Flamethrower Give It To Me J Geils Band

Flamethrower Album: Freeze Frame (1981)
Give It To Me Album: Bloodshot (1973)
by J. Geils Band

Released as a single from the very successful Freeze Frame album, Flamethrower didn't crack the pop charts, but it did make #25 R&B. It was written by their keyboard player Seth Justman, who explained to NME when asked about "Flamethrower": "It's not just about a woman, it's about a woman factory worker and how she lets loose at night. It's about a certain spirit that's in everybody. In the middle of that song the spirit in the body has taken over. It's not just a hot chick in hot pants. It's a woman who punches the clock every day at 8 and 5 and when she leaves she does something with her life, whatever she has to do to punch the clock the next day and not go crazy. That punch clock is in everyone; there's something inside everyone that makes you want to go on and get better and stronger."

Luther Vandross and Cissy Houston are among the backup singers on this track.

One of the most popular J. Geils Band songs from the group's early years, Give It To Me is unusually carnal, with Peter Wolf making it very clear in his vocal delivery what he's asking for in "Give It To Me."

Wolf wrote the song with the group's keyboard player Seth Justman.

J. Geils Band had their biggest hits in the '80s with "Freeze-Frame" and "Centerfold," but that was the culmination of a long career that included lots of blues-based boogie music like Give It To Me.

"Give It To Me" was cut down to 3:07 for radio play, but the full version runs a healthy 6:32, with showcase spots for many of the band members. Seth Justman gets a long solo on organ, which is followed by a guitar spot by J. Geils (the group's guitarist was the band's namesake) and an extended harmonica solo by Magic Dick. The song became a concert favorite, and one that established the J. Geils Band as a great live act. The live version from their album Blow Your Face Out is the one many radio stations play, as it captures the energy of their shows.

Heineken beer used Give It To Me in commercials in 2002.

Bill Szymczyk produced the Bloodshot album, which was recorded at the Hit Factory in New York City. Szymczyk would later produce the Eagles, including their albums On the Border and Hotel California.