new box set collects the early '80s days of UK indie label Creation Records w/ JAMC, Primal Scream, Pastels & more

July 10, 2015

by Bill Pearis

Artifact: The Dawn of Creation Records 1983-1985″ width=”480″ />

Before Oasis, Ride, My Bloody Valentine, Super Furry Animals, Swervedriver, and Screamadelica, Creation Records was a scrappy indie label releasing scratchy singles by jangly indiepop bands with bowl haircuts who loved Orange Juice and the Velvet Underground. Some of those were great, including records by The Pastels, The Loft, The Jasmine Minks, a young band named Primal Scream, and label head Alan McGee’s own group, Biff Bang Pow!. It would be The Jesus & Mary Chain‘s debut, “Upside Down,” that would give the label loftier aspirations but the early days of Creation hold a lot of buried treasures.

Those early singles were collected on the five-volume Creation Soup compilations in the early ’90s, which all went out of print shortly after release. They’ll soon be available again, however, in a new box set titled Artifact: The Dawn of Creation Records 1983-1985. In addition to those 7″s, this five-disc set includes, rarities, select album deep cuts, unreleased demos and rare BBC sessions. There’s also a It’s out September 25 via Chery Red (preorder) and you can check out the full tracklist, and streams of some of those early singles, below.

JAMC are also touring Psychocandy this year.

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Artifact: The Dawn of Creation Records 1983-1985
DISC 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
* Bonus tracks

DISC 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 *
* Bonus tracks

DISC 3: RARITIES & ALBUM TRACKS
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. J.C. BROUCHARD with BIFF BANG POW! – Someone Stole My Wheels
9. J.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

ALIVE IN THE LIVING ROOM:
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

BONUS TRACKS
24. TELEVISION PERSONALITIES – A Picture Of Dorian Gray (live)
25. TELEVISION PERSONALITIES – The Dream Inspires (live) *
26. TELEVISION PERSONALITIES – Family Affair (live)
* * = previously unissued

DISC 4: DEMOS
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 – I 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 *
* = previously unissued

DISC 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)

BONUS TRACKS
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)

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