Frampton Comes Alive! (on NPR)

April 28, 2016 5:01 AM

Peter Frampton performs a Tiny Desk Concert on NPR for 17 minute of pure joy.
posted by schmod (16 comments total)

What was the other song he played?

I kid, I kid. Thanks for posting, can't wait to watch!
posted by nevercalm at 5:38 AM on April 28, 2016

"Is that Peter fucking Frampton?"

edit: Hah, that's the top voted comment on youtube.
posted by DigDoug at 6:22 AM on April 28, 2016

Talkbox or GTFO.

Seriously, that was quite beautiful. I really don't know Frampton beyond the radio hits I've been hearing since the 1970s. He's a really sweet guitarist and seems to be an all-around happy, joyful dude.

It's nice when rock stars age gracefully.
posted by bondcliff at 6:26 AM on April 28, 2016 [4 favorites]

I heard there was a lot of behind-the-scenes drama and Frampton won't be coming back. Something about Dina Temple-Raston wrecking his pig, Nina Totenberg stealing his orchestra, and Robert Siegel eating from his cooler.
posted by entropicamericana at 6:29 AM on April 28, 2016 [7 favorites]

His voice, unlike his hair, hasn't changed a bit in 40 years. And even if he hasn't been on the charts, he's been happily playing music all this time.

He also has the guitar from the cover of his most famous album back. It was lost in 1980 in somewhat suspicious circumstances but returned in 2012.
posted by tommasz at 7:09 AM on April 28, 2016 [3 favorites]

I really don't know Frampton beyond ... The Simpsons.
Apparently, he has a thing for inflatable pigs.
posted by Mezentian at 7:16 AM on April 28, 2016

Man that was sweet. It's good to see him clearly enjoy the performance, and the music is still fresh for all it took me back. Thanks for linking it!
posted by Gelatin at 7:20 AM on April 28, 2016

Frampton left the Herd, a Beatles clone boy band, to make some serious badass boogie with Humble Pie. Because he's a pretty bastard, he's underestimated but he's actually quite the rocker.
posted by jonmc at 8:10 AM on April 28, 2016 [3 favorites]

Seconding jonmc. To me, Frampton is that guy from Humble Pie who also happened to have a successful live solo album. Humble Pie rocked hard.
posted by rocket88 at 8:49 AM on April 28, 2016

In addition to the Simpsons, I also know about Peter Frampton from:

Wayne's World 2!

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.

Mitch Hedberg!

I did a movie with Peter Frampton. He's a musical genius, but I don't listen to his stuff. So I had to continuously try to draw attention away from the fact. "Hey Peter Frampton! Do you like toast too!? Yes, as do I, it is warm and crispy... and the perfect place for jelly to lay. Now stay the fuck away from me Frampton, I ain't got shit to say to you!"

Mitch Hedberg! Again!

I had a small scene in a movie with Peter Frampton. And we had to smoke pot for our scene - but it was fake pot! Do not buy pot on a movie set. But I got to smoke fake pot with Peter Frampton, that's a cool story. It's as cool as smoking real pot with a guy who looks like Peter Frampton... I've done that way more.

My dad!

As I've mentioned before, my dad is a very enthusiastic 1970s arena rock fan. Frampton Comes Alive was repurchased during every format change of my lifetime. He definitely had the double cassette version, and had to buy a new cassette holder box to accommodate that and a few other double-cased tapes (eg, Jesus Christ Superstar). He is now the proud owner of Peter Frampton: Live in Detroit, a show he saw in real time from his excellent season ticket holder seats, on both DVD and Blu-ray.

I have emailed him a link. I expect a voicemail in 3-5 days time that will let me know which of his buddies also enjoyed it.

posted by palindromic at 8:58 AM on April 28, 2016

My favorite part is how the whole audience (apparently unprompted) joined in for the chorus of "Baby, I Love Your Way"
posted by schmod at 10:53 AM on April 28, 2016 [1 favorite]

Welp. Back to 1975 I go! This was terrific and a nice warm up as I'm off to see Leo Kottke tonight.
posted by CincyBlues at 11:00 AM on April 28, 2016

+1

Frampton is so The Man. He *does not* phone it in. See a show if you can. About five years ago, I scored a coupla seats at a local medium sized venue - ALL the way in back. One of his guys saw us visibly enjoying ourselves and said, "Peter has us save a bunch of third row seats for real fans. Wanna go down?" Fuck yeah, kismet. Sure enough, in a sold out house, we and other folks from around the back were escorted to the third row. PF smiled and nodded to us, mid-tune.

He is so present, so personable, and such a great singer and musician. A *way* under-rated guitarist.
posted by j_curiouser at 11:28 AM on April 28, 2016 [6 favorites]

"I’ve learned this—it’s my little bit of wisdom: a pop star’s career lasts about eighteen months. Your fans grow into you, and then they grow out of you and they’re on to something else. But a musician’s career is a lifetime.”

Short New Yorker article on the man.
posted by BWA at 11:29 AM on April 28, 2016 [2 favorites]

Oh, he just looks so happy playing.

Tiny Desk Concerts has proven to be such a great showcase for artistry. It remains one of my favorite thing.

Tiny Desk Concerts and Live from Daryl's House
posted by Joey Michaels at 4:36 PM on April 28, 2016

I'm trying to remember if there was any invitation to sing along ... normally, we wouldn't, so I feel like there was some sign, but maybe it was just the moment. I would not put that particular manifestation of spontaneity past my people.
posted by Linda_Holmes at 3:45 AM on April 29, 2016 [2 favorites]