J. GEILS BAND Vinyl Records and CDs

... saw the J. Geils Band slowly turning their fortunes around. Their second album for the label, 1980's Love Stinks, partook of a New Wave-influenced sound and attitude; it marked the first time two consecutive Geils 45s ("Come Back" and the deathless title cut) hit the Billboard Top 40. Sanctuary (1978) and Love Stinks both went gold, but the decade-plus veterans had an unexpected career record up their sleeves. Freeze Frame appeared in 1981, and was soon a phenomenon. Its first single, "Centerfold," was an insanely catchy ode to a high-school crush with a new occupation, and wound up spending six weeks at No. 1. With the album certified platinum, its title track hit the Top 5, and its electro-funkin' B-side, "Flamethrower," went to No. 25 on the R&B charts. But even as the J. Geils Band triumphantly headlined arenas, they were falling apart. Freeze Frame proved to be their last studio release with Wolf. As he went on to solo fame with "Lights Out" and "Come As You Are," a hobbled Geils Band issued a flop LP, You're Getting' Even While I'm Gettin' Odd. Wolf continues to make well-received discs, while "Jay Geils" and harp master Magic Dick worked together again in the '90s. Geils' first solo album, Jay Geils Plays Jazz, came out in 2004.