Trackback | The Creation

The Creation was one of the most under-appreciated Mod/British Invasion bands of the 1960s. The band saw its beginnings in 1963 when vocalist Kenny Pickett and guitarist Eddie Phillips formed The Mark Four. Mercury Records picked up the group in 1964, but British sales of their two singles were sluggish, but at the same time their recordings sat quite well with German audiences, where they would frequently do residences. The band eventually disintegrated in 1966 and was left to Pickett, Phillips, and drummer Jack Jones. The trio was joined by ex-Merseybeats bassist Bob Garner to form The Creation in mid 1966.

The group’s first single, “Making Time,” was released that same year and like their previous incarnation, the single reached number 5 in the German charts, but only number 49 in the British charts. The track “seemed to have everything going for it — a killer beat…a great chorus, and a flashy, slashy, crunchy lead guitar part by Phillips that intersected very neatly with and expanded on the kind of sound that the Who were carrying high onto the charts at the time (allmusic).”

The band had been getting some press notice on the heels of their live show in which Picket would spray paint canvas followed by a member of the road crew setting the “painting” on fire along with Phillips playing his guitar with a violin bow (reputably the first to use this technique, before Jimmy Page). The Creation’s following single (“Painter Man”) in 1966 went to number 1 in Germany and made the top 40 in the band’s native England.

The Creation’s sole LP (only released in Germany and Sweden), We Are Paintermen, hit the shelves in 1967 via German imprint Hit-Ton. Criminally overlooked in it’s native UK, the album is essential for fans of Mod/British Invasion, with tracks like “Making Time,” “Painter Man,” and “Try and Stop Me” rivaling The Who’s power. Much of the record’s intensity can be attributed to Phillips’ power chords and feedback drenched guitar work. By the end of 1966, Garner had left the band and by 1968 The Creation disbanded with one LP and a handful of singles under their belt. While the debut fell on deaf ears in the UK (and U.S.) for that matter, We Are Paintermen and The Creation did extremely well in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.

Although not very influential during their heyday, the band was significant after their demise, with a couple of bands being named after The Creation’s songs (The Paintermen and Biff Bang Pow!) and one of my favorite labels, Creation Records, takes their name from the band. Alan McGee (Creation’s founder) admired The Creation, naming his own band Biff Bang Pow!. Check out the mp3 and live video for “Making Time” below.

[MP3]: The Creation  ”Making Time”
We Are Paintermen, Hit-Ton; 1967