ON THIS DATE (43 YEARS AGO) October 28, 1971 - J. Geils Band: Looking For A Love b/w Whammer Jammer (Atlantic 45-2844) 45 single is released in the US. Lookin for a Love is a song written by J. W. Alexander and Zelda Samuels and was the debut hit of the family group The Valentinos, which featured Bobby Womack. The song was a hit for the Valentinos, climbing to number eight on the R&B chart and crossing over to number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962, released on Sam Cookes SAR label. The J. Geils Band cover/single reached #39 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was released on the 1971 album, The Morning After. Joe Viglione, allmusic This cover of a J.W. Alexander / Zelda Samuels tune is three minutes and forty-five seconds starting off side two of The J. Geils Bands second album, The Morning After. Atlantic single #2844 came at the end of 1971/ beginning of 1972 barely cracking the Top 40, but was an indication of things to come as the group would dominate the charts for a time a decade later. Initially Looking For A Love was their signature tune though they escaped the one hit wonder category within a year and a half, their three Atlantic singles in the early 70s giving them some breathing room on the live concert circuit before they came back with seven more. A simple and driving drum beat opens this, Janis Joplins Move Over intro from the Pearl album in triple time, giving Peter Wolf a superb introduction to radio listeners, his plea to the world for someone, anyone, to help me find my baby. Who cant relate to the simplicity of the request, Im looking for a love to call my own? Wolf argues his case with one line, the band responds with the title of the song, back and forth they go under B.B.King producer Bill Szymczyks guiding hand. The interlude was the best advertisement in the world for the group - J. Geils plays guitar for a few seconds followed by Dicks harp to Seths keys back to the harp back to the keys, back to the intro. The backing vocals chant Im looking, Im looking, Im looking, Im looking while Peter Wolf wails with the best of the blues masters going pop, frantic screams of desperation following promises the singer is making to the cosmos, what he would do if all his romantic hopes and dreams came true. The song zips by feeling a lot shorter than it is, a quick blast of energetic rock & roll which shouldve been a much bigger hit. A five minute and sixteen second version opens up the double discMar Y Sol album, a Puerto Rico music festival from early April 1972. The live cut is even more driving and faster on this obscure Woodstock-type collection of musical acts from the period. Opening an album with their current hit, an album which featured B.B.King at the peak of his commercial success along with Dr. John, Jonathan Edwards, The Allman Brothers and others, mustve been invigorating for this ensemble and the extended manic performance has a raspy Peter Wolf as frantic as the band, all in hyperdrive. Its a track that should be added as a bonus to their greatest hits package(s) as it shows another side of the tune that started it all for this important group.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 14:12:17 +0000
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