After 14 Yrs WITHOUT a HIT…Iconic Band FOUND This #1 Song INSIDE a DIRTY MAGAZINE!-Professor of Rock
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- The J. Geils band paid their dues for over a decade on the road. They released 9 albums and not one was a hit, 11 singles with not one MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH… By the early 80s this hard-working, well-respected band was overdue for a breakout. Then all of the sudden in 1982 they were the toast of the charts with one of the biggest hits of the year: Centerfold. But the song wasn’t without controversy. Centerfold spent six weeks at the high-water mark and it was about a dirty magazine... yet it was so catchy everyone was singing it. Hell, I even got kicked out of Church for singing it. Then the band had a second straight smash hit Freeze Frame before completely disappearing from radio! Up next the story of the mysterious The J. Geils Band and their risque hit... and what the heck happened to them next on Professor of Rock.
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Hey music junkies, Professor of Rock, always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest songs of all time. Tell you what, if you want the to learn real stories of rock and roll’s best songs from the very artists who wrote ‘em This channel is made for you… Subscribe right now below and ring the bell. Become the trivia expert… ALSO PATREON IS CALLING YOUR NAME. come be a part of our VIP section by click on patreon below. Help us keep this rock and Roll marathon going.
I’m excited to return to another one of my favorite shows that we do on this channel. It’s called Breakthrough. We haven’t done one this in a while. In this show we breakdown songs, albums or events that kicked open the door to an artist or band’s career. On previous episodes we have covered Do You Believe in Love by Huey Lewis and the News, Boys Don’t Cry by The Cure, and West End Girls by Pet Shop Boys. Today we are telling the story behind the J. Geils Band and their 1981 hit Centerfold.
The J Geils Band has quite the history…they first came together in 1968 after charismatic singer Peter Wolf and drummer Stephen Jo Bladd left their group The Hallucinations. They teamed up with a Boston-based trio called the J. Geils Blues Band named after it’s guitarist John Warren Geils Jr., known professionally as Jay Geils. The two others in the band at the time were harmonica extraordinaire Magic Dick and bassist Danny Klein. Soon after, the group dropped ‘Blues’ from its name and added keyboardist Seth Justman as well. Although it would take some persistence on his part. By the time Seth had moved to Boston, he had already been in several rock bands. His first night there he caught a show by the J. Geils crew.
Said Justman, “I really thought that if I could jam with them, they’d let me join ... so I approached Jay and asked him if I could play with the band.”However, they weren’t interested in Seth. But that didn’t stop him from calling Jay every day to see if he had changed his mind. After three months of calls, and following the band to nearly all of their gigs, they finally gave in and made Seth a permanent part of the lineup. The J. Geils Band signed with Atlantic Records in 1970 and made a name for themselves as a great live act with a blues-based sound. Their first two albums established a tough, raw R&B sound which invited comparisons to the Butterfield Blues Band. They also and got them onto the Hot 100 with the #39 single ‘Looking for a Love.’
Their third album, 1973’s Bloodshot, went gold in the US, and introduced the band to a wider audience.
Poll: What is your pick for the CATCHIEST SINGALONG of the Rock era... A Song YOU ALWAYS Have to Sing out loud?
The Saga Begins, Centerfold, We Will Rock You, Amadeus
Cheeseburger in Paradise.
Motorhead "Born to Raise Hell"
Black Water The Doobie Bros
Hey Jude
I've told this story before, and here we go again. My sisters were 8 and 9 years older than me. They were in High School while I was in Elementary school in the late 70's. I got hit with Rock, Disco, R&B, and a few other Genres at the time. Their music choices influenced mine (Styx is still one of my favorites because of sister Cindy). I was 12 when Centerfold came out, and I LOVED it. Sister Debbie and I were going somewhere in town and listening to Casey Kasum's Top 40, and Centerfold hit Number 1 that day. We turned the volume up and sang every word. The J. Geils Band came through Tallahassee, Florida in January of 1982. Debbie and Cindy took me to see them and it was a blast. All of us standing on our seats just rockin' out. It was only 6 months later we lost eldest sister Debbie to cancer, so that wonderful memory has been cherished for nearly 43 years. In June of 2022, my sister Cindy passed, and soon after The Professor did a video that included Centerfold. The memory came flooding back, and nearly 40 years after Debbie passed, still mourning Cindy's recent passing, I cold only smile and remember fondly that wonderful night in January of 1982. Well, with this video, here we go again. Thanks Professor for bringing me that joy again.
Thanks for sharing!
Oh my goodness. What a touching story connected to this video. Music is a powerful thing. I shed a few tears reading it yet at the same time felt the love you experienced with your sisters. Thanks for sharing.
Gosh, dang it! I didn't expect to be brought to happy tears in the comment section! That's a beautiful memory. I take my daughter to concerts as she is 15, and hope that one day she can reminisce about it like you do about your time with your sisters.
What a beautiful
Memory. Thank you so much for sharing it
same sorry for your loss friend i grew up with his older brothers were 7 and 9 years older than us in h.s
he had the hand me down valient box speakers they made rigged 8 track door speakers and the box of killer 8 tracks in the car and bedroom with klipsch floor cabinets he later had them restored same heresy as a working d.j. full time and part for many years his dad put those 8s in a shed ruined he was like uggh his player still worked so just gave away to another d.j.drove to school around neighborhood all those classic 70s records still laugh b.t.o. hold back the water ca chunk i gotta find time to burn
I think Peter Wolf is a genius for writing these lyrics "You love her, but she loves him, and he loves somebody else. You just can't win. And so it goes until the day you die, this thing called love is gonna make you cry" Truer words have never been spoken. In the Wedding Singer it's pure comedy gold.
Oh yes that movie is so funny.
Great song ! I introduced that song to my kids . A couple situations like that came up with his friends and he always says “love stinks”
@@timg185 It really does.
I was in that circle of love-death in HS and really appreciated those lyrics.
I basically lived "Centerfold". Growing up I was an only child for 9 years, the kids that lived right behind us were basically like my brother and sister. Their mom worked with my dad at a local factory overnight, so they stayed with me and my mom while they were at work. Basically other than school (I went to a private school and they went to public school) we were always together until we moved when I was about 8. Well, years go by and I hadn't seen them in years until I was looking through a magazine and there she was, for all the world to see. It was... Odd? My friends were going how hot she was and all I could think of was, "this is the same girl that used to annoy me and her brother always following us around, she's basically my little sister..."
Funny thing is, her aunt and uncle owned the bar I used to go to for karaoke. She and her mom were there one night and we reconnected. I told the guys sitting by me, "yeah, we used to bathe and sleep together ". They didn't believe me, and asked her. She said, "yeah, we slept together hundreds of times and countless baths". Then we told them the story, which was true although we were between 3-7 when we did that lol. But ever since then, I always think of "Centerfold " when I think of or hear from her lol
Serious?
I love this song, had it on my jukebox at home and it was always in the lineup, real 45 s miss that, some of the songs jus5 HAD to be LOUD
I like this story
@@ProfessorofRock
He doesn’t realize how creepy he is and how it oozes out of his little fantasy story.
@@carlacook5181 it was a weird thing to find out. The worst part about it is I think her being in Playboy and then working for them caused her and her brother to not speak for a long time (I still don't know if they have since) and when I think back to how close they were hurts. I can still see the three of us going to the vacant lot/wooded area at the corner of the street and collecting frogs in planters peanut jars (the factory my dad and their mom worked at was planters and he'd bring home jars upon jar of peanuts because his brother in law and father in law loved them. A few of my teachers also loved them and it was an easy way to suck up to them lol. When Planters first came out with the hot and spicy peanuts, my dad brought the little packs you could buy at convenience stores home by the garbage bag full, those got a big reaction (the only way to get them was in the little packs, the didn't can or jar them for a few years.)
Being from the Detroit area J Geils always was the last outdoor concert at our best outdoor concert music hall. They adopted Detroit as they own and we loved them. When Love Stinks and Freeze Frame hit big it was great but it made Peter want a solo thing, the Geils house party was over. Rest In Peace John Geils you gave us some great shows!! Great episode professor, Geils will always be one of my favorite bands
Pine Knob. ❤
@@marcadam8481 great days and great times!! They're dancing on the ceiling they're dancing on the floor!
And what happened to the concert hall after that?
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 it is still there and still holding the best bands, only when once this summer though
@@MyName-pl7zn which band was there this summer that you loved?
Centerfold
I knew it!
The phrasing in your intro immediately took me back to a gradeschool parking lot.
I can remember our 8th grade teacher taking his turn that day to watch the parking lot as students and vehicles dodged each other. We would often congregate in groups to chat before the bell rang. A friend had a tiny radio with the volume turned up. I can still remember his raised eyebrow as a bunch of girls were dancing and singing along to that song. Everyone knew the catchy hook, so we sang that part the loudest. He obviously knew that we were all clueless kids just vibing with a tune. 😂
You nailed it!
I also guessed correctly.
Me too. Means Im getting old…
I was in high school when Centerfold came out. ProfessorofRock, those church stories were funny 😂
Two of the best concerts I've been to were J. Geils. The energy was unbelievable. No one sat down and we all danced in the aisles. Best live band ever.
We all have that story of a crush in school. Being a Gen X kid, going through the best rock era, the 70, then disco, it was great to have rock bands back on the radio.
Always find it interesting those people who seem to come out of nowhere and you later find out they were putting things out for over a decade.
For sure. Thanks Terrick!
Fifteen years touring bars and sheds then 'Overnight Success'!! As far as radio and labels go.
@@otaku1524 I'm sure they feel people will like it more if they're "new".
It’s crazy right?
That means they are authentic musicians working to become better. Not today where a faceless company throws out an instant icon with false talent.
Loved this band’s sense of humor. I guess I gotta buy it 😂. Love the expression of the inner conflict of being disappointed and thrilled all at the same time.
Love the profile picture, go Dolphins! 🐬
I love how they bring us along for the whole inner conflict ride throughout the song, it’s that universal theme of unrequited love, lost youth, lost innocence that we can all relate to in some way. Then in the last verse when he goes “Oh no I can’t deny it, oh yeah I guess I gotta buy it!”, that really underlines the band’s sense of humor right there. It’s the punchline that reminds us not to take any of this too seriously.
They were a great, great live band. Saw them 3 times. Always a terrific show!
J.Geils Band of the 70s are one of the most overlooked catalogs in rock. Monkey Island shows what serious contenders they were, and is a must listen.
Love Stinks has a similarity to an obscure Turtles song "Buzz Saw".
The J.Geils Band are one of the most critically acclaimed bands not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Many years ago a girl I was dating broke up with me just before Valentines Day. I was at work and the local dj was taking requests to go out to that “special someone”. I requested _Love Stinks._ The dj said and here’s to MJ from someone that wants you to know how much you mean to him. 🎶Love Stinks, ya ya love stinks🎶
I didn’t realize they weren’t in the Hall of Shame. They should be!
Monkey Island is their best song. It's not even close.
I was in the 7th grade when this song was popular. They played in at our junior high dance. It was the first time a boy asked me to dance, and this is the song we danced to! I always remember that to this day! Thanks, Mike! 😊
I was a JGB fan since the early 70's. Their sound has always appealed to me. Too bad they couldn't get along as a band. Still love to listen to Peter Wolf when he infrequently puts out new music. Thanks for getting them back in front of your fans.
Thanks for sharing!
At 14 when this song came out, I listened to it repeatedly and even wrote down the lyrics and showed my Mother. She just rolled her eyes.
I'll never forget hearing this for the first time on the school bus on my way to school. I became an instant J Geils band fan.
Me too - it hit hard, like a body slam, right from the top. Then the lyrics were just funny enough to add even more energy. Every single strength that band had was exploited to the max in that whole album. I loved the bass!
I worked as a DJ at a radio station in the 70’s and 80’s in Asheville NC. Kids use to call the request line requesting “Flea Spray” by the J. Geils Band. Name of the song was Freeze Frame. When you listen, it does sound like like Flea Spray:-)
A great example of the Professors ability to put things in perspective. I am not a big J G fan but they were a talented group. They had several good radio songs and even a few deeper cuts from Live recordings.As a builder I always appreciated songs that fit the Construction work day. I was glad to see em' finally hit with a couple albums. They were a determined bunch and worked hard for the success they had.
I remember 3rd grade, the teacher left the room for about 5 minutes. One kid just kinda absent mindedly goes "Na-na-nananana" and 20 seconds later the whole room is doing it at the top of our lungs. The teacher next door came over and yelled at us, then when our teacher got back we REALLY got yelled at. I blame J. Geils.
I loved "Freeze Frame"! And "Centerfold" is great too. Great memories. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Freeze Frame is awesome!
The whole album is 🔥, bumped that and Street Songs by Rick James, that school year was fun
Fantastic band. I was fortunate to see them in 1982 when U2 opened for them. Both bands were great.
U2 opened for them😮????
@@juliagriego7693 they sure did! I have a framed copy of the newspaper advertisement that shows J Geils band with special guest U2
WOW!!! Crazy and Cool🎉🎉
That is so kewl. As a kid growing up to U2 in Joburg, South Africa, I never dreamed I'd end up living 5km from Bono's house. I think the only artist I've seen more than U2 is Johnny Clegg.
Admittedly I haven’t seen a whole lot of bands in concert but the J Geils Band was definitely the best I ever saw. They did an incredibly tight and professional set and left us all wanting more.⚛️❤
Where and when?
When?
@@ProfessorofRockevery time I saw them. I've seen lots of concerts, but they are the best live band ever
J. Geils Band rocked the best live shows in Detroit. Great memories
Any one who loves music has to love J Giels. So many great songs and albums
Geils
First rap....maybe. "Rapunzal"
Partied to lots of J.Geils in high school is the 70’s. Loved them!
Thanks for sharing!
Gonna say it wasn't much of a house party if Musta got Lost didn't get played.
Thanks for doing a segment on the J.Geils Band. My sister (older by 9 years) introduced me to them by buying me this album when it came out. I was 9 years old and I absolutely LOVED the whole record, not just the hits. I thought they were a brand new band. In my teens I became infatuated with the blues, growing up next door to a Canadian Blues legend can have that effect on you, and through my searches through record shops I discovered all these albums by them. I bought them all! Thanks again. There’s not nearly enough material about them out there!
A J. Geils retrospective isn't complete without mentioning Come Back from the Love Stinks album. Awesome song.
Good call!
Or the song Love Stinks
Every song on the Love Stinks album is a gem. I had that on endless loop back in the day.
Wasn't Love Stinks a hit? Loved the video 😂
My fav is
SANCTUARY
What an underrated album that is !!!!!
J Giels & Ten Years After the first concert I went to Madison Wisconsin 1971. I was 14. Ahh the memories of my youth. 😊
I was born that year. My birthday is on monday 10/21
@@jimmyramone7396 The concert was in November, so you might have been a whole month old. 😊 It was about a month before my 15th birthday.
Used to hear it echoing down the hallways of high school whenever someone or another would sing out "na na nana na na.."
Ha ha!
I'm hesitant to watch this video, knowing if i watch, ill get those "na na nas" stuck in my head. 😆. Although it would help get Roxette's "Must've Been Love" out of my head, its been torturing me for weeks, so it might be worth it 😳😆
'Blow your face out' is one of my favorite live albums. I love Peter Wolf's stage performance. What Rock and Roll is all about.
J Geils Band 1974- Must of Got Lost, great song among quite a few
Great song. Brings back memories:)
One of the albums that characterized my senior year!
Two songs meant the most to me: Centerfold and Angel In Blue, both I felt struck close to my HS sweetheart
After graduation she moved to FLA and lost control. Allegedly she did so much coke it dissolved her nasal septum. Eventually she fought addiction, dated Clapton along the way and cleaned up her life before becoming another statistic. I am so happy with what she became!
Thank you for the opportunity to reminisce.
Thanks for sharing.
Wait--dated Clapton? ERIC Clapton???
CENTERFOLD!!! I love this song. I’m in my late sixties, a woman, and when this song was popular, my husband and danced in our kitchen whilst we sang it at the top of our lungs. (I have never been in a naughty magazine. lol.)
Dud he clean-up her life?
@@mournblade1066 That's what she said-- Slowhand himself. She wasn't the type to make up stuff and she mentioned it in passing. I'm thrilled that she "took the place " of the inspiration for Something and Layla, although this was years after He & Patty split.
From 73 to 78 I saw these guys at several concerts and outdoor festival. They were so good, but were known more as a regional band the MTV video was what made them so big. but in the 80s, band , even big band came and went quickly
Cool!
I saw them in 1980 at a concert in New Britain CT.
It was at a mansion full of VIP's.
We weren't invited but came with someone who was.
Had to stay in the very back, no drinks, no drugs, no clear view.
Still enjoyed being there.
Thanks for sharing
A VIP mansion in New Britski. Why, did a record exec live there? You would think a concert like that woulda been in New York or LA
@Cureguy1
Whole lot of rich folks in Connecticut.
I saw Stephenwolf in down town Hartford too.
@@desertdweller4951 Oh, I know that. I’m from central CT, I just thought a record exec big shot would maybe live in Greenwich or something not New Britain.
I remember when centerfold came out. All the controversy about it not being played in parts of utah but we were playing it at young adult church dances in Oregon. Lol
Got to see J. Geils open for the Rolling Stones at Candlestick Park in SF. I have some photos from that show. Sold a house in Granite Bay CA around 2005. One of the RE agents showing the property to her client was a former Playboy Centerfold (Kristine Hanson), so I can say I had a Playboy Centerfold in my master bedroom. Also grew up as a teenager where our neighbor was a Playgirl Centerfold - don't remember his name (he worked for the Federal Govt at the time).
I also saw them in '77 as one of the opening acts for Frampton. Derringer, Geils, and Seger. Oh what a day!
@@kimnach Wow, what a show! All of those artists were at the top of their game!
Centerfold really surprised me when I heard it as well. Much more pop oriented, and polished. I loved it! Really made me a fan of the group. Thx Prof!
I saw every J Geils concert that was near me from 76 to early 80s. One of the best live bands ever. You had to be ready to party at their shows
I heard as much!
I was in fifth grade when Centerfold came out. It was all the rage and everyone was into it. It was probably the most requested song at the roller rink that year. Good times!
I remember this coming on at the roller skating rink. Kids went nuts for it. Saw the video on video jukebox on HBO before mtv was the norm. Ahhh the 80s baby
I was at a roller skating rink this past summer for a BD party, they played Freeze Frame.
😂 You made my day with your Church story. I have a few of my own. Thanks for bringing me back to a happier time. I loved the songs, Centerfold, Love Stinks, and Freeze Frame.
"Give It To Me" (which reached #20 back in 1973) has one of the greatest outros of all time, which is almost as funky as anything Parliament ever did.
Agreed!
Yes, it does, but "Give It To Me" peaked at #30, not #20. Someone asked POR if he ever featured any P-Funk, he answered "Yes!" but I have not found any; anyone know where in this site it is?
@@shiroibasketshoes Yeah, you're right--#30 on Billboard #15 on Cash Box, though, whatever that is.
@@shiroibasketshoes I'm not aware of any Parliament/Funkadelic being covered here. I'd love to see an entire segment dedicated to _Funkentelechy Vs. The Placebo Syndrome_ , which is my favorite Parliament album. (Oddly, I never got into Funkadelic.)
I believe it reached #30 not #20.
Another famous example of a song from my childhood that I cheerfully sang along with, horrifying various family members, completely oblivious to the subject matter.
RIght?
The same can be said of singing "Soldier of Love" by Donny Osmond. I heard that being sung in church by youngish preteen girls. 🤔🤯
Haha, I know.
Great history on this phenomenal song. It’s on my playlist today, along with other J. Geils music and I’m 66
Thank You for sharing your life. I am sorry for your losses. Bless You and yours!
I was 14 in 82. Centerfold and Freeze Frame take me back to the Skating Rink days. Loved to 2 tunes so much I got the album. Great memories
I saw 'em open for Peter Frampton and Steve Miller at the Silverdome in the mid 70s. And as far as I was concerned, they blew the other bands away. But they always did pretty well in Detroit. As far as risqué songs, when I was a kid my mom had an 8-Track recording of the Soundtrack for the Broadway version of "Hair." Of course we played it over and over, mostly when she wasn't home, and then would go 'round the neighborhood singing some of the songs (which had a lot of multi syllabic words we couldn't define but could pronounce beautifully) at the top of our lungs. As far as I know, none of the neighbors ever called my mom. It must have been pretty shocking, though.
Some of the best times in my life was going to see the J Geils band in concert in the 70's. I've seen many concerts in my life and nobody was better live than J Geils.
Some bands are better when they’re live. My favorite album of theirs is “Full House” which is a live album.
I saw J Geils open for Bob Seger. He put on a great show, and I was glad to see him.
Yup....the ultimate party band before they hit it big!
Amen
I was 18 when Centerfold came out. It has stuck with me big time. And every time I see or hear of or remember fuzzy sweaters, very fond memories come back, with this song as the soundtrack.
I've been a big fan of the J. Geils Band since the 70's way before their big hits in the 80's Centerfold and Freeze Frame thanks for the episode
on the J. Geils Band thanks again Professor.🇺🇲📺🇺🇲
Rock on!
Great episode, Professor! I'll always remember J Geils as the band that closed an iconic Chicago movie theater turned concert hall, the Uptown. What a great concert. People were so into the show. It was a great time.
Started all my partys with House Party !! Peter Wolf first rapper I could think of those were the seventys !
I come from the Netherlands 🇳🇱 and I must have been around 13 or 14 years old when this song came out .
Many videos from the professor of rock brings me back to those happy days when i had no worries and we had only 3 tv stations 😂.
I discovered rock music and this song brings me back to great memories 😀👍.
Saw them with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Dukes, awesome show,Stanley theater Pittsburgh Pa, went on forever, with both bands and every instrument playing.
I think I was at the same show. Friends and I used to ride in from Beaver Falls to see shows all over the burgh. Syria mosk was on of my favorite places for shows back then and the civic arena for the bigger bands.
I bought the vinyl when it was fresh. It was Grammy material. Truly a salvation for Rock at the time. The band struggled on their career until Freeze Frame. They nailed it, and Centerfold was captivating as a story and musically. Thanks Adam.
put them in hall of fame 💃🕺
I saw them open for the Stones! Along with Prince! La Colesium..incredible memories!
If Atlantic had put even half the money they stole from the band into promoting them J Geils would have been a headliner band from 1974 on. If you get a chance listen to all their early material. You might understand why Peter wasn't crazy for the synthpop sound. He is a great rock and roll singer. Great episode Adam.
I saw them live in the mid 70s, before centerfold, and they were the headliner at all these concerts.
I literally just listened to this song yesterday. I saw J Geils in the early 70s. To this day, it is perhaps the best concert I have been to. The reason? It was the only time I ever felt that both the audience and band, were as one.
I went to high school with the guy who became the first model for Soloflex, which was a popular and heavily advertised piece of workout equipment. A few years layer, I was studying in London and walked into these girls' dorm room, with a picture of the model on their wall. I said, "Oh, I know that guy " and they shreiked, "You went to school with The Body?!" I instantly thought of Centerfold in that moment.
Saw the Rolling Stones Tour in 81 at the Kingdome in Seattle WA and remember J Geils being one of the opening acts. What a day
I saw them during that Stones tour as well,but in Rotterdam. Together with George Thorogood(yes, two opening acts)! Great show. I skipped a math exam for that cuz it was on a Friday. 😂
Saw the thumbnail and immediately sang, "MY BLOOD RUNS COLD!"
Ha!
Haha so did I.
I worked at a concert venue for almost 30 years. Have had the pleasure of meeting so many of these artists. Love hearing your stories and trying to compare them to my own memories. Keep up the great work.
Imagine watching George Thorogood opening for J.Geils at MSG in 1982 ? It was CRAZY good, with George carried off the stage on his back while playing "Bad to the Bone"
U2 opened for them on SoCal back then
“It was just what they needed.” I see what you did there POR! 😊
Ha ha!
JGB album Full House was my favorite go-to....1973 I think....what a party album!
I love visualizing you singing risque songs in church!
Ha ha! Thanks Whisper!
As a Christian and a former Minister, I hate that you were kicked out as a little kid! You should have been gently corrected not ejected. That’s how the God I know does things. I’m sorry that happened.
So do I! Hahaha
I was 19 and in college when this came out. It's a core song memory of my college years!
Such a cool song!
No wonder you aspired to the Professor of Rock! The music and rhe beat thepugh the 1980 was pure gold!
Myself i started really gerting into Rock and Roll about 1973! Smoke on the water!
Professor, I had a dad like yours who had to explain stuff like this to me! Great episode and story!!
When my brother and I first saw the video on MTV we looked at each other and both said "Oh, a classic". Yeah, the video makes the song.
Your story at the end was the best 😂
My surrogate grandson fell in love with this song, at 4 years old. For two or three visits over as many weeks, he kept requesting the "nah nah nah nah song". The way he said it lacked any variation in pitch or timing. We were baffled. At one point he got angry with us because he thought we were messing with him. One day he did it just well enough for a light bulb to go off. He had to hear it every time we got in the car from there forward. I was eventually coached kindly to wean him away from it. Before he started memorizing lyrics, and his vocabulary caught up. He's 11 now. The same age I was when I bought freeze frame. That was the first 33 I owned. My brother was in his early twenties, a guitarist, and very proud of my choice. He had been a fan of theirs for several years by then. I was actually aware of what the lyrics we're about back then. We just didn't have access to further study. Not like kids do now . I distinctly remember my mother not being happy with it.
Great story- The song, AND yours!
What a fantastic band! I am from BOSTON, so I loved them. “Ain’t Nothing But A House Party” has my fav bad-ass opening riff EVER! Love the “Love Stinks” album. Peter Wolf (love his solo stuff too…still love “Lights Out”!) is so fun-Back in the mid 80s you could meet him at record conventions in the John Hancock bldg in Boston (on weekends). Always fun, always a gent. The strangest story about him is that he was dorm mates with auteur director David Lynch at Mass School of Art…& Lynch moved out bcuz Peter Wolf was so “weird”…you can’t make it up if you tried. Wolf was a mainstay on our defunct rock station WBCN…”The Rock Of Boston”! 😎 🎸
I’m sure he’s still putting out great stuff.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 He is...check out his discography...
WBCN is no more? I also grew up in Boston area. 'BCN pioneered FM Rock Radio in the late 60's/ early 70's: Album cuts, Half a side of... And DJ's who knew the music and cared. Loved WBCN as a kid. Later, in the 90's for me: WCDQ 92 FM Sanford Maine had a similar Independent Great DJ's way -- and even acted / recorded funny promotions and commercials to play on 'CDQ. WCDQ was damaged by the 1998 Ice Storm, destroyed their 'Mt. Rialto' broadcast tower. They had to borrow a bunch to rebuild it. Were bought out in the crashing of Independent Radio. Their dial spot became a dull repeater station, pre-programmed for/by some faceless people in Boston, or was it Oklahoma?
@@carlcushmanhybels8159 yep. WBCN is long defunct. It was great while it lasted.
Love the story of you singing this in church and the talk your Dad had with you! And lol that you sang “If You Think I’m Sexy” in church also! What an encore! 🤣 Thanks for sharing these personal memories… they elevate your already great videos to the highest level possible.
Whenever I see this video or hear this song 🎵 I find myself singing it 4 hours later ! Whenever I'm on the make and I play this song. I'm getting some that night and even at that time!
So true!
Some what?
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Hey Silly Lilly 😜 never mind that Youngling. 🤫
@@constipatedinsincity4424 Youngling who?
My memory of this song is walking down a street in Luzerne Switzerland and hearing a passerby whistling it. One of the highlights of my senior trip
Really enjoy stories about "overnight" successes. Thanks Prof
Thanks for watching!
I'm a child of Mtv.
Love stinks was a hilarious video. I mean, hitting a snare drum with frozen fish, and a cross dressed Peter Wolf are core memories!
Freeze Frame was one of the first albums I ever bought with allowance money, simply based off how fun their videos were.
When we were having dinner all together I was singing this song M started singing it too !
M?
@@ProfessorofRock Your son
I blasted this from the car stereo, had a 8-track tape in my T-Bird and went through a few cassette tapes also. Good song to sing along to. I do not remember when I saw the video finally but it was a while after the song had been out. They are a great band, wish I had seen them in concert,
As a kid I remember Peter Wolf married actress Faye Dunaway which lasted 5 years. She was such a doll🥰❤️
I just loved the J. Geils band. Saw them 3 times in the 70’s. ….Thanks for the video and the walk down memory lane! 😁
Seeing J. Geils opening for Lynyrd Skynyrd in '75. One of my happiest '70s memories!
Very cool! Where at?
J. Geils was the best opening act for everyone.
Where?
@@ProfessorofRock Convention center in Indianapolis.
The singing in church story is hilarious! Thanks for sharing just how cool your Dad was with us. J. Geils Band rocks!
I grew up in San Diego and when this came out it was common knowledge that the girl was from the Kearny Mesa area, either Madison or Kearny High. The drummer, Stephen Jo Bladd, actually heard this story from a friend who lived out here. To picture the time it was written, I graduated Claremont High in 1980 and Cameron Crowe was undercover at our school my junior/seniors years researching for Fast Times.
Awesome!
Can you imagine what my high school was like? All the characters in the book were easy to determine even though he listed it as ‘fiction’. The movie melded some of the characters together. A couple of the cheerleaders became strippers after hs.
Rad!
Deep respect for you, Professor! Yore kinda like the street bball player that shares your term…
Interesting!
I remember first hearing them when I was a college student in the early 70 in Worcester, MA. Then, with Peter Wolf as a DJ on WBCN in Boston. Loved all their music
Hello Professor, I think the J. Geils Band are very talented through their career. They didn’t completely disappear from radio right after the “Freeze Frame” single. “Angel In Blue” and the live “I Do” made the American Top 40 and radio was still playing Casey’s countdown. Later, classic rock stations were still playing their biggest and less big hits; I know; they were on my San Francisco playlists. Have a great Friday and weekend!
And I think they might still be having hits.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Hi Lilly. They have not been active since 2015.
Professor, that story about your dad was beautiful. Thanks for telling it. To me, J. Geils band is like Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes; I don't understand why everyone doesn't love them.
This song was wicked Cool 😎 I am listening to this song right now. That 2 day's in row ProRo. 🤓
Cool!
JGB didn't realize how prophetic it would be 40 years later with the rise of OF content. Such an addictive tune when you hear it.
Great story about you trying to pass off Centerfold as a hymn in church! I wonder how "Whammer Jammer" would have done as a single?
Good question!
My ears still ring after all these years from J. Geils in concert
Greetings from Michigan Melomaniacal Music Junkies!
Hey, Code!
Howdy everyone! 😄
Howdy
greetings all.
My first visit to Michigan blew me away. I could not believe how beautiful beaches were on Lake Michigan.
I remember when it hit MTV, everyone thought that Martha Quinn was one of the girls in the video. So much so, she had to deny it. Fun times!
Yeah I remember Martha announcing it as the next video up on MTV. She flat out laughed and said: "....and no that is not me dancing in the classroom."
I was at a min security jail doing outreach with a group from our church.
One of the inmates asked if he could do a song.
We gave him an acoustic guitar, and he did an excellent rendition of Angel-eyes by the Jeff Healey band.
We took it well, to be honest that guy could play and sing well.
Thanks for the memory.
I was in high school when Centerfold came out and hearing it always takes me right back to the best time of my life. I was already a J Geils fan because I had Love Stinks, so it was great to see them have a huge breakout hit.
Congratulations to Willie Mae " Big Mama" Thornton on induction to RRHOF this weekend. 🎃
I saw them live in Montreal just after
this came out. Im 63 and been to about 50 concerts and it was a great show. Cheers from Montreal
Peter Wolf “Lights Out!!!!!!”
I just heard that the other day on a American Top 40 rerun!
Lights Out and Come As You Are were great solo hits from Wolf.
Oh wow! This video takes me back! The first time I heard Centerfold, I was 11, was also the first time I ever heard of the J Giles band. I also heard Freeze Frame and Love Stinks the very same day. Since then, I was hooked and have remained a fan to this day. I also love Fright Night. That was a cool song too.