Climax--Precious and Few (1972)

     Every so often we run into a song that takes the long road to popularity...this is one of them.

    The group itself had it's beginnings from the 60's garage band, "The Outsiders" which had four top 40 hits in 1966, most notably, "Time Won't Let Me" which reached #5. When the band broke up several years later, several of the band members started new bands, all with the name, "The Outsiders" including lead singer Sonny Geraci. However, guitarist Tom King took the others to court and barred them from using that name. Geraci changed the name of his group to Climax.
      "Precious and Few" was actually recorded in 1970. It was retooled and re-recorded by a second producer (Larry Cox...who would have his hand in a 70's ballad or two...like Jefferson Starship's, "Miracles"),...then shelved for over a year in the Bell Records studios. It wasn't until a Bell executive heard the song played on a Santa Barbra radio station (Santa Barbra was the home base of the group) that it was dusted off and released in January of 1972. Within two months it was the number 3 song in the country.
       It's follow-up, "Life and Breath" hit the charts, but not with the success of it's predecessor and the album which contained both songs was one and done. The song however has lasted for well over a generation and has to be considered one of the best "one hit wonders" of all time.