The Creation were from Albuquerque, New Mexico. There were three members in the group: Al O’Donnell on lead and rhythm guitar, his brother Mike O’Donnell on bass, and Ernie Phillips on rhythm guitar. All three contributed lead and harmony vocals.
The Creation recorded two singles within a few months of each other. The first was “What The Daisies Know” / “Sun And Stars (I Miss Her So)” on Centurion 45-3001, recorded in October 1967 and released by December. Both sides were written by O’Donnell and Phillips for Tenmand Music, BMI. The publishing contracts list Joe Green with Tenmand Music. Distribution was by Lance Music Enterprises on SW 4th St.
The second single is “No Silver Bird” backed with “The Warmth of Love” on Centurion 45-3002, recorded December, 1967. The quality of the band’s performance is very different from the Creation’s first 45, more disciplined and better-recorded, with a droning, trance-inducing sound.
The label design is also not much like Centurion 45-3001, with a different typeface, nor does it have the Lance distribution credit at the bottom. The Wakefield plant in Phoenix pressed both singles.
Lyrics to “No Silver Bird” consist of only six lines!
Go on, take an airplane ride, Get on that big silver bird and fly, The world would be so heavenly, If you would come along trippin’ with me, Go on, take an airplane ride, Don’t need no silver bird by my side.
The Creation’s single of “No Silver Bird” is very rare; until 2018 the only image circulating was a poor quality b&w photo of a DJ promo label. With nothing known about the Creation, there was speculation that their version of “No Silver Bird” was an ’80s recording made in an older style.
On July 7, 1968, the Hooterville Trolley recorded their own versions of “No Silver Bird” and “The Warmth of Love” at Norman Petty’s recording studio in Clovis with producer Tommy Bee. The Hooterville Trolley and the Creation did not share any band members.
The labels give Ernest Phillips sole credit for both songs, and publishing changes to Reginald Music Publ. and Stinger Music. The Hooterville Trolley single wasn’t released until January of 1969.
Tenmand Music publishing contract for “No Silver Bird” and “The Warmth of Love” by the Creation
In 2018 Al O’Donnell contacted me, and together with his brother Michael, answered my questions about the group and provided the scans of the contracts, lyrics and radio survey seen here.
Al O’Donnell:
The Creation was short-lived and we mostly wrote and arranged songs.
I have been playing guitar since very young. I usually played lead and rhythm on tracks. Mike picked up the bass as a new undertaking at the time we formed the band and became good very quick. Earnie played rhythm. The drummer and keyboard were always hired out and not part of the music development or lyrics.
Q. Who sang on the songs?
In all the songs Earnie, Mike and I sang and/or harmonized.
Q. Did the Creation play live shows? Are there any photos of the group?
Not really and no photos, [we were] just song writers composers and hopeful performers.
A couple of older gentlemen came to us and wanted to make us big. We had a backer and recorded both records that did get lots of airplay in the local area. Several thousand records were distributed.
The Creation’s “Sun and Stars” listed in KQEO’s Local Spotlight for December 16, 1967
“The Warmth of Love” was played locally as well, just did not get a local spotlight note.
On “No Silver Bird”, the guitar I was playing used a sound effect pedal and the repeater was adjustable with which I could set the tempo, that was the sound you refer to. Not even sure of what brand all the equipment was … I have had so many.
After several months of air play and not hearing from the guys who were doing the distribution, we went to their office and it was empty. Gone, along with the proceeds from the record shops. Being young and broke we could not pursue.
I never heard the Hooterville Trolley version [before recently]. I was not involved with Hooterville.
“Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling” recorded by the Fortunes and “Signs” recorded by the Canadian group Five Man Electrical band sounded suspiciously like ones we wrote, can’t prove it today as the originals were on Earnie’s machine, gone forever. Both were credited to have been written by others.
Phillips died some time ago.
I am the only one who plays today for fun. I own a Martin 6 and a Seagull 12 with pickups for larger occasions. I have some some originals I have written since then but no real connection to the industry, and just copywriting for the heck of it seems a waste of time knowing the industry.
Al ODonnell, 2018
Lyrics to “Sun and Stars”
Michael O’Donnell:
Earnie was in sales so he actually found Green [Joe Green, Tenmand Music publisher]. Green had advertised in the paper looking for local talent and Earnie responded after telling us about what he found, at least that is how I remember it.
After we made contact Earnie, Al and myself went and met Green and sang something for him and that is where it started.
I believe the second record, “Warmth of Love” and “No Silver Bird” were recorded in December 1967. I do remember hearing the song on KQEO while I was driving down the street, that is not something you easily forget.
Q. I checked BMI and the Library of Congress lists online but couldn’t find registration of any of your songs. I noticed Phillips was listed as sole writer of “No Silver Bird” on the label. Was that a mistake?
Creation lyrics to “No Silver Bird”
Ernie is no longer with us to speak for his recollection so I can only say I remember that no one could claim individual credit for anything the group did. There was collaboration in the lyrics, music and arrangement by each member for everything recorded. I have included the original note paper lyrics that I wrote down as we all worked together.If you looked at the initial contract for the second record, “Warmth of Love” and “No Silver Bird” you will see all three individuals were credited for writing etc. Not that it makes any difference, the history is just fun.
I seem to recall that Ernie fronted a larger portion of the money to record the second record (“No Silver Bird”) so I can only assume that this is how he negotiated with the promoter to be repaid.
There were different “tasks” each undertook in the process and Ernie took on the task of getting paperwork processed with the promoter etc. When I found the paper-work concerning the contracts, I also found uncompleted copy-right paperwork so I suppose that was one task that did not get completed.
When you are very young and naive, things like this attention to detail sort of slips. We were just having fun and trusting the promoters, contracts and each other.
Michael O’Donnell, 2018
——
There was one additional single on Centurion 45-3003/4. One side is Los Gallegos y Sr. Max Roybal “San Martin des Porres”, written by Jose Green and arranged by Ramon Gallegos. The other side is Sean & the Junction with “My Little Girl” written by Ernest Phillips and Joseph E. Green, and produced and arranged by Ernie Phillips. “My Little Girl” starts slow and immediately picks up tempo, with an unusual middle section, and a lead vocal in what I consider a crooning or song-poem style. Unlike the Creation’s songs, Tenmand Music registered both of these with the Library of Congress on December 9, 1968. Al and Michael O’Donnell do not recall these artists or know who was involved with Sean & the Junction.
Thank you to Al and Michael O’Donnell for answering my questions about the group and also for providing scans of contracts, lyrics and the KQEO survey.
Thank you to Jeremy Sloan for alerting me to the third Centurion single.
Lyrics to “What The Daisies Know”Tenmand Music publishing contract for “Sun and Stars” and “What the Daisies Know” by the Creation
Albuquerque, New Mexico was home to the Feebeez. According to a couple comments on the web, the band members were:
Sharon Westcott – lead vocals, guitar Sherry Haglar – keyboards Chris (surname?) – bass Sherry Stange – drums
Luckily the group cut a single with two original songs by guitarist Sharon Westcott. “Walk Away” has a quick, unusual beat with vocals in unison. The flip is maybe even better, the moody “Season Comes”.
Sharon Westcott copyrighted both songs in October, 1966 with Scovel Music, BMI.
The band released the single on Stange R-2216, according to one comment on youtube, Ed Stange financed the single for his daughter Sherry. There’s a rare promotional insert with a photo of the group – if anyone has a copy please send me a scan of it!
Early lineup of the King Pins, 1962, showing piano and saxophone
94 Second Surf – first version with girl chorusThe King Pins came from Sandia High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Though they recorded in 1965, they were an instrumental group, not at all ‘garage’ but I dig this record.
Members were:
Steve Maase – lead guitar Gary Shouse – rhythm guitar Rob Cardin – bass Larry Kuck -drums
In August 1965 they released a 45 “Rod Hot Rod” / “94 Second Surf” on Larse 101, recorded at Norman Petty’s studio in Clovis, NM. The group’s manager Bill Sego, a DJ on KCLV in Clovis, wrote the top side “Rod Hot Rod”. This song has its fans but Steve Maase’s original “94 Second Surf” commands the most attention nowadays.
MGM picked up the single for a national release in November 1965. “94 Second Surf” is retitled “Door Banger” on the MGM 45, but there is a difference. The Larse single features a female vocal chorus on both sides, while the MGM leaves it off completely on “Door Banger” and cuts the vocal intro on “Rod Hot Rod” but keeps the rest of the vocals.
Larse was Bill Sego’s label but I don’t know of any other releases on it. Prior to managing he had his own single on the Nor-Va-Jak label “Down From The Clouds” / “Come Along Dolly”. When he ran for the New Mexico Senate he reissued “Doorbanger” on the flip side of a campaign message with the motto “We Go Sego” on the labels and sleeves.
Steve Maase joined Lindy Blaskey and the LaVells, playing the wicked lead on their Space single “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow” (on the flip, “Would You Believe” Lindy shouts out “Hey Steve, would you believe …” after the guitar break), and on “You Ain’t Tuff” / “Let It Be”. In the early ’70s, Steve formed a band called Tala, and then played with Linda Cotton and Sparxx, among others, while composing his own music and becoming a well-respected music teacher. Steve Maase passed away on October 1, 2016.
Thank you to Lily Maase for sending in the photo of the King Pins and for informing me about her father’s career after the King Pins.
King Pins, January 1964Announcement of King Pins signing with MGM, November 23 1965
Hooterville Trolly in the Albuquerque Journal, December 4, 1967
Long considered to be a studio group only, the Hooterville Trolley who cut “No Silver Bird” were a working band in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Gary Garman wrote a profile of the band in the Albuquerque Journal on December 4, 1967:
The sound is that of a hard-hitting ‘psyche-rock’ group called the Hooterville Trolly.
The band has been fortunate enough to have appeared with the Buffalo Springfield and the Seeds.
Composed of five seniors from Highland High School seniors and one from Sandia High School, the sextet was originally a three-man band which grew last summer.
In the group are Cris Arlenth, manager; Martin Nassif, lead and rhythm guitar; Don Kinney, bass guitar; Wayne Galio, lead and rhythm guitar; Bill Chreist, organist; and Doug Borthwick, drummer. Wayne is the outsider from Sandia.
Martin, Don and Doug were the original group, formed this past April.
“We decided we needed more members to make our sound complete,” they said. “So we auditioned Wayne and he came into the group in May. Bill joined us in July.”
With practice sessions at least twice a week and engagements each weekend, the group claims their favorite spot for a job is Carnaby 66, a teenage night club.
…
“We play with a style of our own,” they say.
All compose the songs performed by the Hooterville Trolly, “but Martin is the brain power behind most of our songs,” Wayne said.
The Albuquerque Journal, January 20, 1968
Note the band’s name is spelled Hooterville Trolly in both the news clippings and in the sign at the front of the stage. This is the same Hooterville Trolley that recorded the single “No Silver Bird” / “The Warmth of Love”. How that single ended up on a Mississippi label is a story that requires me to back up and discuss the Lance Records label and their in-house producer, Tommy Bee.
Tommy Bee, Lance Records and Lynn’s Productions
Tommy Bee (short for Tom Benegas according to an Albuquerque Journal article) produced records for Albuquerque’s recent upstart, the Lance Records label including the Lincoln St. Exit’s “Paper Place” / “Who’s Been Driving My Little Yellow Taxi Cab” and the Cellar Dwellers’ “Love Is a Beautiful Thing” / “Working Man”. Many of the compositions he published through his company Stinger Music, BMI.
In February 1967 Bee produced the Fe Fi Four Plus Two’s “I Wanna Come Back (from The World of LSD)” at Norman Petty’s studio in Clovis, New Mexico. He would later return there to record the Hooterville Trolley.
According to an article in the Albuquerque Journal, Tommy Bee resigned from Lance Music Enterprises on August 25, 1967, dissolving his partnership with Dick Stewart and Ross Benavidez. After Tommy’s departure Lance released six more singles, half of them Spanish music, then closed up the label and the Lance newsletter by the end of 1967.
Tom Bee (as Tommy Benegas) filed a lawsuit against Lance over ownership of the exclusive contract with the The Sheltons, whose single “Find It” he had sold to Dot Records that summer. The suit was settled out of court. Terms were not disclosed, but it seems Tommy Bee won control of the artists and productions he had brought to Lance.
The Albuquerque Journal, September 27, 1968
Bee continued to produce and release music by some of the artists he had worked with back in New Mexico, mainly by placing recordings with Reginald Records distribution out of Greenville, Mississippi. I’d like to know how he found Reginald and its owner Henry Reginald Hines (aka Lynn Williams). In any case it was to be a fruitful collaboration.
One of the most surprising things about this arrangement is how many of the songs Bee would send to the Mississippi company had been already released on Lance. These include two Lance recordings of the Sheltons, “Find It” / “I Who Have Nothing” were re-released on the Reginald-distributed Bar-Bare label, Doc Rand & the Purple Blues “I Want You (Yeh I Do)” / “I Need a Woman” (originally Lance 119/120), which was re-relased on Landra Records 020, and the Vendels’ version of “Try Me”, originally released on Lance 113, shows up on Lynn’s Records LR 1728, backed with one I haven’t heard, “Boo Ga-Louie”.
Besides re-releasing earlier Lance singles, Tommy Bee also produced new 45s by the artists he worked with in Albuquerque, either for a Reginald imprint or for his own Souled Out label.
These include the Fe-Fi-Four Plus 2’s second single, “Pick Up Your Head” / “Mr. Sweet Stuff” for Odex, and the Trademarques’ “I Can Set You Free” / “Free Your Fears” on Randolph. Tommy Bee produced “Straighten Up and Fly Right” by the Beaumont, Texas group The Kidds for another Randolph front, the Big Beat label.
Those interested in reading more on the history of Henry Reginald Hines and his various labels and productions should take a look at Greenville And Beyond. Be sure to check out the chilling debt collection letter at the bottom of that page, it has to be read to be believed.
The Creation and “No Silver Bird”
The original version of “No Silver Bird” by the Creation. The other side, “The Warmth of Love” would also be covered by the Hooterville Trolley, with neither band being aware of the other.
On July 7, 1968, Tommy Bee went into Norman Petty’s recording studio in Clovis, New Mexico to record “No Silver Bird” / “The Warmth of Love”, two songs previously recorded on a single by another Albuquerque, New Mexico group, The Creation.
The Creation were two brothers, Al and Mike O’Donnell, plus Ernest Phillips. They were young musicians who landed a publishing deal with Tenmand Music run by Joe Green. They recorded two singles of their original songs on the Centurion label in late 1967.
Possibly through Ernest Phillips, who was employed by Tommy Bee Enterprises around this time (according to the Billboard 1969 Intl. Tape Directory), or through someone handling distribution at Lance Music Enterprises, the Creation’s second single made its way to Tommy Bee. The Hooterville Trolley cut both songs for their single. Ernest Phillips’ name was kept on the writing credits (but O’Donnell was left off of “The Warmth of Love”) and the publisher switched from Tenmand to Tommy Bee’s Stinger Music and Henry Reginald Hines’ Reginald Music Publ.
Six months after recording, in January of 1969, Bee released the songs on Lynnette Records, one of Hines’ labels in Greenville, Mississippi. The Creation’s O’Donnell brothers were unaware of the Hooterville Trolley’s versions of their songs until 2018.
The Hooterville Trolley’s version of “No Silver Bird” is very hypnotic with touches of strings and what sounds like a Moog or some other early synthesizer.
Bill Chreist answered some of my questions about the Hooterville Trolley:
Hooterville Trolly
The band was formed in 1967 in Albuquerque New Mexico. The original members of the band were Don Kinney (bass & vocals), Martin Nasiff (lead guitar & lead vocals), Bill Chreist (keyboards & vocals), Wayne Galio (rhythm guitar) and Doug Borthwick (drummer and back up vocals). We played live at dance clubs in Albuquerque (Carnaby 66 was one of the popular clubs in 1968), Santa Fe & Colorado. We also played at the Hullabaloo club in Oklahoma.
Ernest Phillips wrote the original song but we (Martin, Don and I) re-wrote the words because we didn’t think the original words were “heavy” enough for the songs of that time, but let him still get the credit for the song.
Norman Petty who owned the recording studio had just received a new “string machine” that he was excited to try out. He asked us if he could add it to the song “No Silver Bird” saying if we didn’t like it he would take it out. We told him to go ahead and see what he could come up with. We loved it and thought it added a new sound that we hadn’t heard before. The only problem was when we played live we couldn’t duplicate it but no one seemed to care at the dances we played at.
The song was played a lot in Albuquerque but never became a national hit. Our manager at the time (Tommy Benavidez) paid for the recording so he owned the master.
The lyrics have been changed on this version. Still only six lines, but sung twice:
Go, get ready to fly, Lock all the doors as if to hide, Don’t worry about faces inside, Just come with me, and ride.
Go, get ready to fly, You’ll see silver birds in the sky,
Go, get ready to fly, Lock all the doors as if to hide, Don’t worry about faces inside, Just come with me, and ride.
Go, get ready to fly, You’ll see silver birds in the sky.
Regarding the string sounds, Alec Palao says he believes Norman Petty had a Chamberlin, a U.S. manufactured precursor to the Mellotron. Alec added “Petty treated instruments a lot with EQ, compression and echo/reverb, and got some pretty unique sounds in the process. His multi-tracks are amazing to listen to.” I haven’t heard “The Warmth of Love” yet, if anyone has a clip please let me know.
In March of 1969, the Journal reported the death of Wayne Galio in a traffic accident, describing him as “formerly a member of the ‘Hooterville Trolly'”.
Magic Sand’s LP on Uni
In 1970 the Hooterville Trolley’s exact recording of “No Silver Bird” turned up on Magic Sand’s eponymous UNI LP, retitled “Get Ready To Fly”, sounding like nothing else on the LP, which is a rougher soul or blues-based rock. Ernest Phillips’ name is off the song writing credits which instead go to A. Klein (Highwood Music Corp./Segway Music BMI) whose name is on many of the songs on the LP, while the musicians’ names are not listed. A. Klein also turns up in the credits for Mud’s Uni LP Mud on Mudd.
Al Klein and Buffalo Bill Productions in Billboard, August 1, 1970
A. Klein is Al Klein, head of Buffalo Bill Productions. He may have been the same Al Klein who was Southwestern district sales manager for Motown in the mid ’60s. Vic Gabriele, who had been in the Monkeymen (“Route 66” / “Mojo” on QQ 311) and the Piggy Bank (“Thoughts of You” / “Play With Fire” on Lavette), and whose name also turns up on Magic Sand writing credits, was vice president for Buffalo Bill productions. Harry Narviel and Rick Knott were other employees.
This site is a work in progress on 1960s garage rock bands. All entries can be updated, corrected and expanded. If you have information on a band featured here, please let me know and I will update the site and credit you accordingly.
I am dedicated to making this site a center for research about '60s music scenes. Please consider donating archival materials such as photos, records, news clippings, scrapbooks or other material from the '60s. Please contact me at rchrisbishop@gmail.com if you can loan or donate original materials
The Creation were from Albuquerque, New Mexico. There were three members in the group: Al O’Donnell on lead and rhythm guitar, his brother Mike O’Donnell on bass, and Ernie Phillips on rhythm guitar. All three contributed lead and harmony vocals.
The second single is “No Silver Bird” backed with “The Warmth of Love” on Centurion 45-3002, recorded December, 1967. The quality of the band’s performance is very different from the Creation’s first 45, more disciplined and better-recorded, with a droning, trance-inducing sound.
On July 7, 1968, the Hooterville Trolley recorded their own versions of “No Silver Bird” and “The Warmth of Love” at Norman Petty’s recording studio in Clovis with producer Tommy Bee. The Hooterville Trolley and the Creation did not share any band members.
I have been playing guitar since very young. I usually played lead and rhythm on tracks. Mike picked up the bass as a new undertaking at the time we formed the band and became good very quick. Earnie played rhythm. The drummer and keyboard were always hired out and not part of the music development or lyrics.
