It‘s Peter Frampton

June 27, 2007

When writing about Peter Frampton, it is real tempting for music journalists to focus on a two-year window and one particular album. I am not going there. No way. For even Frampton tires of talking about those days, and really, how many times does the guy have to answer questions about making the album that defined ‘70’s rock and roll?
After all, when Frampton rolls into Interlochen on June 26 to perform, he brings with him a 43-year performance career. To say that Frampton “came alive” during that two-year window and one album, sells short a career of one of rock music’s great guitarists and vocalists.
In so many ways Frampton’s work as a guitarist has been overshadowed by that ‘70’s album. Frampton was a teen guitar virtuoso during the late ‘60’s in England. His high school band Little Ravens opened for David Bowie’s band, George and The Dragons, as both attended Bromely Technical School where Frampton’s father was head of the art department. At the age of 15 Frampton caught the ear of Rolling Stones bass player Bill Wyman, who brought Frampton into the Preachers, a band that Wyman was managing.
At 16 Frampton dropped out of school and became a teen pop idol in England as a member of the band The Herd. At age 18 in 1968, English tabloid magazines labeled him the “Face of ‘68.”

THE HARD STUFF
Frampton was dissatisfied with his status as a teen pop idol and sought to change that by forming a harder-edged rock band. He had been doing some studio work with the Small Faces, and the band was considering bringing Frampton on board when Faces guitarist Steve Marriott left, and with Frampton formed Humble Pie. However, Frampton’s tenure with Humble Pie was short-lived as artistic differences sent him off in search of a solo career.
His boyish good looks and that one album quickly returned him to rock idol status. Lost in the mix of it all were his guitar talents.
“I think people might have forgotten just how good of a guitarist Peter is. He really is one of the best of all time,” said David Bowie. “His current work, ‘Fingerprints,’ should make his guitar talents quite evident. Securing a Grammy for that album certainly goes a long way in suggesting that.”
Gibson Guitars also recognized Frampton’s guitar playing by releasing a Les Paul Peter Frampton signature model in 2000.
The album “Fingerprints” is an instrumental work that earned Frampton the 2007 Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album. Frampton is joined on the album by an all-star cast of musicians ranging from Warren Haynes and Pearl Jam members Matt Cameron and Mike McCready, along with Rolling Stones Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman, and the legendary guitarist Hank Marvin of the Shadows, which was Britain’s most popular rock band until the Beatles came around. Marvin is credited with influencing Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, George Harrison, Brian May, Mark Knopfler, Frampton and others, and is the father of the British rock guitar sound.

GOING HIGHER
“This album is about taking a trip through my influences,” said Frampton. “But I wasn’t trying to emulate the sounds of these different eras. Instead, I wanted to revisit the emotions they trigger in me. Playing with these musicians in so many different styles pushed me to raise my
personal bar higher and higher.”
He adds:
“When I got started, everyone was trying to sound like Clapton,” said Frampton. “I decided to go to the people that Clapton was emulating. Guys like Hank Marvin.”
But Frampton also had a jazzier rock guitar sound that others in his day didn’t have. While Clapton and Townshend were soaking up American blues guitarists, Frampton was being exposed to Django Reinhardt.
“My father was always playing Django albums and I couldn’t stand it at first,” said Frampton. “The music didn’t make sense to me at first. I would walk out of the room. But eventually, after repeated exposure, it started to sink in and Django became a big inspiration.”
Those who head to Interlochen will experience Frampton’s diverse musical style and technically proficient guitar work. He will perform selections from his award-winning album, but he knows what the audience is coming for.
“Sure there are times I would like to not play certain songs,” said Frampton. “But I am here because of those songs. Do I go out and play a bunch of new songs that probably a lot of people don’t know? I do play a lot of new stuff but I have to play the old ones. To be honest, I do like playing those old songs and seeing the reaction of the audience.”

BETTER LIVE
Frampton does think that the magic of the stage is sometimes better to introduce new songs to the audience.
“I know I’m better live than I am in the studio,” said Frampton. “The adrenaline kicks in and you don’t get a second chance on stage. I like to live dangerously and recording isn’t dangerous.”
Okay, I am sensing here that he is giving me this opening to ask about that ‘70’s, album but I am not going there.
After the 9/11 tragedy, Frampton sought U.S. citizenship and became a full-time citizen. He resides in Indian Hill, an affluent suburb of Cincinnati where he recorded “Fingerprints” in his basement. For the song “Blooze,” a duet with Govt. Mule and Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes, Frampton flew to New York to lay down the tracks with Haynes.
“He asked me to fly in a day early and play with the Allman Brothers at the Beacon Theater. I knew of Warren’s talents, but wow, Derek Trucks is an extraordinary guitarist,” said Frampton. “Here I was stuck in between the two of these phenomenal players. It was scary and also a great thrill at the same time. They made me an honorary Brother and told me when they play in Cincinnati, I better show up and jam with them or they would send two bikers to come and get me.”
Peter Frampton is well-respected by his guitar-playing peers. His fans are also taking note. Gone are his long, curly, golden locks from his pop idol days. His hair is short and gray - he maintains his boyish good looks, but with a sense of sophistication.
As Peter Frampton “Comes Alive” at Interlochen’s Kresge Auditorium on June 26 and you get drawn into those magical songs from that certain period in the ‘70’s from that album that remains the best-selling live album of all time with seven million copies sold, take a moment to soak up the guitar work by a player that is in the same league as Clapton, Page and Townshend.