In the early stages of Peter Frampton’s solo journey, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts from the Rolling Stones saw potential in him as a potential band member.
However, in a discussion with Steven Rosen, Frampton clarified that he never stepped up to audition. He elaborated:
“Nope, I never did. Actually, it was my bassist, John Regan, who tried out for the Stones after Bill’s departure. At that time, I had just released the ‘Frampton’ album, and it was gaining substantial traction nationwide.”
Speaking of this album, he remarked:
“It was a significant stepping stone for me. Before ‘Comes Alive’ was released, it had already sold around 350,000 copies, equivalent to the combined sales of all my previous solo albums.”
Reflecting on his decision to leave Humble Pie, he said:
“Driving into Manhattan, I felt optimistic. I started believing that leaving Humble Pie wasn’t an error on my part. Especially when I had earlier doubts, especially seeing ‘Rockin’ The Fillmore’ soar in the charts.”
After ‘Frampton Comes Alive’ became a hit in the ’70s, a bare-chested image of Frampton, clicked by Francesco Scavullo, adorned Rolling Stone’s cover. Years down the line, Frampton admitted he regretted this decision, as it led to skepticism about his authenticity as an artist.
In an interview in 2022 with Classic Rock, he shared:
“Suddenly, I found myself disliked by men but adored by women. It felt like a déjà vu from my time with The Herd. It was maddening because I had no say over my appearance. Many presumed my success was because of my looks. But in reality, I earned my spot with my guitar skills. That wasn’t the narrative I wanted.”
Nevertheless, the ex-Humble Pie guitarist continued to produce solo tracks and, in 1977, came out with ‘I’m In You’. Interestingly, this album was recorded in the same studio as Mick Jagger’s.
On an occasion, Frampton inquired Jagger about why they didn’t pick him even though he was shortlisted. To which, Jagger expressed they believed Frampton was already on the path to success.
