Freeze-Frame is the tenth studio album by American rock band the J. Geils Band, and the last one to feature original vocalist Peter Wolf. The album was released on October 26, 1981, by EMI Records. It reached number one on the United States Billboard 200 album chart in February 1982, and remained at the top for four weeks. The album featured the hit singles "Centerfold" (No. 1 US; No. 3 UK) and "Freeze-Frame" (No. 4 US). "Angel in Blue" also reached the US Top 40. The album was supported by a large marketing campaign and world tour.
Keyboardist Seth Justman wrote or co-wrote all of the album as well as receiving credit as arranger and producer of the material.
Release
Freeze Frame was released on October 26, 1981, by EMI Records. The album debuted at No. 62, and peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart. The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on January 11, 1982. It peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The single peaked at No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. EMI Records also prepared a large marketing campaign for the album.
The music video for "Centerfold" was directed by Paul Justman, the brother of the band's keyboardist Seth Justman, and recorded in Boston. The music video for "Freeze-Frame" was also directed by Paul Justman, and makes use of many special effects. The music video was shot at the Cintel Studio in Boston. A music video was also made for "Angel in Blue".
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A 2013 Spin article called "Flamethrower" the band's funkiest song and said: "With three avant-gardish anomalies that flirted with harmolodic punk-jazz funk ("Rage in the Cage," "Insane, Insane Again," and "River Blindness") balancing out three slick Top 10 pop hits, 1981's Freeze Frame holds the rare if not impossible distinction of being simultaneously both the J. Geils Band's most blatantly pop and mostly blatantly experimental album." Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote "Good-time rock & roll remains at the core of the group's music, but the sound of the record is glossier, shining with synthesizers and big pop hooks." Billboard says that the album "trades their earlier guitar focus for producer Seth Justman's updated keyboard emphasis," and that the "new wave influence has been toned down slightly, yielding a welcome restoration of the partying humor that's never been entirely absent from this veteran group's work."
Track listing
All songs written by Seth Justman, except where noted.
Personnel
The J. Geils Band
- Peter Wolf – lead vocals
- Seth Justman – keyboards, vocals
- J. Geils – guitar
- Danny Klein – bass
- Magic Dick – harmonica, saxophone
- Stephen Jo Bladd – drums, vocals
Additional musicians
- Randy Brecker, Tom "Bones" Malone, Lou Marini, George Young, Ronnie Cuber, Alan Rubin – horns
- Tawatha Agee, Cissy Houston, Fonzi Thornton, Luther Vandross, Ken Williams – backing vocals
- Cengiz Yaltkaya – conductor
Production
- Seth Justman – producer, arrangements
- David Thoener – engineer, mixing at Record Plant, New York
- Jesse Henderson, Steve Marcantonio – assistant engineers
- Joe Brescio – mastering
Charts
Weekly charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col"| Chart (1982)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)
| 21
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Canada (RPM) (5 weeks)
| 1
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|}
Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col"| Chart (1982)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Canada Top 100 82
| 2
|-
! scope="row"| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)
| 50
|-
! scope="row"| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)
| 39
|-
! scope="row"| US Billboard 200
| 5
|}
Singles
{| class="wikitable"
!scope="col"|Year
!scope="col"|Single
!scope="col"|Chart
!scope="col"|Peak<br> position
|-
|1982
|"Angel in Blue"
|Billboard Hot 100
|
|-
|1982
|"Centerfold"/"Flamethrower"
|Club Play Singles
|
|-
|1982
|"Centerfold"
|Mainstream Rock Tracks
|
|-
|1982
|"Centerfold"
|Billboard Hot 100
|
|-
|1982
|"Flamethrower"
|Mainstream Rock Tracks
|align="left"|January 11, 1982
|}