The J. Geils Band | |
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | The J. Geils Blues Band |
| Origin | Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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| Years active |
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| Labels | Atlantic,EMI America |
| Past members | J. Geils(aka John Geils) Stephen Jo Bladd Magic Dick Danny Klein Seth Justman Peter Wolf |
| Website | jgeilsband |
The J. Geils Band/ˈɡaɪlz/ (formerly known asThe J. Geils Blues Band) was an Americanrock band formed in 1967, inWorcester, Massachusetts, under the leadership of guitaristJohn "J." Geils.[1] The original band members included vocalistPeter Wolf, harmonica, trumpet, and saxophone playerRichard "Magic Dick" Salwitz, drummer Stephen Bladd, vocalist/keyboardistSeth Justman, and bassistDanny Klein. Wolf and Justman served as principal songwriters. The band playedR&B-influencedblues rock during the 1970s,[2] and achieved commercial success before moving toward a more mainstreamnew wave sound in the early 1980s, which brought the band to its commercial peak.[3]
They performed a mix of cover songs of classic blues and R&B songs, along with original compositions written primarily by Wolf and Justman, as well as some group compositions written under the pseudonymous nameJuke Joint Jimmy. After Wolf left the band in 1983 to pursue a solo career, the band released one more album in 1984 with Justman and Bladd on lead vocals, before breaking up in 1985.[4] Beginning in 1999, the band had several reunions until the death of its namesake, J. Geils, on April 11, 2017.
The band first released severalTop 40 singles in the early 1970s, including a cover of the song "Lookin' For A Love" byThe Valentinos (which reached No. 39 on theBillboard Hot 100 in 1972), as well as the single "Give It to Me" (No. 30 in 1973). Their biggest hits included "Must of Got Lost" (No. 12 in 1975), "Come Back" (No. 32 in 1980), "Love Stinks" (which reached No. 38 in 1980 and was featured in several films), "Centerfold" (No. 1 in 1982), and "Freeze-Frame" (No. 4 in 1982).
The band started in the mid-1960s while John Geils was attendingWorcester Polytechnic Institute for a couple of semesters after transferring fromNortheastern University in Boston (where he lived in "The Playboy Room" of the Gamma Phi Kappa fraternity). Originally namedSnoopy and the Sopwith Camels, the group was anacousticblues trio with Geils on guitar, bassistDanny Klein ("Dr. Funk"), andharmonica player Richard Salwitz ("Magic Dick").
In 1968, the band switched focus, going electric and recruiting two fellow musicians fromBoston band The Hallucinations, drummer Stephen Jo Bladd and vocalist Peter Blankfield, a fast-talking formerWBCNdisc jockey with theair namePeter Wolf.[5] Initial influences includedJames Cotton andLittle Walter – in a 2008 interview, harmonica star Magic Dick said they were all "harp freaks".[6]
They became The J. Geils Blues Band, later dropping the word "Blues" from the band name. FanSeth Justman joined on keyboards and the band started to earn a sizable following in the Boston area.[7]
The band took its time carefully considering various offers of contracts. Unofficial live recordings circulated: as noted inCreem, "WBCN had the infamous J. Geils 'bathroom tapes' (that were almost exactly what the name implies) and a tape of their performance at Alternate Media Conference at Goddard College, but these hardly sufficed" to fans who wanted a proper album.[8] The group ultimately signed toAtlantic Records in 1970.
After spending the better part of 1970 playing live shows around the US opening for artists as eclectic asB. B. King,Johnny Winter,The Allman Brothers, andThe Byrds,[9] The J. Geils Band recorded their debut LPThe J. Geils Band in August 1970 in A&R Studios in New York City. It was released in November. The band started to get airplay with release of their first single, a rock-cover ofThe Contours' Motown hit, "First I Look at the Purse", and the band got moreAM radio airplay with a series of several successful singles in the early 1970s. The first one was a cover version ofThe Valentinos' "Lookin' for a Love", which appeared on their second albumThe Morning After and was their Top 40 debut in 1972 (at No. 39 on the Billboard chart). The album was released in October 1971.[citation needed] In April 1972, Atlantic staff producerMichael Cuscuna enlisted the J. Geils Band to record two tracks behindBuddy Guy, "This Old Fool" and "Honeydripper"; these songs were included on the albumBuddy Guy & Junior Wells Play the Blues, issued in August 1972.[citation needed]
Through constant touring, the band built a large following in the US for their energetic live shows,[7] with the charismatic stage-antics and "microphone-stand-pole-vaulting"[10] of singer Peter Wolf, as well as its innovative use of theharmonica.[citation needed] Harmonicalinks.com later called Magic Dick "a pioneer in sound and style for rock harmonica."[11]AllMusic described their 1970s period as a band "pure and simple, churning out greasy covers of obscure R&B,doo wop, andsoul tunes, while cutting them with a healthy dose ofStonesy swagger."[7] On August 17, 1971, at a show on theBoston Common,The Allman Brothers Band named The J. Geils Band as its favorite local band.[12] Both bands later played the last show at theFillmore East prior to the venue's closing.
The J. Geils Band's third albumFull House, recorded in April 1972 at the Cinderella Ballroom inDetroit and released that September, showcased their live appeal. Although the members all hailed from Boston, the band had always considered Detroit its second home because of its enormous popularity there.[13] Part of their second live album (Blow Your Face Out, 1976), and all of their third (Showtime!, 1982), would also be recorded in Detroit.
After the release of their first two albums and keeping a busy show schedule, it was The J. Geils Band's third studio albumBloodshot that would be the first commercial breakthrough for the band, reaching No. 10 on theBillboard 200 album charts in the United States in 1973 and spawning the single "Give It to Me", which went to No. 30 in theBillboard charts following the album's release in 1973. The original U.S. copies ofBloodshot were distributed in red vinyl instead of the customary black, with matching red 1950s styleAtlantic Records labels. The band would continue to use these vintage-style Atlantic labels, in different colors with each album release, throughout their remaining tenure with the label. Seeking to seize on this commercial success, the band released their following albumLadies Invited in November of that same year, which debuted at No. 51 but did not match the commercial success ofBloodshot. After spending the early part of 1974 on the road with an active touring schedule, the band went back into the studio and recorded their fifth studio albumNightmares...and Other Tales from the Vinyl Jungle, which yielded a big hit single, the Justman/Wolf composition "Must of Got Lost", which reached No. 12 on the Billboard Top 100 in early 1975. Later that year, the band started playing arenas across the US with a variety of artists includingthe Rolling Stones,Peter Frampton, andRod Stewart.[9] After their initial commercial success and with constant touring, the group seemed destined to be nothing more than a party band until the release ofMonkey Island (1977). The group left Atlantic Records and signed toEMI America forSanctuary (1978), which charted at No. 49 on theBillboard 200 and spun off a sizable hit single in "One Last Kiss" (No. 35 on theBillboard Hot 100).
The group hit their commercial peak and achieved mainstream success in the early 1980s, first with the humorousLove Stinks which was released in January 1980 and yielded two Top 40 singles, the song "Come Back", which peaked at No. 32 on the Billboard chart, and the title track "Love Stinks", which went to No. 38. "Love Stinks" remained a staple in FM radio in the 1980s and was showcased in the 1998 hit filmThe Wedding Singer, in which Robbie Hart, depressed after being jilted at the altar by his fiance, sings it in an obnoxiously loud growl and exhorts guests at a wedding reception to join in. It also appeared on the film's soundtrackThe Wedding Singer Volume 2, also released in 1998. The band spent the better part of 1980 touring the US, Europe as well as touring Japan for the first time.[14] The band followed up the success ofLove Stinks with their hit albumFreeze Frame, which reached No. 1 in early 1982 for four weeks. The first single "Centerfold" which hit No. 1 for six weeks on theBillboard Hot 100 "Centerfold" also became their first major hit single in the United Kingdom, where it reached No. 3 in February 1982. The title-cut "Freeze Frame" peaked at No. 4 in April 1982. The flip side of "Freeze Frame", "Flamethrower" received airplay on Urban contemporary radio, notably in Metro Detroit, reached number 25 on the Billboard soul chart, and peaked at 12 on U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play. The song also received airplay on rock and Top 40 stations. The third and final single released from the album "Angel in Blue" peaked at No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band's videos for "Centerfold" and "Freeze Frame" were in heavy rotation onMTV, which also contributed to the album's success. During 1982, the band was frequently selling out arenas around the US, including a month-long tour withU2 as their support act in March of that year.[14] The band also undertook a two-month tour of Europe playing withthe Rolling Stones from June and July of that year as well.[14] The band followed up on the international success ofFreeze Frame with the release of another live album,Showtime!, which contained their No. 24 live hit cover of "I Do", originally a 1965 hit byThe Marvelows, which the J. Geils Band had previously covered onMonkey Island.
Wolf left the group in 1983 over disagreements on the group's musical direction. In 2016, Wolf offered the following recollection of the disagreements within the group that led to his departure: "I did not leave the band, but the majority of the band wanted to move in another direction.[...] They wanted to continue in a pop-techno way, [and] it wasn't my thing."[15]
The band went on to record one more album of new material,You're Gettin' Even While I'm Gettin' Odd. Justman and Bladd took over lead vocal duties in Wolf's absence; both of them had previously sung backup and the occasional joint lead with Wolf. The album produced the single "Concealed Weapons", written by Seth and Paul Justman, which reached No. 63 on the Billboard Hot 100. The group disbanded in 1985 after contributing the title song to the horror filmFright Night.
The group reunited with Wolf in 1999 for a 13-date tour of the East Coast and upper Midwest.Rollins Band drummerSim Cain sat in on drums for this tour, which also saw the band supported by backup singers Andricka Hall and Catherine Russell, as well as the Uptown Horns (who had also appeared with the group on itsFreeze Frame Tour). After the '99 reunion tour finished at that year's end, Wolf returned to touring with his own backup band.
On February 26, 2005, the band (with drummer Marty Richards) reunited at the Charles Hotel inCambridge, Massachusetts, for a charity show for theCam Neely Foundation for cancer care. On May 22, 2006, all six original members had a surprise reunion at bassist Danny Klein's 60th birthday party at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston.
On February 19, 2009, the band reunited again to perform the opening concert at the newHouse of Blues inBoston on Lansdowne Street (formerly the location of Avalon, Axis, The Embassy and The Modern), with Marty Richards on drums and Mitch Chakour supplying backup vocals. Subsequently, they played two shows on April 24 and 25 at Detroit's Fillmore Theater (formerly State Theater). They also did a second show on Lansdowne Street on April 28.[16]
On July 11, 2009, The J. Geils Band played at theBorgata Hotel/Casino inAtlantic City, NJ, selling out the Borgata's 2,000-seat event center. On December 31, 2009, the band reunited for a one-night live gig at theMohegan Sun Arena inUncasville, CT.[17]
The band played a benefit in Boston forBig Brothers/Big Sisters on January 23, 2010. On August 14, 2010, The J. Geils Band reunited once again to open forAerosmith at a sold-out show atFenway Park.[18] For their 2010 dates, the band was again supported by the Uptown Horns along with backup singers Mitch Chakour, Andricka Hall and Nichelle Tillman. Hall and Tillman toured with the band for their 2012 tour, as did the Uptown Horns, while Hall, Mitch Chakour, and Ada Dyer were the backup singers on the 2011 tour. Since this time, Wolf and Geils had also both been touring as solo artists. Danny Klein formed a new band called Danny Klein's Full House that was dedicated to playing the music of The J. Geils Band.
The J. Geils Band embarked on a short U.S. tour in August/September 2012. However, they left for the tour without J. Geils, replaced by touring guitarists Duke Levine and Kevin Barry, along with touring drummer Tom Arey. A furious Geils filed a lawsuit against the other group members over using the band's name for a tour without him. He named band members Richard Salwitz, Danny Klein, Peter Wolf and Seth Justman in the lawsuit filed in Boston Superior Court, claiming that they "planned and conspired" to continue touring without him and were unlawfully using the group's trademarked name. Geils' lawsuit was unsuccessful. Angry at his bandmates for what they did, he permanently left the band, although he admitted in an interview several years later he did not bear his bandmates any ill will, saying, "I wish them well. There is no bitterness on my part..."[19] Geils died in 2017.[20][21]
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Despite losing their eponymous leader, the J. Geils Band remained active. On May 30, 2013, they performed six songs as part of the Boston Strong concert at theTD Garden in Boston. The concert, a benefit for victims of the recentBoston Marathon bombing victims, also featured Aerosmith,James Taylor,Boston,Dropkick Murphys,New Kids on the Block,Bell Biv DeVoe,Boyz II Men,Jimmy Buffett,Carole King,Extreme andJason Aldean.
In 2013 the band was the opening act forBon Jovi in multiple locations across the United States. Beginning in the fall of 2014 and through the beginning of 2015, The J. Geils Band was the opening act forBob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band on most tour dates across North America, along with a few solo shows. Their final tour was in the summer of 2015 with their final show being played in Detroit, MI.
The band was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the years 2005, 2006, 2011, 2017, and 2018. They were not voted in on any of those attempts.[22]
Since the breakup of the band in 1985, J. Geils began restoringsports cars in Massachusetts and started the performance shop KTR European Motorsports inAyer, Massachusetts.[23] In 1992, he joined his old bandmate Richard "Magic Dick" Salwitz to form the bandBluestime, which released two records: the self-titledBluestime (1994) andLittle Car Blues (1996) onRounder Records. In 2004, Geils produced the albumNail It! for Massachusetts-based blues/rock group The Installers (Francesca Records No. 1011). He also occasionally performed live with the group. The December 2009 edition ofVintage Guitar featured an in-depth interview with Geils byMambo Sons guitaristTom Guerra. In the interview, Geils revealed his playing approach, jazz influences and choice of instruments. Geils released several jazz albums with Gerry Beaudoin.
Magic Dick contributed his harmonica playing and some vocals as part of a live recording calledCommand Performance by the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue featuring TheTommy Castro Band,Deanna Bogart,Ronnie Baker Brooks and others. Since 2007, he has toured as part of the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue on different Blues Cruises and again on land-based shows.[24] Magic Dick is still active and touring as an acoustic duo with Shun Ng. The duo released an EP "About Time".
Peter Wolf followed his time in the band with a moderately successful solo career, having six solo singles chart on the U.S.Billboard Hot 100 in the 1980s and early 1990s. He continued to release albums into the 2010s, with his most recent releaseA Cure for Loneliness being released in 2016. He toured withKid Rock during the first half of 2008 and continues to tour heavily with his solo band, the Midnight Travelers.
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'We consider Detroit our second home...Detroit embraced us in a very special way.'
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