The J. Geils Band – Bloodshot (1973) Review | How a Red Album Turned to Gold
Kronomyth 4.0: First blood.
With Bloodshot, it became clear that The J. Geils Band had arrived. Their fourth album climbed up to #10 on the US charts and became their first to go gold (“Live” Full House would achieve the feat some months later). Both Make Up Your Mind and Give It To Me entered the Top 100, but it was a sensational cover of The Showstoppers’ (Ain’t Nothin’ But a) House Party that radio stations rallied around. Atlantic Records even thought enough of the effort to boost their promotional efforts with red vinyl variations. Once you got it home, Bloodshot was another R&B party platter with more than a touch of soul (the James Brown-inspired Get Back to Ya), a velvet-smooth ballad (Start All Over Again) and originals that sounded uncannily like the genuine article (Southside Shuffle). The truth is that a lot of bands could have written songs that copied the R&B/soul of the 60s (and many did). Few (if any) bands, however, executed them with such energy and authenticity. I used to wonder why they called themselves The J. Geils Band. This album will answer that question. Geils’ guitar is the magnetic force that holds it all together; he’s the anchor piece around which all the other unique pieces fit together. Now, I would like to tell you that, from this point forward, The J. Geils Band were bankable stars, but that wouldn’t be true. The albums that followed performed well enough, but the band wouldn’t see another gold record until the end of the decade. Blame disco if you want or the band’s uncompromising commitment to a bygone era of rock & roll (which, I’m told, will never die, and better red than dead said I).
The Product
A1. (Ain’t Nothin’ But a) House Party (Del Sharh/Joseph Thomas) (4:35)
A2. Make Up Your Mind (3:31)
A3. Back to Get Ya (5:22)
A4. Struttin’ With My Baby (3:16)
A5. Don’t Try to Hide It (2:35)
B1. Southside Shuffle (3:43)
B2. Hold Your Loving (Titus Turner/Bernice Snelson) (2:30)
B3. Start All Over Again (4:15)
B4. Give It to Me (6:32)
All songs written by Peter Wolf and Seth Justman unless noted. Arranged by The J. Geils Band.
Original 8-track version
A1. Make Up Your Mind
A2. Struttin’ With My Baby
A3. Hold Your Loving
B1. Don’t Try to Hide It
B2. Give It to Me
C1. Back to Get Ya
C2. Southside Shuffle
D1. (Ain’t Nothin’ But a) House Party
D2. Start All Over Again
The Players
Stephen Jo Bladd (percussion & vocals), J. Geils (guitars), Seth Justman (keyboards & vocals), Daniel Klein (bass), Magic Dick (harp), Peter Wolf (vocals) with Mike Hunt (saxophone solo on A5). Produced and engineered by Bill Szymczyk.
The Pictures
Photography by David Gahr. Design by Richard Mantel. Special assistance by Juke Joint Jimmy.
The Plastic
Released on red or black vinyl elpee, cassette and 8-track on April 12, 1973 in the US (Atlantic, SD/CS/TP-7260) and Japan (Atlantic, P-8329A). Reached #10 on the US charts (RIAA-certified gold record).
- Re-issued on remastered compact disc in the US (Atlantic, 82801-2).
