Frampton Comes Alive! is a double
live albumA live album – commonly contrasted with a studio album – is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances. Live albums may be recorded at a single concert, or combine recordings made at multiple concerts...
by
Peter FramptonPeter Kenneth Frampton is a British/American musician, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd, among others. In 1982 Frampton tried unsuccessfully to split his ties with A&M Records; however, he re-signed with the label in...
released in 1976, and one of the best-selling live albums in the United States. Following four solo albums with little commercial success,
Frampton Comes Alive! was a breakthrough for the artist.
Released on January 6, 1976, it debuted on the charts at 191. The album reached number one on the
Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling new music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
the week ending April 10, 1976, and was in the top spot for a total of 10 weeks.
Frampton Comes Alive! is a double
live albumA live album – commonly contrasted with a studio album – is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances. Live albums may be recorded at a single concert, or combine recordings made at multiple concerts...
by
Peter FramptonPeter Kenneth Frampton is a British/American musician, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd, among others. In 1982 Frampton tried unsuccessfully to split his ties with A&M Records; however, he re-signed with the label in...
released in 1976, and one of the best-selling live albums in the United States. Following four solo albums with little commercial success,
Frampton Comes Alive! was a breakthrough for the artist.
Released on January 6, 1976, it debuted on the charts at 191. The album reached number one on the
Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling new music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
the week ending April 10, 1976, and was in the top spot for a total of 10 weeks. It was the best-selling album of 1976, selling over 6 million copies in the U.S. and became one of the best-selling live albums to date.
Frampton Comes Alive! was voted "Album of the year" in the 1976
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason.The magazine was named after the 1948 Muddy Waters song of the same...
readers poll. It stayed on the chart for 97 weeks and was still #14 on
Billboards 1977 year-end album chart. It remains the second best selling live album in the U.S. behind Garth BrooksTroyal Garth Brooks is an American country music artist. His eponymous first album was released in 1989; it peaked at #2 in the US country album chart and reached #13 on the Billboard 200 pop album chart...
' 1998 album Double Live.
The most recognizable songs from the album are "
Show Me the Way"Show Me the Way" is a song written by Peter Frampton, which was originally released on his 1975 album Frampton and as a single, but gained its highest popularity as a song from his 1976 live album Frampton Comes Alive!...
", "
Baby, I Love Your Way"Baby, I Love Your Way" is a song written and performed by singer Peter Frampton that was first featured on his 1975 album, Frampton.A live version of the song was later released on his 1976 multi-platinum album Frampton Comes Alive!, where it gained popularity as a hit song, peaking at #12 on the...
", and "
Do You Feel Like We Do"Do You Feel Like We Do" is a song by Peter Frampton originally on the Frampton's Camel album released in 1973. The song became one of the highlights of his live performance in following years...
", all of which were released as singles, and continue to receive much airplay on
classic rockClassic rock was originally conceived as a radio station programming format which evolved from the album oriented rock format in the early-1980s...
radio stations.
In January 2001, a "25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition" of the album was released, containing four additional tracks that were not included on the original version. The track sequence is also slightly different. Frampton produced the completely remixed and extended album, and played an impromptu live performance with the original band from the album at Tower Records in Los Angeles to help promote the release.
Background and recording
The album was recorded in 1975, primarily at Winterland in
San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California and the 12th most populous city in the United States, with a 2008 estimated population of 808,976. It is the eighth most densely populated city in the U.S. and is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the larger San...
and the
Long Island ArenaLong Island Arena was a 4,000-seat indoor arena in Commack, New York from 1959 until 1996. The Long Island Ducks of the Eastern Hockey League called the Arena home from 1959 until the league folded in 1973, one year after the New York Islanders came into existence, and were a popular team in the...
in
Commack, New YorkCommack is a census-designated place that roughly corresponds to the hamlet by the same name in the towns of Huntington and Smithtown in Suffolk County, New York, United States on Long Island...
. The album was recorded by a mobile recording studio on a 1-inch
8-trackMultitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole. This is the most common method of recording popular music...
master tape recorder. Modern studios at that time typically utilized 2-inch 16 or 24 track recorders. The relatively primitive technology kept production costs low. Frampton played a glossy black Gibson
Les PaulLester William Polsfuss — known as Les Paul — was an American jazz and country guitarist, songwriter and inventor. He was a pioneer in the development of the solid-body electric guitar which "made the sound of rock and roll possible"...
electric guitar on the album.Frampton's Les Paul "Black Beauty" guitar was fitted with three humbucking pickups (as opposed to the usual two pickups found on most Gibson Les Pauls). This model has since been renamed the "Frampton".
On the DVD special features for "Live in Detroit", Frampton commented that some difficulty was encountered in the mixing after the cord to the bass drum mic got pulled, accidentally, causing the mic to face at a 90-degree angle from the drum head.
The double album was released in the U.S. with a list price of $7.98, only $1.00 more than the standard $6.98 of most single-disc albums in 1976.
Side one
- "Something's Happening" – 5:41
- "Doobie Wah" (Frampton, John Headley-Down, Rick Wills) – 5:28
- "Show Me the Way
"Show Me the Way" is a song written by Peter Frampton, which was originally released on his 1975 album Frampton and as a single, but gained its highest popularity as a song from his 1976 live album Frampton Comes Alive!...
" – 4:42
- "It's a Plain Shame" – 4:21
Side two
- "All I Want to Be (Is by Your Side)" – 3:27
- "Wind of Change" – 2:47
- "Baby, I Love Your Way
"Baby, I Love Your Way" is a song written and performed by singer Peter Frampton that was first featured on his 1975 album, Frampton.A live version of the song was later released on his 1976 multi-platinum album Frampton Comes Alive!, where it gained popularity as a hit song, peaking at #12 on the...
" – 4:43
- "I Wanna Go to the Sun" – 7:02
Side three
- "Penny for Your Thoughts" – 1:23
- "(I'll Give You) Money" – 5:39
- "Shine On
"Shine On" was a single released in 1971 by English rock outfit Humble Pie, one of the first supergroups of the 1960s. The song was written by Peter Frampton formerly of The Herd and was released by A&M Records...
" – 3:35
- "Jumping Jack Flash
"Jumpin' Jack Flash" is a song by English rock and roll band The Rolling Stones, released as a single in 1968. Called "supernatural Delta blues by way of Swinging London" by Rolling Stone, the song is seen as the band's return to their blues roots after the psychedelia of their preceding albums...
" (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) – 7:45
Side four
- "Lines on My Face" – 7:06
- "Do You Feel Like We Do
"Do You Feel Like We Do" is a song by Peter Frampton originally on the Frampton's Camel album released in 1973. The song became one of the highlights of his live performance in following years...
?" (Frampton, Mick Gallagher, John Siomos, Rick Wills) – 14:15
Disc one
- "Introduction/Something's Happening" – 5:56
- Originally titled "Baby (Somethin's Happening)" on Frampton's 1974 album Somethin's Happening
Somethin's Happening is an album released by Peter Frampton in 1974. It reached #125 on the Billboard 200 album chart.- Background :Following the release of Frampton's Camel, Mick Gallagher chose to leave the group...
- "Doobie Wah" (Frampton, Rick Wills
Rick Wills is a British bass guitarist. He is best known as the longtime bassist with Foreigner.-Biography:...
, John Headley-Down) – 5:43
- "Lines on My Face" – 6:59
- "Show Me the Way
"Show Me the Way" is a song written by Peter Frampton, which was originally released on his 1975 album Frampton and as a single, but gained its highest popularity as a song from his 1976 live album Frampton Comes Alive!...
" – 4:32
- "It's a Plain Shame" – 4:03
- "Wind of Change" – 2:57
- "Just the Time of Year" – 4:21
- Available only on the 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
- "Penny for Your Thoughts" – 1:34
- "All I Want to Be (Is By Your Side)" – 3:08
- "Baby, I Love Your Way
"Baby, I Love Your Way" is a song written and performed by singer Peter Frampton that was first featured on his 1975 album, Frampton.A live version of the song was later released on his 1976 multi-platinum album Frampton Comes Alive!, where it gained popularity as a hit song, peaking at #12 on the...
" – 4:41
- "I Want to Go to the Sun" – 7:15
Disc two
- "Nowhere's Too Far (For My Baby)" – 4:49
- "(I'll Give You) Money" – 5:46
- "Do You Feel Like We Do
"Do You Feel Like We Do" is a song by Peter Frampton originally on the Frampton's Camel album released in 1973. The song became one of the highlights of his live performance in following years...
" (Frampton, Mick Gallagher, John Siomos, Wills) – 13:46
- SUNY
The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the world, with a total enrollment of 438,361 students, plus 1.1 million...
-Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, NY, November 22, 1975
- "Shine On" – 3:29
- "White Sugar" – 4:43
- "Jumpin' Jack Flash
"Jumpin' Jack Flash" is a song by English rock and roll band The Rolling Stones, released as a single in 1968. Called "supernatural Delta blues by way of Swinging London" by Rolling Stone, the song is seen as the band's return to their blues roots after the psychedelia of their preceding albums...
" (Mick JaggerSir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is a Golden Globe and Grammy Award winning English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, occasional film producer and actor, best known for his work as lead vocalist and frontman of The Rolling Stones.The Rolling Stones started in the early 1960s as a...
, Keith RichardsKeith Richards is an English guitarist, songwriter, singer, record producer and a founding member of The Rolling Stones. As a guitarist, Richards is mostly known for his innovative rhythm playing. In 2003 he was ranked 10th on Rolling Stone magazine's "Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists of...
) – 7:40
- "Day's Dawning/Closing" – 3:34
Personnel
- Peter Frampton
Peter Kenneth Frampton is a British/American musician, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd, among others. In 1982 Frampton tried unsuccessfully to split his ties with A&M Records; however, he re-signed with the label in...
– guitarThe guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that adapts readily to a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four-, seven-, eight-, ten-, eleven-, twelve-, thirteen- and eighteen-string guitars also exist. The size and shape of the neck and the base of the guitar...
s, bass guitarThe electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
, keyboards, talk boxA talk box is an effects device that allows a musician to modify the sound of a musical instrument. The musician controls the modification by lip syncing, or by changing the shape of their mouth...
, vocals
- Bob Mayo
Bob "Bobby" Mayo was a session keyboardist and guitarist, perhaps best known for his work with Peter Frampton....
– guitars, keyboards, Hammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ which was invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s, it became a standard...
, synthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument that is capable of producing a variety of sounds by generating and combining signals of different frequencies...
, pianoThe piano is a musical instrument which is played by means of a keyboard. Widely used in Western music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, Fender Rhodes, vocals
- Stanley Sheldon
Stanley Sheldon is a bass guitar player best known for his work with Peter Frampton. His first recorded work with Frampton was the wildly successful live album Frampton Comes Alive!in 1976. He played on subsequent Frampton albums, I'm in You, and Where I Should Be...
– bass guitar, vocals
- Alan Spenner - bass on "Show Me the Way" and "Do You Feel Like We Do"
- John Siomos – drums
A drum set is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person . The term "drum kit" first became used in the 1700s in Britain...
, percussion
Album
| Year |
Chart |
Position |
| 1976 |
Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling new music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
|
1 |
| 1976 |
UK Album chart |
6 |
Singles
| Year |
Single |
Chart |
Position |
| 1976 |
"Baby, I Love Your Way "Baby, I Love Your Way" is a song written and performed by singer Peter Frampton that was first featured on his 1975 album, Frampton.A live version of the song was later released on his 1976 multi-platinum album Frampton Comes Alive!, where it gained popularity as a hit song, peaking at #12 on the...
" |
US Pop Singles |
12 |
| 1976 |
"Baby, I Love Your Way "Baby, I Love Your Way" is a song written and performed by singer Peter Frampton that was first featured on his 1975 album, Frampton.A live version of the song was later released on his 1976 multi-platinum album Frampton Comes Alive!, where it gained popularity as a hit song, peaking at #12 on the...
" |
UK Pop Singles |
43 |
| 1976 |
"Do You Feel Like We Do "Do You Feel Like We Do" is a song by Peter Frampton originally on the Frampton's Camel album released in 1973. The song became one of the highlights of his live performance in following years...
" |
US Pop Singles |
10 |
| 1976 |
"Do You Feel Like We Do "Do You Feel Like We Do" is a song by Peter Frampton originally on the Frampton's Camel album released in 1973. The song became one of the highlights of his live performance in following years...
" |
UK Pop Singles |
39 |
| 1976 |
"Show Me the Way "Show Me the Way" is a song written by Peter Frampton, which was originally released on his 1975 album Frampton and as a single, but gained its highest popularity as a song from his 1976 live album Frampton Comes Alive!...
" |
US Pop Singles |
6 |
| 1976 |
"Show Me the Way "Show Me the Way" is a song written by Peter Frampton, which was originally released on his 1975 album Frampton and as a single, but gained its highest popularity as a song from his 1976 live album Frampton Comes Alive!...
" |
UK Pop Singles |
10 |
Certifications
| Organization |
Level |
Date |
| RIAA – USA |
Gold |
February 27, 1976 |
| RIAA – USA |
Platinum |
April 8, 1976 |
| BPI – UK |
Gold |
September 1, 1976 |
| RIAA – USA |
6x Platinum |
November 14, 1984 |
In popular culture
In
Wayne's World 2Wayne's World 2 is a 1993 comedy film starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as hosts of a cable access television show from Aurora, Illinois. The movie was adapted from a sketch on NBC's Saturday Night Live and is the sequel to Wayne's World....
, Wayne Campbell alludes to the album's popularity by saying, "Everybody in the world has Frampton Comes Alive
. If you lived in the suburbs you were issued it. It came in the mail with samples of Tide."
Jam band PhishPhish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, exploration of music across genres, and devoted fan base. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983, the band's four members performed together for over 20 years until an official breakup in...
referenced the record with their live album
Hampton Comes AliveHampton Comes Alive is a six-disc live album by the jam band Phish, released November 23, 1999. It consists of two full live concerts recorded on November 20-21 1998 at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia. The album title is a play on Peter Frampton's classic Frampton Comes Alive!...
, recorded at the Hampton ColiseumLocated in Hampton, Virginia, the Hampton Coliseum, commonly referred to as "the mothership" or "cosmic cupcake" due to its unique architecture, is a multi-use facility owned by the City of Hampton. It is used to host concerts, and is a regular stop on the World Wrestling Entertainment tour...
in Hampton, VirginiaHampton is an independent city in Virginia, and therefore not part of any Virginia county. One of the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads, it is on the southeast end of the Virginia Peninsula, bordering on Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay....
.
In the cold open to the Malcolm in the MiddleMalcolm in the Middle is an American comedy television series created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...
episode Jury Duty
, Hal discovers one of his figurines and his copy of Frampton Comes Alive
both broken and buried in the backyard, which leads to a full-on excavation of what his sons broke and hid from him.
In Arrested DevelopmentArrested Development is an American television sitcom created by Mitchell Hurwitz for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show is centered around the Bluths, a formerly wealthy, habitually dysfunctional family and is presented in a pseudo-documentary format, incorporating hand-held camera work,...
, G.O.B. releases a duet album recorded with his puppet, Franklin, entitled "Franklin Comes Alive".
In the Stewie Loves Lois"Stewie Loves Lois" is the first episode of season five of Family Guy. It was released as Season 6 in the DVD collection, although it was release as Vol. 5 in the USA. The episode first aired on September 10, 2006. Guest stars on the show were Alec Sulkin and Danny Smith...
episode of
Family GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television sitcom, created by Seth MacFarlane, for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family which consists of Peter, Lois, Meg, Chris, Stewie, and their pet dog Brian...
,
Peter GriffinPeter Löwenbräu Griffin is a fictional character, and the protagonist of the FOX animated comedy series Family Guy. Peter is the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is married to Lois, and is the father of Meg, Chris, and Stewie...
referenced the record; "You know what else was a Monster? Frampton Comes Alive '76. Is there anyone you knew that didn't have that album? Didn't think so."
The song "Third Track Main Camera Four Minutes" from British band,
Half Man Half BiscuitHalf Man Half Biscuit, often "HMHB", is a UK rock band from Birkenhead, active since the mid-1980s, known for satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs. The group is Nigel Blackwell , Neil Crossley , Ken Hancock , and Carl Henry...
's 2000 album, "
Trouble Over BridgwaterTrouble Over Bridgwater is the eighth album by UK rock band Half Man Half Biscuit, released in 2000. The title is a play on words, based on the Simon & Garfunkel classic, "Bridge Over Troubled Water". Bridgwater is a town in Somerset, UK.-Track listing:...
" contains the lyric "If ever an album title was in dire need of an exclamation mark, it surely had to be Frampton Comes Alive!"