Creation Records

Recently caught the documentary Upside Down - the Creation Records story on Netflix. Reminded me how much I loved a lot of the bands on this label and how many great records were released by them. For those that have not seen the films the story is not a particularly original one, guy starts a small independent label, signs a load of cool bands who get successful before it all falls around their ears in a mass of drugs and bad business practices. Could just as easily have been the Factory story as Creation.

The films is still worth a watch though as most of the bands and artists are interviewed and label founder Alan Mcgee comes across as a candid and reasonably honest bloke and if you're anything like me you're still immature enough to find stories of rock and roll excess and general silliness funny.

Anyway on the off chance anyone else is interested my top five Creation albums, getting this down to just five was a lot harder than I expected and there are some great albums left out.

1 Primal Scream - Screamadelica
2 Super Furry Animals - Radiator
3 Ride - Nowhere
4 Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque
5 The House of Love - The House of Love

Soundtrack of many a year of my youth

Not sure I could stretch to a top 5, Jeff but coudl go for:

1. Primal Scream - Screamadelica
2. Grand Prix - Teenage Fanclub
3. Definitely Maybe - Oasis
4. Bandwagonesque - Teenage Fanclub

If pushed, I'd probably go for something by The Jesus and Mary Chain but nothing particularly stands out.

On a side note, I used to work with the wife of Raymond McGinley (guitarist from Teenage Fanclub) and have met him a couple of times. Remarkably pleasant and unassuming. His wife, on the other hand, is a horrible human being.

Cheers Super, knew you would save me from the ignominy of zero responses. Nice to see someone else is a fan of the fannies, fine band. I had to have Ride in there, used to absolutely love them (still do to be honest)

I struggled to get it down to five, had to miss the Mary Chain, Definitely Maybe, My Bloody Valentine and the vastly underrated Copper Blue by Sugar.

Christine by The House of Love has to be in my top 20 songs ever - nominated it in the music cup expecting a flurry of votes and only got about 2 or 3 which made me appreciate what a bunch of ignorant savages most of the 606 v2 population are. The whole album was full of quotable lyrics for a spotty teenager, funnily enough at the time I thought the album was called Creation, didn't realise it was the label.

I voted for Christine Galted. Was a much appreciated reminder for me of how fine a band they are. Bought the album on CD having only owned it on tape from many a moon ago on the back of your vote so you are perhaps owed some sort of royalties from them now.

The label is actually named after the fairly obscure but excellent 60's freakbeat band The Creation. Ride who were of course on the label had a hit with their version of The Creation's How Does it Feel to Feel. For further fascinating facts on the label name, Alan Mcgee had his own band on the label called Biff Bang Pow, which is the name of a Creation song.

I am a well of knowledge, dip your buckets at will.

Your impeccable taste is duly acknowledged, Rowley. Will give some of the bands a go on Youtube when I get home, had a look on Wikipedia and there are a few names I recognise and a multitude I don't.

I went to see Upside Down when it came out in the Chapter Arts Theate in Cardiff followed by a Q & A (plus free drinks) with Alan McGee. I was sat by him on the train the other day but didnt bother striking up a conversation as I was a little bit drunk the last time I spoke to him in a small pub in south Wales he likes to DJ at now and again

Does anyone remember a band called Velvet Crush? I had an album of theirs (on cassette) on Creation called Teenage Symphonies to God and for a few months I thought it was the best record ever (it had a great album cover, too). I can't remember why I stopped listening to it and it probably sounds quite derivative and Beatlesque now, but I don't know if another label would have given them the chance.

I wonder if they regret signing The Boo Radleys. Bloody awful band.

seanmichaels wrote:I wonder if they regret signing The Boo Radleys. Bloody awful band.

Think I am right in saying Northern Uproar were also on Creation. They made The Boo Radleys sound like the bleeding Stones! Still two bad bands is not a bad hit rate. Do not remember Velvet Crush LP, am going to download it tonight though, so be warned if they are bobbins I may ban you.

 Let me know if it holds up!

I remember thinking that Giant Steps by the Boo Radleys was a great album, but I bought it again last year and it's really not that good. Not terrible, but patchy.

Rowley wrote:

seanmichaels wrote:I wonder if they regret signing The Boo Radleys. Bloody awful band.

Think I am right in saying Northern Uproar were also on Creation. They made The Boo Radleys sound like the bleeding Stones! Still two bad bands is not a bad hit rate. Do not remember Velvet Crush LP, am going to download it tonight though, so be warned if they are bobbins I may ban you.

Hurricane #1 were pretty poor......

Very true Sean, has been pretty much a downward trajectory for Andy Bell since the peerless Ride. Hurrican #1 to the tail end of the over rated Oasis, after they stopped making decent records before closing the show with the truly, spectacularly bad Beady Eye.

Should just do the decent thing and reform Ride.

Is funny LP how things you were into as a kid sound when you revisit them now. As I grew up in the manc era used to be in to Northside, knew they weren't great but did not mind them all the same. Mate gave me their album a bit ago and I listened it for probably the first time in over 15 years. Dear god it is unlistenable.

It can work both ways though - you'll think an album isn't very good and not listen to it for ages, then give it another spin, realise it's amazing and wonder what was wrong with you.

Very true LP, for some reason was never into the Pixies as a kid, bought Doolittle the other day for some reason and it is absolutely brilliant. God only knows why I have only just realised that.

Funny you should mention the Pixies: when I was in my early teens, I had a compilation album and one of the songs on it was 'Velouria'. I thought it was good, but nothing more. Then when I went to university I must have mentioned the song and one of my housemates lent me the Death to the Pixies best-of album. The rest is history.

Rowley wrote:Very true LP, for some reason was never into the Pixies as a kid, bought Doolittle the other day for some reason and it is absolutely brilliant. God only knows why I have only just realised that.

Pixies are cracking. Have a thing for Kim Deal, nothing better than a rock chic on the guitar.......

LSD by Northside used to get a lot of play in my teens but like you listened to it recently and it was god awful.

I think the only bands to come out of that scene were the Roses and Charlatans. Happy Mondays stuff is a bit lightweight in all honesty.

Anyone remember 3 Colours Red? They were a Creation band

I kinda liked them at the time although if I listened to them now id probably think they suck

seanmichaels wrote:LSD by Northside used to get a lot of play in my teens but like you listened to it recently and it was god awful.

I think the only bands to come out of that scene were the Roses and Charlatans. Happy Mondays stuff is a bit lightweight in all honesty.

You want to try listening to the full album Sean, to think I used to like it as a kid does make me wonder about my general mental state at the time. Dearly love both the roses and the charlatans though.

Shame about Jon Brookes. Band seem cursed losing 2 members so young. Have you seen Burgess's hair recently, holy mother of God it is awful.

seanmichaels wrote:Shame about Jon Brookes. Band seem cursed losing 2 members so young. Have you seen Burgess's hair recently, holy mother of God it is awful.

Went to see him live the other week solo Sean, can only agree it is godawful. Funnily enough saw the Charlatans this summer and he had bleach blond pudding bowl hair, a white wool jumper and the skinniest white jeans on imaginable, not a great look.

I like his solo stuff despite it being panned a bit.

His second album is very good. I did not mind the first one but that got absolutely slaughtered.

Just not right on any level whatsoever .....

Spoiler:

Tough look to get away with as a kid Sean, as a 46 year old bloke is just a step too far.

Steffan wrote:Anyone remember 3 Colours Red? They were a Creation band

I kinda liked them at the time although if I listened to them now id probably think they suck

The Evening Session loved 3 Colours Red but I always thought they were quite tuneless. Another band they (especially Steve Lamacq) loved was Scarfo and I never saw the fuss with them either.

Steve Lamacq and Jo Wiley. Spent many a night listening to them instead of revising for my A-levels.

It was always worth listening to John Peel afterwards too. He'd play such a wide range of stuff that there would be some gems in there eventually!

Peel was brilliant, if patience stretching at the time. Where else are you likely to get the Wedding Present followed by some jungle and then 8 minutes of Gregorian chanting, mad as a box of frogs.

And that old bloke who sang and played the organ (or was it the accordion?).

Started Velvet Crush downloading today LP, you have been warned, could be your last day on here!

Don't blame me if it's no good! From what I remember, they had some decent tunes. A bit jangly, Big Star kind of stuff.

I should probably have told you that before you started downloading...

Don't start backtracking now, your future on here is dependant on this. To be honest quite like Big Star and loved Teenage Fanclub who are frequently compared with them so if they are anything like that you should be safe.

Fingers crossed!

You'll be pleased to know you're allowed to stay on here LP. Suspect the album is not as good as you remember it but it is alright. Am four songs in and have not felt the need to put my banning hat on yet.