Chuck Delaney – lead guitar and vocals
Howie Plant – rhythm guitar and vocals
Danny Gomes – bass and vocals
Skip Borden – drums, replaced in late 1964 by
Jim Burnham – drums
Danny’s surname is spelled Gomes on the records, but Gomez in some news articles and on copyright registrations.
The first notice I can find for the group comes from the Bridgeport Post on July 28, 1964:
Four local boys, members of a combo billed as “The Creations” in its first recording for Top Hat records, will make a personal appearance at Fladd’s music center in Milford on Friday from 7 to 8 p.m.
The members of the combo are Howie Plant, Skip Borden, Dan Gomez and Chuck Delaney.
The group has appeared locally to play for numerous dances and are currently appearing at the Black Cat in Shelton on Wednesday evenings.
“Crash” is a frantic surf instrumental written by Chuck Delaney without a trace of British Invasion influence. Danny Gomes wrote the ballad flip, “Chickie Darlin”.
The band released it through New York label Top Hat Records, TH 1003. Top Hat had Rite Record Productions of Cincinnati press the records, pressing # 12699/12700.
Publishers Palais Royale Music and Marks Tey Music both seem connected to Top Hat Records, as earlier releases on Top Hat included those publishers.
A notice for a show at the Connecticut Post center for the United Fund from October 21, 1964 also includes Skip Borden in the lineup. By December 5, 1964, Jim Burnham had replaced Skip, as the Bridgeport Post ran a photo of the group with new drummer Jim Burnham after a benefit for the Muscular Dystrophy fund.
For their second record, Danny Gomes and Howie Plant co-wrote the pounding pounding Beatles-inspired “Don’t Be Mean”, while Delaney and Gomes collaborated on “Forty One Willis”, which refers to a ’41 Willys, a coupe popular with hot rodders (tip of the hat to Mike Markesich – I thought Forty One Willis was a street address!)
Released as Top Hat Records 1004, this was again a Rite pressing, using account number 1151 and Rite pressing code 13891/13892.
Like the first single, this came with a picture sleeve, very rare now. The photo on the front can be seen in the video below.
The Bridgeport Post ran a feature on the group on April 11, 1965, written by Barbara Verespey:
Members of the four-man group include Chuck Delaney, 20, who plays lead guitar and organized the original Creations and the present band, Danny Gomes, 18, bass guitarist and his father, Joseph Gomes, the group’s manager. Both boys are graduates of Milford high. Also, Howie Plant, rhythm guitarist, and Jim Burnham, drummer, are seniors at MHS, and aged 17 and 18 respectively. Jim joined the group in October when Skip Borden of Jonathan Law [High School] moved to Indiana, and feels it was his “biggest break.”
All of them sing except for Jim who “occasionally yells.”
Richard Coderre, their personal agent … “the most colorful agent in show business,” said “we’re shooting for the moon” …
Yesterday, The Creations made a return appearance on the Brad Davis show, Hartford. Their first telecast on the show was Feb. 13. Next stop, if plans work out, is a two-week engagement in Bermuda.
“41 Willys” [sic] and “Don’t Be Mean,” which Chuck and Danny collaborated on, were released March 12. The following week, the group cut “And She Lied,” “Wait For Me.” and “Someone New.” Danny and Howie wrote all three.
The four boys, whose hair is styled in the “fad,” released “Crash” and “Chickie Darlin'” last July. The former was written by Chuck, and the latter by Danny, who, incidentally, hasn’t seen a barber in six months.
Since last January, the group has appeared at Milford high dances and records hops at Enfield, Holyoke, Mass., and New Britain. They have played at the University of Bridgeport, University of Connecticut, Yale, Holy Cross, Bay Path and Central Connecticut colleges. The group has also … appeared at the Actors Colony in Derby, the Ambassador in Hamden, the Statler Hilton hotel, Hartford, the Roadside Inn, Fairfield, and the Etcetera Lounge and Golden Slipper in Long Island.
The Creations have just completed a booking at the Villa Rosa in Milford …
Chuck likes … sleeping, and dislikes snobby girls and liver. Danny also is against snobs, and his favorite interest is dating. Howie has no pet peeves and has expressed an interest in medical science. Jim enjoys playing billiards and dislikes liquor.
Head of the group’s fan club at MHS is Mary Gannett, but the Creations have a bigger following at Jonathan Law. Their officers are Barbara Emmons, president; Donna Skinner, vice president; and Gale Anderson, official correspondent.
Three days later the Post ran a notice that the Creations would appear on The Brad Davis Show on Saturday, April 17, 1965, with Gene Pitney. I have seen a photo of the group with Brad Davis, but only have a poor-quality xerox of it.
That’s the last notice I can find for the Creations.
On April 16, 1965, Danny and Howie registered “Don’t Be Mean” and “Wait For Me” with the Library of Congress’s Copyright Office, and Chuck Delaney belatedly registered “Crash”.
On May 27, 1965, Daniel Gomez and Howard Plant registered two of the songs mentioned in the Bridgeport Post feature, “And You Lied” and “Wait for Me”. I have to think the Creations recorded these songs, but if so, no trace of them has turned up so far. Perhaps “Someone New” also exists on a demo acetate.
Paul E. Bezanker’s Connecticut Rocks! has some more info on the band that I need confirmation on: Howie Plant replaced by Howie West of the Realms (“Baby Let’s Wait” / “All I Want” on Melody ME 105). Bobby Sheehan replaced Howie West. Delaney replaced by Frank Woodman, also of the Realms. Fred O’Brien of the Long Island Sounds comes in on bass, and Danny Gomes becomes lead vocalist.
The group changed into the New Creations with Danny Gomes, Fred O’Brien, Bobby Sheehan and Rick Simpson, which became Bone in late 1967. After more lineup changes, Bone had one single “It’s an Easy Thing” / “Everybody’s Gone Into April” on Poison Ring 712 in 1969.
The correct title of the b side for the 2nd single is Forty-One Willis. It refers to the make and model of an automobile. Easily discerned by listening to the lyrics.
Thanks for pointing that out Mike. Paying attention to lyrics not always my strong suit.
Still alive and kickin in Rocky Hill, CT! Thanks for a well done biography!
The Creations band was a great experience, but somehow I knew it would soon end, so I left the band in October 1964 to go to College in Muncie Indiana! Loved the Midwest, but eventually returned home to Connecticut.
Had a long and successful career in Title Insurance and retired in May 2012 as Vice President and CT State Sales Manager!