J. Geils

[ldiatone]

R.I.P. J. Geils

[JustRalph]

Great before they became famous.....good after.

Great group:ThmbUp:

[NorCalGreg]

Great before they became famous.....good after.

Great group:ThmbUp:

Whenever that band comes to mind---I instantly go back to "First I Look At The Purse"

[barahona44]

Granted, as lead singer, Peter Wolf was the face of the band (his opening spiel on the live version of "Must Of Got Lost" is for the ages), but J. himself played a mean blues guitar.But after the success of "Freeze Frame", they chased more success and as Ralph said, they went down a few notches, then the inevitable tensions and egos led to their breakup. RIP., J.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW0hxbrmFhM

[JustRalph]

Whenever that band comes to mind---I instantly go back to "First I Look At The Purse"

Ain't nothin but a house party baby!

:ThmbUp:

[MutuelClerk]

If you saw them live you probably never sat down. Dance Dance Dance. Fun band back in the day. Love Stinks. Great tune.

[reckless]

I had just finished reading Up Late with Joe Franklin, the Stories of the Greats, the Near-Greats, the Ingrates, the Has-Beens, and the Never-Weres.

There was a story about the J. Geils Band in it and the day after I finished with the book, ironically and sadly, I read that J. Geils had passed.

I am posting few paragraphs along with a lead intro from Joe's great book pertaining to the group. Joe Franklin writes in the first person in case you didn't know. Enjoy this wonderful story.

... A lot of people think I stopped listening to music in 1950, but we've probably booked more rock groups than anybody but Dick Clark. I've always surprised people who thought my musical awareness stopped with Tin Pan Alley. We put on a group called They Might Be Giants when nobody would touch them. The Ramones were on many times. Joey Ramone just loved to do the show, and he'd bring on his friends. They'd come just to chat. The New Kids On The Block came on the show, and their singer shouted, "I can't believe it! We're on the Joe Franklin Show!" And they all cheered.

The J. Geils Band gave us a show that was different from any other we ever did. In 1983, they were the hottest band in the country. They had two platinum records at the time, "Freeze Frame" and "Centerfold". They were number one at that moment in the world. Saturday Night Live wanted them, the Tonight Show wanted them -- and the J.Geils Band called us, the Joe Franklin Show. David Letterman offered them all kinds of money to go on his show, but they said, "No, we want to go on Joe Franklin. Joe is a real man." Who was I to argue?

They said they wanted to come on and do a whole sixty-minute show, "their" show. We had meetings, rehearsals, which we never did with anyone else. We blocked out how the show was going to go. We staged the show, set up the numbers, scripted everything but the interviews. We had an audience for that show, one of the few times we had one. We ended up turning away hundreds, since the studio was only allowed to seat seventy-five people. Moreover, the J. Geils Band brought their own entourage and the place was packed.

At the time the sponsor was Martin Paint. The band members said they wanted to do a tribute to Martin Paint. I asked what they had in mind. Their lead singer, Peter Wolf, said, "I'd like to be bathed in Martin Paint. Drenched in it."

"Go on," I said, listening patiently.

He told me his scheme. The band would form a human pyramid, and then, dropped from scaffolding above, would be gallons and gallons of paint. The colors would pour from the sky, creating a visual kaleidoscope, a rainbow of rock-and-rollers.

I said, "Why not? Whatever makes you happy." Georgie Jessel used to like hookers; these kids liked paint.

Bob Diamond (the show's director) was the voice of reason. He discouraged this plan. But the band was insistent. At last Bob said, "We'll at least if you drop paint on yourselves, make sure it's tempera paint." Their road manager, who obviously didn't know much about paint, said, "No, no, we want your Martin latex paint!"

Martin Paint was more than happy to accommodate, and they provided the paints. Down to the last minute, I still couldn't believe they wanted to do this, but they said they did. The cameras were rolling, they formed the human pyramid, and the paint came streaming down. The paint went everywhere, gallons of it poured from above. It just went everywhere. it was the biggest mess you've ever seen.

They had a concert that night and the next day, but they were destined to do it in living colors. As you know, latex paint is washable, but not if it dries. Their wardrobe was ruined, they were stuck with a huge cleanup fee for their limbo and damage charges at the Waldorf, where they were staying. They later told me they were washing paint out of their hair for two weeks. Even our studio charged them for cleanup. I thought the studio sort of looked like an abstract painting, splatters over everything, but the studio didn't have the same aesthetic sense. The band, however, kept its sense of humor through it all, and it became a classic show.

I was on the air twice in those days. The first show was broadcast in the morning, and I went to see the J. Giles Band in concert at night. Somebody walked up to me and said, "You wanna buy a hot tape of the J. Giles Band on the Joe Franklin Show?"

It was already being pirated, and who did this guy want to sell it to? Me! That was a hot, hot tape! ...

[reckless]

Over two days now since the last post in here and not a single comment and just a few added views.

Don't know why I continue to try and contribute something to this site over numerous channels and subjects. I feel like I'm just wasting time on here, sometimes.

[PaceAdvantage]

Some of you guys complaining about how bad this site is are weird. Plain and simple.

What exactly do you expect in a thread about J. Geils kicking the bucket? Some long drawn out theories? Pages and pages of mourning?

If the site sucks, and people have been telling me it sucks for 18 years now, why is it still here? :lol:

I could use some extra time in my life...:lol::lol:

[JustRalph]

Over two days now since the last post in here and not a single comment and just a few added views.

Don't know why I continue to try and contribute something to this site over numerous channels and subjects. I feel like I'm just wasting time on here, sometimes.

Welcome to the party👍

I do the same thing and feel the same sometimes.

But mostly it's fun.

[JustRalph]

Some of you guys complaining about how bad this site is are weird. Plain and simple.

What exactly do you expect in a thread about J. Geils kicking the bucket? Some long drawn out theories? Pages and pages of mourning?

If the site sucks, and people have been telling me it sucks for 18 years now, why is it still here? :lol:

I could use some extra time in my life...:lol::lol:

I was hoping for some J.Geils concert stories from all these east coasters on here:lol:

[RunForTheRoses]

I didn't really know them too well except for the hits, methinks there was more to them. The Franklin book seems real interesting.

[reckless]

Some of you guys complaining about how bad this site is are weird. Plain and simple.

What exactly do you expect in a thread about J. Geils kicking the bucket? Some long drawn out theories? Pages and pages of mourning?

If the site sucks, and people have been telling me it sucks for 18 years now, why is it still here? :lol:

I could use some extra time in my life...:lol::lol:

I re-read my simple three sentence post a dozen more times after yours and I could not find a single word suggesting that I think this place sucks.

Maybe I need a pair of glasses or just maybe you know something about the place that I missed.

[PaceAdvantage]

I re-read my simple three sentence post a dozen more times after yours and I could not find a single word suggesting that I think this place sucks.Oh, my bad I guess. I mean, you're right...nothing but enthusiastic praise for this site (as opposed to it sucks) ringing through your words (bolded emphasis mine):

Over two days now since the last post in here and not a single comment and just a few added views.

Don't know why I continue to try and contribute something to this site over numerous channels and subjects. I feel like I'm just wasting time on here, sometimes.Guess I'm just a little too sensitive....

[Maximillion]

One of the first bands i went to see as a kid.I was more into hard rock at the time, but they played with a vengeance that night. To this day it was one of the more memorable concerts ive ever seen.

[Valuist]

Some of you guys complaining about how bad this site is are weird. Plain and simple.

What exactly do you expect in a thread about J. Geils kicking the bucket? Some long drawn out theories? Pages and pages of mourning?

If the site sucks, and people have been telling me it sucks for 18 years now, why is it still here? :lol:

I could use some extra time in my life...:lol::lol:

The Russians were behind it!

[Zydeco]

Spring of 1977. J. Geils opening for the Outlaws at Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati. Outlaws on the Hurry Sundown tour and on top of their game. J. Geils comes out and plays an hour set. Go off stage and we want an encore. They come back on stage and Peter Wolf says" It's out tenth anniversary...and if you are here to stay...we are here to play!!!" Wolf pops the cork on a champagne bottle and sprays the people in the first few rows. They kick into "Where did our love Go" and play for an hour and a half more. Don't even remember the Outlaws!! lol
https://youtu.be/qOLrOtq6tnU For Just Ralph!

[Zydeco]

I was hoping for some J.Geils concert stories from all these east coasters on here:lol:

Just Ralph was Westside ...I was Eastside and this is for our brothers down on Thurman Ave. Home of Donato's Pizza!! "Do you want to dance????!!!"

https://youtu.be/XWUS38la_ZY

[JustRalph]

Just Ralph was Westside ...I was Eastside and this is for our brothers down on Thurman Ave. Home of Donato's Pizza!! "Do you want to dance????!!!"

https://youtu.be/XWUS38la_ZY

Great post!! I miss Donato's Hawaiin style pizza!

Thurman ave........you are killing me! :ThmbUp:

Love that song too