Climax Blues Band

British blues rock band

Climax Blues Band

The band in 1974

Background information
Also known as| The Climax Chicago Blues Band (1968–1970), Climax Chicago (1971–1972)
Origin| Stafford, England
Genres| Blues rock, soft rock
Years active| 1967–present
Labels| Harvest/EMI
Sire/Warner Bros. Records
Virgin Records
Major League Productions
Members| George Glover
Roy Adams
Lester Hunt
Neil Simpson
Chris Aldridge
Graham Dee
Past members| Colin Cooper
Pete Haycock
Derek Holt
George Newsome
Arthur Wood
Richard Jones
Anton Farmer
Peter Filleul
John Cuffley
Nicky Hopkins
Dave Marquee
Henry Spinetti
John "Rhino" Edwards
Jeff Rich
Roger Inniss
Johnny Pugh
Alice Waterston
Website| climaxbluesband.com

Climax Blues Band (originally known as The Climax Chicago Blues Band) is a British blues rock band. The band has released at least 19 albums. "Couldn't Get It Right"[1] reached #10 on the UK Singles Chart and #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977. "I Love You" peaked on Billboard at #12 in 1981.

## History[edit]

The band was formed in Stafford, England, in 1967 by vocalist and harmonica player Colin Cooper (1939–2008), guitarist and vocalist Pete Haycock (1951–2013), guitarist Derek Holt (b. 1949), bassist and keyboardist Richard Jones (b. 1949), drummer George Newsome (b. 1947), and keyboardist Arthur Wood (1929–2005).[2]

Jones left the group in 1969 and Holt began playing bass.[3] The band switched labels to Harvest Records in 1970 and subsequent records had a more rock-oriented feel.[4] John Cuffley replaced Newsome in 1971.

In 1972 the group shortened its name to Climax Blues Band.[3]

Albums issued in the 1970s include FM/Live (1973), a double set recorded at a concert in New York,[5] and the studio albums Stamp Album (1975) and Gold Plated (1976), featuring the single "Couldn't Get It Right".[3] In the 1970s, the band's concerts in the US were attended by up to 20,000 people.[6] By 1981 the band was moving towards a pop-rock sound.[6] Holt and Cuffley left in 1983.

A previously unknown recording of a live performance was released as Climax Blues Band/World Tour 1976 by the Major League Productions (MLP) record label.

The album Sample and Hold was recorded for Virgin Records in 1983 by Haycock, Cooper, and George Glover, with a rhythm section composed of the session musicians Dave Marquee and Henry Spinetti.[7] A follow-up album was in the works, but Cooper bowed out, citing personal reasons.

Haycock went on to record several solo projects, the first of which was the album Total Climax, with his band, Pete Haycock's Climax; this band toured extensively in Europe, including Communist East Germany, and conducted a well-received tour in Australia. Haycock was later asked by his former Climax Blues Band manager, Miles Copeland, to record an instrumental album, Guitar and Son, and the live album Night of the Guitars (from the tour of the same name) for the I.R.S. No Speak label.

After that tour, Haycock teamed up with the guitarist Steve Hunter and former Climax Blues bandmate Derek Holt to record the album H Factor. He was later recruited by Bev Bevan to become a member of Electric Light Orchestra Part II and recorded and toured with that group from 1990 onwards. He also started his film score career at this time, playing the lead on Hans Zimmer's score to Thelma and Louise. He also performed on the Night of the Guitars tours, which included Holt on bass, keyboards and occasional vocals.

Holt wrote "I Love You", one of the Climax Blues Band's biggest hits. It is included on the Climax Blues Band double album, 25 Years 1968–1993, released by the German label Repertoire in 1993. "I Love You" still gets over 20,000 radio hits a year in the US and was used in Finn Taylor's 2002 film Cherish and in Kevin Smith's 2008 film Zach and Miri make a Porno. In 1983, Holt joined drummer Brendan Day and Nektar guitarist Roye Albrighton to record an album under the name Grand Alliance for the A&M label.

In 1985, Cooper and Glover recruited guitarist Lester Hunt, drummer Roy Adams, and original member Derek Holt to record the Climax Blues Band album Drastic Steps, and this line-up toured in support of the album in the UK, Europe, and America.[8][6] Neil Simpson replaced Derek Holt in the early 1990s, releasing the live album Blues from the Attic in 1993 and Big Blues in 2004.[2][9]

Colin Cooper (born 7 October 1939) died of cancer on 3 July 2008, at age 68. He is survived by his wife and two children.[6][10] He wanted the band to continue, as the other musicians had all been long-serving (Glover since 1980, Adams and Hunt since 1985, and Simpson since 1991). Cooper was replaced by singer and saxophone and harmonica player Johnny Pugh, who retired in 2012, and was replaced in turn by vocalist Graham Dee and saxophone player Chris Aldridge. Pete Haycock died on 30 October 2013, at age 62.[5]

Currently, the band continues to tour without any remaining original members.[11]

## Lineups[edit]

1968–1969  | 1969–1970  | 1970–1973  | 1973–1975

|
|
|

* Colin Cooper – vocals, saxophone, harmonica, guitar
* Pete Haycock – guitar, vocals, bass
* Derek Holt – guitar, bass, keyboards
* Richard Jones – bass, keyboards
* George Newsome – drums
* Arthur Wood – keyboards

* Colin Cooper – vocals, saxophone, harmonica, guitar
* Pete Haycock – guitar, vocals, bass
* Derek Holt – bass, guitar, keyboards
* George Newsome – drums
* Arthur Wood – keyboards
* Anton Farmer – keyboards

* Colin Cooper – vocals, saxophone, harmonica, guitar
* Pete Haycock – guitar, vocals, bass
* Derek Holt – bass, guitar, keyboards
* George Newsome – drums
* Arthur Wood – keyboards
* Peter Filleul – keyboards

* Colin Cooper – vocals, saxophone, harmonica, guitar
* Pete Haycock – guitar, vocals, bass
* Derek Holt – bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals
* Peter Filleul – keyboards
* John Cuffley – drums

1975–1977  | 1977–1978  | 1978–1979  | 1979–1980

* Colin Cooper – vocals, saxophone, harmonica, guitar
* Pete Haycock – guitar, vocals, bass
* Derek Holt – bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals
* John Cuffley – drums
* Richard Jones – keyboards, guitar, bass

* Colin Cooper – vocals, saxophone, harmonica, guitar
* Pete Haycock – guitar, vocals, bass
* Derek Holt – bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals
* John Cuffley – drums
* Peter Filleul – keyboards

* Colin Cooper – vocals, saxophone, harmonica, guitar
* Pete Haycock – guitar, vocals, bass
* Derek Holt – bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals
* John Cuffley – drums
* Peter Filleul – keyboards
* Nicky Hopkins – keyboards

* Colin Cooper – vocals, saxophone, harmonica, guitar
* Pete Haycock – guitar, vocals, bass
* Derek Holt – bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals
* John Cuffley – drums
* Peter Filleul – keyboards

1980–1983  | 1983  | 1983–1985  | 1985

* Colin Cooper – vocals, saxophone, harmonica, guitar
* Pete Haycock – guitar, vocals, bass
* Derek Holt – bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals
* John Cuffley – drums
* George Glover – keyboards, backing vocals

* Colin Cooper – vocals, saxophone, harmonica, guitar
* Pete Haycock – guitar, vocals, bass
* George Glover – keyboards, backing vocals
* Dave Marquee – bass
* Henry Spinetti – drums

* Colin Cooper – vocals, saxophone, harmonica, guitar
* Pete Haycock – guitar, vocals, bass
* George Glover – keyboards, backing vocals
* John "Rhino" Edwards – bass
* Jeff Rich – drums

* Colin Cooper – vocals, saxophone, harmonica, guitar
* George Glover – keyboards, backing vocals
* Roy Adams – drums
* Lester Hunt – guitar, backing vocals
* Roger Inniss – bass

1985–1991  | 1991–2008  | 2008–2012  | 2012–present

* Colin Cooper – vocals, saxophone, harmonica, guitar
* George Glover – keyboards, backing vocals
* Roy Adams – drums
* Lester Hunt – guitar, backing vocals
* Derek Holt – bass

* Colin Cooper – vocals, saxophone, harmonica, guitar
* George Glover – keyboards, backing vocals
* Roy Adams – drums
* Lester Hunt – guitar, backing vocals
* Neil Simpson – bass

* George Glover – keyboards, backing vocals
* Roy Adams – drums
* Lester Hunt – guitar, backing vocals
* Neil Simpson – bass
* Johnny Pugh – vocals, saxophone, harmonica

* George Glover – keyboards, backing vocals
* Roy Adams – drums
* Lester Hunt – guitar, backing vocals
* Neil Simpson – bass
* Graham Dee – vocals
* Chris Aldridge \- saxophone

### Timeline[edit]

## Discography[edit]

### Albums[edit]

Year  | Title  | Chart positions

|
|

AUS
[12] | CAN
| US
[13] | UK
[1][14]
1969  | The Climax Chicago Blues Band |

Plays On |

197

1970  | A Lot of Bottle |

1971  | Tightly Knit |

1972  | Rich Man |

150

1973  | FM/Live |

107

1974  | Sense of Direction |

33[15]

1975  | Stamp Album |

1976  | Gold Plated |

45[16]

1978  | Shine On |

59[17]

1979  | Real to Reel |

170

1980  | Flying the Flag |

1981  | Lucky for Some |

1983  | Sample and Hold |

1988  | Drastic Steps |

1993  | Blues from the Attic |

1994  | 25 Years 1968–1993 |

2004  | Big Blues |

2011  | Climax Blues Band World Tour 1976 |

2014  | Security Alert: The Live Bootleg |

2018  | Tempus Fugit 4-track EP: Album Sampler |

2019  | Hands of Time |

"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

### Albums (guest appearance)[edit]

* Three's a Crowd, Tarney/Spencer Band (1978)

### Singles[edit]

Year  | Title  | Chart positions

|
|

AUS
[12] | CAN
| CAN AC
| US
[13] | US

[18] | UK
[14]
1969  | "Like Uncle Charlie"  |

1971  | "Cubano Chant"  |

"Reap What I've Sowed"  |

"Towards the Sun"  |

1972  | "Mole on the Dole"  |

1973  | "Shake Your Love"  |

1974  | "Sense of Direction"  |

1975  | "Using the Power"  |

1976  | "Couldn't Get It Right"  |

1978  | "Makin' Love"  |

"Mistress Moonshine"  |

1979  | "Children of the Night Time"  |

1980  | "I Love You"  |

"Gotta Have More Love"  |

1981  | "Darlin'"  |

1982  | "Friends in High Places"  |

1983  | "Listen to the Night"  |

"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records. p. 110\. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
2. ^ a b "Biography by Jason Ankeny". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
3. ^ a b c Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 507\. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
4. ^ "NME biography". NME. Archived from the original on 21 February 2010. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
5. ^ a b Pierre Perrone (22 November 2013). "Pete Haycock: Guitarist with the Climax Blues Band who went on to write film music for John Badham and Franc Roddam". The Independent. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
6. ^ a b c d Garth Cartwright (7 August 2008). "Colin Cooper Founding member of the Climax Blues Band". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
7. ^ "Sample and Hold | Repertoire Records". Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
8. ^ "Drastic Steps - Climax Blues Band". Retrieved 9 June 2018.
9. ^ "Official website biography". Climaxbluesband.com. Archived from the original on 25 June 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
10. ^ "Colin Cooper obituary". The Times. 28 July 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
11. ^ Corser, John. "New album and tour for Climax Blues Band". Express & Star. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
12. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 66\. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
13. ^ a b "Climax Blues Band - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 13 December 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
14. ^ a b "CLIMAX BLUES BAND - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
15. ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums - 19 October 1974" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 November 2012.
16. ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums - July 9, 1977" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 November 2012.
17. ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums - July 8, 1978" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2014.
18. ^ "Climax Blues Band Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved 18 February 2022.

## Other sources[edit]

* Nick Finnis; Rob Logan, eds. (1975). The New Musical Express Book of Rock. Star Books. ISBN 0-352-30074-4.

## External links[edit]

* Climax Blues Band official website
* Climax Blues Band discography at Discogs

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* Germany
* United States

Artists|

* MusicBrainz