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The J. Geils Band was an American rock band formed in 1967 in Worcester, Massachusetts, that had a successful R&B-influenced blues rock sound in the 1970s, before moving towards a more pop-influenced sound in the 1980s, which brought them MTV airplay and their 1982 international hit single "Centerfold".
The band started as an acoustic blues trio in the mid 1960s, with singer and guitarist John Geils. (born 20 February 1946, in New York), bassist Danny Klein (Dr. Funk) and harpist Richard Salwitz (stage name Magic Dick).
A common myth that John Geils' name is Jerome stems from one concert where lead singer of the J. Geils Band, shouted "Play it Jerome!!" before one of Geils' solos.
The band formed under the name Snoopy and the Sopwith Camels, while Geils was attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute for a couple of semesters. In 1967 the band switched focus, starting to play electric guitar and bass and recruiting drummer Stephen Jo Bladd and fast-talking ex-disc jockey singer Peter Wolf, born Peter Blankenfeld, both from Boston. The following year Seth Justman joined as an organist. The group signed to Atlantic Records in 1970.
Although from Boston, the band had always considered Detroit their second home because of their enormous popularity there. All three of their live albums were recorded in Detroit at various venues.
The J. Geils Band first received FM radio airplay with the live single "First I Look at the Purse", then had several hit singles in the 1970s, the most successful of which was "Must of Got Lost" (1974). Later in the 1970s, the band signed with EMI America Records.
On August 17, 1971, at a show in Boston Commons, The Allman Brothers Band named The J. Geils Band as their favorite local band.
After their initial commercial successes the group seemed destined to be nothing more than a first-rate party band, until the release of the under-appreciated Monkey Island (1977), followed by the more conventional Sanctuary (1978).
The group's commercial fortunes improved in the early 1980s, first with the humorous Love Stinks, then with their success with the Freeze Frame album which included "Centerfold" (#1 for six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100) and then the title cut (#4).
Wolf left the group in 1983 over artistic disagreements.
The band went on to record one more album of new material, You're Gettin' Even While I'm Gettin' Odd, after Wolf left. He was not replaced, and Seth Justman took over most of the vocal duties. The album produced only one single — "Concealed Weapons", a song about breasts — and was not a success. The band toured in support of the album but never again recorded anything new.
The group was not reunited with Wolf until 1999, and subsequently broke up again when ticket sales proved extremely disappointing. Wolf continues to tour with his own backup band, and the rest of the Geils band makes occasional appearances.
Since the semi-retirement of the band, Geils has been restoring sports cars in Massachusetts and started the legendary performance shop, KTR European Motorsports in Ayer, Massachusetts. In 1992, he joined his old bandmate Richard "Magic Dick" Salwitz to form the band "Bluestime", which released two records: the self-titled "Bluestime" (1994) and "Little Car Blues" (1996) on Rounder Records. It is believed the band is currently in hiatus.
On May 22, 2006, the six original members had a surprise reunion, at bassist Danny Klein's 60th birthday party at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston.
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