After touring the US and Europe for two years, he left Humble Pie as the group was gaining popularity because of disdain for Marriott's hard living lifestyle and screaming boogie rock direction. Aside from his work with Humble Pie, other recordings of this era that feature Frampton include albums by Harry Nilsson, Jerry Lee Lewis, and George Harrison. His solo debut was 1972's Wind of Change, which did not fare well on the charts though receiving critical praise. It also featured appearances by musicians such as Ringo Starr and Mick Jones.
Two more efforts by Frampton also struggled commercially, one released under the moniker Frampton's Camel. Constant touring began to create awareness of his talents, however, and 1974's Frampton LP went gold. It also peaked #32 on the Billboard 200 chart in the U.S., showing his growing international appeal.
He finally gained lasting international fame by 1976 when his much-loved live album, Frampton Comes Alive! was released. Having built up his reputation on the road, the LP debuted at No. 1 on the charts in January 1976. It was long considered the best-selling live album of all time, moving over 16 million copies worldwide.
In 1978, Peter suffered a near fatal car crash in the Bahamas, which left him with a concussion, muscle damage and broken bones. But in 1979, he released the album 'Where I Should Be', which went gold and produced the hit 'I Can't Stand It No More'.
His extensive use of the Talk Box effect was and still is an integral part of the Peter Frampton experience.
His albums never regained the high chart placements of the 70's era but he has continued his musical career none the less. Among the gimmicks he's employed to maintain interest have been releasing Frampton Comes Alive II, as well as joining Ringo Starr's touring revue, recording two CDs with ex-Stone Bill Wyman and unsucessfully attempting to reunite with Steve Marriott before his death in 1991. Other notable occasions include starring with the Bee Gees in a film version of The Beatles Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album and playing with David Bowie on his Never Let Me Down album and tour.
In 2006, Frampton released Fingerprints, a completely instrumental guitar showcase album.
In 2013, two of the ballet’s spring production segments were choreographed to Frampton and his band. A third section featured these new compositions. As Frampton says about the experience: “Writing for dance was a wonderfully freeing experience, There were no boundaries…Songwriters and musicians create music to move people. This was beautiful, graceful, and instantly gratifying!”
“The Promenade’s Retreat” features Frampton laying down some light picking. The verses are few, so we don’t get all that much singing, though Frampton’s voice is very distinctive. There is an easy backbeat provided by drummer Chad Cromwell and Frampton manages his trills, pulls-offs and clean intricate leading.
The title track is a poppy acoustic guitar number. Frampton sings at the high end of his range, we get very Beatlesque sing-able choruses, a tickle of Dobro guitar slide in the bridge, and harmony vocals from Gordon Kennedy. Erik Darken’s congas keep everything slipping along as Frampton leads on top of the concoction, showing his mastery on acoustic as much as he ever has on electric.
“The One in 901” is the first real rock mover and probably the heaviest. There is a chunky Chad Cromwell drumming and Frampton double octave riffing. Over the top, he delivers slightly distorted simple yet effective leads. We even hear some softly sung “ooh’s” before the break out at the end.
“Heart To My Chest” is a delicate tune. Frampton offers up his acoustic yet again for the main voicing and some poignant lyric, his voice breaking even slightly on top of it all. When Blair Master’s piano, Gordon Kennedy’s bass and Cromwell’s drums come in for the choruses, we are in latter-day John Lennon-sounding territory. This tune features guitar and piano descending lines at its end with Frampton offering up clean leads over it. This is the best tune here.
A shuffling mid-tempo beat pushes “Norman Wisdom.” Frampton leads all over the tune on acoustic, offering a fun lyric and Steely Dan-like backing vocals from Kennedy and Frampton. Hummingbird In A Box: Songs For A Ballet is clean, simple, not overly stylized playing from Peter Frampton. The songs are strong enough to stand on their own, ballet or not. We get another example of what Peter Frampton is capable of after five decades.
Peter now resides in Cincinnati, Ohio and can still be found playing concerts around the world.
From The Underworld
Peter Frampton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Darkness, we were returning
Towards the morning light
Almost in reach of places I knew
Escaping the ghosts of Yesterday
You were behind me following
Closely
I heard you whisper in my ear
"If you should turn now,
All that you won
Will vanish just like a passing dream.
Just on the very verge of the
Morning, daylight was dawning,
Freedom was but a step away
Now with the deep dark river
Behind us,
What could go wrong if I stayed
Strong in mind.
What was the sudden lapse into
Madness, what was the urge that
Turned my head around to look at you?
What was the stubborn will
To destroy the love and the joy
I nearly held?
Three times the thunder roared
In my ears
In all of my years I'll see that lost
Look in your eyes.
As, with a sigh like smoke in the wind
You slipped from my grasp into
The waiting shadows
So much I longed to say,
But my touch found only the
Empty air and a black nights
Coldness.
Into another world you entered
And never again I can reclaim you.
The lyrics of "From The Underworld" by Peter Frampton convey a story of two people traveling together towards the morning light, leaving behind the darkness and ghosts of their past. They are almost in reach of places the singer knows, and freedom seems to be just a step away as they cross a deep dark river. However, there is a sense of foreboding in the lyrics, as the singer's companion warns him not to look back, warning that all that he has won will vanish like a passing dream. But the singer cannot resist the urge to turn around and look, and in that moment, the love and joy he nearly held slips away into the waiting shadows.
The song suggests that the singer's companion represents a part of his past that he needs to leave behind in order to find his freedom and move forward. The warning not to turn around symbolizes the danger of getting stuck in the past, unable to let go of what is no longer serving us. The sense of loss and regret in the final verse underscores the pain of realizing that some things can never be reclaimed once they are lost.
Line by Line Meaning
Out of the land of shadows and Darkness, we were returning Towards the morning light Almost in reach of places I knew
We were leaving a dark and somber place to go towards a new day. We were close to arriving at familiar destinations.
Escaping the ghosts of Yesterday You were behind me following Closely 'Don't turn around now'
We were running away from the past and our troubles. You were close behind me, cautioning me not to look back.
I heard you whisper in my ear 'If you should turn now, All that you won Will vanish just like a passing dream.
You warned me that looking back would make me lose everything I had gained, similar to how a dream fades away.
Just on the very verge of the Morning, daylight was dawning, Freedom was but a step away Now with the deep dark river Behind us,
We were almost at the end of our journey where freedom awaited us. The river was behind us, symbolizing us leaving our troubles.
What could go wrong if I stayed Strong in mind. What was the sudden lapse into Madness, what was the urge that Turned my head around to look at you?
I wondered what could go wrong if I stayed focused. I suddenly looked back, questioning why I had done so.
What was the stubborn will To destroy the love and the joy I nearly held? Three times the thunder roared In my ears
I didn't understand why I wanted to ruin the happiness and love we almost had. My thoughts were interrupted by three loud sounds.
In all of my years I'll see that lost Look in your eyes. As, with a sigh like smoke in the wind You slipped from my grasp into The waiting shadows
I'll never forget the look in your eyes as you disappeared into the shadows like smoke in the wind.
So much I longed to say, But my touch found only the Empty air and a black nights Coldness.
I wanted to say so much to you, but I was left with emptiness, darkness, and coldness instead.
Into another world you entered And never again I can reclaim you.
You entered a new world, and I can never have you back again.
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: HOWARD BLAIKLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
67psych3
Epic psychedelic pop from the BEST year for music 1967.
Harry Konrad
@David Hey Wie recht du hast!
David Hey
1967..... Just before we all became so damn cynical.
mike young
Still brilliant all these year on. 1967 was a great year and like many I wish I could return to life back then.
Gaynor Price
I know what u mean !!xx
Robert Langley
Me to
Gwen Mabey
I agree with you.
Sandy Fretwell
try and grt up a 60s night at a pub or somewhere its great
Keith Naylor
From the greatest year in pop music there will ever be: 1967.
I want to relive it so much!
Eamonn Byrne
but we are reliving it over and over...its at our fingertips....makes my days...