It was an harmonica epiphany.įollowing the forensics, Magic Dick credits Sonny Boy Williamson II’s Bye Bye Bird as his inspiration for the opening to Whammer Jammer. With a set list that included Homework, Pack Fair and Square and Whammer Jammer, the connection should have been blindingly apparent. I was even unaware of the influence the J.Geils Band had on my favourite UK outfit, Nine Below Zero. Worse still, I’d never heard of their harp man Magic Dick (aka Juke Joint Jimmy), the man with the sexy name and the crazy mane, who blew the back off his harps like a deranged pyrotechnician. I had no idea the Centerfold band played weapon grade R&B. As the musical mayhem unfolded, my jaw dropped and I stared into space bewitched. Bluntly (being an Ozzie), he made it clear I was playing a Whammer Jammer derivative, and he duly produced his Full House LP to prove the point.ĭropping the vinyl on the turntable and grinning, he guided the stylus to track four. ![]() However, a friend brought me tumbling back to reality and landing firmly on my arse. Innocently, I believed I’d established myself at the pinnacle of power harping. My Whammer Jammer tale begins many years ago, when I learned what I assumed was a unique harp instrumental called Swing Job by Nine Below Zero. Key of A major ten hole diatonics harps at the ready. Like the lunar landing, or the fall of the Berlin Wall, every power harp fan can remember when and where they were first Whammered! So, it’s time to reminisce a little, do some research and then, with the help of modern technology, deconstruct the song for you. It is a power harping beast of the highest order. Originally recorded on the J.Geils Band studio album The Morning After in 1971, Whammer Jammer reappeared a year later on the classic live album Full House. Here’s the top entry in our ‘ I wanna play like that’ hit list. Had to be about 2 1/2 hrs if not more, songs from every album, giant birthday cake for J Geils and the band formed the human pyramid like in the video.You gonna get it all down, get it all night, get it all right, get it out of sight and get it down baby? Centerfold had just hit #1, it was J.Geils birthday and tore it up again. Wolf going nuts, dancing, leaning over the edge of the stage with a huge bottle of champagne and spraying the audience, and hearing for the first time, the infamous Wolf rap before 'Musta Got Lost'."Reputah!"ģ. Schaeffer/Dr Pepper Music Festival in Central Park. Still remember him leaning over a looking right at me as he took one solo.Ģ. I was a little Scoop so I wandered up and sat on the steps on the side of the stage next to Magic Dick. One of those combination gyms and auditorium with a stage with steps on either side. Them and the Blues Project in some crappy high school gym in North Bergen NJ. 1.-First I concert I ever saw when I was oh 13, after their second album came out. But I love Full House too.ĭamn, now I gotta get all this stuff digitally. ![]() In terms of their live albums, I was always most partial to Blow Your Face Out. Title song obviously good too, and I remember that I also really loved "Flamethrower," "Piss on the Wall" and "Angel in Blue."Īlthough I always loved Freeze Frame because it was "my" album and somewhat of a coming of age one for me, I ultimately came to enjoy their earlier stuff better. "Centerfold" was instantly addictive, and I remember dancing in my room listening to it over and over. I can still recite the lyrics to every song on the album. ![]() And then I was "of age" when Freeze Frame was released and I bought the vinyl the first day it came out and listened to it continuously. My older brothers had the earlier albums (on 8-track) and I liked them for as long as I can remember hearing them. Peter Wolf is a great entertainer, and the band's music was and is still is a lot of fun. Geils was the first one my parents ever let me go to without any adults. ![]() I had previously caught a glimpse of the Outlaws and Marshall Tucker Band when I was along for the ride to pick up my older brothers and sisters at an outdoor show, but J.
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