David ‘Clem’ Clempson of Humble Pie & Colosseum Interview

David 'Clem' Clempson Interview

Feature Photo: Photo: courtesy of Clem Clempson

An Interview with David ‘Clem’ Clempson of Humble Pie and Colosseum

By Andrew Daly

The conversation regarding “Guitar Gods” usually begins with the likes of Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and of course, Eddie Van Halen. But if we dig deeper, there’s more guitar-related sweetness to discover.

The era of guitar-driven music, which for all intents and purposes was spawned in the late-60s, featured droves of vastly underappreciated players. Players who, by rights, deserved their share of the limelight. Players who helped define an era. And players whose songs, riffs, and solos are ingrained in our hearts and minds. David’ Clem’ Clempson is one of those players.

Clempson broke the scene in the late ’60s with his band, Bakerloo. And when faced with keeping to his blues-rock roots, Clempson pivoted, instead choosing to step into the great unknown by joining Colosseum, a semi-established, cult favorite, jazz-rock-fusion outfit.

The two following albums, The Grass Is Greener (1970) and Daughter of Time (1970), are pioneering records for the time and genre. While Colosseum’s initial run was short-lived, Clempson would remain on the move, and after a chance meeting with Steve Marriott, Clempson joined the stalwart blues-laden, hard rock outfit Humble Pie for a string of quintessential records in the ’70s.

Since his time in Humble Pie ended, Clempson has continued ingratiating himself into the fabric of rock, working with the likes of Cozy Powell and David Byron and, eventually, reforming Colosseum. With his late ’58 Gibson Gold Top slung over his shoulder, Clempson’s voice still reverberates through the annals of rock history. Once forgotten, but now waiting to be discovered by legions of new fans throughout new eras.

I recently dialed in with Clem Clempson for a career-spanning chat for ClassicRockHistory.com, covering everything, anything, and beyond.

David 'Clem' Clempson Interview

Photo: courtesy of Clem Clempson

What first inspired you to pick up the guitar?

I’d been playing the piano since the age of four, but after seeing the film Rock Around the Clock, I desperately wanted to get my hands on a guitar. That was quickly reinforced by the emergence of The Shadows. My influences today range from Stravinsky to Snarky Puppy.

How did you first become involved with Colosseum?

My blues trio Bakerloo played support to Colosseum at Cambridge University in 1969; shortly after, I was contacted by Jon Hiseman asking if I would be interested in joining them. Given that they were probably the most exciting live band I’d seen, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse.

How do you measure the importance of your early work with Colosseum?

I don’t know how important it was for anyone else but for me [Laughs]. It was a major milestone in my career, opening up a world where I was coming into contact with many of my musical heroes.

What led to you joining Humble Pie? How did your approach shift from playing prog to more blues-oriented music?

I felt things were getting a little stale with Colosseum; we were struggling to come up with new material and were getting bored playing the old songs. Joining Humble Pie was interesting because it was a chance to go back to what I’d been doing before Colosseum, which was blues rock. So, when I was asked by Steve Marriott to join, I didn’t hesitate.

Was it difficult stepping in for Peter Frampton? Did you feel beholden to his licks?

I simply played what came naturally to me, which happily seemed to be what was needed for the band at that point. I had a great deal of respect for Peter as a guitarist but had no interest whatsoever in trying to sound like him or anyone else.

Which Humble Pie recording or recordings mean the most to you, and why?

Making the Smokin’ album was a very exciting and enjoyable time, probably the most fun I ever had in the recording studio. We were having a ball, and everything seemed to fall into place very naturally. Plus, we had the honor of being joined by Alexis Korner and Steve Stills during the sessions.

Alexis’ participation was planned, but Steve Stills just wandered in out of the blue one evening while we were listening back to a jam that had fortunately been recorded by the engineer. He asked if it was okay to try a backing vocal idea that had just come to him, and he added a line that was such a great hook that it turned our impromptu jam into a hit single – “Hot ‘n’ Nasty.”

How did your Deep Purple audition come about? How close were you to landing the gig?

I got a call from Jon Lord, who said, “Ritchie Blackmore is leaving. Are you interested in having a play with us to see how it might work out?” We only jammed around for a couple of days, and we got along very well and had fun. The problem was they needed a prolific songwriter to replace Ritchie, and I didn’t really have any songs at all to offer.

How did Colosseum reform, and what led to it sticking? Would you say that band is closest to your heart of all your projects?

Dave Greenslade’s 50th birthday was coming up, and his wife Jan had the idea to surprise him at his party by inviting all the Colosseum gang, as we hadn’t all been together since the breakup around twenty-two years earlier. So, we all turned up and were very happy to meet up again after so long.

Meanwhile, I’d been touring Europe a lot with Jack Bruce, and many promoters had asked me about the chances of a Colosseum reunion tour. When I mentioned that to Jon Hiseman, he said he’d had the same experience whilst on tour with Paraphernalia. So, one thing led to another, and it became clear that we were all keen on the idea.

At that point, we were only thinking along the lines of a one-off tour, but we had such a good time we wanted to do it again, so we made a new studio album, Bread and Circuses, and went back on the road. Of course, after working together for so long, we became more of a family than a band, so naturally, that project is very close to my heart.

What new music are you working on? How has your approach to the guitar changed since your earlier years?

Just before the pandemic hit, I decided, along with Mark Clarke and Chris Farlowe, that the time was right to resurrect Colosseum. Then COVID-19 stopped us in our tracks. But in a way, I enjoyed having the breathing space to prepare the material for the album we wanted to make after recruiting three exceptionally talented musicians in Kim Nishikawara on saxophone, Nick Steed on keyboards, and Malcolm Mortimore on drums.

Once we had them in the band, we recorded our new album, Restoration, which I’m happy and proud to say has been received incredibly well by the Colosseum faithful and audiences in general wherever we’ve played. We toured throughout 2022, and we’ll be on the road again in ’23. Full details are available on our Colosseum Band 2023 Fan Page on Facebook and on my website, clemclempson.com.

Describe how you achieve your signature tone and vibrato.

I don’t have any particular method or secrets to how or why I sound the way I do; it’s just the sound that comes out when I play the guitar. I never thought too much about vibrato – again, I just play my way. There are one or two players whose vibrato technique seems to make their sound very individual, notably Paul Kossoff.

What guitars are you using now? Do you prefer vintage or new?

I’m fortunate to still have my 1958 Les Paul Gold Top, which I bought from a friend in 1968. It was already ten years old, and that seemed pretty ancient at the time [Laughs]. I have a few other guitars that I acquired early in my career, a couple of early ’60s Strat’s, and a couple of acoustics.

But I have some much later guitars that I enjoy playing just as much as the vintage ones, including a Custom Shop Les Paul, a couple of custom-built Strat’s, a very nice Taylor acoustic, and a great Slim-Line Telecaster that was built for me by the legendary Brinsley Schwarz.

Do current trends alter your style and technique at all?

I think my approach to playing the guitar is pretty much as it always was, but of course, I’m interested in and influenced by whatever catches my ear along the way. I’ve always been interested in finding out as much as possible regarding different styles, something that’s much easier these days than it was when I started playing in the mid-60s.

It took many months and a few pints of beer to discover the secret of Eric Clapton’s “Bluesbreakers” sound… I got a bit drunk while playing at a college ball one night and turned my amp up full just for the hell of it, and there it was [Laughs]. Up to that point, my only gigs had been at local working men’s clubs, at which any volume setting above two was strictly prohibited [Laughs].

What amps and other gear are you using?

Over the years, I’ve spent loads of money and time searching for something that gives me as much pleasure and satisfaction as a great tube amp without making so much noise. But although modern technology has brought that dream much closer, nothing has quite done it for me so far.

What’s next in all lanes? Might we see a reformed version of Humble Pie on the road again?

I don’t foresee any involvement for me in a Humble Pie reformation. I enjoyed performing with Peter Frampton, Greg Ridley, and Jerry Shirley at the memorial concert for Steve Marriott and might have been tempted to do something with that line-up, but that’s no longer on the cards. And now, I have my hands full at the moment with the new Colosseum line-up, which has been a great joy to record and perform with over the last year. So, I’m planning on a bit more of that.

Steve Marriott & David 'Clem' Clempson

Photo: courtesy of Clem Clempson

David ‘Clem’ Clempson of Humble Pie & Colosseum Interview article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2023

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