Show Me The Way – Peter Frampton | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#6); 1976
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Peter Frampton’s first taste of stardom came in 1967 when From The Underworld by his band, The Herd, reached the British Top 10. After two more hits, Peter moved away from teen fame toward a harder sound, forming Humble Pie with ex-Small Faces vocalist Steve Marriott.
Dissatisfaction set in again in 1971, prompting Peter to go solo. His first three albums were so-so performers, yet, the fourth gave Peter hope by earning a gold record.
Solo LP number five was ready-to-go as a single “live” album until A&M Records head Jerry Moss heard the master, and insisted that they needed to include other must-haves, such as Show Me The Way.
So, although half of Frampton Comes Alive! came from a show at San Francisco’s Winterland, Show Me The Way was recorded at the Island Music Center in Commack, Long Island. It became Frampton’s first hit single and paced sales for Comes Alive! – the best-selling live album ever.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
Lyrics Written by:
- Peter Frampton
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).