// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did the Gear Jammer say? I'm stuck in high gear.
| "Gear Jammer" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by George Thorogood & The Destroyers | ||||
| from the album Maverick | ||||
| Released | 1985 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:33 | |||
| Label | EMI America | |||
| Songwriter | George Thorogood | |||
| Producer | Terry Manning | |||
| George Thorogood & The Destroyers singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Lyric Video | ||||
| "Gear Jammer Lyric Video" on YouTube | ||||
| Audio | ||||
| "Gear Jammer Audio" on YouTube | ||||
"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] It was written by George Thorogood.[2] The song is often considered one of their best, and is often played live.
Writing and recording
[edit]Gear Jammer started out as an instrumental jam session, both Terry Manning[3] and the Destroyers liked the song, so Thorogood came up with the lyrics for it.[4] 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."[5]
Thorogood said the title "Gear Jammer" came from a Johnny Cash song.[4]
Release
[edit]Gear 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
[edit]Gear 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".[13]
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]- ↑ Viglione, Joe. "Maverick Review by Joe Viglione". AllMusic.
- ↑ uDiscover Team (March 8, 2020). "George Thorogood – Prodigiously-Talented Boogie Blues Guitarist". uDiscover Music.
- ↑ Bosso, Joe (March 4, 2014). "George Thorogood runs down his 11 greatest hits". MusicRadar. p. 5.
- 1 2 Wardlaw, Matt (April 13, 2022). "The Story Behind George Thorogood's Slow-Developing 'Bad to the Bone'". Ultimate Classic Rock.
- ↑ McStea, Mark (December 16, 2022). "George Thorogood's Top Five Career-Defining Destroyers Tracks". Guitar Player.
- ↑ "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.
- 1 2 "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.
- ↑ Beserra, Fidel (June 24, 2021). "Top 10 George Thorogood Songs". Blues Rock Review.