Blues Creation - Blues Creation [Japan Edition] (1969)

Blues Creation was a legendary Japanese band formed in Tokyo at the end of sixties by two guitarists, Kazuo Takeda and Koh Eiryu, together with singer Fumio Nunoya.
Kazuo Takeda was born March 11, 1952 in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. He started playing guitar at the age of 13, and after playing with bands such as Falcons and Kinky Rockers, he became a professional guitarist at the age of 16 in August 1968. A year later he formed Blues Creation and released debut album for Polydor Records. Blues Creation participated in the first Japanese rock festival that same year. In 1971 ‘Demon & Eleven Children’ was released for Colombia Japan. At the same time another album followed together with Carmen Maki. The band disbanded in 1972 and Kazuo moved to London and played there as session guitarist. Much more followed.

- Where and when did you grow up? Was music a big part of your family life?
Kazuo Takeda: I was born in 1952. I was raised in Tokyo. My sister used to listen to early sixties American pop and rock’n’roll music. Artists such as Little Richard, Ray Charles, Gene Vincent, Art Blakey, The Cascades, Brenda Lee, Thelonious Monk, The Beatles and The Ventures to name a few. My mother was also an avid listener so music was always present.
- When did you begin playing music? What was your first instrument? Who were your major influences?
I remember my first instrument was ukulele which my sister brought from somewhere. I tried to play some melody I knew by single note playing. That was when I was 8 or 9 years old. After a little while, in 1965 suddenly American surf music was getting so popular among the nation. There were many surf rock bands in every school. It was all because of The Ventures and their music.
Especially their lead guitarist, Nokie Edwards was guitar idol to every schoolboy. At the time, a friend of mine was already good enough to play difficult tunes by The Ventures. Stuff like ‘Caravan’. I could learn basic technique from him. Thank you my friend.
- What bands were you a member of prior to the formation of Blues Creation?
My first band was a surf rock band. We mainly played The Ventures’ songs. We named ourselves The Falcons. I played with them for about a year.
Then I started listening to R&B type of music. Artists such as Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and others. We also played a bunch of sixties British songs from The Animals, The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Kinks, The Zombies etc. They were so good.
There was a certain type of their songs I especially liked. I was too young to know the differences between music genres, but somehow I felt so musically attract to the blues.
- What was the first song you ever composed?
That was when I was around 9 or 10 years old. I wouldn’t call it a songwriting, but I was trying to make my own melody with my ukulele. Somehow I managed that, but the line sounded pretty much like other kids’ songs I heard before.
My first original tune was written when I was 15. It’s a song called ‘Baby You Are Mine’. Simple three chords blues type of tune, rather than rock’n’roll or R&B, I think.
(psychedelicbabymag.com/2020/09/blues-creation-interview-with-kazuo-takeda.html)