How Climax Emerged From the Ashes of a Different Band To Score a Hit 70s Soft Rock Classic

They seemed to come out of nowhere with their sudden hit single in 1972. And just as soon as they scored with the song “Precious And Few”, the band Climax disappeared. They only released a single album. You might think that they belong in the one-hit wonder files because of this.

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Technically, that one-hit wonder status was accurate. Still, many folks never realized that several of the principals had been involved in another big pop hit with a different band six years earlier.

Preparing for “Precious”

You can’t tell the story of Climax without also talking about a band called The Outsiders. They formed from the ashes of a Cleveland outfit known as The Starfires, who had been in existence since the late 50s. Their first single as The Outsiders rocketed to the Top 5.

Written by Tom King of the band along with Chet Kelley, “Time Won’t Let Me”, featuring Sonny Geraci on lead vocals, combined a little bit of horn-based R&B with the thrust of British Invasion-style pop. The song seemed to herald the coming of a promising new band.

Although The Outsiders added a few more minor hits, they never managed anything again on the level of “Time Won’t Let Me”. After a few more years and a multitude of lineup changes, The Outsiders started to sever around 1970. That proved the impetus for Climax.

A “Few” Good Men

Originally, Geraci, Walter Mims, and Nick D’Amico, who were all in The Outsiders, recorded a single together and still used the original name of that first band. When Tom King fought this in court, they were forced to come up with something different. That’s when they took on the name Climax.

The band recorded “Precious And Few”, written by Nims, once, and then took another crack at it with producer Larry Cox. This second version was released as a single at the tail end of 1971. By the first half of the following year, the song made it to No. 3 on the pop charts.

Alas, that was pretty much all the pop success that Climax would enjoy. Although they put out a few more singles, none were able to find much footing. Climax had pretty much run its course within a year or so after their song had climbed so close to the top of the charts.

Behind the Lyrics of “Precious And Few”

“Precious And Few”, sung by Geraci with soulful innocence, focuses on the importance of making the most of what little time we have with our loved ones. “Precious and few are the moments we two can share” is a succinct bit of relatable poetry and a rock-solid refrain.

The narrator suggests how frustrating it is to get pulled away from his lover. “And if I can’t find my way back home, it just wouldn’t be fair,” Geraci sings. This lovesick chap finds unique ways to express his emotion. “Quiet and blue, like the sky, I’m hung over you,” he confesses.

Sonny Geraci is a somewhat unheralded name in pop history. But his voice certainly made an impact. It’s quite the achievement to handle both the chugging soul of “Time Won’t Let Me” and the aching balladry of “Precious And Few” as adeptly as he did.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons