Blue Creed made this one great single on the Mo Go label, “Need a Friend” / “Sugarbabe”. Both songs feature hoarse, exaggerated vocals, a heavily distorted organ sound, a guitarist who sounds something like Jorma, especially on “Sugarbabe”, and a drummer who likes to hit the crash cymbal loudly and often.

Records like this one keep collecting interesting.

Amazingly this came with a sleeve (which I don’t own), sporting a photo of the band in hip clothes, wigs and sunglasses. Two or three of the band look like they’re from an earlier generation of musician than 1970 psychedelia.

It seems likely they recorded at Midway Recording Studio in Hurricane, West Virginia. The related Alta record label usually has a Hurricane address on it, but in the case of the Blue Creed single, Midway-Alta is listed at Camden-on-Gauley, WV, two hours drive east of Hurricane.

Luckily the Blue Creed put some of their names on the labels. Gary Gordon, Dave Franco and Bill Rexroad wrote “Need a Friend”, and the three of them plus Ron Sweeney wrote “Sugarbabe”.

I’ve seen the label listed as Moigo Records, but I think Mo Go is more correct, release # 4570. The ARP-1339/40 suggests American Record Pressing Co. in Michigan. Publishing by Sexman Pub Co.

William Henry Rexroad has many registrations in the Library of Congress copyright listings, usually co-written with Gerald W. Coakley. From the titles, many seem like they would be country or pop songs, so I’m surprised at the heavier sound on the Blue Creed 45.

I hadn’t been able to find out anything about the group until Ronald Sweeney wrote to me in 2017:

This entire smorgasbord was the brainchild of William Rexroad. ​He owned the publishing company (Sexman), the record label (MoGo) and copyrights to the words and music.

Starting in the 50’s, Rexroad, who had written thousands of poems, began a quest to locate musicians who could set his words to music. He’d tried the commercial route with little success and sought out local people to do the job.

I was one of many he recruited for this endeavor. I met Rexroad around 1959 and we have been friends since. I’m a pianist, and play pipe organ for the church. Although I set many of Rexroad’s poems to music, it was what I called musical gibberish. Bill loved it. He thought I was a genius – lol!

Most of Rexroad’s music was country, modern flavor. He did make a trip to Nashville to peddle his country music. It was a waste of time.

Bill Rexroad financed these projects himself. He paid the musicians, recording studio, and any and every expense involved. Amazing, since he was a coal miner.

Blue Creed was never a true band. As far as I know they never performed publicly. They were gathered by Rexroad to perform in a studio and produce a commercial (“hit”) record of Rexroad’s musical creations. I think the heavier sound was because it was the “up and coming” rage. He felt his chances were better.

The record label shows a oil drum between the letters “Mo” and “Go”, thus the reason for the misspelling (MoiGo). The drum is significant because Rexroad, in an effort to create an original sound, put guitar speakers in a 55-gallon metal oil drum.

The 45 record you have was mailed to hundreds of stations. The fruits of this extraordinary adventure were disappointing, to say the least. A copy of the only proceeds Rexroad received is attached. A check from BMI for $1.20 for “Sugarbabe” royalties which played in France.

Some of Blue Creed members were involved with local pickup bands. They were in their twenties and thirties. Much too old to really get serious about a career in rock. Most had families to feed. This was just “fun and games” for them. I played with some of the band members, but was never keen on performing for the recording. Some are deceased, and those living are scattered into the unknown.

Gerald W. Coakley I never knew. Rexroad talked about him occasionally but he was never around during all the years I knew Rexroad.

Rexroad was 11 years my senior (which makes him 89 or older). His wife contacted me a few years ago and said he was in a nursing home. She would not tell me where, so I never pursued trying to find out.

Thank you to Ronald Sweeney for filling in the background on the Blue Creed and Bill Rexroad.