Blues Creation (band)

Blues Creation (later known as Creation) was a Japanese heavy psych band from the late 60s, 70s, and early 80s.

Biography

Blues Creation was the brainchild of guitarist/singer Kazuo Takeda. They were known as Blues Creation from 1969–1972 and after a three year hiatus returned as just Creation in 1975, not to be confused with the mid-60's British blues pop band known as The Creation.

In 1969 Blues Creation made a self-titled album of American blues covers, featuring songs written by Sonny Boy Williamson, Memphis Slim, Chester Burnett, J. Mayall-E. Clapton, Blind Willie Johnson, Willie Dixon and Otis Rush. In August 1971 they released their original debut Demon & Eleven Children, and also released Carmen Maki & Blues Creation, which had the band fronted by female vocalist 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. Mountain broke up soon after their Japanese tour, and partly due to hearing loss from playing so loud, bassist Felix 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 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).

Discography

Blues Creation

• Blues Creation (1969 Polydor)
• Demon & Eleven Children (1971 Denon Records)
• Carmen Maki & Blues Creation (1971 Coca Records)
• Blues Creation Live (1971)

Creation

• Creation aka: Chestnut Thornback Shaun (1975 EMI/Toshiba)
• Creation with Felix Pappalardi (1976 EMI/Toshiba)
• Pure Electric Soul (1977 EMI/Toshiba)
• Pacific Rock Creation and Little River Band (1977)
• Super Rock in the Highest Voltage (1978)
• The Super Best (1978)
• Lonely Heart (1981)
• Rock City (1982)
• Best of (1989)

External links

• Stoner Rock magazine interview with Takeda Kazuo
• In Rock magazine (Russia) note about Blues Creation (in Russian language