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With Anthony in advance of the group, Humble Pie’s newest target was the United States, which was in the midst of the so-called “British Invasion”. Young Yanks were hungry for all the Brit music they could consume, and a slice of Pie was a welcome addition to their plates, as the quartet embarked upon several stateside tours. Their live act was now a blend of boogie and blues with Marriott coming to the fore as the primary front man, prompting co-leader Peter Frampton to move out on his own to form Frampton's Camel.
It was at this same time “Rockin’ The Fillmore” was released, which would become known as one of the greatest live albums in rock history. But with Frampton’s departure, a major portion of the Pie was missing and the search was on for a suitable replacement. Guitarist Dave “Clem” Clempson, who had played with Bakerloo and Colosseum, was soon hired to fill the void left by Frampton. With the success of “RTF” and the subsequent US release of the single “I Don’t Need No Doctor”, Humble Pie sent themselves into an even harder-edged direction. The LP “Smokin” was released in 1972 and from it came fan favourites “Thirty Days In The Hole” and “Hot N Nasty”. Although these and other tunes received some FM airplay in the states, it was the band’s constant touring in support of the album that drove it to be their biggest selling album ever.
The early 70’s saw numerous Rock bands touring the States, all vying for American fans and dollars. Notable among them were Led Zeppelin, the Stones, and The Who. But Humble Pie, known as a consistantly great live act, held their own, selling out arenas coast-to-coast. In a recent interview Greg commented on the times, “We were a little army, primed for battle.”
The band's R&B roots and influences began to emerge more in the group’s studio work. 1973’s release of “Eat It” illustrates this, as one of the four sides was dedicated strictly to established R&B covers. The other three consisted of original material, covers and a live set captured in Glasgow, Scotland. The addition of The Blackberries (Clydie King, Venessa Fields and Billy Barnum), a trio of former Ike-ettes, also signaled the change in musical direction.
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