News

Numero Group is turning back the clock to the days of The British Invasion.  On March 17, the feisty Chicago indie continues its musical archaeology with a 2-CD or 2-LP set dedicated to the studio recordings of The Creation.  Action Painting features 46 original tracks recorded between 1965 and 1968, all newly remastered by producer Shel Talmy (The Who, The Kinks) from the original master tapes, and in new stereo mixes where possible.

Over the brief period of 1966-1968, The Creation released a blazing string of singles on Talmy’s Planet Records as well as on Polydor and Germany’s HTS label.  The most successful of these was the band’s second 45, “Painter Man,” which reached the U.K. top forty.  The track featured Eddie Phillips playing his electric guitar with a violin bow, reportedly the first time this technique had been used on a pop record.  Jimmy Page was among those who took note.  Beset by ongoing personnel changes, The Creation disbanded in 1968, but their music wasn’t forgotten.  Boney M revived “Painter Man” and scored a U.K. top ten hit with it in 1979.  The Jam and filmmaker Wes Anderson paid tribute to the group.  Pete Townshend spoke highly of them, and Alan McGee even named his band (Biff Bang Pow) and record label (Creation) after the band.

Action Painting has tracks from all iterations of the band including from their early days as The Mark Four, and their late-period incarnation featuring Ronnie Wood (as heard on the single “Midway Down”) in his post-Birds, pre-Faces days.  Original songs are joined by covers of such familiar songs as “Hey Joe,” “Cool Jerk,” and “Like a Rolling Stone.”  In addition to new stereo mixes of selected tracks, the anthology also premieres backing tracks and instrumentals, and boasts rare U.S. alternate versions and more.

Historians Alec Palao and Dean Rudland provide a chronicle of The Creation’s history in the set’s enclosed 80-page hardcover book, which is festooned with previously unpublished photos.  To accompany the CD and LP releases of Action Painting, Numero will issue a limited edition, break away spindle 45 RPM single of “Making Time” b/w a previously unissued instrumental mix of the tune.

You can revisit the complete oeuvre of Eddie Phillips, Bob Garner, Kenny Pickett, Jack Llewleyn Jones, Dave Preston, Kim Gardner, Tony Ollard, Ronnie Wood and co. on Action Painting.  It’s due on March 17 from Numero Group, and you can pre-order at the links below!

The Creation, Action Painting (Numero Group, 2017)

2-CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada TBD

2-LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. TBD / Amazon Canada TBD

CD 1

1. Making Time (Planet PLF 116-A, 1966)
2. Try and Stop Me (Planet PLF 116-B, 1966)
3. Painter Man (Planet PLF 119-A, 1966)
4. Biff Bang Pow (Planet PLF 119-B, 1966)
5. Sylvette (Edit) (Vogue EP INT. 18098, 1966)
6. If I Stay Too Long (Polydor 56177-A, 1967)
7. Nightmares (Polydor 56177-B, 1967)
8. Life is Just Beginning (Polydor 56207-A, 1967)
9. Through My Eyes (Polydor 56207-B, 1967)
10. How Does It Feel to Feel (Polydor 56230-A, 1968)
11. Tom Tom (Polydor 56230-B, 1968)
12. Can I Join Your Band (Vogue EP INT. 18144, 1968)
13. Midway Down (Polydor 56246-A, 1968)
14. The Girls Are Naked (Polydor 56246-B, 1968)
15. Bonie Maronie (Hit-Ton Schallplatten HT 300210-A, 1968)
16. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (Hit-Ton Schallplatten HT 300210-B, 1968)
17. For All That I Am (Hit-Ton Schallplatten HT 300235-A, 1969)
18. Uncle Bert (Hit-Ton Schallplatten HT 300235-B, 1969)
19. Cool Jerk (included on We Are Paintermen, Hit-Ton Schallplatten HTSLP 340037, 1967)
20. I Am the Walker (rec. 1967 – issued on Charisma LP CS-8, 1973)
21. Ostrich Man (rec. 1967 – issued on How Does It Feel to Feel, Edsel ED 106, 1982)
22. Sweet Helen (rec. 1968 – issued on Edsel CD NESTCD 904, 1993)
23. How Does It Feel to Feel (U.S. Version) (Decca 32277-B, 1967)

CD 2 (Tracks 5-19 new stereo mixes)

1. Hurt Me If You Will – The Mark Four (Decca F.12204-A, 1965)
2. I’m Leaving – The Mark Four (Decca F.12204-B, 1965)
3. Work All Day (Sleep All Night) – The Mark Four (Fontana TF 664-A, 1966)
4. Going Down Fast – The Mark Four (Fontana TF 664-B, 1966)
5. How Does It Feel to Feel (U.S. Version) (new mix of Decca 32277-B, 1967)
6. Biff Bang Pow (new mix of Planet PLF 119-B, 1966)
7. For All That I Am (new mix of Hit-Ton Schallplatten HT 300235-A, 1969)
8. Can I Join Your Band (new mix of track included on We Are Paintermen, Hit-Ton Schallplatten HTSLP 340037, 1967)
9. Through My Eyes (new mix of track included on We Are Paintermen, Hit-Ton Schallplatten HTSLP 340037, 1967)
10. Tom Tom (new mix of track included on We Are Paintermen, Hit-Ton Schallplatten HTSLP 340037, 1967)
11. Midway Down (new mix of Polydor 56246-A, 1968)
12. Nightmares (new mix of track included on We Are Paintermen, Hit-Ton Schallplatten HTSLP 340037, 1967)
13. Life is Just Beginning (new mix of Polydor 56207-A, 1967)
14. Painter Man (new mix of Planet PLF 119-A, 1966)
15. If I Stay Too Long (new mix of Polydor 56177-A, 1967)
16. How Does It Feel to Feel (U.K. Version) (new mix of Polydor 56230-A, 1968)
17. Cool Jerk (new mix of track included on We Are Paintermen, Hit-Ton Schallplatten HTSLP 340037, 1967)
18. Hey Joe (new mix of track included on We Are Paintermen, Hit-Ton Schallplatten HTSLP 340037, 1967)
19. Like a Rolling Stone (new mix of track included on We Are Paintermen, Hit-Ton Schallplatten HTSLP 340037, 1967)
20. Making Time (Backing Track – Take 1) (previously unissued)
21. Sylvette (Full-Length) (rec. 1966 – issued on Retroactive CD/LP 9003, 1998)
22. Instrumental 1 (rec. 1966 – issued on Retroactive CD/LP 9002, 1998)
23. How Does It Feel to Feel (Version 1 – Backing Track) (previously unissued)