Freeze Frame (The J. Geils Band album)

Freeze-Frame is the 12th album by American rock band The J. Geils Band, released in 1981 (see 1981 in music). This was the band's only #1 album and their biggest seller. The album reached number one on the Billboard 200 album chart in February 1982, and remained at the top for four weeks. The album featured the hit singles "Centerfold" (#1 US; #3UK) and "Freeze Frame". (#4 US) "Angel in Blue" also reached the US Top 40.

This was the first album where songwriters Peter Wolf and Seth Justman, who provided the band with its original material, did not share credit on every song. Justman wrote or co-wrote all of the album as well as receiving credit as arranger and producer of the material.

The album was remastered in 1993 and reissued on BGO in the UK and was remastered in 2008 for the Japanese market, but has not been remastered in the U.S.

Part of the success of the album can be attributed to the videos that were run constantly on MTV including "Centerfold" and the title track from the album.

Track listing

1. "Freeze-Frame" (Justman, Wolf) – 4:01
2. "Rage in the Cage" (Justman, Wolf) – 4:56
3. "Centerfold" (Justman) – 3:36
4. "Do You Remember When?" (Justman, Wolf) – 4:45
5. "Insane, Insane Again" (Justman) – 4:43
6. "Flamethrower" (Justman) – 4:58
7. "River Blindness" (Justman) – 6:06
8. "Angel in Blue" (Justman) – 4:51
9. "Piss on the Wall" (Justman, Wolf) – 3:02

Personnel

• Stephen Bladd – drums, vocals
• J. Geils – guitar
• Seth Justman – keyboards, vocals
• Danny Klein – bass
• Magic Dick – harmonica, trumpet, saxophone
• Peter Wolf – vocals

Additional personnel

• Tawatha Agee – vocals
• Randy Brecker – horn
• Ronnie Cuber – saxophone
• Cissy Houston – vocals
• Tom "Bones" Malone – horn
• Lou Marini – horn
• Alan Rubin – trumpet
• Fonzi Thornton – vocals
• Luther Vandross – vocals
• Ken Williams – vocals
• George Young – horn

Production

• Producer: Seth Justman
• Engineer: David Thoener
• Mixing: David Thoener
• Arranger: Seth Justman

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Singles - Billboard (North America)

In popular culture

• America's Funniest Home Videos used this song as of there music montages in 1992.
• "Centerfold" is included on the disc of Rock Band 3.
• "Freeze-Frame" was heard in an episode of Everybody Hates Chris.
• "Freeze-Frame" was released as downloadable content for the Guitar Hero series.
• "Freeze-Frame" was heard in the 2010 episode of Covert Affairs: "A Fool in the Rain."
• "Freeze-Frame" is offered as a downloadable song for Rock Band 3.
• "Freeze-Frame" was featured in The Simpsons episode Homerazzi.
• "Freeze-Frame" was heard in an Energizer battery commercial.
• "Freeze-Frame" was the name of a magical spell, invented by Dr. Jay Geils, in the Wizards of Waverly Place episode "Credit Check".

References