The following interview with Peter Frampton expands on a conversation that first appeared in the magazine. Here Frampton comments on his biggest concert ever, desert island fantasies and how his dad turned David Bowie’s eye a different color.

What were the All Things Must Pass sessions like?

That was pretty much a major event for me. I had met George a little bit before. It was all around the time I was leaving Humble Pie, so ’71ish. Through a mutual friend I met George when he was producing Doris Troy for an album; his first production for the Apple label, basically. They each produced an act. So he stuck me on guitar the first time I met hin the studio and then called back up and said would I like to come play on some of these acoustic… cause he needed… with Phil Spector there you needed as many acoustics as you… he was the first sort of like double tracking person. If there was a piano player, you needed two piano players. It was one of those things. It was basically Jim Gordon on drums with Ringo; just looking around the room it was pretty spectacular, you know? George on acoustic; Bad Finger- the whole band, on acoustic as well. And it was either Gary Ride or um, who else was it? The Commander from Procol Harum- my buddy, Gary. Gary Brooker.

So that’s also how I sort of met Pete Drake, the pedal steel player from Nashville Skyline. That’s how I knew of him, from Bob Dylan’s record. He was obviously one of the top pedal steel players in Nashville. He got out a homemade talk-box in a slow moment and plugged it in. I didn’t know what it was at the time obviously. He plugged this pedal steel into this little wooden box, put a plastic pipe in his mouth and the thing started singing to me, talking to me. Me thinks this a good idea me thinks [laughter]. So from then on, I started looking for a talk box and found one that was already handmade so I didn’t have to make it. And that was it. So a lot came out of that period.

After the tracks were all done, George called me up. I used to say that he only got me in the studio cause I lived ‘round the corner. [laughter]. So he called me up and said, "I’m just doing some over dubbing, you know, some more acoustics… Phil wants more acoustics." So I go ‘round to Abbey Road studio and it’s just him and me, for a couple hours in the afternoon, just overdubbing on stalls in the studio where they recorded Sgt. Pepper. Over dubbing on tracks I didn’t even play on. People say, “How many tracks you play on” and I say “I don’t really know. If there’s acoustic on it, I’m probably on it.” That was it. And when they would change reels for different songs, George and I would start jamming. That has to be one of the highlights of my life, you know? Sittin’ there jamming with a Beatle. And a couple of Beatle songs as well to boot. It wasn’t just all rock and roll. Anyway, that’s basically what the sessions were like.

Did you really win Miss Penny Lane for a case of beer?

No. I think all that funny business went on after I left Humble Pie. It is rumored that those sort of things did go on, isn’t it? [laughter]. I don’t think that actual event happened, but it’s quite feasible that something along those lines did.

In your role as authenticity advisor to Almost Famous what was the most glaring error you helped to correct? Did you know Cameron Crowe during the 70s?

By the way, you sound like Cameron Crowe when you talk. I don’t think there were glaring errors at all. I think everyone was so aware of… my main thing, as well as the obvious, was to help the actors and give them as much information as possible as to what they would be doing or why they would be doing it. That’s more of what an actor needs. Why am I doing this move or would this be good here? Can I turn up the amp? All that sort of stuff. That was my job. As far as things that weren’t quite right, it was mainly the time things we were all worried about because I’ve seen so many movies, not even musicals, that are not time-sensitive whatsoever. It’s supposed to be a specific date and you see a car that didn’t come out till the next year, that sort of stuff. And that obviously goes to amplifiers, guitars as well as cars and clothes. Even drum kits. The type of skins they used. Things you probably wouldn’t have even noticed, but we just weren’t going to take a chance. We just wanted it to feel like ‘73. So it wasn’t errors, it was more just everyone checking with everyone else, “Have we got it right?” At some point, we came into one of the live things, the live setups in L.A. or was it San Diego? One of the first ones, I think it might have been San Diego, and Cameron thought that the lighting wasn’t quite what it would have been like, they hadn’t done it all. And I said, no, I agree with you. I don’t think this particular lighting setup is… What they had to do was light the stage with lights that were from the period and if they needed anymore, for cinematic purposes, those lights had to be out of shot. There was all that had to go into as well. I’m a pretty detailed oriented person, so I got into it. Put it that way. [laughter]. Very Type-A. Perfect for the job.

So after that, have you been requested to work on any other films?

Um, the scripts are just pouring in Josh, let me tell you! [more laughter]. I still can’t make up for Sgt.Pepper you see? Even though I’m in Almost Famous, they won’t let me forget Sgt. Pepper so…

Speaking of the Sgt Pepper Movie- what’s the story- were all of you on drugs or what?

[lots of laughter] No, well, yes, that, as well, as well we were all on drugs. I just think it was a god awful movie! [laughter]. There are actual people out there that when I meet them at shows or after a show, I offend them. It’s sort of like the_ Rocky Horror Picture Show_ not really. [laughter]. “I saw Sgt.Pepper 23 times” and I say I just feel sorry for you. But that’s ok! [laughter]. I’m saying this with a joking heart here, it’s just one of those things that was maybe a bad move. Aerosmith have come through it, so I really feel strongly that things are looking up for me. [laughter]

Are you familiar with Phish’s album Hampton Comes Alive? If so, what are your thoughts on it?

Yes I am. Phish seem to be on a sabbatical because the lead guitarist is out doing his own thing right?

Right. Actually, they all have little side projects that they are doing.

Do you think they’ll get back in the groove together as it were?

They will. I don’t think it will be this year, but from all indications it seems like only a matter of time. They’ll come back together when they feel the time is right, with a renewed energy. They just needed to take a break.

Especially when you do nine hour shows. You spend enough time with each other getting to the gig. On stage, we just do an hour and half, two hours. These guys are in the Bruce Springsteen league. I was honored at the dig on Frampton Comes Alive. Especially by them since they have such a wide audience. The Dead of the day as it were. They seem to be real good musicians. I have not seen them live yet, but it’s something that’s on the cards.
What role, if any, do you think you played in the current jamband scene? After all, people originally thought you were crazy when you released a song longer than 5 minutes.

Well, I think that everyone, all the bands at the time, were doing jam songs. From the Allman Brothers to the English bands. I mean even Humble Pie did one song, “Doctor,” that was pretty long as well. You didn’t really in those days… I think it was because radio was in its infancy and we had FM radio then which was for playing albums. It wasn’t for playing the cut, the suggested cut. And artists didn’t really see the necessity for… we had this great format where the radio stations pull all the tracks off the album or any one of them. Not a lot of singles… we were not single-orientated in that period as much as you were before or after. Especially in the 80’s it came back to big singles again.

Comes Alive, everyone thinks that the hits were number one, but they weren’t. “Show Me The Way” was number seven or something and “Baby I Love Your Way” I don’t think got into the top ten. But the album was number one. I don’t think that would follow today, you know? It would have to be ‘round the other way almost. FM radio was so different. You were at the hands of the DJ. Obviously the program director put the slant on the station, but as far as DJ’s playing what they wanted, they pretty much could. Unless you were the local top 40 FM station and they would play the edited version of the single.

Do you think your string of popular hits ever distracted people from recognizing you as the gifted guitarist that you are? Did it distract you?

I think a little bit of both. I know this going to sound weird, but it would have been nice to just have a platinum record and not a multi-platinum record because right at this point people are going, “Yeah, sure he, means it…” Yeah, it’s very nice that Comes Alive did what it did and I would be a fool to say I don’t appreciate it, but I think in the natural course of events it was very out of character with the build in my career. It just took off. It would have better to have just a smaller record [laughter] overall and one could have built on that rather than what tends to happen with something like that. It becomes overkill and it’s very difficult to follow. It’s almost like that’s it. I mean Michael Jackson is obviously still incredibly popular, but Thriller was it. That did it right there for him and he’s been trying to… or people think that he’s trying to do that again every time he releases a record. And it seems everyone I can think of that have had these gigantic records, apart from Eagles- of course they never do anything wrong [laughter]- I’m a huge fan- but it seems in most cases when most people have these huge sellers it almost becomes like the Rubix Cube, you go away afterwards. People don’t want the next cube, you know?

So yes, the success of Comes Alive definitely distracted from the musicianship and put me into that sort of celebrity-teenie-bopper area as opposed to a musician which sort of happened over night. Up until that point, it was the reverse. It was on my musical reputation more than anything else. We were building quite nicely on that area. So that confused the audience and especially the cover of I’m In You really confused the audience; it confused me too. It was just too poppy. I really wasn’t that. Yes, I’ve written pop songs, but as you know, I span a whole different selection of music as well.

And yes, the guitar playing forgotten about. That wasn’t what people thought when you said “Peter Frampton.” You said, “Comes Alive, big record.” For me, that was upsetting. I started playing because I wanted to play guitar, not to make money and get girls as John Lennon said. I wanted to be the best guitarist in the world which is what drives you. It was a distraction for me at that point and very confusing to know where to go after that.

You’ve appeared on Drew Carey’s Back to School Rock ‘N’ roll Comedy Hour and (in animated form) on Family Guy as well the Simpsons. Any plans for more appearances on TV series?

If and when I get the offers and it’s something I want to do, I would love to do it. The Simpsons was obviously, what an honor to be amongst a selected few that have been on that show which is great. It’s still one of the best written shows on T.V. That was great. Comedy things are fine with me because I do like to poke fun at myself. Don’t take myself too seriously. So yeah, love to do more. I’ll be waiting by the mailbox after this issue comes out. [laughter].

What’s the weirdest thing you ever did with a talkbox?

Hmmm, I can’t really think of anything. I tell you what they used to do in the 70’s. There was a different sort of outlook on general living. It wasn’t Evian and gyms as it is, working out as it is now on the road. And golf of course. Golf, Evian and gym. [laughter]. It was more sex, drinks, drugs, more sex, drink, drugs. That sort of repetitive thing. No, I’m joking… In those days, instead of cleaning my talkbox every night, the crew, before I would play it would just take a bottle of Courvoisier or Remy Martin and just put the tube in the top and that would clean it off. [laughter]. So I guess that’s what started me on the brandies. That was the way we used to clean it.
Can you Come Alive a third time?

I don’t think so. [much laughter]. I really don’t think so. I don’t think I want to come alive again [more laughter]. I think I’m quite happy at the level of alive I am. It’s very good for me. I’m living. Any day above ground is a good day, that sort of stuff.

If I do any more live material, it will be a while. I’ve done enough live stuff for six people’s careers. The DVD was the last thing I really appreciated live that we did. We had to put a single CD to go out with it for whatever cross promotional, I don’t know… not many people had the DVD’s at the time. So it made it look like we had Peter Frampton Comes Alive 17 at this point. When that one came out I just wanted the DVD because it was a great opportunity to have something out because the footage from the 70’s is really cheesey. It’s not great, didn’t keep well. It was a great idea, I thought, to finally get it. If you weren’t there back then, we still play just as good if not better. It was a great way to capture some of the older material live, visually, in excellent quality. And get a couple of new things in there as well.

What is the coolest venue or gig you ever played at?

The most amazing gig we ever did was JFK Stadium in Philadelphia which I played twice. It was then the biggest stadium. 95,000 supposedly paid and apparently another 15,000 were there that I was told didn’t pay. Of course, the money went else where. I think it was ‘76 and ’77. Before the live album. Yeah, the first one was Yes and myself and we did over 100,000 there. It was amazing. And the following year I did it again when the _I’m In You_ record came out and I think it was just 95,000. [laughter]. But it was full. A sellout in ‘76… we had done some stadiums, but that was like two stadiums at once. It was pretty phenomenal because it takes a while for the applause to get back to you because it’s so huge. Very disconcerting, but the adrenaline I had I would have to say was at it’s highest for any gig possible. So that was pretty intense.

If you were an alien sent to catalogue earth’s species, how would you describe the human race?

I don’t know, pushy? [laughter] Very pushy. Let’s go to another question.

Did you and your old friend David Bowie ever rough each other up when you were younger? If so, who won? If not, who do you think would win?

Of course I would win. Absolutely. No, we didn’t. He was 3 years ahead of me in school and so… so I was 11 or 12 and he was 14 or 15. I mean 12 to 15, at the point, might as well be 25 years. The common ground was the music, but at the social level it wasn’t; we weren’t as close till later. We used to hang out and just play at school, just bring our guitars to school.

I didn’t rough house with David, but he did get into an altercation with his best buddy, who was also a friend of mine, George Underwood, who turned his eye a different color. I remember when that happened actually. David took George’s girlfriend out behind his back, that was all. Nothing big. And that was it. George came and smacked him one. I think it was at school. I remember hearing that David Jones had been taken to the hospital and they had to wash his eye or something, I don’t know, because he had taken it to the eye. And my dad who was David and George’s art teacher, also taught boxing on the side after school. So he taught George how to hit too. So my dad took responsibility for the whole event. So the reason David’s eye is a different color is because of my dad. Anyway…

Any plans to work together again? I know you worked on the Glass Spider album and did that tour.

Never know with David. He’ll come out of the blue somewhere and have a great idea. I’m always there for him. So if he ever wanted to do anything else, that would be great. I’ve always been a huge fan ever since I was… I looked up to him ever since I saw him playing in the school band. I would love to, always love to.

Desert island: What guitar player is there?

It has to be Django Reinhart the Belgium jazz player. He does have a couple of guitars right? So he can jam? Or is just the one guitar?

Just you two and there’s a couple of guitars there.

That would be it. That would be my dream. Don’t know what he’s like as a person, so I hope it’s a big desert island. I can have my side and he can have his just in case we don’t get along. And I’ll brush up on my French so when I get to the island I can say “Bonjour Django. [laughter] We’ll be jamming later.”
You’ve done a tremendous amount of charity work. Any more planned?

There’s always things in the works. Whenever it’s something for children, whether it be in this country or worldwide, that’s basically what I’ve done. I started off working with pediatric AIDS and it’s just sort of developed from there really. I’ve often wanted to work, someday, with UNICEF as well. Whenever we can, always there to do a show or sign something, whatever it takes. A silent auction for people. Those things help tremendously, so always involved with that.

How humble was Humble Pie? I mean you were 19 and a rock star…

We were all… I left just before Rocking the Fillmore came out and did not enjoy the success, the record’s success, with them. They’d moved on and I’d moved on. We were pretty much your regular English rock band come over to rape and pillage. [laughter] Not me though, the other three. [more laughter]. It was a great time to be in a band and touring. We were still making the rules up as we went along. These are the days you would fly… we couldn’t afford a bus. In those days it was cheaper to fly to the gigs commercially. But your road crew would be down on the tarmac giving the loading guy like fifty bucks to put all the band gear on. And we’d fly the equipment as well. That doesn’t happen anymore. It always surprises me that more planes didn’t go down due to too many Marshall cabinets loaded. [laughter] I just remember we had no cases, no cases for anything, the drums were in those fiber cases. It was a fun time, it really was. You could do things then that you couldn’t do now. Interesting.

What has eluded you that you still want? Grammy?

Oh yes, I’ve been nominated a couple of times, most recently a year or two ago for an instrumental. Yeah, that would be nice, but it’s not really a big thing with me. If I get one, it would be nice. The thing that had eluded me so far and it’s my own doing is that I’ve been talking about doing an instrumental record, for years now. Got a slue of people who I’ve asked along the way if they’d make a cameo appearance on it. So that is something that has eluded me, though it won’t be much longer. This record we’re doing now is the first record in the new studio in the new house here and so now I’ve got it. It’s the first time I can write the song, record the song and mix the song in the same place. We went the whole way, so I’m self-sufficient in making records. So now it’s not a matter of if, but when. After we get this record this finish, as well as going out this year, we’ll come out in January, the first quarter and probably do another major city tour next year. The next thing after that will be Pete’s at home busy in the bunker. He’s back in the bunker! Send food quick! And he’s doing his instrumental record. So that’s what I’ll be doing I’m sure.

Have you ever serenaded your wife with “Baby I Love Your Way?”

No, we tend to have a nix on the “Baby I Love Your Way” at home. I’m very appreciative of the wonderful value… [laughter] the wonderful value that a song like “Baby I Love Your Way” has to a person’s career, especially the person who wrote it, but it’s something… it’s getting a little hard to play. “Show Me The Way” I think we’re going to maybe rock that up a bit [more laughter]. I did that with Foo Fighters when we ended up on Letterman at the same time. I was playing in the band with Paul [Shaffer] and the guys. So we were doing my numbers into the commercial. Well, after the Foo Fighters did their new song off the last record, they wanted to play “Show Me The Way” with me. So both bands going into commercial did “Show Me The Way.” And we did the heavy metal Foo Fighting version of “Show Me The Way.” They came to Nashville and they invited me up to jam with them. We did “Show Me The Way” live, sharing the vocals with Dave [Grohl]. That was a heavier version and it kicked, so I’ve thinking of doing a Foo Fighting version of “Show Me The Way” this tour, just a little heavier.

If Humble Pie actually were a variety of pie what type of pie would it be?

It would be… um… let’s see. I’m trying to think of a pie that is diametrically opposed halfway through the middle. Something that is completely one thing, then it’s something else. Help me, help me….

I’m think of meringue…

No, that’s too scquiggey. [laughter]. I think it would be spotted dick which is an English pie. It’s not a dessert pie, it’s like um… I believe it has sausage in it. It’s an old English recipe, spotted dick.

Spotted dick?

Yes.

And it’s a kind of breakfast pie?

Mmmm, no. I should look it up, mum would know. Such a great name that I think that’s what it would be. [laughter].

Some of our younger readers (Junior Jammers) are big fans of your work with Tigger. Any future plans to collaborate?

No, not at the moment. If Disney calls, I’m there. How could you not be? Having been through the Disney thing myself and all my kids, they’re great people to work with. They go the extra mile with everything. I had a great experience working with them and would love to do something else for them.

What do you think of moe. guitarist Chuck Garvey’s talk-box technique? Never heard of moe.?

I’ve heard of them. I wish I’d heard it now. I’ll check that out.

I saw a documentary called Black Man’s Land about the Mau Mau revolution that took place in Kenya. You did an amazing, haunting soundtrack to it. How’d you get involved and is it possible to get that music on disc anywhere?

The music is not available anywhere. I have the old, old two track that I did. A mutual friend of the people that were making the movie as well as me, a photographer, asked me if I would be interested in meeting with these people. This must have been ‘69, ’70, round about then. I think I had just joined Humble Pie, about the Town and Country, round then. "It’s a documentary about Africa and we’d like to see if you like it." So I saw it and thought it was great. Just the fact, to do my first film score as it were… there was no budget, so it had to be done at home with two tape recorders and sound-on-sound. It was pretty low-fi. My buddy from The Heard, Andy Bowm, helped me out, played some organ on it for me which is in a lot of the little pieces there. That’s how I got involved in it. Never even published music. I never thought anything would happen with it at all and then I realized it did do… it was on PBS quite a bit. Over the years, it’s been seen quite a bit. It was so interesting to see… it was the first little insight that I had got into how the Englishmen has to go to another country and build himself houses as if he is just outside Brighton, you know, in England and virtually have no respect for the people whose land they were stealing. It goes on and on and on, all the different stories of the different countries who have done that. It was definitely insightful for me because I wasn’t quite aware at point, I was about 19 and it was a big eye opener to me. I really enjoyed working on it a lot too. Maybe one day… I still got the two track in storage. That’s a good idea, I could probably just put it out on the website or something.

It’s great. I mean it’s a pretty heavy subject and your score just works. Not bad for the first time.

Thank you. We knew we couldn’t do a full band situation because we wouldn’t have been able to afford to pay everybody. So it had to just be me, basically, on most of it and ask a favor.