Before Peter Wolf became the lead singer for the J. Geils Band, he performed in New York City, rubbing shoulders with other musicians just starting their careers.
“Bob was always playing and trading songs with other musicians, and this exposed him to a wide array of influences, including Appalachian mountain music, Elizabethan ballads, and the songs of Hank Williams, Hank Snow, and Blind Lemon Jefferson. I came to learn that this voracious curiosity was typical of Bob.” (p. 45)
Yes, Peter Wolf hung out with Bob Dylan. And Van Morrison, David Lynch, Muddy Waters, Andy Warhol, and dozens of other artists who would hit the Big Time.
Peter Wolf and The J. Geils Band also hit the Big Time for a short period with a couple of hits. But as Wolf writes: “Success, if it does come to a band, often comes with its own special price.” (p. 284). At the height of their success, the J. Geils Band broke up.
“Frank Barsalona, our agent, took me out for a dinner after his final meeting with the other band members. In disbelief, he said, ‘After al these years, the band finally made it. It’s really quite unbelievable. I’ve dealt with the craziest of crazies; the drugs, the girlfriends, the managers–nothing even comes close to this. Nothing as stupid, as senseless, and as wasteful in what these guys are insisting on doing. So, Peter, let’s start thinking about your solo career.'” (p. 285)
And the result: “Shortly after the split, I went on to release an album called Lights Out which rose to the top ten on the Billboard charts. All the songs on that album were the very songs the band had rejected. The J. Geils Band then released You’re Gettin’ Even While I’m Gettin’ Old. As a result of poor sales, the band was dropped from the record company, and the ‘new’ J. Geils Band came to an ignominious end.” (p. 285)
I learned a lot about the era where Peter Wolf began his career with so many other musicians and performers. The dynamics of being in a band and trying to make it in a competitive music industry was also fascinating. Opening for The Rolling Stones, hanging out with Sly stone, meeting Alfred Hitchcock and Tennessee Williams, and falling in love with Faye Dunaway is just part of Peter Wolf’s amazing life. GRADE: A (for both the book and the CD)
Track Listings:
| 1 | Centerfold |
| 2 | Freeze-Frame |
| 3 | Come Back (Single Edit) |
| 4 | Love Stinks |
| 5 | Sanctuary |
| 6 | Give It to Me (Single Edit) |
| 7 | Whammer Jammer (Live 1972) |
| 8 | Looking for a Love (Live 1972) |
| 9 | Musta of Got Lost (Live 1975) |
| 10 | (Ain’t Nothin’ But a) Houseparty (Live 1975) |
| 11 | One Last Kiss |
| 12 | Teresa |
| 13 | Angel in Blue |
| 14 | Flamethrower |
| 15 | Night Time |
| 16 | Just Can’t Wait (Live 1982) |
| 17 | I Do (Live 1982) |
| 18 | Piss on the Wall |
Not a big fan—I won’t turn off the radio if one of their hits is playing, but I don’t deliberately seek them out. In the other hand, the book sounds interesting. I forgot he was married to Faye Dunaway (or at least had a relationship with her—he’s the father of her only child, iirc).
Deb, you may not like the J. Geils Band so much, but Peter Wolf’s life is full of excitement and wonder. His relationship with Faye Dunaway was…problematic.
The man is definitely one of those who likes to live in boiling water…or, at least, is drawn to those who do…I did vaguely wonder why Wolf and the band parted ways after finally making the top of the charts.
Todd, when the J. Geils Band achieved fame and fortune, band members became “difficult” and they rejected Peter Wolf’s songs and his strategy that made them successful. Once Wolf and the band parted ways, the J. Geils Band flopped.
The Dunaway thing was part of one of my favorite stories. In 1974, we spent 7 weeks in Europe. We had Eurailpasses and traveled from Rome to Vienna, then decided to add Scandinavia. Why not, right? We were only paying the slightest attention, if that much, to what was going on at home, until we found ourselves in Oslo, with all the headlines about Nixon’s final day in office. All but one, that is, as the British Evening Standard had what they considered the most important story on the front page:
Faye Dubaway To Wed.
We did se the Geils band once, opening for Bob Seger at Madison Square Garden in December 2014, and Wolf was the lead singer.
Jeff, Bill Crider’s favorite J. Geils Band song was “I Do”, a cover of the original 1965 doo woo hit by The Marvelows.
I love the original version of that!
Jeff, Bill Crider was a huge doo woo fan. He loved both versions of “I Do.”
Not much of a J. Geils Band fan.
The scandals swirling around Peter Wolf and Faye Dunaway were the most interesting to me.
And I will change the station when Centerfold, Freeze-Frame, or Love Stinks come on.
Beth, Peter Wolf has lived a colorful Life.
Who can resist a tender, touching ballad like “Piss On the Wall!?”
Bob, you have a point.
Sorry, I couldn’t be less interested in learning about his life. Like Beth, I reach for the dial when I hear the moronic “Centerfold.”
Fred, the J. Geils Band had success with some second-rate songs!