Peter Frampton is one of the great classic rock success stories, a musical prodigy who took the chance to leave the comfort of a successful band and strike out on his own. That solo career took a while to rev up, at least until the live album Frampton Comes Alive! in 1976 made him a superstar and brought attention to the wonderful work he’d been doing all along. Frampton didn’t have a ton of success on the singles charts outside that halcyon period surrounding that massive live album. Hence, unless you’re a devoted fan, some of these killer songs might have escaped your attention.
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1. “Alright” (from Wind of Change, 1972)
Frampton was just 22 when he released his debut solo album, yet he had already enjoyed success with Humble Pie and had established himself as a session man for some of the biggest acts in rock and roll. On the closing song from that debut, entitled Wind of Change, some big names with a connection to the biggest band of all helped out. Ringo Starr plays drums on the track, while official Friends of Beatles Klaus Voorman (bass) and Billy Preston (keyboards) are also on board. Listening to this red-hot track, you almost wish they had managed to collaborate on a whole album instead of just this single song. The instrumental peaks are thrilling, and Frampton is right at home in the center of it all.
2. “I Got My Eyes on You” (from Frampton’s Camel, 1973)
For his second album, Frampton settled on a steadier backing band, instead of relying on different session men throughout the record. The resulting chemistry showed right off the bat with the opening song on Frampton’s Camel. This is also a record where Frampton was clearly influenced by the funk sounds that were so prevalent at that time. Stevie Wonder’s Talking Book album seems to have had a major pull, considering that Frampton does an excellent cover of “I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)” on the record, and that the clavinet, played by the multitalented Frampton and sprinkled liberally through “I Got My Eyes on You,” was such a big part of Wonder’s sound as well. In any case, the groove Frampton and friends conjure here make this a love song with more grit than the average valentine.
3. “Apple of Your Eye” (from Frampton, 1974)
Frampton’s style changed ever-so-subtly as the ‘70s progressed, and as he gravitated toward a tighter, more melodic rock foundation by the Frampton album. The album was a largely DIY affair, as Frampton played all the instruments except for the bass, provided by Andy Brown, and the drums, by John Siomos. A few of the songs off the album (“Baby, I Love Your Way” and “Show Me the Way”) would become showstoppers and massive hit singles the following year when they were included on Frampton Comes Alive! a year later. It feels like “Apple of Your Eye” could have enjoyed that same success if it had received equal exposure. The studio version is quite fine, though, showing Frampton’s tunefulness and the natural yearning quality in his vocals.
4. “Won’t You Be My Friend” (from I’m in You, 1977)
Frampton struck while the iron was hot with following the breakout success of the live album. His next studio album, I’m in You, went to No. 2 on the album charts, and the sultry title track reached the same spot on the singles charts. Big stars like Mick Jagger and Stevie Wonder guested on the record as well. For this track, Frampton went back to two styles that he had somewhat abandoned: the funk grooves and elongated running times (over eight minutes) of his earliest records. As long as “Won’t You Be My Friend” may be, the groove never quits. No wonder Will Smith and company sampled it for “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” Frampton says he feels bloody fantastic at the start of the song; he could just as well have been describing the track itself.
5. “It’s a Sad Affair” (from Where I Should Be, 1979)
Frampton’s commercial peak was short-lived. His reputation suffered from his involvement in the film flop Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and a bad car accident in 1978 also slowed his momentum. When he returned with Where I Should Be in 1979, the hype was largely gone. The album is a somewhat muted affair, but it showcases a different side of Frampton on the closing track. He’s in full soul-man mode on “It’s a Sad Affair,” lamenting a spent relationship amid strings, Tower of Power horns, and female backing vocals, and he absolutely slays it. One can’t help but wonder if the struggles in his career also didn’t filter into the performance, both in terms of the vocal and the stunner of a guitar solo.
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