The J. Geils Band | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Worcester, Massachusetts, United States |
Genres | Rock, blues rock (early), new wave (late) |
Years active | 1968–1985, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2009–2015 |
Labels | Atlantic, EMI America |
Website | www |
Past members |
J. Geils (deceased) Stephen Bladd Magic Dick Danny Klein Seth Justman Peter Wolf |
The J. Geils Band /ˌdʒeɪ ˈɡaɪlz/ was an American rock band formed in 1968, in Worcester, Massachusetts, under the leadership of guitarist John "J." Geils. The other band members included vocalist Peter Wolf, harmonica player Richard "Magic Dick" Salwitz, drummer Stephen Bladd, vocalist/keyboardist Seth Justman and bassist Danny Klein. Wolf and Justman served as principal songwriters. The band played R&B-influenced blues rock during the 1970s and soon achieved commercial success before moving towards a more radio-friendly sound in the early 1980s, which brought the band to its commercial peak. After Wolf left the band in 1983 to pursue a solo career, the band released one more album in 1984 with Justman on lead vocals before breaking up in 1985. Beginning in 1999, the band had several reunions prior to the death of its namesake founder J. Geils on April 11, 2017.
The band first released several Top 40 singles in the early 1970s, including a cover of the song "Lookin' for a Love" by The Valentinos (which reached #39 in the Billboard Top 100 in 1972), as well as the single "Give It to Me" (which reached #30 in 1973). Their biggest hits included "Must of Got Lost" (which reached #12 in the Billboard Top 100 in 1975), "Come Back" (which reached #32 in 1980), "Love Stinks" (which reached #38 in 1980 and was featured in several films), "Freeze-Frame" (which reached #4 in the Billboard Top 200 in 1981), and "Centerfold" (which reached #1 in the United States in early 1982).