Climax

Climax emerged in 1971 as a Los Angeles soft rock ensemble whose signature achievement remains the gold-certified single "Precious and Few" that reached listeners in 1972. The group was assembled by lead vocalist Sonny Geraci, who had earlier fronted the garage rock outfit the Outsiders. Its roster also featured guitarist Walter Nims, another alumnus of the Outsiders, plus bassist and session musician Steve York, keyboardist Virgil Weber, and drummer Robert Neilson. Carousel quickly offered the newcomers a recording contract, after which they issued the ballad written by Nims that became their defining release. That track climbed to the number-three position and was succeeded by a follow-up single, "Life and Breath," whose commercial impact proved smaller. The band's sole long-form project arrived in 1972 as a self-titled debut album.