Gold Plated - Climax Blues Band (1976) (1LP Vinyl) - Near Mint (NM)

Gold Plated by Climax Blues Band.

By 1976, the Climax Blues Band had traveled a long way from their British blues roots, and "Gold Plated" captures the group at a moment of confident maturity. Released on Sire Records, this is a record that blends the band's blues instincts with a sleeker, more expansive sound, and it rewards close listening from the opening bars of "Together And Free" through the closing groove of "Extra."

The heart of the album lives in the interplay of a tight, versatile lineup. Derek Holt anchors things on Fender Jazz and Precision basses while also lending his voice, and John Cuffley keeps the pulse steady on drums and percussion. Pete Haycock brings guitar, vocals, and a distinctive six-string bass into the mix, and Colin Cooper rounds out the front line with saxes, guitar, and vocals. Richard Jones fills out the sound on keyboards and guitar, adding harmony vocals along the way. It is a group in which nearly everyone sings and nearly everyone plays more than one instrument, and that shared musicianship gives the album its richness.

Side one moves through "Together And Free," "Mighty Fire," "Chasing Change," and the moodier "Berlin Blues," a sequence that shows off the band's range from driving numbers to more atmospheric fare. Side two opens with the album's crown jewel, "Couldn't Get It Right," before rolling into "Rollin' Home," the playful "Sav'ry Gravy," and "Extra." Every song here was written and arranged by the Climax Blues Band themselves, a testament to a unit working as a genuine collective rather than a vehicle for any single star.

The bulk of the record was produced by the legendary Mike Vernon at Chipping Norton Studios in April and May of 1976, with Barry Hammond handling engineering duties on those sessions. "Couldn't Get It Right," the album's standout, was a different affair: produced by the Climax Blues Band at Air London Studios in August of 1976, engineered by Peter Henderson with Colin Fairley assisting. That split origin gives the album an interesting texture, the group stepping into the producer's chair for the very track that would become its signature.

This U.S. pressing carries the mark of first-rate mastering, with lacquers cut by Ted Jensen and the stamped "Sterling" credit in the runouts, alongside the etched "K" that denotes the Keel Mfg. Corp. pressing. Charles Shaar Murray contributed the liner notes, and the release bears a 1976 copyright from Sire Records, marketed by ABC Records out of Los Angeles and New York. A rewarding addition for any collector chasing the fuller, more soulful chapter of the Climax Blues Band's story.

Pressing Details:
Track Listing:
A1. Together And Free
A2. Mighty Fire
A3. Chasing Change
A4. Berlin Blues
B1. Couldn't Get It Right
B2. Rollin' Home
B3. Sav'ry Gravy
B4. Extra

Credits:
Derek Holt - Bass [Fender Jazz, Precision], Vocals
John Cuffley - Drums, Percussion
Peter Henderson - Engineer [Air London Studios] (B1)
Colin Fairley - Engineer [Assistant, Air London Studios] (B1)
Barry Hammond - Engineer [Chipping Norton Studios] (A1 to A4, B2 to B4)
Pete Haycock - Guitar, Vocals, 6-String Bass [Six String Bass]
Richard Jones (10) - Keyboards, Guitar, Vocals
Ted Jensen - Lacquer Cut By
Charles Shaar Murray - Liner Notes
Climax Blues Band - Producer (B1)
Mike Vernon - Producer (A1 to A4, B2 to B4)
Colin Cooper - Saxophone [Saxes], Guitar, Vocals
Climax Blues Band - Written-By, Arranged By

Notes:
[l=Keel Mfg. Corp.] pressing denoted by "K" etch in runouts.

©1976 Sire Records, Inc.
℗Sire Records, Inc./Marketed by ABC Records, Inc. Los Angeles, CA 90048, New York, NY 10019/Printed in U.S.A.

Runouts are etched, except for stamped “sᴛᴇʀʟɪɴɢ”.

Title appears on labels as "Gold Plated".

Produced by Mike Vernon at Chipping Norton Studios, April-May, 1976;
except "Couldn't Get It Right" produced by the Climax Blues Band at Air London Studios, August, 1976.

Artist: Climax Blues Band

Format: 1LP

Genre: Blues

Label: Sire

Catalog Number: SASD 7523

Release Year: 1976

Country: United States

Condition: Used

Media Condition: Near Mint (NM)

Sleeve Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)