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Come Back (The J. Geils Band song)

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"Come Back"
Dutch single cover
Single by the J. Geils Band
from the album Love Stinks
B-side"Takin' You Down"
ReleasedJanuary 1980
Recorded1979
StudioLong View Farm, North Brookfield, Massachusetts
GenreRock, new wave, disco
Length5:10 (album)
3:32 (single edit)
LabelEMI
Songwriter(s)Peter Wolf, Seth Justman
Producer(s)Seth Justman
The J. Geils Band singles chronology
"Sanctuary"
(1979) 		"Come Back"
(1980) 		"Love Stinks"
(1980)
Music video
"Come Back" on YouTube

"Come Back" is a song by the J. Geils Band, appearing on their 1980 album Love Stinks. "Come Back" was the first single from the album, and reached the US Top 40, peaking at No. 32 and remaining in the Top 40 for five weeks.[1][2] It peaked at No. 19 for two weeks in Canada.[3] It also made Billboard's Club Play Singles chart, peaking at No. 69.[1] The song remains in the rotation of classic rock radio stations.[4]

Seth Justman provides extensive keyboards, which Associated Press critic James Simon feels gives the song "a little extra zing."[5]

Rolling Stone critic Dave Marsh praised "Come Back" as a "full-scale showcase" for the band, claiming that it came "very close to the topnotch hard rock Geils has always threatened to make and too rarely delivered."[6][7] On the other hand, in the 4th edition of The New Rolling Stone Album Guide, critic Rob Sheffield calls the song a "failed Eurodisco experiment."[8] Boston Globe critic Steve Morse describes the song as "discoish."[9] Bill Flanagan, writing in the Boston Globe remarked that although "Come Back" has an "upbeat surface," the song conveys the anxiety that lurks below.[10] Craig Allen of NJ 101.5 describes the song as an "overlooked 1980 J. Geils gem."[11] Cash Box said it has "an insistent dance beat is surrounded by rapid-fire electronics," but still retains "a hard ‘n’ heavy guitar sound."[12] Record World said that the song "has an exciting dance beat" and that "vocals & surging keyboards are tops."[13] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Michael Gallucci rated it to be the band's 10th greatest song, saying that was "Eurodisco-inspired" and loaded with "contemporary-sounding [keyboards]."[14]

Subsequent to its initial appearance on Love Stinks, "Come Back" was released on several J. Geils Band compilation albums, including Flashback: The Best of the J. Geils Band, Centerfold, The Very Best J. Geils Band Album Ever and Best of The J. Geils Band.[15] In the Netherlands, it was also released as the B-side of the 12" maxi-single "Centerfold."[16]

Full House, a band that includes former J. Geils Band bassist Danny Klein, covers "Come Back" in concert.[17]

Chart performance

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Chart (1980) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[18] 31
Canada RPM Top Singles[3] 19
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[19] 32
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play 69
U.S. Cashbox Top 100[20] 32

References

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  1. ^ a b "Love Stinks Awards". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-09-01.
  2. ^ Whitburn, J. (2010). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (9th ed.). Random House. p. 263. ISBN 9780823085545.
  3. ^ a b "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 1980-05-31. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
  4. ^ Neff, A. (August 3, 2011). "Bangor, J. Geils Band tour a reunion for singer Peter Wolf". Bangor Daily News. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014. Retrieved 2012-09-02 – via HighBeam Research.
  5. ^ Simon, J. (April 1, 1980). "Geils has hit with 'Love Stinks'". The Daily News. p. 14-B. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
  6. ^ Marsh, D. (1983). Marsh, D.; Swenson, J. (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2nd ed.). Rolling Stone Press. p. 196. ISBN 0394721071.
  7. ^ Marsh, D. (February 22, 1980). "Love Stinks is Excellent Album". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 13. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
  8. ^ Sheffield, R. (2004). Brackett, N.; Hoard, C. (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Fireside. p. 327. ISBN 0743201698.
  9. ^ Morse, S. (April 21, 1980). "Wolf, J. Geils Band prove well worth the waiting". Boston Globe. p. Arts/Films 1.
  10. ^ Flanagan, B. (December 30, 1982). "J. Geils Turns on the Power". Boston Globe. p. Arts/Films 1.
  11. ^ Allen, C. (March 26, 2016). "Craig Allen says: 'Meet the J. Geils Band'". Townsquare Entertainment News. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
  12. ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. January 26, 1980. p. 14. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  13. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. January 26, 1980. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  14. ^ Gallucci, Michael (February 20, 2016). "Top 10 J. Geils Band Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2022-06-15.
  15. ^ "Come Back". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
  16. ^ "Come Back". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
  17. ^ Symkus, E. (November 18, 2011). "J. Geils' Danny Klein cooking up his music career". GateHouse Media. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
  18. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). Sydney: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  19. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  20. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-03-19. Retrieved 2015-04-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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