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Author Topic: RIP Jay Geils, J. Geils Band founding member  (Read 2813 times)
guitarfool2002
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« on: April 11, 2017, 10:04:48 PM »

http://www.wcvb.com/article/guitarist-known-as-j-geils-found-dead-in-massachusetts-home/9263211

One of the best and most rockin' live bands ever, in their heyday in the 70's no one threw a party live like J Geils. Jay was a big fan of swing and jump blues guitar from the 40's and could play the living sh*t out of it...Besides the J Geils Band, check out the first Bluestime album from '94 where he's playing classic swing and blues guitar turned up to 11. Great stuff.

RIP Jay
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« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2017, 10:50:11 PM »

Didn't hear them before - checking the local site now; "J. Geils Band" shows:

1970s: s/t; The Morning After; "Live" Full House; Ladies Invited; Bloodshot; Nightmares...And Other Tales From The Vinyl Jungle [Reissue 1991]; Blow Your Face Out; Sanctuary
1980s: You're Getting Even While I'm Getting Old; Freeze - Frame
1990s: Anthology: Houseparty (CD1-2); Monkey Island; Flashback: The Best of J. Geils Band

Which albums do you consider the best? What to start with? Is that list missing some better titles? F.ex., "The Beach Boys" in the very site shows 10 albums of their 29. Thanks in advance.
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« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2017, 02:09:31 AM »

I only knew the JGB from their reputation as a live band and that they had a harmonica player called Magic Dick. And of course from their big hit...

A great shame. RIP, sir.

I shall check out the 1994 album you mention, GF.
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« Reply #3 on: April 12, 2017, 02:20:08 AM »

I know the band best for their song "Give it to Me", which got tons of airplay down here back in the mid 1970s.
Super funkifled instrumental in the second half of the song.
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« Reply #4 on: April 12, 2017, 07:03:36 AM »

Their live shows in the 70's had a legendary reputation with fans who saw them, and in this case it was before my time but I've talked to people who saw them many times and said the reputation was true - They put on a great show! They were favorite sons of Boston, so classic rock and even other rock stations would play their music a lot more than I'm guessing other regions which is how and where I got more into their music beyond the hits.

I would say it's fortunate that there are two live albums from the 70's so you can check out a portion of what they did. Now on YouTube there are some 70's live videos too. But those live albums are "Full House", followed up by "Blow Your Face Out". On Full House, check out Magic Dick's instrumental "Whammer Jammer", that is a crazy good live performance of a classic harmonica instrumental, when the band comes in, THAT is the kind of groove that makes you smile. From Blow Your Face Out, the turntable hit was "Must've Got Lost", which has a long intro by Peter Wolf that Boston FM stations used to play expletives and all, different time different era. Great groove.

Lead singer Peter Wolf was a DJ who used to deliver these on-air raps in a high-speed, manic voice and that was how he'd introduce the songs sometimes on stage too.

"Give It To Me" was a hit for them in the 70's too. From the 70's live albums, check out "Ain't Nothin But A Houseparty" too.

What made the Geils band cool and legit was that they really knew, loved, and respected the music they were covering, and were in no way fakes or poseurs. They would cover obscure and semi-obscure R&B, soul, country, blues...and put their own spin on it while staying true. And these obscure records would drive the Geils audiences into a frenzy sometimes because the whole show was a houseparty, lol.

Then the early 80's..."Freeze Frame", "Centerfold", "Love Stinks"...HUGE hits, and also thanks to MTV. It was a rebirth for the band, and some thought "sell out" but if you listen to those records, the Geils band is just doing what they do. It's not bells and whistles, it's Hammond organ, grooving drums and bass, R&B style guitar, it's all there but 80's listeners ate it up like candy and those records put the band into superstardom of sorts at that time.

What I always dug a lot from their 80's run, also on YouTube, is their cover of The Marvelows 1965 hit "I Do". Full horn section, etc. Great cover of an awesome doo-wop/R&B hit.

I'd say check out a greatest hits if you want an overview, but those two 70's live albums are classics that show the band doing what they did best.


My favorite, though, is the studio version of the instrumental "Whammer Jammer" from the album The Morning After. If you had never heard harmonica playing like that, and you happen to be listening to classic rock radio as a teenager and THAT comes on...nothing but blues harp for a minute, a blues harp playing notes that technically aren't possible, lol...imagine the impact that would have when your whole musical world just got bigger. Then the band starts kicking in, doing a slow burn...and it explodes. A true thing of beauty, and the kind of jumped-up rockin' blues that I love to this day. So that was my experience with that one, lol. I wanted to play THAT music. And it was the same band who was on MTV doing Freeze Frame.

Here's that studio cut of Whammer Jammer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gdvgjLvi6c

RIP Jay. Your band kicked serious ass.
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« Reply #5 on: April 12, 2017, 07:17:02 AM »

Musta Got Lost live, from Blow Your Face Out with Peter Wolf's intro rap... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW0hxbrmFhM
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« Reply #6 on: April 12, 2017, 07:33:55 AM »

Video of the band at Winterland, Nov 1977 doing "Give It To Me" with the extended jam at the end featuring Jay on his Flying V guitar. Most if not all of this live show is on YouTube in pieces, along with video of shows from '72. Notice in all of them how the crowd is going crazy a lot of the time...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzgkY6V1EG4
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"All of us have the privilege of making music that helps and heals - to make music that makes people happier, stronger, and kinder. Don't forget: Music is God's voice." - Brian Wilson
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« Reply #7 on: April 12, 2017, 07:52:55 AM »

Cool info, esp. the bit "They would cover obscure R&B, soul, country, blues". Any fans among famous musicians, did anybody past/ present namedropped them/ Mr. Geils? Is there interviews that discuss who was his influence, record that made him start playing music etc.?
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Zany zealous Zeddie eats broccoli at brunch break but doesn't do's & don't's due to duties.
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« Reply #8 on: April 12, 2017, 08:23:16 AM »

Cool info, esp. the bit "They would cover obscure R&B, soul, country, blues". Any fans among famous musicians, did anybody past/ present namedropped them/ Mr. Geils? Is there interviews that discuss who was his influence, record that made him start playing music etc.?

I think this interview with Jay is exactly what you're looking for! He goes through nearly everything and everyone who influenced him, and it's a great read. It also shows how dedicated these young guys were in the 60's, guys like Jay and Al "Blind Owl" Wilson from Canned Heat and Mike Bloomfield and Mick, Keith, and Brian from the Stones etc etc etc were to blues and the blues musicians who they loved and were influenced by. They would actively seek them out or find and create ways to be around them, and they'd study and learn the real deal from the actual musicians who made the music.

Interview with Jay: http://www.mambosons.com/JayGeils.htm
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« Reply #9 on: April 12, 2017, 03:57:42 PM »

Thanks! Some cool recollections - he got 2 iconic guitars for free! By barter. & this 3D:

Quote
Playing next to BB King four years ago…I've known him since 1969, and never got to actually play with him. So that was a big deal to me, we did like 17 shows and he was great. Our paths have crossed numerous times, and we never got to do it toe to toe…and he was just terrific. He would do his whole show and finish with “The Thrill is Gone”, and the band would go into a little vamp, and he'd say “and now my special guests tonight, J. Geils and Magic Dick” and his crew guys would put a chair on either side of BB, and we'd sit on either side of him and just jam.

gonna check who is Bucky Pizzarelli.
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Short notice: the cat you see to the left is the best. Not counting your indoor cat who might have habit sitting at your left side when you post at SmileySmile.

Who is Lucille Ball & Vivian Vance Duet Fan Club CEO? Btw, such Club exists?

Zany zealous Zeddie eats broccoli at brunch break but doesn't do's & don't's due to duties.
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