Anyone with a pulse and a high school diploma from the ’80s remembers the J. Geils Band. Who hasn’t sung “Love Stinks” at the top of their lungs or pulled into school with “Centerfold” blaring through the blown speakers of their parents’ car?
That’s why it was tough hearing the news that John Warren Geils died of natural causes in his home on Tuesday, April 11 — he was 71.
John Geils formed the J. Geils Band while he was studying mechanical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the early ’70s. The band’s powerful sound and lead singer Peter Wolf’s flamboyant antics made J. Geils a popular concert band on the blues rock circuit. Together they cranked out 11 studio albums and built a base of loyal fans.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=gkzzt5h8_TY
In 1981, J. Geils Band released Freeze Frame, a departure from their deep blues roots. Track after track, the album treated listeners to rowdy dance tunes and unforgettable musical hooks. The album shot to the top of the Billboard charts and stayed there for six weeks. Freeze Frame‘s success propelled the band to new heights of popularity. They appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, received heavy rotation on a new music video network called MTV, and even earned a spot opening for the Rolling Stones on their 1981 tour. Egos and infighting got the best of the J. Geils Band, and they split in 1985.
We believe that behind every great guitarist (well, actually in front of every guitar player), is a great guitar — and J. Geils was no exception. Here are just a few of the instruments that J. Geils used to give us so many great musical memories.
At the beginning of his career, J. Geils wanted to play a Gibson ES-355 just like one of his idols, the great B.B. King. The financial realities of being a relatively undiscovered musician forced him to opt for a used Gibson ES-345 and an Ampeg Gemini amp.
According to J. Geils, his next guitar was the result of a trade. After reading in Guitar Player magazine that Eric Clapton played a Gibson Les Paul, J. Geils went out and bought a ’56 Les Paul Custom with alnico and P-90 pickups. He wasn’t completely thrilled with the sound, but stuck with it because he couldn’t afford to replace it.
The band had returned to play a gig at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and they were packing up after the show. A student at the school approached J. Geils with a ’59 Gibson Les Paul Standard and asked, “Do you wanna buy this guitar? I need 600 bucks.” J. Geils looked at the guitar, noticing that it had a different tailpiece, was missing the pickguard, and had been varnished with a brush. “I don’t have $600,” replied J. Geils. “But I have this Les Paul Custom I just paid $600 for — I’ll swap.” The deal was done in a second.
Geils restored the guitar to its former glory, pairing it with a tweed Gibson GA-40 amp. From that day on, he used that guitar on almost every studio solo and stage performance the J. Geils Band did. As a matter of fact, it took a ’58 Gibson Flying V, the result of another trade, to pry the Les Paul out of his hands.
In the early 90’s, J. Geils returned to music and to his jazz/blues roots. To support his newly rediscovered love, he acquired a Gibson ES-150 as well as a Gibson ES-5.
No matter which guitar he played, we always knew J. Geils would give us something special. Thanks for the memories; we won’t forget you.
