Peter Frampton changed the business of music forever in 1976 when he released his wildly successful double live album; Frampton Comes Alive.  In Wayne’s World 2, Wayne Campbell acknowledged the album’s status among rock fans when he said, “Everybody in the world has Frampton Comes Alive. If you lived in the suburbs you were issued it”. 

Three hit singles were released from the album Baby, I Love Your Way, Do You Feel Like We Do and Show Me the Way. The Do You Feel Like We Do single version was edited down from the 14 minute album version to 7 minutes and was almost twice the length of the average hit single and one of the longest ever to make the top 40.

Although the album came out 36 years ago, there is, as Paul Harvey would say, the rest of the story.  The iconic guitar (a distinctive black 1954 custom Gibson Les Paul electric guitar with three humbucking pickups as opposed to the usual two) became lost in 1980 when a cargo plane carrying Frampton’s gear crashed while flying to Panama.  All of the instruments were thought to be destroyed.

While the details are still a bit murky; somehow the guitar has been found on the Dutch island of Curacao by two fans with the assistance of the Curacao Tourist Board.  The Gibson Guitar Company has verified that the guitar is indeed the real deal.

“I am still in a state of shock, first off, that the guitar even exists, let alone that it has been returned to me,” Frampton said in a statement. “I know I have my guitar back, but I will never forget the lives that were lost in this crash. I am so thankful for the efforts of those who made this possible … And, now that it is back I am going insure it for 2 million dollars and it’s never going out of my sight again! It was always my #1 guitar and it will be reinstated there as soon as possible — some minor repairs are needed.”