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.
How Long Is Forever
Peter Frampton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where we go to be free
Free is the only way we should be
Now that we hear
Watching the years disappear
How long is forever?
How long do we have to love like this?
Gone are the days
That taught us how
To find the way that brought us to now
Now that we're here
Watching the years disappear
How long is forever?
I wonder how long it is
How long do we have to love like this?
How long is forever?
I wonder how long it is
How long do we have to love like this?
All the time in the world will do
All I'm asking from you
How long is forever?
How long does it go on?
My heart won't shut down now
How long is forever?
I wonder how long it is
How long do we have to love like this?
Ooh, ooh, ooh
These lyrics from Peter Frampton’s song, “How Long is Forever” seem to be about the concept of love being a place where individuals go to find freedom, and that this freedom is an essential element to love. The chorus repeats the question, “how long is forever?” suggesting an exploration of the limits of a love that is truly free. The lyrics bring to light that our search for the way to love and live has brought us here, and while watching the years disappear, the question of how long we will continue to love in this manner remains.
The lines, “gone are the days that taught us how to find the way that brought us to now” may suggest that we are no longer confident in how to navigate our lives, and in particular, our love lives without the constraints imposed by society. Frampton seems to suggest that the freedom we seek in love may require a level of courage, as we are unsure of the limits or the length of time that we can love with such freedom. Overall, these lyrics speak of the beauty of love and its freedom, but also the uncertainty that arises when we try to understand the limits of such a love.
Line by Line Meaning
Love is a place
Love is a location, a destination where one can go
Where we go to be free
Love grants one freedom, and people seek love to feel free from worldly troubles
Free is the only way we should be
Freedom is a necessary condition for a fulfilled life, and love is the pathway to experience freedom
Now that we hear
At this moment, in the present, we are listening and understanding what love means to us
Watching the years disappear
As we experience love, time seems to fade away, and our focus is only on the moment
How long is forever?
Forever is a concept that is beyond human comprehension, and one wonders how long love will last
I wonder how long it is
The singer is curious and uncertain about the duration of love
How long do we have to love like this?
The singer is asking about the duration of loving someone in this way, with such intensity and depth
Gone are the days
The past is gone, and things that once mattered no longer hold any significance
That taught us how
The past has been useful in teaching us valuable lessons about love and relationships
To find the way that brought us to now
The past experiences have led the singer to the present moment, and he is grateful for the journey
All the time in the world will do
The singer is willing to spend an infinite amount of time with his beloved
All I'm asking from you
The singer is only requesting love and companionship from his partner
How long does it go on?
The singer is questioning the longevity of love once again, expressing an uncertainty about the future
My heart won't shut down now
The singer's heart is full of love, and he cannot imagine shutting it down or turning it off
Ooh, ooh, ooh
This is a vocalization indicating the singer's emotional intensity while pondering the meaning of love
Contributed by Matthew W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
mari
Genial! Grande músico! Obrigada Patty.
Ruth Tibau
Maravilhoso .... Sempre
Braden massey
Absolutely love it❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Giorno'sMusic 🎧
Wonderful! ⚘🍂
Another Believer En
Still a great musician & songwriter! Love you!
Eliana Oncken
For me ... forever is infinite ... so I say that I will love him forever
Eliana Oncken
I LOVE HIM and I LOVE THIS HIT
LadyLake Music
The finest man ever!! Big love Peter from the chick who was a painting 🌈☮💜💛✨
Adriana Sayar
Patricia! You´re always surprising us! How wonderful this song is! Peter is soooo great!
Leila Horta
Love him so much...