ''Doctor Who'' serial ''The Enemy of the World'' * Police Procedural - a subgen ...

and

Claudia Lennear Claudia Lennear (born Claudia Joy Offley; 1946) is an American soul singer and educator. Lennear began her performing with the Superbs before becoming an Ikette in the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. She was also a background vocalist for various acts ...

) on backing vocals.

B.J. Cole Brian John Cole is an English pedal steel guitarist, who has long been active as a session and solo musician. Coming to prominence in the early 1970s with the band Cochise, Cole has played in many styles, ranging from mainstream pop and rock t ...

contributes pedal steel guitar. "Strange Days" is a blues rock song in which Marriott's powerful vocals soar as close to a live performance as any on this album. The vocals have a delayed echo, sounding grounded yet "out there"; and Frampton's guitar solos weave throughout. It is also the longest song on the album. "Sour Grain" was a joint composition by Frampton and Marriott, keeping the same tempo as "Shine On", but with just Marriott on vocals. "Big George" was a Ridley composition, for which he sang the lead vocals.

Track listing

# " Shine On" ( Frampton) – 3:00 # "Sour Grain" (Frampton,

Marriott Marriott may refer to: People *Marriott (surname) Corporations * Marriott Corporation, founded as Hot Shoppes, Inc. in 1927; split into Marriott International and Host Marriott Corporation in 1993 * Marriott International, international hote ...

) – 2:40 # "79th and Sunset" (Marriott) – 3:01 # "Stone Cold Fever" ( Ridley, Marriott,

Shirley Shirley may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Shirley'' (novel), an 1849 novel by Charlotte Brontë * ''Shirley'' (1922 film), a British silent film * ''Shirley'' (2020 film), an American film * ''Shirley'' (album), a 1961 album by Shirley Bas ...

, Frampton) – 4:09 # " Rollin' Stone" (

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913 April 30, 1983), known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer and musician who was an important figure in the post-war blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of modern Chicago ...

, arranged by Humble Pie) – 6:00 # "A Song for Jenny" (Marriott) – 2:35 # "The Light" (Frampton) – 3:15 # "Big George" (Ridley) – 4:08 # "Strange Days" (music - Humble Pie; words - Marriott) – 6:36 # "Red Neck Jump" (Marriott) – 3:06

Personnel

Humble Pie *

– guitar, lead & backing vocals, keyboards, organ on (1), harmonica * Peter Frampton – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, lead vocal on (1) & (7) *

Greg Ridley Alfred Gregory Ridley (23 October 1941 – 19 November 2003) was an English bassist who was the bassist and a founding member of the rock band Humble Pie and Spooky Tooth. Career Ridley was born in Carlisle, Cumberland, England. Early in h ...

– bass, guitar, backing vocals, lead vocal on (8) * Jerry Shirley – drums, piano on "79th and Sunset" Guest musicians *

Alexis Korner Alexis Andrew Nicholas Koerner (19 April 1928 – 1 January 1984), known professionally as Alexis Korner, was a British blues musician and radio broadcaster, who has sometimes been referred to as "a founding father of British blues". A major in ...

– backing vocals *

Bobby Keys Robert Henry Keys (December 18, 1943 – December 2, 2014) was an American saxophonist who performed with other musicians as a member of several horn sections of the 1970s. He appears on albums by the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Harry Ni ...

– saxophone * B. J. Cole – pedal steel guitar *Soul Sisters: ** P. P. Arnold – chorus **

– chorus **

– chorus Production *Recorded and mixed by Glyn Johns at Olympic Sound Studios, London, January 1971 **(track 03 recorded by

Andrew Johns Andrew Gary Johns (born 19 May 1974) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in rugby league history. Johns captained the Newcas ...

) *A Glyn Johns and Humble Pie Joint Production *John Kelly – album cover design and photography

References

External links

Humble Pie history and biographies
{{Authority control 1971 albums Humble Pie (band) albums Albums produced by Glyn Johns A&M Records albums Albums produced by Peter Frampton Albums recorded at Olympic Sound Studios