J. Geils Band--Centerfold (1981)

     For those who just kept up with the top 40, the number one success of, "Centerfold" must have come as a bit of a shock, but in actually it was just a culmination of years of work
     The group had it's beginnings at Worcester, Massachusetts as an acoustic blues band in 1967. John Geils (guitar, vocals), Danny Klein aka Dr. Funk (Bass), and Richard Salwitz aka Magic Dick (harmonica) made up the band under the name "Snoopy and the Sopwith Camels". It wasn't long however before they went electric and added drummer Stephen Jo Bladd, organist Seth Justman, and Peter Wolf who took over vocals which Geils devoted himself more to guitar, and the name changed to the J. Geils Blues Band then finally to J. Geils Band.
     By 1970, they were signed to a contract and began a trek of over a decade where they churned out party blues/rock. During that decade they never had a top ten album with the exception of, "Bloodshot" in 1973, but always had strong sales overall, and a rabid following, especially in the northeast and mid-west. For many who were more into FM radio at the time, you might be surprised to know that the band also had six top forty songs before, "Centerfold", the best known being, "Musta Got Lost" in 1974, which reached number 12.
     The song itself was written by Seth Justman and it and it's follow-up, "Freeze Frame" became top 5 hits here in the states. By 1983 however, Wolf left the band and Justman took over lead singing duties for one more album, and called it quits by 1985. They have since reunited from time to time most recently at the "Boston Strong" benefit concerts on May 30th for those injured in the Boston Marathon.