This Is The Beginning
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Album Summary
Released in 1970 on the small but spirited Studio 10 (2) imprint out of the United States, 'This Is The Beginning' stands as a testament to the raw, unfiltered energy that was bubbling up from the American underground at the dawn of a new decade. Creation — a collective burning with talent that included Dennis Marcellino, Leon Patillo, Jimmy Calhoun, Carol Stallings, Orlando Neil Stallings, Billy Adams Gerst, and Joe Provost — poured everything they had into this eight-track offering, blending soul, funk, and psychedelic currents into something that felt both urgent and otherworldly. The album arrived at a time when independent labels were giving voice to artists who might never have found a home on the major imprints, and Studio 10 (2) gave Creation the space to let their vision breathe fully and freely.
Reception
- As a release on an independent U.S. label in 1970, 'This Is The Beginning' had limited mainstream exposure and no verified major chart placements on record.
- The album has since developed a quiet cult reputation among collectors and connoisseurs of rare soul and funk, valued for its distinctive blend of psychedelic textures and deep groove sensibility.
- Concrete contemporary critical reviews of the album at the time of release have not been reliably documented, reflecting the limited reach of small independent releases of that era.
Significance
- The album sits at a fascinating crossroads of soul, funk, and psychedelia — a combination that was forward-thinking for 1970 and speaks to the adventurous spirit of the band members, most notably Leon Patillo, who would go on to greater recognition in his own right.
- As a product of the independent U.S. soul scene operating outside the major label machinery, 'This Is The Beginning' represents the kind of grassroots, community-driven music-making that defined so much of the era's most authentic Black American artistic expression.
- The album's eight tracks collectively showcase a group unafraid to stretch the boundaries of genre, weaving introspective and spiritually charged themes through a sonic palette that feels deeply connected to the social and cultural upheaval of the early 1970s.
Tracklist
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A1 This Is The Beginning —
5:00
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A2 Until You Were Gone —
4:14
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A3 Mirage 134
6:42
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A4 Back Roads —
4:27
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B1 Confusion —
3:08
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B2 If I Had The Power —
4:01
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B3 Love —
3:23
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B4 Sightless —
5:22
Artist Details
Rising out of the American soul underground, Creation was a multi-member collective whose sound wove together the raw heat of funk, the deep pull of soul, and the electric shimmer of psychedelia into something that felt truly alive. The group brought together a remarkable roster of talent — including Dennis Marcellino, Leon Patillo, Jimmy Calhoun, Carol Stallings, Orlando Neil Stallings, Billy Adams Gerst, and Joe Provost — whose combined voices and instruments gave the band a rich, full-bodied sound that few outfits could match. Recording for Studio 10, Creation was the kind of groove-heavy ensemble that deserved far more spotlight than the era afforded them, leaving behind a legacy that serious diggers still chase down to this day.
