"Our master plan was destroy manufactured bands," writes Alan McGee in the foreword to Cherry Red Records' recent box set, Artifact: The Dawn of Creation Records '83-'85. "We lost," he adds.  "But maybe we won for a while!"  Surely the Creation label founded by McGee could be considered a winner, having given a platform in the 1980s and 1990s to bands including The Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine and Oasis.  Only the first two of those are represented on this impressive 5-CD box set chronicling Creation's earliest days when the post-punk revolution was raging and anything was possible.

Artifact, housed in a 90-page hardcover book format, collects most of the Creation singles issued between 1983 and 1985 on its first two discs in chronological order.  The liner notes indicate that recordings by Slaughter Joe and Les Zarjaz could not be included due to licensing restrictions.  These 51 sides include the debut singles of The Jesus and Mary Chain ("Upside Down" b/w a cover of Syd Barrett's "Vegetable Man") and Primal Scream ("All Fall Down" b/w "It Happens") as well as the very first Creation single ("'73 in '83 by The Legend! a.k.a. Jerry Thackray rhythmically rapping over a drum track provided by McGee).  You'll hear a slew of tracks by a pair of bands with comic book-inspired monikers, The X-Men and Biff Bang Pow!, the latter featuring McGee.  The Jasmine Minks and Revolving Paint Dream were among the psychedelic-inspired artists turning out guitar-pop nuggets for Creation; Adam Sanderson of Jasmine Mink recalls in the liner notes that "[McGee] was looking for three-minute pop classics and at the time we were heavily into Television and six-minute songs."  That juxtaposition of the old and the new features prominently on the Creation singles released during this period.  The sounds of these singles were diverse, but they all shared one thing in common: authenticity.

The third disc of Artifact collects 26 titles under the umbrella of Rarities and Album Tracks.  These include tracks by McGee's pre-Creation band The Laughing Apple, two previously unreleased cuts from Television Personalities, demos of The Jesus and Mary Chain's "Upside Down" and "Just Like Honey."  The final version of the latter would, of course, open the group's Blanco y Negro album debut, Psychocandy, making this early attempt particularly exciting.   The Jasmine Minks' furious cover of Love's "7 and 7 Is" can be found here, along with The Legend! and His Swinging Soul Sisters' ragged a cappella attack on Arthur Conley's "Sweet Soul Music."  (The less said, the better!)

A whopping 24 more demos are featured on Disc Four, all but one of which is previously unreleased.  These include embryonic tracks from the likes of The Jasmine Minks, The X-Men,  Biff Bang Pow! and The Moodists.  The latter, an Australian trio, offer up covers of Brian Wilson and Russ Titelman's sublime "Guess I'm Dumb" and Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich's girl-group classic "The Train from Kansas City" in addition to their own "The Day They All Wake Up."   While "Guess I'm Dumb" takes great liberties with Wilson's intricate melody, "Kansas City" is a rather faithful interpretation.  The box set's fifth and final CD brings together 23 BBC performances of Creation artists (The X-Men, The Loft, The Bodines and more) on the John Peel and Janice Long programs.

Artifact: The Dawn of Creation Records features a book that's valuable in its own right, with a 12,000-word essay by Neil Taylor exploring the history of Creation Records during this early, creatively fertile if hit-challenged period.  The book is lavishly illustrated with artist photographs, single sleeves and memorabilia images.  Nick Watson has remastered all tracks at Fluid Mastering, and the credits helpfully note sources ranging from first-generation transfers of the BBC material from the masters to original cassettes, unplayed for decades, provided by Meat Whiplash, The Jasmine Minks and The X-Men.  Though Creation ultimately didn't win the battle in the 1980s against "manufactured bands," the label certainly left behind a great deal of vibrant music filled with youthful energy.  Artifact is available now from Cherry Red Records and can be ordered at the links below!

Various Artists, Artifact: The Dawn of Creation Records '83-'85 (Cherry Red CRCDBOX19, 2015) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

CD 1: SINGLES

1. THE LEGEND! - '73 In'83
2. THE LEGEND! - You (Chunka Chunka) We're Glamorous
3. THE LEGEND! - Melt The Guns
4. THE REVOLVING PAINT DREAM - Flowers In The Sky
5. THE REVOLVING PAINT DREAM - In The Afternoon
6. BIFF BANG POW! -Fifty Years Of Fun
7. BIFF BANG POW! -Then When I Scream
8. THE JASMINE MINKS - Think!
9. THE JASMINE MINKS -Work For Nothing
10. THE PASTELS - Something Going On
11. THE PASTELS - Stay With Me Till Morning
12. THE X-MEN - Do The Ghost
13. THE X-MEN - Talk
14. BIFF BANG POW! -There Must Be A Better Life
15. BIFF BANG POW! -The Chocolate Elephant Man
16. THE JASMINE MINKS - Where The Traffic Goes
17. THE JASMINE MINKS - Mr Magic
18. THE LOFT - Why Does The Rain
19. THE LOFT - Like
20. THE LOFT - Winter *
21. THE LEGEND! - The Legend! Destroys The Blues
22. THE LEGEND! - Arrogant Bastards
23. THE X-MEN - Bad Girl
24. THE PASTELS - Million Tears
25. THE PASTELS - Surprise Me
26. THE PASTELS - Baby Honey

CD 2: SINGLES

1. THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN -Upside Down
2. THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN - Vegetable Man
3. THE LOFT - Up The Hill And Down The Slope
4. THE LOFT - Your Door Shines Like Gold
5. THE LOFT - Lonely Street
6. THE LOFT - Time
7. THE BODINES - God Bless
8. THE BODINES - Paradise
9. PRIMAL SCREAM - All Fall Down
10. PRIMAL SCREAM - It Happens
11. THE JASMINE MINKS -What's Happening
12. THE JASMINE MINKS -Black & Blue
13. MEAT WHIPLASH- Don't Slip Up
14. MEAT WHIPLASH - Here It Comes
15. FIVE GO DOWN TO THE SEA? - Singing In Braille
16. FIVE GO DOWN TO THE SEA? - Aunt Nelly
17. FIVE GO DOWN TO THE SEA? - Silk Brain Worm Women
18. THE MOODISTS - Justice and Money Too
19. THE MOODISTS -You've Got Your Story
20. THE MOODISTS - Take Us All Home
21. THE PASTELS -I'm Alright With You
22. THE PASTELS -Couldn't Care Less
23. THE PASTELS - What It's Worth
24. BIFF BANG POW! -Love and Hate *
25. THE WEATHER PROPHETS -Worm In My Brain *

CD 3: RARITIES & ALBUM

1. THE LAUGHING APPLE - Participate!
2. THE LAUGHING APPLE - Wouldn't You?
3. THE REVOLVING PAINT DREAM - In The Afternoon (Early Vsn)
4. THE JASMINE MINKS -The Thirty Second Set Up
5. THE JASMINE MINKS -Somers Town
6. BIFF BANG POW! - Fifty Years Of Fun (Almost Live Version)
7. BIFF BANG POW! - Waterbomb!
8. C. BROUCHARD with BIFF BANG POW! -Someone Stole My Wheels
9. C. BROUCHARD with BIFF BANG POW! - Sunny Days
10. THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN - Upside Down (Demo Version)
11. THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN -Just Like Honey (Oct 84 Demo)
12. THE BODINES - God Bless (Alternative Version)
13. THE MEMBRANES - I Am Fish Eye
14. THE MEMBRANES - Gift of Life
15. THE JASMINE MINKS - Seven and Seven Is
16. THE JUNE BRIDES - I Fall
17. THE LEGEND! - Arrogant Bastards
18. THE THREE JOHNS - A.W.O.L.
19. THE LOFT -Your Door Shines Like Gold
20. THE MEKONS - Rock'n'Roll Shoes
21. THE LEGEND! & HIS SWINGING SOUL SISTERS - Sweet Soul Music
22. THE JASMINE MINKS - Green Fuz
23. ALTERNATIVE TV - Lonely Lenny
24. TELEVISION PERSONALITIES - A Picture Of Dorian Gray (live)
25. TELEVISION PERSONALITIES - The Dream Inspires (live) (previously unreleased) *
26. TELEVISION PERSONALITIES - Family Affair (live) (previously unreleased) *

CD 4: DEMOS (All tracks previously unreleased except Track 18-19)

1. THE JASMINE MINKS - All Fall Down
2. THE JASMINE MINKS - Work
3. THE JASMINE MINKS - Second Post
4. THE LEGEND! - Boredom (Is)
5. MEAT WHIPLASH -Losing Your Grip
6. MEAT WHIPLASH -Always Sunday
7. MEAT WHIPLASH - Walk Away
8. THE LEGEND! -Victorian Values
9. THE X-MEN - Home
10. THE X-MEN - Planet of the X
11. THE MOODISTS -The Train From Kansas City
12. THE MOODISTS - The Day They All Wake Up
13. THE MOODISTS - Guess I'm Dumb
14. THE LEGEND! - Social Protest (By Numbers)
15. THE JASMINE MINKS - Mr. Magic
16. THE JASMINE MINKS - Friends
17. THE LEGEND! -Do You Remember
18. BIFF BANG POW! -Lost Your Dreams (Demo)
19. BIFF BANG POW! - I'm Okay Me (Demo)
20. THE LEGEND! - Picture the Scene
21. THE X-MEN - A Tryst For Liszt
22. THE X-MEN - Stone Cold One Note Mind
23. THE JASMINE MINKS - Choice
24. THE JASMINE MINKS - Everybody's Got To Grow Up Sometime

CD 5: BBC SESSIONS

1. THE X-MEN - The Witch (John Peel 13/9/1984)
2. THE X-MEN - Little Girl (John Peel 13/9/1984)
3. THE X-MEN - Xtramental (John Peel 13/9/1984)
4. THE LOFT - On A Tuesday (Janice Long 9/12/1984)
5. THE LOFT - Skeleton Staircase (Janice Long 9/12/1984)
6. THE LOFT - The Canal and the Big Red Town (Janice Long 9/12/1984)
7. THE LOFT - Lonely Street (Janice Long 9/12/1984)
8. THE MOODISTS - Other Man (John Peel 10/7/85)
9. THE MOODISTS - Bullet Train (John Peel 10/7/85)
10. THE MOODISTS -Take the Red Carpet Out Of Town (John Peel 10/7/85)
11. THE MOODISTS - Justice and Money Too (John Peel 10/7/85)
12. MEAT WHIPLASH - Loss (John Peel 28/10/1985)
13. MEAT WHIPLASH - Walk Away (John Peel 28/10/1985)
14. MEAT WHIPLASH - Eat Me To The Core (John Peel 28/10/1985)
15. MEAT WHIPLASH - She Comes Tomorrow (John Peel 28/10/1985)
16. THE BODINES - Scar Tissue (Janice Long 13/10/1985)
17. THE BODINES - Therese (Janice Long 13/10/1985)
18. THE BODINES - William Shatner (Janice Long 13/10/1985)
19. THE BODINES - The Back Door (Janice Long 13/10/1985)
20. THE LOFT - Beware (Live) *
21. THE LOFT - Wide Open Arms (Live) *
22. THE LOFT - Worm In My Brain (Live) *
23. THE LOFT - Up the Hill and Down The Slope (Live)*

(*) denotes bonus tracks