British guitar giant Peter Frampton has announced the release of a new album, ‘Carry The Light’, due for release on 16 May. This will be Frampton’s first album of originals in sixteen years, produced and partially written by his son, Julian.
In announcing the album, Frampton released the single ‘Buried Treasure’. The track is a tribute to Frampton’s friend Tom Petty, and honours him in a Heartbreakers-esque style, showcasing a relaxed and rootsy sound. The track itself is named after Petty’s radio show on SiriusXM. Petty’s drummer, Benmont Tench, is featured on the track, giving it its loose rock n’ roll feel.
The album has been announced to contain contributions from several other artists. These include Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, Sheryl Crow and former Miles Davis Band saxophonist Bill Evans. “The ‘Carry the Light’ album is the first new music from me in 16 years. It was one of my most enjoyable projects ever. I got to work with my son Julian—writing and producing together. A first of many for us I’m sure,” the guitarist and songwriter said.
Frampton at age 75 has had a lengthy career, playing in many legendary rock bands and having a successful solo output. Having helped pioneer psychedelic rock in The Herd, he broke off from the group to form Humble Pie with singer Steve Marriott. He left that band in 1971 to begin his solo career, releasing his debut solo album ‘Wind of Change’ the following year.
However, it wasn’t until his live album, 1976’s huge ‘Frampton Comes Alive!’ that the guitarist really found mainstream success. Featuring hits like the acoustic ballad ‘Baby, I Love Your Way’, which became a hit over a decade later with a reggae cover by Big Mountain, the album skyrocketed to number 1 in the US Billboard 200. While he never reached that level of chart popularity again, he continued releasing albums, his last fully original release being 2010’s ‘Thank You Mr. Churchill’. The album was well received critically but performed poorly commercially.
The album’s engineer, Chuck Ainlay, speaking of the record, said that “this may be the best album Peter’s ever made… the songs are just so poignant, and his voice has matured in a way that really delivers what he’s trying to get across.” Ainlay is a notable figure within the classic rock world, having worked alongside guitar legends like Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits.
In recent years, despite releasing no original music, Frampton has not been inactive. He contributed to Dolly Parton’s 2023 solo album, ‘Rockstar’, alongside other rock icons like Bon Jovi’s Richie Sambora, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx. In 2024, he was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
