Two years later, after releasing a rather unsuccessful final studio album, the band called it quits.īetween 19, the J.
In 1983, Peter Wolf left the band, later citing his displeasure with the musical direction the band was heading. Radio stations and MTVR played hits like Centerfold and Freeze-Frame with regularity. While their earlier albums were heavily blues-influenced, their sound became more mainstream by the late 70s and into the 80s. Rounding out the band was harmonicist and saxophone player Richard “Magic Dick” Salwitz. Throughout the 1970s, their R&B-inspired playing style attracted fans of both rock and soul music.įounding members included vocalist Peter Wolf, lead guitarist John “J” Geils, bassist Danny Klein, keyboardist Seth Justman, and drummer Stephen Jo Bladd. Geils Bandįormed in 1968 in Worcester, Massachusetts, the J. You may just find yourself wanting to give them a listen if you haven’t heard them in a while. In this article, we challenged ourselves to bring you the seven greatest songs from the J. Like most bands, they had their share of ups and downs during their time together.
They received a lot of radio airplay, especially in the 80s. Geils Band has several hit songs you’ve likely sung along with many times. Here’s Magic Dick in 2009 performing his famous “Whammer Jammer” instrumental, with Tommy Castro on guitar, Chris Sandoval on drums, and Scot Sutherland on bass.The J. patent for an improved harp they call the “Magic Harmonica.” In 1992, he and musician Pierre Beauregard were awarded a U.S. “My mother bought me a Marine Band harmonica, which is the very same harp that I play today.” He’s been in love with the instrument all his life. “When I was three years old, I had a pretty bad case of the flu,” Magic Dick told in 2009. The band fused Chicago blues with classic jazz, and released two albums: “Bluestime” (1994) and “Little Car Blues” (1996). In the early ’90s, Salwitz formed Bluestime with John Geils, his former college schoolmate from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. If lightweight tunes like “Centerfold” and “Freeze Frame” are the only songs that come to mind when you think J.Geils Band, then you need to discover the roof-raising music that made this group one of the hottest good-time bar bands of the ’70s. Other members included founder and guitarist John Geils (who passed away on April 11, 2017), bassist Danny Klein, drummer Stephen Jo Bladd, and keyboardist Seth Justman. In The Rolling Stone Record Guide, music journalist Dave Marsh described Magic Dick as possibly “the best white musician to ever play blues harmonica.” His harp playing, coupled with the jiving vocals and showmanship of frontman Peter Wolf, fueled the J. In the early days, they jammed with such blues greats as James Cotton, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells. Today’s the 72nd birthday of the man who helped put the whammer in the jammer of the J.Geils Band - from the group’s 1965 origins in Worcester, Massachusetts, through their breakup in 1985. And Richard Salwitz is one of the best - harmonica players, that is. With a nickname like “Magic Dick” you’d better be damn good at what you do.
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