Peter Frampton shattered all of the world's album sales records when his double-live LP Frampton Comes Alive was released in 1976. With hits like "Do You Feel Like We Do," "Show Me The Way," "Baby I Love Your Way," and his trademark "talkbox" sound, the record sold 17 million copies. And there's a good chance that you or someone you know has the album at home right now. That kind of success is rare, and rarely easy to deal with. 

Peter Frampton had to find his way in a music business transformed by his own unprecedented success.

"Not realizing it at the time, I now see I didn't stand a chance of going back into the studio," explains Frampton in an interview with Soundcheck host John Schaefer. "'Okay, Pete, you've got three weeks to write the next album,' which is the way it used to be. It scared the crap out of me. The 80s were not a good time period for me because I stopped thinking about pleasing myself in writing a song and starting thinking about the audience. Artists can't do that."

Thirty-five years after the record's release, Frampton has been playing the original setlist from Frampton Comes Alive for the first time on his 2011-2012 tour. It was an opportunity for the musician to reflect on his lengthy career.

"I'm down to earth about everything that's ever happened to me because it's so fickle. It's here today gone tomorrow. And I'm the same as everybody else except I do something different for a living. It's funny old place to be."

Listen to the full interview, in which Frampton discusses how he dealt with the success of the album, what it's been like to perform those songs again on stage, and explain just what a "talkbox" is.

Iconic rock guitarist Peter Frampton seemed so excited to appear on Soundcheck, his eyes popped out!