LET ME BE YOU'RE LOVE MAKER.
LET ME BE YOU'RE SOUL SHAKER..
Street Rats
was the eighth
studio album
by the
English rock group
released in 1975.
The album went to
number 100
on the
US Billboard
200 album chart.
Background
Street Rats
was created at
the same time as
Steve Marriott
was producing a
solo album,
and a collaboration album
with
Greg Ridley.
He was not keen on
producing another
Humble Pie album,
and did not want to
tour the U.S. again,
as 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.
They were loathe
to tour and promote
another album.
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
that Humble Pie
were contracted to do
another tour,
and 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
Humble 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 Ridley saying:
"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".
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 US version.
The UK 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 songs
written by Marriott,
"Street Rats"
and
"Road Hog".
The remaining three
are collaborations
between the
various
band members.
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 UK.
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