Street Rats is the eighth studio album by the English rock group Humble Pie, 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 loath 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.

The album was produced by Loog Oldham and Marriott; it was recorded in Olympic Studios and Marriott's Clean Sounds studio at his home in Essex, England.

The last word on the album by Ridley: "Humble Pie were better than that, but we were not really consulted."

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.

Track listing "Street Rat" (Steve Marriott) - 2:52 (Lead Vocal: Steve) (Drums: Ian Wallace) "Rock and Roll Music" (Chuck Berry) - 2:55 (Lead Vocal: Greg) "We Can Work It Out" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 3:18 (Lead Vocal: Steve) "Scored Out" (Clem Clempson, Marriott) - 2:43 (Lead Vocal: Steve) "Road Hog" (Marriott) - 3:08 (Lead Vocal: Steve) "Rain" (Lennon, McCartney) - 3:58 (Lead Vocals: Steve and Greg) "There 'Tis" (Marriott, Clempson) - 3:06 (Lead Vocal: Steve) "Let Me Be Your Lovemaker" (Clarence Reid, Willie Clarke, Betty Wright) - 5:57 (Lead Vocal: Greg) "Countryman Stomp" (Greg Ridley, Clempson, Tim Hinkley) - 2:20 (Lead Vocal: Greg) "Drive My Car" (Lennon, McCartney) - 3:43 (Lead Vocal: Greg) "Queens and Nuns" (Clempson, Marriott, Ridley, Jerry Shirley) - 3:04 (Lead Vocal: Steve) 2010 & 2016 Japanese reissue Track 1 to 11 are Original UK mix "Street Rat" (Steve Marriott) - 2:52 (Lead Vocal: Steve) (Drums: Ian Wallace) "Rock and Roll Music" (Chuck Berry) - 2:55 (Lead Vocal: Greg) "We Can Work It Out" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 3:18 (Lead Vocal: Steve) "Scored Out" (Clem Clempson, Marriott) - 2:43 (Lead Vocal: Steve) "Road Hog" (Marriott) - 3:08 (Lead Vocal: Steve) "Rain" (Lennon, McCartney) - 5:58 (Lead Vocals: Steve and Greg) "Funky To The Bone" (Fred Gowdy, Larry Wilkins) - 3:07 "Let Me Be Your Lovemaker" (Clarence Reid, Willie Clarke, Betty Wright) - 5:57 (Lead Vocal: Greg) "Countryman Stomp" (Greg Ridley, Clempson, Tim Hinkley) - 2:20 (Lead Vocal: Greg) "Drive My Car" (Lennon, McCartney) - 3:43 (Lead Vocal: Greg) "Queens and Nuns" (Clempson, Marriott, Ridley, Jerry Shirley) - 3:04 (Lead Vocal: Steve) "Big Black Dog" (Humble Pie) – 4:05 (bonus track for CD release) "Mister Ring" (G. Ridley) – 4:24 (bonus track for CD release) "The Outcrowd" (G. Ridley) – 2:51 (bonus track for CD release) "I Don't Need No Doctor (Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson, Jo Armstead) (Single Version From Performance Rockin' the Fillmore" – 3:58 (bonus track for CD release)

Personnel Humble Pie Steve Marriott – guitar, harmonica, keyboards, vocals, producer Clem Clempson – guitar, slide guitar Greg Ridley – bass guitar, vocals Jerry Shirley – all drums except on "Street Rat"

Additional personnel Mel Collins – saxophones Tim Hinkley – keyboards Ian Wallace – drums on "Street Rat"

Charts Chart (1975) Peakposition

Tour +DateCityCountryVenue15 February 1975New York CityUnited StatesAcademy Of Music17 February 1975DetroitCobo Arena19 February 1975AtlantaMunicipal Auditorium21 February 1975PittsburghCivic Arena22 February 1975BostonOrpheum Theatre24 February 1975ChicagoInternational Amphitheatre25 February 1975MadisonDane County Coliseum26 February 1975St LouisKiel Auditorium28 February 1975New OrleansThe Warehouse1 March 19755 March 1975FresnoSelland Arena7 March 1975San FranciscoWinterland Arena8 March 19759 March 1975SacramentoSacramento Convention Centre12 March 1975CharlestonCharleston Civic Centre13 March 1975LouisvilleLouisville Gardens14 March 1975SalemSalem-Roanoke Valley Civic Centre15 March 1975PhiladelphiaThe Spectrum16 March 1975ColumbusVeterans Memorial Auditorium17 March 1975BuffaloKleinhans Music Hall19 March 1975DallasMunicipal Auditorium20 March 1975Baton RougeIndependence Hall21 March 1975San AntonioMunicipal Auditorium22 March 1975HoustonSam Houston Coliseum23 March 1975TulsaTulsa Fairgrounds Pavilion

References

External links Information on Humble Pie