Centerfold (song)
Encyclopedia
Centerfold is a single released by The J. Geils Band from their album Freeze Frame
. The song is about a man who is shocked to discover that his high school
crush appeared in a centerfold
spread for a men's magazine. The song could be a reference to actress Angel Tompkins
' relationship with Peter Wolf
.
It was released in autumn 1981, and eventually went to Number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100
in February 1982, and stayed there for six weeks. It was the first single released from the album Freeze Frame and was an early staple on MTV
. The band's lead singer Peter Wolf revealed on In the Studio with Redbeard
that "Angel in Blue" was going to be the album's first single. Then during the Angel in Blue video shoot, Peter got a call from the president of EMI America Records suggesting that the band release Centerfold as the first single from Freeze Frame instead.
In February 1983, a year after the song hit #1 in the US, Centerfold peaked at number three in the UK Top 40
, earning The J. Geils Band their only major hit single in the UK, although follow-up Freeze-Frame was a minor hit.
The song lists at #52 on Billboard's All Time Top Songs.
The song appears in the music video game
Rock Band 3
.
was directed by organist Seth Justman's brother. The "school" where the video was shot had a girls' dance school on the floor above; the girls from the school were the ones appearing in the video.
The music video starts out with Peter Wolf going to the classroom and looking through a magazine which he mentions his girlfriend is in. Some girls then start dancing in a line wearing slips
. Afterwards, more girls appear in the whole classroom in negligee
s dancing, smiling, and playing patty cake. Wolf then hands a couple of uniforms to two of the girls. Later on, the girls appear in cheerleading
sweatshirts resembling a 1980s style dress. After Wolf is knocked out by the girls with books, a party begins with the cheerleaders. The video ends with Wolf running out of the school in the company of four girls doing cartwheels.
For a long time it was believed that MTV VJ Martha Quinn
appeared in the video, but this turned out to be a case of mistaken identity: one of the dancers merely bore a striking resemblance to her.
by German speed/thrash metal band Tankard
on 1993's Stone Cold Sober
.
Logorrheic indie rock band Nothing Painted Blue
covered Centerfold on the bonus 7" that shipped with vinyl versions of their 1998 album The Monte Carlo Method.
The ska-punk band Against All Authority
covered the song which featured on a split 7" record with Less Than Jake
as did Hayseed Dixie
on their 2002 album A Hillbilly Tribute to Mountain Love
.
English Ska-punk Spunge
also covered this song on their album, That Should Cover It!
, also released in 2004.
German Europop group Captain Jack has also covered this song; "Centerfold (130BPM move it remix)" can be found on the game Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA
.
A cover version by Adam Austin was a minor UK hit single in February 1999.
The English rock group Status Quo covered this song on their 2003 cover album Riffs
.
Shwayze
and Cisco Adler
recorded a cover entitled "Angel Is a Centerfold".
Music parodist
Robert Lund released a Larry Craig
-themed parody of this song, entitled "(My Men's Room Date's a) Senator", which was included on his CD Politicked Off.
Also the German Fun-Metal Band J.B.O.
made a cover of this song, but their version is translated to German. The Song is called "Mei Alde is im Playboy drin", which means "My wife is in Playboy".
On their 2010 "Happy Daze Tour", the Insane Clown Posse
performed a mashup of Centerfold and their song "Down with the Clown" from The Great Milenko
album. The song featured the lyrics of "Down with the Clown" against the instrumental of Centerfold.
Freeze Frame (The J. Geils Band album)
Freeze-Frame is the 12th album by American rock band The J. Geils Band, released in 1981 . 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...
. The song is about a man who is shocked to discover that his high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
crush appeared in a centerfold
Centerfold
The centerfold of a magazine refers to a gatefolded spread, usually a portrait such as a pin-up or a nude, inserted in the middle of the publication, or to the model featured in the portrait...
spread for a men's magazine. The song could be a reference to actress Angel Tompkins
Angel Tompkins
Angel Tompkins is an American actress and Golden Globe nominee, who appeared in several films and television shows.-Career:...
' relationship with Peter Wolf
Peter Wolf
Peter Wolf is an American Rhythm and Blues, Soul and Rock and Roll musician, best known as the lead vocalist for the J. Geils Band from 1967 to 1983; and for a successful musical solo career to date with writing partner Will Jennings.- Life and career :Wolf was born in the Bronx, New York...
.
It was released in autumn 1981, and eventually went to Number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in February 1982, and stayed there for six weeks. It was the first single released from the album Freeze Frame and was an early staple on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. The band's lead singer Peter Wolf revealed on In the Studio with Redbeard
In the Studio with Redbeard
In the Studio with Redbeard is a North American radio program, produced and hosted by Dallas, Texas based rock and roll disc jockey Redbeard....
that "Angel in Blue" was going to be the album's first single. Then during the Angel in Blue video shoot, Peter got a call from the president of EMI America Records suggesting that the band release Centerfold as the first single from Freeze Frame instead.
In February 1983, a year after the song hit #1 in the US, Centerfold peaked at number three in the UK Top 40
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, earning The J. Geils Band their only major hit single in the UK, although follow-up Freeze-Frame was a minor hit.
The song lists at #52 on Billboard's All Time Top Songs.
The song appears in the music video game
Music video game
A music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3 is a music video game, developed by Harmonix Music Systems. The game was initially published and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, respectively, with Mad Catz taking over both roles a year later. It is the third main game in the Rock Band series...
.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was directed by organist Seth Justman's brother. The "school" where the video was shot had a girls' dance school on the floor above; the girls from the school were the ones appearing in the video.
The music video starts out with Peter Wolf going to the classroom and looking through a magazine which he mentions his girlfriend is in. Some girls then start dancing in a line wearing slips
Slip (clothing)
Slip is a woman's undergarment worn beneath a dress or skirt to help it hang smoothly and to prevent chafing of the skin from coarse fabrics such as wool...
. Afterwards, more girls appear in the whole classroom in negligee
Negligee
The negligee is a form of women's clothing consisting of a sheer usually long dressing gown. It is a form of nightgown intended for wear at night and in the bedroom...
s dancing, smiling, and playing patty cake. Wolf then hands a couple of uniforms to two of the girls. Later on, the girls appear in cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
sweatshirts resembling a 1980s style dress. After Wolf is knocked out by the girls with books, a party begins with the cheerleaders. The video ends with Wolf running out of the school in the company of four girls doing cartwheels.
For a long time it was believed that MTV VJ Martha Quinn
Martha Quinn
Martha Quinn is best known as one of the original video jockeys on MTV .-Early life:...
appeared in the video, but this turned out to be a case of mistaken identity: one of the dancers merely bore a striking resemblance to her.
Cover versions
The song was coveredCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by German speed/thrash metal band Tankard
Tankard (band)
Tankard is a thrash metal band from Frankfurt am Main, Germany, founded in 1982. After losing their guitarist because of their image as a bunch of drunks, they moved on to issue their first record in 1986. From that point on, the band has continuously made songs and records in the same style they...
on 1993's Stone Cold Sober
Stone Cold Sober (album)
-Line up:*Andreas "Gerre" Geremia *Frank Thorwarth *Andy Bulgaropulos *Axel Katzmann *Arnulf Tunn...
.
Logorrheic indie rock band Nothing Painted Blue
Nothing Painted Blue
Nothing Painted Blue is an American indie rock band, sporadically active since the 1990s, led by songwriter Franklin Bruno. Bruno and drummer Kyle Brodie have been the only constant members, as the remainder of the line-up has undergone a number of changes throughout the band's existence...
covered Centerfold on the bonus 7" that shipped with vinyl versions of their 1998 album The Monte Carlo Method.
The ska-punk band Against All Authority
Against All Authority
Against All Authority is an American punk band, formed in Florida in 1992. Playing in the ska punk style, their business practice follows a stringent DIY ethic.-History:...
covered the song which featured on a split 7" record with Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida. Originally formed in 1992 as a power pop trio, the band evolved into a hybrid of ska punk. Less Than Jake have also been cited as showing influences from a wide variety of genres including post-grunge, heavy metal, alternative...
as did Hayseed Dixie
Hayseed Dixie
Hayseed Dixie is an American band which began in the autumn of 2000 with the release of their first album, A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC. The band performs a mixture of cover versions of hard rock songs and original compositions in a style that is a unique fusion of bluegrass and rock music and are...
on their 2002 album A Hillbilly Tribute to Mountain Love
A Hillbilly Tribute to Mountain Love
A Hillbilly Tribute to Mountain Love is the second album by American band Hayseed Dixie, released in 2002 .-Track listing:#"My Best Friend's Girl" – 2:54#"Centerfold" A Hillbilly Tribute to Mountain Love is the second album by American band Hayseed Dixie, released in 2002 (see 2002 in...
.
English Ska-punk Spunge
Spunge
Spunge are a ska punk band from Tewkesbury, England...
also covered this song on their album, That Should Cover It!
That Should Cover It!
That Should Cover It! is a covers album by the Tewkesbury ska punk band Spunge. It also contains three re-recorded songs from earlier in the band's career and two completely new songs. It was released on February 23, 2004, on the band's own label Dent'All Records.The CD-ROM also contains the music...
, also released in 2004.
German Europop group Captain Jack has also covered this song; "Centerfold (130BPM move it remix)" can be found on the game Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA
Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA
Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova is an arcade game in the Dance Dance Revolution series of music video games. It was produced by Konami and released through Betson Enterprises. The game was released in Europe on April 28, 2006, followed shortly by the North American release on May 15...
.
A cover version by Adam Austin was a minor UK hit single in February 1999.
The English rock group Status Quo covered this song on their 2003 cover album Riffs
Riffs (album)
"Riffs" is the twenty-sixth studio album by the English rock group "Status Quo", released in 2003. Ten tracks were cover versions of pop and rock standards, the other five were re-recordings of songs they had previously issued during the 1970s...
.
Shwayze
Shwayze
Aaron Smith , better known by his stage name Shwayze, is an American rapper.Born and raised in Malibu, California, Shwayze worked at a local Starbucks coffee shop until he met Whitestarr frontman Cisco Adler at a nightclub. One night Shwayze jumped on stage during Whitestarr's performance and...
and Cisco Adler
Cisco Adler
Cisco Sam Adler is an American musician and former frontman for the band Whitestarr.Adler is the son of music producer and director Lou Adler and Phyllis Somer. He is also a relative of actress Daryl Hannah through his father's marriage to her sister Page Hannah.In 2008 Adler left Whitestarr, and...
recorded a cover entitled "Angel Is a Centerfold".
Music parodist
Parody music
Parody music, or musical parody, involves changing or recycling existing musical ideas or lyrics — or copying the peculiar style of a composer or artist, or even a general style of music. Although the result is often funny, and this is the usual intent — the term "parody" in musical terms also...
Robert Lund released a Larry Craig
Larry Craig
Larry Edwin Craig is a former Republican politician from the U.S. state of Idaho. He served 18 years in the U.S. Senate , preceded by 10 years in the U.S. House, representing Idaho's first district . His 28 years in the Congress rank as the second-longest in Idaho history, trailing only William...
-themed parody of this song, entitled "(My Men's Room Date's a) Senator", which was included on his CD Politicked Off.
Also the German Fun-Metal Band J.B.O.
J.B.O.
J.B.O. is a heavy metal band from Erlangen, Germany. J.B.O. was founded in 1989 by Vito C. and Hannes "G.Laber" Holzmann and is known for parodies of rock and pop songs...
made a cover of this song, but their version is translated to German. The Song is called "Mei Alde is im Playboy drin", which means "My wife is in Playboy".
On their 2010 "Happy Daze Tour", the Insane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan. The group is composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the "wicked clowns" Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore...
performed a mashup of Centerfold and their song "Down with the Clown" from The Great Milenko
The Great Milenko
The Great Milenko is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group Insane Clown Posse, released on June 25, 1997, by Hollywood Records, in association with Psychopathic Records...
album. The song featured the lyrics of "Down with the Clown" against the instrumental of Centerfold.
See also
- List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1980s
- List of RPM number-one singles of 1982
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1982 (U.S.)
- List of number-one mainstream rock hits (United States)