“It sounds like someone trying to sound like someone trying to sound like Steve Marriott”: Rock legends line up to protest release of AI-assisted Humble Pie recordings

Robert Plant, David Gilmour, Peter Frampton and more have added their voices to a growing chorus of disapproval

A long list of rock star names have come forward to protest the proposed release of “new” recordings featuring AI-generated vocals from late Small Faces and Humble Pie frontman Steve Marriott. 

According to a report in Variety, Humble Pie drummer Jerry Shirley – who retains the rights to the band’s name – was sent a “new” recording of Marriott singing the Hoagy Carmichael classic Georgia On My Mind after the label proposed a revision to their agreement with him to include AI-generated versions of Humble Pie songs.

“It sounded like someone trying to sound like someone trying to sound like Steve Marriott,” Shirley tells Variety. A second recording “sounded like a not-bad soul singer, but it didn’t sound like Steve. And the backing track was just laughable.”