Frampton Comes Full Circle

“This album is very autobiographical,” Frampton explained. “It starts with my birth, in which I thank Mr. Churchill for bringing my father back from the Second World War.

“I woke up one morning and I wondered what would have happened if Winston Churchill hadn’t been at the helm and the British and the Allies had not won. Would my dad have not come back? Would I be here? Probably not.”

Mr. Churchill marks a new period of hyper-creativity for Frampton, which appears to have been brought on by his Grammy win for his 2006 instrumental album Fingerprints.

“I wrote over 50 songs between Fingerprints and choosing what will be the 11 on the record,” the iconic guitarist explained. “Awards aren’t supposed to enhance one’s creative juices, but they don’t hurt. With the Grammy I feel validated as the musician that I always felt I’ve been.”

Frampton wrote all the songs on the new album with an assist from songwriter Gordon Kennedy, whom he calls “an incredible storyteller.”

The result is an interesting mix of songs, most of which convey personal anecdotes, like “Vaudeville Nanna and the Banjolele,” which the singer said is “the story of how my grandmother gave me a banjolele when I was very young which started my entire musical journey.”

Also included are some of Frampton’s personal observations about the world around him, like “Asleep at the Wheel,” which is about Megumi Yokota, a Japanese teenager kidnapped by the North Koreans in the ‘70s.

“I was watching a program on TV about Megumi’s story,” he explained. “The North Koreans were abducting children from Japan for years and years. She was on her way to school when she was 13 or 14, which is the same age as my daughter, and never heard of again.

“It is the story of the parents’ struggle between the Japanese and the North Korean government. Rumor has it that Megumi is the nanny of Kim Jong-Il’s children.”

Another notable guest on Mr. Churchill is Frampton’s son Julian, who makes his first appearance on one his father’s records this time out.

“Julian started off playing drums,” the singer said. “Then one day he played me a song on guitar and he blew me away. He’s now 21 and over the past few years, he’s become a terrific writer. He’s an amazing lyricist, great singer, and a wonderful guitarist. He inspires me.

“We’d always wanted to write something together that he could sing and we could put on an album. So we wrote two songs and it was one of the best experiences of my life.

“Chris [Kimsey] heard the demo of ‘Road to the Sun’ with Julian singing and said, ‘Who’s that?’ I told him, ‘That’s my son, Julian.’ He said, ‘He’s gotta be on the album.’ Julian’s vocal is the live vocal, it’s take one.

“During the last week of the 2009 tour in California, I said to Julian you have to come and play ‘Road to he Sun’ live. He said, ‘Me, live?’ So, he got on the bus and played his first four shows with us ever. He took to the stage like a Frampton to water! Basically the story [of ‘Road to the Sun’] is about our journey together and what we’ve been through.”

Thank You Mr. Churchill hits stores April 27. “I Want It Back,” the lead single from the album, is available now through iTunes.