Climax Blues Band
Encyclopedia
Climax Blues Band was formed in Stafford
, England
in 1968. The original members were guitarist
s Peter Haycock and Derek Holt; keyboardist
Arthur Wood; bassist
Richard Jones; drummer
George Newsome; and vocalist and harmonica
player, Colin Cooper.
In 1970, the group
shortened its name to the Climax Blues Band due to pressure from the American
band
, Chicago Transit Authority
. The band has released at least seventeen album
s and had a Top 10 hit
in the UK
with "Couldn't Get It Right". That song and "I Love You" were American
hits as well; "Couldn't Get It Right" reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100
in 1977, and "I Love You" peaked at #12 in 1981.
group the Hipster Image, the Climax Chicago Blues Band was one of the leading lights of the late 1960s UK
blues
boom. Prior to the release of 1969's Plays On, Jones left the group, prompting Holt to move to bass. In 1970 they moved to the Harvest
label
, at the same time shifting towards a more rock
oriented sound on A Lot of Bottle. Around the release of 1971's Tightly Knit, Newsome was replaced by John Cuffley; upon Wood's exit in the wake of 1972's Rich Man, they continued on as a quartet, also dropping the "Chicago" portion of their name to avoid confusion with the American band of a similar name.
In 1974 the Climax Blues Band issued FM Live, a document of a New York
radio
concert
. 1975's Stamp Album was their commercial breakthrough, and 1976's Gold Plated fared even better, spurred on by the success of the hit "Couldn't Get It Right". By the mid 1970s they were drawing crowds of up to 20,000 at U.S. concert
s. However, the rise of punk rock
effectively stopped the group in their tracks. By 1981 the band had left their blues roots behind and attempted to become a mainstream pop
-rock band. Derek Holt and John Cuffley left in 1983.
Haycock recorded the instrumental
Guitar & Son album for ex-Climax Blues manager Miles Copeland's record label
, No Speak, after parting company with the Climax Blues Band in 1985. He was later recruited by Bev Bevan
as a member of Electric Light Orchestra Part II when they recorded and toured from 1990 onwards. He also started his film score
career at this time by playing the lead on Hans Zimmer
's score to Thelma and Louise
, as well as performing on the Night Of The Guitars tours which also featured Derek Holt on bass, keys and occasional vocals. After several years of additional film score contributions, Haycock released a soundtrack CD to the Hollister Rally DVD
in 2005. The CD entitled Bikers' Dozen featured John Fiddler (of Medicine Head
fame). Following that, Haycock's new band, 'Pete Haycock's True Blues (featuring Glen Turner)' enjoyed touring and recording success with a live album
, released in 2008.
Holt's penned
"I Love You" was one of the Climax Blues Band's biggest hits
. It can be found on the Climax Blues Band double album
, 25 Years 1968-1993 which was released by the German
record label Repertoire in 1993. "I Love You" still gets over 20,000 radio
hits a year in the U.S. and has recently been included in Kevin Smith
's 2008 film Zach and Miri Make a Porno. Holt released five solo albums - I Love You, After The Climax, Sunflowers, Hear and Now, Paradise Lost and Full Circle.
"Couldn't Get It Right" was covered
by the Fun Lovin' Criminals
on their album Mimosa
. Holt revealed in an interview that the song was "about being on the road in America".
After a short period of inactivity, Climax Blues Band minus Haycock but featuring guitarist Lester Hunt recorded the album Drastic Steps and went back to touring extensively around UK, Europe and America. The new lineup soon became established with Colin Cooper, George Glover, Lester Hunt, Neil Simpson and Roy Adams in the early 1990s, releasing the live album Blues from the Attic in 1993 and Big Blues in 2004.
Cooper died of cancer, aged 69, in July 2008. He is survived by his wife and two children. However, the band continues to the present day.
Current members
Former members
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1968. The original members were guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
s Peter Haycock and Derek Holt; keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
Arthur Wood; bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Richard Jones; drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
George Newsome; and vocalist and harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
player, Colin Cooper.
In 1970, the group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
shortened its name to the Climax Blues Band due to pressure from the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago (band)
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
. The band has released at least seventeen album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s and had a Top 10 hit
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
with "Couldn't Get It Right". That song and "I Love You" were American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hits as well; "Couldn't Get It Right" reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in 1977, and "I Love You" peaked at #12 in 1981.
Biography
Led by Cooper, the former frontman of the R&BRhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
group the Hipster Image, the Climax Chicago Blues Band was one of the leading lights of the late 1960s UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
boom. Prior to the release of 1969's Plays On, Jones left the group, prompting Holt to move to bass. In 1970 they moved to the Harvest
Harvest Records
-References:* Harvest Records collectors guide ISBN 978-5-9622-0021-7...
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, at the same time shifting towards a more rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
oriented sound on A Lot of Bottle. Around the release of 1971's Tightly Knit, Newsome was replaced by John Cuffley; upon Wood's exit in the wake of 1972's Rich Man, they continued on as a quartet, also dropping the "Chicago" portion of their name to avoid confusion with the American band of a similar name.
In 1974 the Climax Blues Band issued FM Live, a document of a New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
radio
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
. 1975's Stamp Album was their commercial breakthrough, and 1976's Gold Plated fared even better, spurred on by the success of the hit "Couldn't Get It Right". By the mid 1970s they were drawing crowds of up to 20,000 at U.S. concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s. However, the rise of punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
effectively stopped the group in their tracks. By 1981 the band had left their blues roots behind and attempted to become a mainstream pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
-rock band. Derek Holt and John Cuffley left in 1983.
Haycock recorded the instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
Guitar & Son album for ex-Climax Blues manager Miles Copeland's record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, No Speak, after parting company with the Climax Blues Band in 1985. He was later recruited by Bev Bevan
Bev Bevan
Bev Bevan is an English rock musician, who was the drummer and one of the original members of The Move and Electric Light Orchestra...
as a member of Electric Light Orchestra Part II when they recorded and toured from 1990 onwards. He also started his film score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
career at this time by playing the lead on Hans Zimmer
Hans Zimmer
Hans Florian Zimmer is a German film composer and music producer. He has composed music for over 100 films, including critically acclaimed film scores for The Lion King , Crimson Tide , The Thin Red Line , Gladiator , The Dark Knight and Inception .Zimmer spent the early part of his career in the...
's score to Thelma and Louise
Thelma and Louise
Thelma & Louise is a 1991 film co-produced and directed by Ridley Scott and written by Callie Khouri, the film's plot revolves around Thelma and Louise's escape from their troubled and caged lives. It stars Geena Davis as Thelma and Susan Sarandon as Louise, and co-stars Harvey Keitel as a...
, as well as performing on the Night Of The Guitars tours which also featured Derek Holt on bass, keys and occasional vocals. After several years of additional film score contributions, Haycock released a soundtrack CD to the Hollister Rally DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in 2005. The CD entitled Bikers' Dozen featured John Fiddler (of Medicine Head
Medicine Head
Medicine Head were a British blues rock band, active in the 1970s. Their biggest single success was in 1973, with "One and One is One", a Number 3 hit in the UK Singles Chart.-Main personnel:The group worked as a duo for most of its career, consisting of...
fame). Following that, Haycock's new band, 'Pete Haycock's True Blues (featuring Glen Turner)' enjoyed touring and recording success with a live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
, released in 2008.
Holt's penned
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
"I Love You" was one of the Climax Blues Band's biggest hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
. It can be found on the Climax Blues Band double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
, 25 Years 1968-1993 which was released by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
record label Repertoire in 1993. "I Love You" still gets over 20,000 radio
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
hits a year in the U.S. and has recently been included in Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
's 2008 film Zach and Miri Make a Porno. Holt released five solo albums - I Love You, After The Climax, Sunflowers, Hear and Now, Paradise Lost and Full Circle.
"Couldn't Get It Right" was covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by the Fun Lovin' Criminals
Fun Lovin' Criminals
The Fun Lovin' Criminals is an American alternative hip hop / alternative rock group from New York City. Their musical style is primarily eclectic, covering styles such as hip hop, rock, funk, blues and jazz. Their songs often deal with life in New York City, as well as urban life in general...
on their album Mimosa
Mimosa (album)
Mimosa is a 1999 compilation album released by the Fun Lovin' Criminals. The album is a collection of rarities, b-sides, remixes, and covers. It features some notable lounge music versions of old FLC songs, with the exception of "Bombin the L" which, as the title suggest is performed in a fast...
. Holt revealed in an interview that the song was "about being on the road in America".
After a short period of inactivity, Climax Blues Band minus Haycock but featuring guitarist Lester Hunt recorded the album Drastic Steps and went back to touring extensively around UK, Europe and America. The new lineup soon became established with Colin Cooper, George Glover, Lester Hunt, Neil Simpson and Roy Adams in the early 1990s, releasing the live album Blues from the Attic in 1993 and Big Blues in 2004.
Cooper died of cancer, aged 69, in July 2008. He is survived by his wife and two children. However, the band continues to the present day.
Band members
(Founding members listed in bold.)Current members
- George Glover - (born 28 October 1947, Stoke-on-Trent) - keyboards, backing vocals (1980-present)
- Roy Adams (17 May 1952, BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England) - drums (1985-present) - Lester Hunt - (born 21 February 1956, StretfordStretfordStretford is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Lying on flat ground between the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal, it is to the southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Salford and northeast of Altrincham...
, ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
) - guitar, backing vocals (1985-present) - Neil Simpson (6 January 1959, Stoke-on-Trent) - bass (1991-present)
- Johnny Pugh (18 September 1952, Southend-on-SeaSouthend-on-SeaSouthend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
) - vocals, saxophone, harmonica (2008-present)
Former members
- Colin Cooper (born Colin Francis Richard Cooper, 7 October 1939, StaffordStaffordStafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
, StaffordshireStaffordshireStaffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
- died 3 July 2008) - vocals, saxophone, harmonica, guitar (1968-2008) - Pete HaycockPete HaycockPete Haycock is a guitarist and composer who started his career as lead guitarist and vocalist with the Climax Chicago Blues Band. Born at 63 Tixall Road, Stafford, Staffordshire....
- vocals, guitar, bass (1968-1985) - Derek Holt (born 26 January 1949, Stafford) - bass, guitar, keyboards (1968-1983)
- George Newsome (born George Ewart Newsome, 19 August 1947, Stafford) - drums (1968-1973)
- Arthur Wood (born 3 August 1929, BurslemBurslemThe town of Burslem, known as the Mother Town, is one of the six towns that amalgamated to form the current city of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire, in the Midlands of England.-Topography:...
, Stoke-on-TrentStoke-on-TrentStoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
- died 2005) - keyboards (1968-1973) - Richard Jones - bass, keyboards (1968-1969, 1975-1977)
- Anton Farmer - keyboards (1969-1970)
- Peter Filleul - keyboards (1970-1975, 1977-1980)
- John Cuffley - drums (1973-1983)
- Nicky HopkinsNicky HopkinsNicholas Christian "Nicky" Hopkins was an English pianist and organist.He recorded and performed on noted British and American popular music recordings of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s as a session musician....
- keyboards (1978-1979) - Henry SpinettiHenry SpinettiHenry Spinetti is a Welsh-born session drummer whose playing has featured on a large number of prominent rock and pop albums. He is the younger brother of the actor, Victor Spinetti.-Career:...
- drums (1983) - Dave Marquee - bass (1983)
- Jeff RichJeff RichJeff Rich also known as "Worzel" is an English rock drummer, best known as a former drummer for the English rock band, Status Quo...
- drums (1983-1985) - John "Rhino" Edwards - bass (1983-1985)
Albums
- The Climax Chicago Blues BandThe Climax Chicago Blues BandThe Climax Chicago Blues Band is an album by Climax Blues Band recorded in 1968 and released in 1969 by EMI Records under catalog number PCS 7069.-Track listing:...
(1969) - Plays On (1969) U.S.United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
#197 Billboard 200Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
(1 week) - A Lot of Bottle (1970)
- Tightly Knit (1971) U.S.United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
#211 Billboard 200Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
(5 week) - Rich Man (1972) U.S. #150 Billboard 200 (10 weeks)
- FM Live (1973) U.S. #107 Billboard 200 (30 weeks)
- Sense of Direction (1974) U.S. #37 Billboard 200 (29 weeks)
- Stamp Album (1975) U.S. #69 Billboard 200 (11 weeks)
- Gold Plated (1976) U.S. #27 Billboard 200 (44 weeks), UKUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
#56 UK Albums ChartUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
(1 week) - Shine On (1978) U.S. #71 Billboard 200 (11 weeks)
- Real to Reel (1979) U.S. #170 Billboard 200 (6 weeks)
- Flying the Flag (1980) U.S. #75 Billboard 200 (16 weeks)
- Lucky for Some (1981)
- Sample and Hold (1983)
- Drastic Steps (1988)
- Blues from the Attic (1993)
- 25 Years (1968-1993) (1994)
- Big Blues (2004)
Singles
- "Using The Power" (1975) U.S. #110 Bubbling Under Hot 100 SinglesBubbling Under Hot 100 SinglesThe Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100...
(1 week) - "Couldn't Get It Right" (1976) U.S. #3 Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
(22 weeks), UK #10 UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
(9 weeks) - "Makin' Love" (1978) U.S. #91 Billboard Hot 100 (4 weeks)
- "Gotta Have More Love" (1980) U.S. #47 Billboard Hot 100 (12 weeks)
- "I Love You" (1980) U.S. #12 Billboard Hot 100 (27 weeks)
External links
- Climax Blues Band official website
- [ Biography and discography] at Allmusic
- Pete Haycock official website
- Derek Holt official website
- Derek Holt on MyspaceMyspaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....