Climax Blues Band -

The Climax Blues Band was an English rock band that emerged in 1969 with two blues-rock albums on Parlophone. After a three-album stint on Harvest (1970–72), they released six albums on Sire (1973–79) and scored a transatlantic hit with “Couldn’t Get It Right.” In 1980, they moved to Warner and had a second hit with “I Love You.”

Members: Colin Cooper (vocals, saxophone, harmonica, rhythm guitar, 1967-2008), Richard Jones (bass, 1967-71, 1975-77), George Newsome (drums, 1967-73), Arthur Woods (keyboards, 1967-73), Derek Holt (vocals, bass, 1967-82), Pete Haycock (guitar, vocals, 1967-84), Anton Farmer (keyboards, 1970), John Cuffley (drums, 1973-82), Peter Filleul (keyboards, 1977-80), George Glover (keyboards, 1980-present), John “Rhino” Edwards (bass, 1982-84), Dave Markee (bass, 1982-89), Henry Spinetti (drums, 1983), Jeff Rich (drums, 1984-85), Roger Inniss (bass, 1984-91), Lester Hunt (guitar, 1985-present), Roy Adams (drums, 1985-present)

Background

The Climax Chicago Blues Band evolved in Stafford, Staffordshire, in 1968 from Gospel Truth, a local R&B combo led by singer–saxophonist Colin Cooper and guitarist–singer Pete Haycock. The new lineup added guitarist–singer Derek Holt, bassist Richard Jones, keyboardist Arthur Wood, and drummer George Newsome.

Colin Francis Richard Cooper was born on October 7, 1939, in Stafford. During the early 1950s, he began on harmonica and then added clarinet, guitar, flute, and saxophone. Cooper worked as a metallurgist and formed Colin Cooper’s Climax Jazz Band while he kept a full-time job. By the mid-sixties, he played saxophone with Hipster Image, a Keele University–area R&B/mod group with keyboardist Eric Leese, bassist Tony “Dirk” Durkin, singer–saxophonist Frank Proudlove, and drummer Keith Webb.

Hipster Image placed “Little Piece of Leather” and “All for You” on a Keele University flexidisc before Decca issued the Alan Price–produced single “Can’t Let Her Go” (b/w “Make Her Mine”). The group held a residency at the Place in Stoke-on-Trent and moved to London club work after promoters John and Richard Gunnell placed them at the Flamingo.

After Hipster Image broke up, Cooper returned to Staffordshire and formed Gospel Truth from a local player pool. The group paired Cooper with drummer John Cuffley and teenage guitarist Haycock, who also sang during the group’s local dates. Peter John Haycock was born on March 4, 1951, in Stafford. He attended St. John’s Primary School and King Edward VI Boys Grammar School. Haycock played his first electric guitar at a miners’ club at age twelve and later worked school and college dances. In 1967, he joined Gospel Truth after local activity with Mason–Dixon Line.

Derek Holt started guitar at age eight and played local bands during his mid-teens. After school, he worked as a laboratory assistant at a Stafford grinding-wheel factory and studied chemistry at college. Holt met Cooper at the factory, where Cooper worked as a metallurgist. Richard Jones came through Haycock’s grammar-school circle and played bass. Arthur Wood worked as a schoolteacher and played keyboards. George Newsome joined the circle as a Stafford drummer.

Cooper and Haycock moved Gospel Truth away from local R&B work after the group’s bookings reached a ceiling. Under the Climax Chicago Blues Band name, the revised six-piece played local dates with Cooper on vocals, harmonica, and saxophone; Haycock on lead and slide guitars; Holt on rhythm guitar, organ, and bass; Wood on piano and organ; Jones on bass; and Newsome on drums. An EMI scout saw the band during local work and signed them to a two-album Parlophone deal while the members still held day jobs.

The Climax Chicago Blues Band

The Climax Chicago Blues Band released their self-titled debut album in February 1969 on Parlophone.

The album presents Chicago-blues repertory and band originals with harmonica, piano, organ, slide guitar, and extended side-two form. Cooper leads on voice, saxes, and harmonica. Haycock supplies guitar and voice, while Wood, Holt, Jones, and Newsome complete the sextet’s early studio lineup.

“Mean Old World” centers Cooper’s harp and Haycock’s slide solo. “Insurance” pairs Haycock’s lead with Wood’s piano in a straight electric setting. “Going Down This Road” adds Wood’s piano-and-organ support to a faint psychedelic tint. “You’ve Been Drinking” shuffles under Cooper’s vocal and Wood’s barroom piano. “Don’t Start Me Talkin’” lets Haycock’s lead answer Cooper’s harp. “Wee Baby Blues” eases into acoustic strums and gentle harp.

“Twenty Past One” works through slide and piano in a loose instrumental jam. “A Stranger in Your Town” sets slide and harp over a locked band pattern. “How Many More Years” moves from a piano intro into harmonica breaks and boogie-woogie turns. “Looking for My Baby” starts from a slide figure and adds Wood’s piano under Haycock’s lead. “And Lonely” begins on organ/harmonium, places Cooper’s echoed vocal above low slide, and lets the solo lengthen after the two-minute turn. “The Entertainer” works as a fast ragtime piano feature.

A1. “Mean Old World” (3:52)
A2. “Insurance” (3:48)
A3. “Going Down This Road” (3:03)
A4. “You’ve Been Drinking” (2:31)
A5. “Don’t Start Me Talkin'” (3:20) – Williamson
A6. “Wee Baby Blues” (3:25)

B1. “Twenty Past One” (3:09)
B2. “A Stranger in Your Town” (4:18)
B3. “How Many More Years” (3:01) – Burnett
B4. “Looking for My Baby” (2:51)
B5. “And Lonely” (8:43)

Climax Chicago Blues Band recorded the album between September 27 and November 5, 1968 at Abbey Road Studios, London, with producer Chris Thomas and engineers Jeff Jarratt and Geoff Emerick.

Plays On

The Climax Chicago Blues Band released their second album, Plays On, in October 1969 on Parlophone.

The album expands the debut’s blues base with Latin-jazz source material, ragtime quotation, bamboo whistle, Mellotron, and longer side anchors. Holt retains bass and Mellotron duties beside Jones, who made his final album appearance before his first exit from the band.

“Flight” rises from Wood’s keys into a horn-marked instrumental, with Cooper’s saxophone and Haycock’s solo sharing the front. “Hey Baby, Everything’s Gonna Be Alright, Yeh Yeh Yeh” shuffles heavily with ringing lead, piano, organ, and harp. “Cubano Chant” softens into acoustic strums, saxophone, piano, and Cooper’s bamboo whistle. “Little Girl” drives as an instrumental with Cooper’s saxophone and Wood’s piano before Haycock’s mid-song solo.

“Mum’s the Word” moves from an organ quotation into an atonal space section. “Twenty Past Two / Temptation Rag” works Haycock’s slide and Cooper’s saxophone into a ragtime piano break. “So Many Roads, So Many Trains” slows around flat-picked lead and slide before the second half expands into jamming. “City Ways” lays back under mellow organ, phased lead, and echoed Cooper vocals. “Crazy ’Bout My Baby” leans on a low-end figure, honky-tonk piano, and a later jam.

A1. “Flight” (7:26)
A2. “Hey Baby, Everything’s Gonna Be Alright, Yeh Yeh Yeh” (4:27)
A3. “Cubano Chant” (5:31) – Bryant
A4. “Little Girl” (2:58) – Bond

B1. “Mum’s the Word” (3:42)
B2. “Twenty Past Two / Temptation Rag” (3:20) – Lodge
B3. “So Many Roads, So Many Trains” (6:29) – Marshall
B4. “City Ways” (3:20)
B5. “Crazy ’Bout My Baby” (6:07)

Climax Chicago Blues Band recorded Plays On in June 1969 at EMI Studios, St John’s Wood, with producer Chris Thomas and engineer Jeff Jarratt.

Parlophone lifted “Like Uncle Charlie” as an October 1969 single (b/w “Loving Machine”). Plays On reached No. 197 on the Billboard 200 chart.

A Lot of Bottle

Climax Chicago Blues Band released their third album, A Lot of Bottle, in December 1970 on Harvest.

The album introduces the post-Jones lineup with Holt as the group’s sole bassist. Keyboardist Anton Farmer joins Wood, while Cooper, Haycock, and Newsome retain the front-line and rhythm roles from the Parlophone albums.

“Country Hat” rests on an acoustic slide figure. “Every Day” sets ringing electric slide against a high-mixed bass part. “Reap What I’ve Sowed” works dry riffs, swelling bass, and an extended slide solo. “Brief Case” threads Cooper’s saxophone through Haycock’s lead movement. “Alright Blue? / Country Hat (Reprise)” pairs harmonica with lead figures before the acoustic slide returns.

“Seventh Son” crawls through a mellow opening before Haycock’s electric break takes over after the two-minute turn. “Please Don’t Help Me” sets mouth-harp phrases beside a short organ solo and spiky lead movement. “Morning Noon and Night” drives with saxophone and stacked vocal parts. “Long Lovin’ Man” lays back around piano, blended voices, and a Haycock outro solo. “Louisiana Blues” slows around electric slide and Cooper’s rough vocal. “Cut You Loose” gives organ and Cooper’s saxophone the front before a late psychedelic turn.

A1. “Country Hat” (1:56)
A2. “Everyday” (2:24)
A3. “Reap What I’ve Sowed” (4:35)
A4. “Brief Case” (4:03)
A5. “Alright Blue?” (4:14)

B1. “Seventh Son” (6:48) – Dixon
B2. “Please Don’t Help Me” (2:55)
B3. “Morning Noon and Night” (2:34)
B4. “Long Lovin’ Man” (3:35)
B5. “Louisiana Blues” (5:18) – Morganfield
B6. “Cut You Loose” (5:20) – Campbell

Climax Chicago Blues Band recorded A Lot of Bottle with producer Chris Thomas and engineer Jeff Jarratt.

Harvest lifted “Reap What I’ve Sowed” as a November 1970 single (b/w “Spoonful”). Sire issued the same A-side in the United States in June 1971 (b/w “Brief Case”).

Tightly Knit

Climax Chicago released their fourth album, Tightly Knit, in October 1971 on Harvest.

The album presents the final studio configuration with Wood and Newsome. Holt remains the sole bassist, while Cooper and Haycock place sax, harmonica, and guitar across eight band titles and a Robert Johnson repertory piece.

“Hey Mama” shuffles with brass backing, Cooper’s harp, and a Haycock solo in the instrumental section. “Shoot Her if She Runs” works swirling organ against a later scat-and-guitar passage. “Towards the Sun” lightens around Cooper’s saxophone and integrated harmonica. “Come On in My Kitchen” starts in stripped-back semi-acoustic form before the rhythm section enters. “Who Killed McSwiggin” drives as a sax-led instrumental with piano, organ, hi-hat, and phasing.

“Little Link” eases into a short acoustic slide ramble. “St. Michael’s Blues” stretches through a slow extended setting with saxophone spots, a tempo change, and long Haycock soloing. “Bide My Time” leans on gentle guitar, organ, wah-wah, and electric piano. “That’s All” starts percussive, then adds strummed acoustic guitar, marching toms, whistling, and group vocal ease.

A1. “Hey Mama” (3:33)
A2. “Shoot Her If She Runs” (3:36)
A3. “Towards the Sun” (3:24)
A4. “Come On in My Kitchen” (6:35) – Johnson
A5. “Who Killed McSwiggin” (4:59)

B1. “Little Link” (1:38)
B2. “St. Michael’s Blues” (9:55)
B3. “Bide My Time” (3:22)
B4. “That’s All” (2:11)

Harvest lifted “Towards the Sun” as an August 1971 single (b/w “Everyday”). Sire issued “Hey Mama” as a February 1972 US single (b/w “That’s All”).

Rich Man

Climax Blues Band released their fifth studio album, Rich Man, in November 1972 on Sire.

The album marks the group’s first studio album under the shortened Climax Blues Band name. Cuffley replaces Newsome on drums, and the Cooper–Haycock–Holt–Cuffley quartet sets the core lineup for the group’s next run.

“Rich Man” stamps forward on Cuffley’s march feel before Haycock’s slide takes over after the two-minute turn. “Mole on the Dole” settles into acoustic strum, organ, laidback saxophone, and relaxed Haycock lead. “You Make Me Sick” works Haycock’s slide against Cooper’s saxophone, handclaps, and guitar-and-organ unison. “Standing by a River” eases back with restrained lead, Wood’s organ, Cuffley’s percussion, and blended voices.

“Shake Your Love” rides a Bo Diddley beat before Cooper’s harp and Haycock’s slide step forward. “All the Time in the World” begins with vocal emphasis, then gains speed through organ, a tempo change, and closing slide. “If You Wanna Know” shifts between slow and fast sections with Holt’s bass runs and Haycock’s lead breaks. “Don’t You Mind People Grinning in Your Face” pares the close down to voice and guitar.

A1. “Rich Man” (5:47)
A2. “Mole on the Dole” (5:04)
A3. “You Make Me Sick” (3:53)
A4. “Standing by a River” (5:30)

B1. “Shake Your Love” (5:15)
B2. “All the Time in the World” (6:04)
B3. “If You Wanna Know” (5:25)
B4. “Don’t You Mind People Grinning in Your Face” (2:25) – House

Climax Blues Band recorded Rich Man in August 1972 with producer Richard Gottehrer.

Harvest lifted “Mole on the Dole” as a November 1972 UK single (b/w “Like Uncle Charlie”). “Shake Your Love” followed in April 1973 with “You Make Me Sick” in the United Kingdom and “Mole on the Dole” in the United States. Rich Man reached No. 150 on the Billboard 200 chart.

FM/Live

Climax Blues Band released their first live album, FM/Live, in October 1973 on Sire.

The two-LP set documents the Cooper–Haycock–Holt–Cuffley quartet in a New York radio-concert setting. The program draws from the first five studio albums and adds live readings of repertory pieces by Willie Dixon, Marshall Paul, Jimmy Reed, and Wilbert Harrison.

“All the Time in the World” stamps the set open with a live band surface centered on Haycock, Cooper, Holt, and Cuffley. “I Am Constant” turns doo-wop phrasing into a boogie setting with vocal harmonies. “Flight” expands into jazzy instrumental interplay around Haycock’s lead and Cooper’s saxophone.

“Seventh Son” drops Cooper into a lower vocal placement before the saxophone break and Holt’s bass movement. “Standing by a River” rises through the stronger live dynamics noted for the set. “So Many Roads” holds its long slow form around lead-centered jamming.

“Mesopopmania” circles unison phrases around Cuffley’s solo. “Country Hat” brings Haycock’s slide figure to the front. “Shake Your Love” hits a high-octane Bo Diddley pattern. “Goin’ To New York” leans on Cooper’s harp in a full-length live take.

A1. “All the Time in the World” (5:17)
A2. “I Am Constant” (3:24)
A3. “Flight” (11:10)
B1. “Seventh Son” (4:23) – Dixon
B2. “Standing by a River” (4:59)
B3. “So Many Roads” (10:48) – Marshall

C1. “Mesopopmania” (6:29)
C2. “Country Hat” (5:55)
C3. “You Make Me Sick” (3:34)
C4. “Shake Your Love” (2:30)
D1. “Goin’ to New York” (9:25) – Reed
D2. “Let’s Work Together” (6:12) – Harrison

Climax Blues Band recorded FM/Live on July 1, 1973, at the Academy of Music in New York.

Sire lifted “I Am Constant” as a December 1973 US single (b/w “Goin’ to New York”). FM/Live reached No. 107 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Sense of Direction

Climax Blues Band released their sixth studio album, Sense of Direction, in May 1974 on Sire.

The album retains the Cooper–Haycock–Holt–Cuffley quartet and places longer side entries beside concise blues-rock titles. Cooper adds clarinet and rhythm guitar to his voice, sax, and harmonica roles, while Holt adds piano and rhythm guitar beside bass.

“Amerita/Sense of Direction” locks guitar and saxophone into clipped unison bursts, then slips into a hazier midsection before the slide handoff. “Losin’ the Humbles” pares that handoff into compact blues-rock movement. “Shopping Bag People” rides Cooper’s laidback delivery through Haycock’s answering breaks.

“Reaching Out” tightens from shimmering lead phrases into crisp ensemble turns. “Right Now” slows into a smoky late-night drag with lazy vocal placement and horn replies. “Before You Reach the Grave” hardens into a heavier drive. “Milwaukee Truckin’ Blues (Chipper’s Song)” closes on a rootsier truck-stop lick.

A1. “Amerita / Sense of Direction” (6:05)
A2. “Losin’ the Humbles” (2:38)
A3. “Shopping Bag People” (4:03)
A4. “Nogales” (4:09)

B1. “Reaching Out” (5:16)
B2. “Right Now” (6:33)
B3. “Before You Reach the Grave” (3:15)
B4. “Milwaukee Truckin’ Blues (Chipper’s Song)” (2:38)

Climax Blues Band recorded Sense of Direction at AIR Studios, London, with producer Richard Gottehrer.

Sire lifted “Sense of Direction” as a July 1974 US single (b/w “Losin’ the Humbles”). “Reaching Out” followed in November 1974 (b/w “Milwaukee Truckin’ Blues”).

Sense of Direction reached No. 37 on the Billboard 200 chart and No. 33 on the Canadian Albums chart.

Stamp Album

Climax Blues Band released their seventh studio album, Stamp Album, in August 1975 on BTM.

The album restores Richard Jones to the band as a keyboardist, guitarist, bassist, and singer. Holt alternates bass and keyboard duties with Jones, and the quintet format broadens the group’s song arrangements.

“Using the Power” drives on stinging lead phrases and Cooper’s saxophone breaks. “Mr. Goodtime” leans into Jones’ clavinet chop and Haycock’s biting replies. “I Am Constant” centers smooth group voices in a compact roots-rock cut. “Running Out of Time” tightens around Cooper’s vocal and clipped funk-rock figures.

“Rusty Nail/The Devil Knows” shifts from slide-led grit into softer flute-and-piano turns. “Loosen Up” knocks back into a honky-tonk barroom feel. “Cobra” closes with a brief instrumental spread.

A1. “Using the Power” (4:38)
A2. “Mr. Goodtime” (5:23)
A3. “I Am Constant” (3:05)
A4. “Running Out of Time” (5:21)

B1. “Sky High” (5:08)
B2. “Rusty Nail / The Devil Knows” (4:13)
B3. “Loosen Up” (4:22)
B4. “Spirit Returning” (2:53)
B5. “Cobra” (2:27)

Sire lifted “Using the Power” as an October 1975 US single (b/w “Running Out of Time”). Stamp Album reached No. 69 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Gold Plated

Climax Blues Band released their eighth studio album, Gold Plated, in October 1976 on BTM.

The album retains the five-piece Stamp lineup. Gold Plated contains eight band compositions, including “Couldn’t Get It Right,” which the group added after the main sessions.

“Together and Free” pairs twin guitar figures with a clipped clavinet chop. “Mighty Fire” bends blues phrasing into a tighter funk-rock strut with descending harmonized passages and lurching refrains. “Chasing Change” rides a precise, loose-limbed rhythm with unison verses across a wiggling bass arch; cut by a sharp, soaring reed break. “Berlin Blues” works a harder R&B belt through thicker ensemble pressure.

“Couldn’t Get It Right” stomps forth on cowbell-tracked wah chords amid Colin’s sly approach to a night of uncertainty, encountered with quavering expression. “Rollin’ Home” slows into a soul-shaded blues cut. “Sav’ry Gravy” works a slow shuffle. “Extra” opens with resigned piano/vocal reflections and shifts to a down-home boogie with spinning bass lines and Leslied fret runs.

A1. “Together and Free” (3:53)
A2. “Mighty Fire” (4:51) – betrayal turns the woman into heat and deceit: she burns him down, blinds him, takes what he has, and leaves. The phrase “dirty liar” carries the accusation behind the fire image.
A3. “Chasing Change” (4:19) – treats money as a workday trap: early rising, constant labor, earning, spending, and burning through pay. The line’s sharpest image is “kiss the wheel,” which makes wage pursuit sound like submission to the machine.
A4. “Berlin Blues” (3:28)

B1. “Couldn’t Get It Right” (3:18) – road lyric frames travel as escape, then turns each city stop into confusion, depletion, and failed self-correction. The telling word is “getaway”: the narrator starts in flight, then loses direction in Philadelphia and New York.
B2. “Rollin’ Home” (3:12)
B3. “Sav’ry Gravy” (4:54)
B4. “Extra” (3:34)

Climax Blues Band recorded most of Gold Plated in April and May 1976 at Chipping Norton Studios. The band recorded “Couldn’t Get It Right” in August 1976 at AIR Studios. Mike Vernon and CBB co-produced the album.

BTM lifted “Couldn’t Get It Right” as a September 1976 UK single (b/w “Fat Maybellene”). Sire issued the song in the United States (b/w “Sav’ry Gravy”). “Couldn’t Get It Right” reached No. 10 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Gold Plated reached No. 27 on the Billboard 200 chart, No. 56 on the UK Albums Chart, and No. 45 on the Canadian Albums chart.

Shine On

Climax Blues Band released their ninth studio album, Shine On, in April 1978 on Sire.

The album introduces keyboardist Peter Filleul (ex-Parlour Band) after the second exit of Richard Jones. Cooper, Haycock, Holt, and Cuffley remain from the Gold Plated lineup, and the revised quintet places keyboards higher in the arrangements.

“Makin’ Love” works a raunchy road-rock single form. “The Gospel Singer” sets Tony Joe White’s song against backing-vocal answers. “Champagne & Rock ’n Roll” stomps through a boogie close.

A1. “Makin’ Love” (4:01)
A2. “Mistress Moonshine” (5:16)
A3. “When Talking Is Too Much Trouble” (3:34)
A4. “The Gospel Singer” (5:43)

B1. “Whatcha Feel” (6:28)
B2. “Teardrops” (4:14)
B3. “Like a Movie” (4:10)
B4. “Champagne & Rock ’n’ Roll” (3:26)

Climax Blues Band recorded Shine On with producer-engineer Peter Henderson.

Warner Bros. lifted “When Talking Is Too Much Trouble” as a March 1978 UK single (b/w “Champagne & Rock ’n’ Roll”).

Sire issued “Makin’ Love” as a June 1978 US single (b/w “The Gospel Singer”), which reached No. 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “Mistress Moonshine” followed in August 1978 (b/w “Teardrops”).

Shine On reached No. 71 on the Billboard 200 chart and No. 59 on the Canadian Albums chart.

Real to Reel

Climax Blues Band released their tenth studio album, Real to Reel, in May 1979 on Sire.

The album retains the Cooper–Haycock–Holt–Cuffley–Filleul lineup and documents the band’s AIR Montserrat period. Its eight-song program places compact side-openers beside longer closing tracks on each side.

“Summer Rain” lays back into polished late-night ease. “Money in Your Pocket” works a dance-floor strut through clipped vocal phrasing. “Children of the Nighttime” layers double leads under an echoing saxophone shadow. “Long Distance Love” slings funky slide into a road-house blues cut.

“Lovin’ Wheel” rides Cooper’s vocal over a tougher synthetic edge. “Fallen in Love (for the Very Last Time)” starts with bluesy licks before the softer vocal blend takes over. “Fat City” breaks into the album’s hardest rocker.

A1. “Summer Rain” (5:27)
A2. “Money in Your Pocket” (4:04)
A3. “Children of the Nightime” (3:59)
A4. “Long Distance Love” (3:53)

B1. “Lovin’ Wheel” (4:20)
B2. “Fallen in Love (For the Very Last Time)” (3:26)
B3. “Fat City” (4:33)
B4. “Crazy World” (4:27)

Climax Blues Band recorded Real to Reel at AIR Studios in Montserrat with engineer Colin Fairley and assistant Nigel Walker.

Sire lifted “Children of the Nightime” as a 1979 US single (b/w “Long Distance Love”). “Summer Rain” followed in November 1979 (b/w “Money in Your Pocket”). Real to Reel reached No. 170 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Flying the Flag

Climax Blues Band released their eleventh studio album, Flying the Flag, in September 1980 on Warner Bros.

The album places the band with producer John Ryan and emphasizes shorter song forms. Nicky Hopkins adds grand piano to “I Love You,” and David Campbell supplies the string arrangement on the same track.

“Gotta Have More Love” leans into a dance-floor strut under Cooper’s earthy baritone and stacked synth lines. “So Good After Midnight” keeps Haycock upfront in a rockin’ blues cut. “I Love You” slows around Holt’s self-reflective versions, which crest with swelling harmonies on the string-laden chorus; mirrored in thematic lyrical bends.

“Money Talkin’” cuts a lean rocker around a tightly phrased Haycock solo. “Blackjack and Me” hardens into the album’s toughest rock cut. “One for Me and You” loosens into a jazzier blues turn.

A1. “Gotta Have More Love” (3:27)
A2. “So Good After Midnight” (4:08)
A3. “Horizontalized” (2:48)
A4. “I Love You” (4:01) – Holt
A5. “Hold On to Your Heart” (2:33)

B1. “Dance the Night Away” (2:48)
B2. “Money Talkin’” (3:19)
B3. “Blackjack and Me” (4:06)
B4. “Nothing But Starlight” (3:45)
B5. “One for Me and You” (3:10)

Climax Blues Band recorded Flying the Flag with producer John Ryan.

Warner Bros. lifted “Gotta Have More Love” as an October 1980 US single (b/w “One for Me and You”), which reached No. 47 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

“I Love You” followed in January 1981 (b/w “Horizontalized”), reaching No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Flying the Flag reached No. 75 on the Billboard 200 chart and No. 65 on the Kent Music Report.

Lucky for Some

Climax Blues Band released their twelfth studio album, Lucky for Some, in September 1981 on Warner Bros.

The album returns the group to a four-piece studio lineup after Filleul’s departure. Cooper, Haycock, Holt, and Cuffley form the final album lineup from the band’s seventies core.

“Victim” lifts into a big harmony chorus. “Cuttin’ Up Rough” ticks on an electric-piano figure with double vocal lines. “Shake It Lucy” kicks into a slide-and-saxophone rave-up. “This Time You’re the Singer” sways on a reggae offbeat with a relaxed lead vocal. “Last Chance Saloon” lingers in wistful ease around Cooper’s lead vocal.

A1. “Victim” (3:03)
A2. “Cuttin’ Up Rough” (4:34)
A3. “Shake It Lucy” (3:59)
A4. “Oceans Apart” (4:23)
A5. “Breakdown” (3:48)

B1. “Darlin’” (4:53)
B2. “This Time You’re the Singer” (4:11)
B3. “Last Chance Saloon” (4:37)
B4. “They’d Never Believe Us” (5:54)

Climax Blues Band recorded Lucky for Some with producer John Ryan.

Warner Bros. lifted “Darlin’” as an October 1981 US single (b/w “This Time You’re the Singer”). “Breakdown” followed in February 1982 (b/w “Shake It Lucy”).

Between albums, co-founder Derek Holt departed for Grand Alliance, a modern-rock trio with drummer Brendan Day and Nektar guitarist/singer Roye Albrighton. Their self-titled album appeared in 1983 on A&M and gained moderate MTV exposure with “Helpless,” a harmonized track with chorused guitars and harmonic pings. Tracks like “On the Border” and the non-album b-side “House On Fire” further spotlight their kinetic uptempo approach, which echoes The Fixx and The Police.

Sample and Hold

Climax Blues Band released their thirteenth studio album, Sample and Hold, in March 1983 on Virgin.

The album introduces a restructured lineup after the departures of Holt and Cuffley. Cooper and Haycock remain from the original band with keyboardist George Glover, joined by bassist Dave Markee and drummer Henry Spinetti.

“Friends in High Places” strides on a funky rhythm track under Cooper’s husky vocal. “Sign of the Times” smooths a rocker around a descending vocal turn. “Shine” runs on bright synth lines. “Movie Queen” turns on Cooper’s measured vocal phrasing.

A1. “Friends in High Places” (4:12)
A2. “Sign of the Times” (4:33)
A3. “Walking on Sunset” (3:40)
A4. “Shine” (4:13)
A5. “Movie Queen” (4:20)

B1. “Heaven and Hell” (4:08)
B2. “Listen to the Night” (3:37)
B3. “Doin’ Alright” (4:59)
B4. “I’m Ready” (3:18)
B5. “The End of the Seven Seas” (5:40)

Climax Blues Band recorded Sample and Hold in late 1982 for Virgin with producer John Eden.

Virgin lifted “Listen to the Night” as a February 1983 UK single (b/w “Church”).

Discography: