Blues Creation (band)

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The Japanese Hard Rock Blues band known as Blues Creation / Creation was the brainchild of guitarist/singer Kazuo Takeda; not to be confused with the mid-60's British Blues Pop band also known as Creation.

In 1969 Blues Creation made a self-titled album of American blues covers. In August 1971 they released the all original "Demon & Eleven Children". This album was heavily influenced by Cream, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath and oddly enough; released the same day as "Carmen Maki/Blues Creation", which had the band fronted by young female pop star Carmen Maki. Each Blues Creation album other than their debut, features songs written by Takeda and consists of a constantly shifting lineup. In late 1971 Blues Creation released their final album, "Blues Creation Live".

Next was the 1975 self-titled "Creation", featuring a new stable lineup and a cover photo of a dozen nude boys full-frontal peeing. Creation toured Japan with American hard rock band Mountain, consisting of guitarist Leslie West, bassist Felix Pappalardi and drummer Corky Laing. Mountain broke up soon after their Japanese tour, and partly due to hearing loss from playing so loud, Pappalardi focused on producing other bands.

Pappalardi decided to help Creation work on their next album and invited the band to his Nantucket, Massachusetts home for two months of rehearsals. Over that time the project transformed into a musical collaboration with songs being written mostly by Pappalardi, his wife Gail Collins Pappalardi and Takeda. The album recorded at at New York’s Bearsville Studios was released in April 1976 as "Creation with Felix Pappalardi". Creation released a final live album "Pure Electric Soul" in 1977, once again featuring a cover with nude boys at the front of a bus.

Kazuo Takeda has released more than 20 solo albums including 1978's, "Super Rock In The Highest Voltage". He now works as a session guitarist in Los Angeles. Takeda attributes his further musical development to his friendship with Pappalardi who encouraged him to branch out into Jazz and other styles. He occasionally still plays live in Asia with former Creation drummer Masayuki Higuchi, and most recently produced Hong Kong's premier bluesman Tommy Chung's album "Play My Blues" (2006).

[edit] Selected Albums

Blues Creation- "Blues Creation" Oct 1969 (Polydor) features songs by: Sonny Boy Williamson, Memphis Slim, C.Burnett, J.Mayall-E.Clapton, Blind Willie Johnson, Willie Dixon and Otis Rush) | Kazuo Takeda- Guitar/Vocal/Harp | Fumio Nunoya- Vocal | Yoshiyuki Noji- Bass | Shinichi Tashiro- Drums

Blues Creation- "Demon & Eleven Children" Aug 1971 (Denon Records) | Kazuo Takeda- Guitar/Vocal | Hiromi Osawa- Vocal | Masashi Saeki- Bass | Masayuki Higuchi- Drums

Blues Creation- "Live: Blues Of Incandescence" 1971 (EMI/Toshiba) | Kazuo Taketa- Lead/read guitar | Hiromi Osawa- Vocal | Saeki Masa- Bass | Masayuki Higuchi- drums

Creation- "Creation aka: Chestnut Thornback Shaun" June 1975 (EMI/Toshiba) | Kazuo Takeda- lead guitar/lead vocal/keyboards/harp/percussion | Yoshiaki Iijima- guitar | Shigeru Matsumoto- vocal/bass/percussion | Masayuki Higuchi- drums/percussion

Creation- "Pure Electric Soul" March 1977 (EMI/Toshiba) | Kazuo Takeda- lead guitar | Yoshiaki Iijima- guitar | Shigeru Matsumoto- bass | Masayuki Higuchi- drums/percussion