THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,748) The Creation — “Biff Bang Pow”
The Creation’s (see #129, 165, 1,502, 1,643) “glorious pop-art B side” (happening45, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJCPK8ztCSE) to their only top 40 hit in the UK, the #36 “Painterman”, is “an anthemic touchstone of sorts for the entire swinging mod scene”. (Lindsay Planer, https://www.allmusic.com/song/biff-bang-pow-mt0001523078) “If I were faced with the thankless task to pick only one song that epitomizes what my idea of mod represents, it would be this track.” (Derek See, https://dereksdaily45.blogspot.com/2011/07/creation-biff-bang-pow.html)
Mike Stax writes:
With its loud, crashing, primary-color power chords and comic-book imagery, a more definitive statement of rock as pop art does not exist. . . . The “My Generation”-like main riff and unmistakable Nicky Hopkins piano work invoked Who comparisons that The Creation found hard to shake, but the ultimate compliment was paid when Pete Townshend joined their fan club.
liner notes to the CD comp Nuggets II: (Original Artyfacts From The British Empire And Beyond 1964-1969)
Lindsay Planer adds:
[The Creation’s] brash brand of freakbeat is certainly evident on the dynamic “Biff! Bang! Pow!” . . . . Immediately striking are similarities to early Who tracks “My Generation” and “A Legal Matter,” with common elements of both being producer Shel Talmy and prolific session pianist Nicky Hopkins. Drummer Jack Jones’ deft bashing likewise bears a resemblance to the frenetic timekeeping of Keith Moon . . . . [T]he vigorous rhythm and unrelenting beat — coupled with the title’s unmistakably bold interjections lifted from Batman — were enough to make the Creation’s minor masterpiece stand on its own. Vocalist Kenny Pickett matches the intensity with a spirited reading, perfectly complementing the high-energy accompaniment. The instrumental break gives the quartet a chance to cut loose and features an outstanding solo from guitarist Eddie Phillips. . . . The song’s lasting effects were cemented when D.I.Y. artist turned record exec Alan McGee named his outfit Biff Band Pow! and his label Creation . . . .
Mark Deming talks of the Creation:
One of the most powerful and forward-thinking British bands of the 1960s, the Creation fused mod style to a freakbeat sound in a manner that anticipated psychedelia and boasted a sonic impact that was matched in their day only by the Who. Rooted in the adventurous guitar work of Eddie Phillips, whose bracing use of feedback and work with a violin bow gave him a unique sound, and the impassioned vocals of Kenny Pickett, the Creation also incorporated the influence of pop art in their music, and they attracted a loyal cult following. However, the group’s popularity in Europe far outstripped their following in England or the United States . . . . [The Mark Four] got signed to Mercury Records’ British division in 1964, but the resulting two singles failed to sell. Though audiences in the U.K. were slow to warm to their music, German audiences were greeting their performances at the Big Ben Club . . . with rousing enthusiasm. . . . [T]he band chanced to cross paths with a local band called the Roadrunners who were wowing fans with their use of guitar feedback in their songs. Eddie Phillips made note of the effect and started working out how he might assimilate it . . . . The Mark Four got a second crack at recording success with Decca Records, which resulted in the single “Hurt Me (If You Will)” b/w “I’m Leaving.” Sales were disappointing, but [“I’m Leaving”] did establish the beginning of a new sound[.] Phillips incorporated his own approach to guitar feedback. . . . [T]he band’s rhythm guitarist, Mick Thompson, and their bassist, John Dalton quit (soon to join the Kinks . . . ). The Mark Four finished their history with a temporary lineup and one last single in early 1966. During the weeks that followed, Pickett and Phillips, along with drummer Jack Jones . . . began rethinking their precise image and direction . . . . By the spring . . . the group had evolved into the Creation, with ex-Merseybeats bassist Bob Garner filling out the lineup, and they had also signed with an ambitious young Australian-born manager . . . named Robert Stigwood. The Creation burst on the British pop/rock scene that June with “Making Time,” a single that seemed to have everything going for it . . . . In portent of their future, “Making Time” soared to number five in Germany but peaked at an anemic number 49 in England, even as the Creation were getting enthusiastic press for their stage performances, which included artists creating and destroying “action paintings” on stage. . . . The group finally saw some slightly significant chart action at home in the fall of 1966 with “Painter Man,” a cheerfully trippy pop anthem with a feedback-oozing guitar break that made the Top 40; predictably, the same record hit number one in Germany. The B-side, “Biff Bang Pow[]” . . . jumped into a pop/rock idiom with a psychedelic edge that should have earned it airplay on its own. By the start of 1967, however, the Creation had hit a crisis point, as Kenny Pickett quit over creative differences and frustration over constant touring in Europe, where their biggest audience was rooted. He was eventually replaced by Kim Gardner, late of the group the Birds. . . . Still struggling for a commercial foothold in England despite being one of the most widely touted live acts of the time, the group’s German label decided it was time to release a Creation LP. We Are Paintermen was highlighted by the titular hit plus a surprisingly good, crunchy rendition of “Like a Rolling Stone,” and a jagged, powerful version of “Hey Joe.” . . . One more single, “Life Is Just Beginning” b/w “Through My Eyes [see #129],” showed up in the fall of 1967 — the A-side was a rousing psychedelic showcase, with elements of Indian raga and a catchy, chant-like main body, plus forceful guitar and a string orchestra. “Through My Eyes” was no throwaway, either, with a lean, crunchy guitar, beautiful choruses, and a great central tune, with three-minutes-and-change of spacy sensibilities ending in a feedback crescendo. Eddie Phillips apparently felt that the single was as good a showcase as he would ever get, and in October of 1967 he quit the Creation. His departure was followed by Kim Gardner’s decision to exit the group for a team-up with Ron Wood, Jon Lord, and Twink in what became known as Santa Barbara Machinehead. The Creation was kept “alive” into the spring of 1968 when their U.K. label, Polydor, released a single of “How Does It Feel” b/w “Tom Tom” on both sides of the Atlantic, with the U.S. version tarted up with all sorts of dubbed-on psychedelic effects. They were both impressive but failed to chart, and that might have been the end of the group, but for the sudden re-emergence of Kenny Pickett, who got Gardner and Jones back together to form the core of a new Creation. That band went through a couple of lineup changes, played around Europe for a bit with Ron Wood as a member, and then dissolved.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-creation-mn0000110341#biography
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