"Gear Jammer" is a rock song by American blues rock band George Thorogood and the Destroyers, released on their 1985 album Maverick by EMI America Records.[1][2] It was written by George Thorogood.[3] The song is often considered one of their best, and is often played live.[4]
| "Gear Jammer" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by George Thorogood & The Destroyers | ||||
| from the album Maverick | ||||
| Released | January 1985 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:33 | |||
| Label | EMI America | |||
| Songwriter(s) | George Thorogood | |||
| Producer(s) | Terry Manning | |||
| George Thorogood & The Destroyers singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Lyric Video | ||||
| "Gear Jammer Lyric Video" on YouTube | ||||
| Audio | ||||
| "Gear Jammer Audio" on YouTube | ||||
Writing and recording
editGear Jammer started out as an instrumental jam session, the Destroyers liked the song and Thorogood came up with the lyrics for it.[5] Thorogood later said that "Gear jammer is a slang term for a trucker, and it had a kind of cool vibe about it. I started putting some words together in my head, and I came up with the riff at the start."[1]
Thorogood said the title "Gear Jammer" came from a Johnny Cash song.[5]
Release
editGear Jammer was released as the lead single from their sixth studio album Maverick,[6] as a 12-inch single.[7] The song debuted at No. 46,[8] and peaked at No. 26 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.[9][10] The song was included on several live and compilation albums.[11]
Critical reception
editGear Jammer was received positively by critics. Tim Peacock of uDiscover Music described the song as a "tour de force truck drivin’ anthem".[12] Fidel Bessera of Blues Rock Review calls the song a "hard-hitting bluesy rocker".[4]
Personnel
edit- George Thorogood – vocals, guitar
- Billy Blough – bass guitar
- Jeff Simon – drums
- Hank Carter – saxophone
Chart performance
edit| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks[9] | 26 |
References
edit- ^ a b McStea, Mark (December 16, 2022). "George Thorogood's Top Five Career-Defining Destroyers Tracks". Guitar Player.
- ^ Viglione, Joe. "Maverick Review by Joe Viglione". AllMusic.
- ^ uDiscover Team (March 8, 2020). "George Thorogood - Prodigiously-Talented Boogie Blues Guitarist". uDiscover Music.
- ^ a b Beserra, Fidel (June 24, 2021). "Top 10 George Thorogood Songs". Blues Rock Review.
- ^ a b Wardlaw, Matt (April 13, 2022). "The Story Behind George Thorogood's Slow-Developing 'Bad to the Bone'". Ultimate Classic Rock.
- ^ "Maverick Thorogood LP released by EMI America" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 41. February 23, 1985. p. 7 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "The Gavin Report - January 11, 1985" (PDF). The Gavin Report. January 11, 1985. p. 27 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Billboard Volume 97 No. 3" (PDF). Billboard. January 19, 1985. p. 18 – via World Radio History.
- ^ a b "Billboard Volume 97 No. 5" (PDF). Billboard. February 2, 1985. p. 24 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "George Thorogood Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 3, 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
- ^ "Gear Jammer - George Thorogood | AllMusic". AllMusic.
- ^ Peacock, Tim (February 25, 2022). "New George Thorogood Collection, 'The Original George Thorogood' Due In April". uDiscover Music.