Skip to content
Centerfold cover art

Centerfold

The J. Geils Band
Tab
4.8(58)

This is tablature — fret positions rather than chord names. Wide lines scroll sideways on their own, so the page never does.

The riff

e|------10-------------------------------------------------------|
B|--/12-----12-10---------------------------10--------10---------|
G|----------------12-12----12-9-12-12--9-12----12-12-------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------|
e|------10------------------------------------------------------|
B|---12-----12-10---------------------------10------------------|
G|----------------12-12----12-9-12-12--9-12----12-12------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------|

(During the verses, part of the riff is played an octave lower)

e|---------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-------7----------------OR------7------------------------------|
D|----/9---9--7--5--5----------/9---9--7-------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------10--10-----------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------|

(There are other places to play it on the neck too; do what's most

comfortable.)

(The chords are a simple G, F, C through most of the song)

G (Mute) F C F C

e|------------------------------------------------------------|
B|--12--12--X-X-X-X--10-10-----------------10-----------------|
G|--12--12--X-X-X-X--10-10------9---9------10--------9--------|
D|--12--12--X-X-X-X--10-10------10--10-----10--------10-------|
A|--10--10--X-X-X-X--8--8----0--10--10-----8---------10-------|
E|------------------------------8---8----------------8--------|

My blood runs cold MY memory has just been sold

(If that proves too daunting (or you have a second guitarist) then

play it as open chords. This particular voicing is what I

believe Mr. Geils (yes, he exists and was the guitarist) to be

playing on the recording.)

Pre-chorus

Em Am G D

e|---0-----------------------------------0-----------3---2-------|
B|---0-----------------------------------1-----------0---3-------|
G|---0-----------------------------------2-----------0---2-------|
D|---2-----------------------------------2-----------0---0-------|
A|---2-----------------------------------0-----------2-----------|
E|---0-----------------------------------0-----------3-----------|

(A part of me has just been ripped the pages of my mind are

stripped)

(And that's pretty much all you need to know. No solo, and the

rest is easy if you try it with the song, even that little low

riff after the false ending. Towards the fade out, Peter Wolf

sings a harmony to the main riff on "Na-na", which you can play

on guitar if you choose)

e|/12-10-10-12-10-10--10-10-8-8----8-10-8-8-10--and-repeat------|
B|------------------------------10------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------------------|

2. Version of the song

(Used to play this in a band I was in, but we rearranged it a bit - the lead

guitar played the cheesy keyboard parts at the start etc.

Here's a rough idea)

Verse

G F C F C

Does she walk, does she talk, does she come complete

G F C F C

My home-brew, home-room angel, just pulled me to my feet

G F C F C

She was pure like snowflakes, no one could ever stain

G F C F C

The memory of my angel could never cause me pain

Em Am C D

The years go by I'm looking thru a girly magazine

Em Am C D

And there's my ---- angel on the pages in between

Chorus

G F C F C

My blood runs cold, my memory has just been sold

G F C F C

My angel is tha centrefold (angel is the centrefold)

My blood runs cold, my memory has just been sold

Da, da, da etc.... (I'll post this riff next time)

(Hit the chords hard & sharp (listen to the record for the rythym.)

If time allows I'll recall the riff at the start and post an improved

version tomorrow.)

Cheers,

Bruisa.

3. Version of the song

Intro

(Played on an organ on the original)

(This is played through twice and then the other instruments come in and it is played twice again.)

e|-------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------------|
G|---7---------------------------------------|
D|-9---9-7-------------------------7-------7-|
A|---------10-10---10-7-10-10-7-10---10-10---|
E|-------------------------------------------|

Main Riff

(The main riff consists of the chords G F C F in that order. To get the actual pattern of the strums

have to listen to the original)

F G C

e|-1- -3- -3-|
B|-1- -3- -4-|
G|-2- -4- -4-|
D|-3- -5- -4-|
A|-3- -5- -3-|
E|-1- -3- -x-|

Pre-Chorus

(The pre-chorus follows each verse as a continuation ie there's no gap in between the verse and pre-chorus.

I think this is on the lightly distorted guitar and has a vibrato to it, wobble the headstock if you don't

a tremelo for the first E note. Repeat it twice for each pre-chorus)

e|-----------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------3--5-------------------------------|
E|--0----------5---------------------------------------------|

Riff 2

(Just before the last line of each chorus)

e|-----------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------------|
G|----7------------------------------------------------------|
D|--9---9-7--------------------------------------------------|
A|----------10-10--------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------|

Riff 3

(The following four sections come during the third verse, about 2 minutes into the song, again

have to listen to the song to figure out where but they are played once each in the order I've shown.)

e|-------------|-----------------|---------|-------10--------|
B|-------------|--------------8--|---8-10^-|-11-11^---8------|
G|-------------|-----------------|---------|-----------------|
D|--8----------|---10-8----------|---------|-----------------|
A|----10-8-10--|--------10-10----|---------|-----------------|
E|-------------|-----------------|---------|-----------------|

************************************

| / Slide up

| x Dead note

************************************

Comments

Spotted a wrong chord, or know a capo position that sounds closer to the record?

Sign in to join the conversation.

No comments yet. If you play this one, say what works.