[Our English correspondent Steve Clarke granted audience was with an Peter before just his triumphal British These tour. of his thoughts. are some -Ed.]

Time really does change things. Take a listen to Peter Frampton talking back in the lean year of '73 when he'd just started work on cracking the American market:

"It's not that I'm neglecting Britain, but you really have to break America first these days. If you go out in Britain, you lose money. It's that simple. Nearly every gig I've played here has been a commercial loss. For various reasons I feel nervous about playing for a British audience, but I'd be sorry if it turned out to be financially impossible ever to do so again."

Prophetic words indeed—and wholly relevant since Frampton returns to Britain this week after a three year absence during which time he's broken

America in unprecedented style.

To think, last time he played in Britain,

supporting Uriah Heep, he picked up

around 50 pounds a gig.

The tradition of "unknown" British acts conquering the New World and returning to the Old Country victorious started back in the '60s with Cream.

1 Led Zeppelin and the Faces did it that