I’m of an age where my first exposure to The J. Geils Band was the bouncing ball video to “Love Stinks” and then soon after the MTV blockbuster single “Centerfold.” As far as I knew, the megahit Freeze Frame was just the second record from these young pop chart-toppers. Living in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio, I had no idea of the history of the band until they had broken up and disappeared from the mainstream.
Anyway, I was borrowing my wife’s car and enjoying some satellite radio when This Song! came on the radio. I cannot remember if I was surprised to hear Peter Wolf on Outlaw Country or I was surprised to hear a roots song like this on Underground Garage but it was one of the two channels. Either way it blew me away.
Oh yeah, I forgot. Peter Wolf is great. Everybody knows he is great. I need to check out some Peter Wolf. Turns out he has been cranking out acclaimed solo records for the past thirty years. For some reason this song proved hard to find. “I Don’t Wanna Know” was written by David Johnston and then covered by Peter for his Midnight Souvenirs record which was released by the Verve label in 2010. That record is out of print and not available on any streaming services that I have access to. Go figure.
However, this live clip gives you a taste of an amazing song in the hands of an amazing front-man. And I do mean front-man in the same league with Jagger, Mercury and David Lee Roth. Dig this song.