The Genesis
A serendipitous eBay purchase has led to the unexpected rediscovery of a treasure trove of unreleased music from a forgotten 1960s band. The Genesis—not to be confused with the globally famous progressive rock band—recorded a staggering 80 tracks over a decade, including a rock opera that predates Tommy by The Who, and now, after more than 50 years, this lost gem is finally seeing the light of day.The musical resurrection began when Chris Stokes, now 80 and living in Essex, sold a broken Hohner electric piano on eBay for a mere £10. To demonstrate the piano’s sound, Stokes uploaded some clips of his band’s music, unaware that the auction would change the course of musical history.
“I honestly thought this stuff was going to end up in a landfill,” says Stokes, reflecting on the accidental discovery of the band’s recordings. “If I hadn’t sold that piano, none of this would have happened.”The buyer of the piano, music producer Will Twynham, was immediately captivated by the tracks Stokes had posted. “I was browsing for odd musical gear on eBay when I stumbled upon the sound clip. It was a great song—something that sounded completely unknown,” said Twynham, who operates the record label Hand of Glory. “As soon as I heard it, I knew I had to find out more.”
Twynham made the trip to meet Stokes, and when he did, he was stunned by what he heard. Stokes revealed a massive collection of music, much of it recorded between 1964 and 1974, including a rock opera from 1969 titled A Story—a musical feat that predates Tommy, which has long been considered one of the first rock operas in history.
“This is a musical discovery that rewrites history,” says Twynham. “The band’s rock opera, A Story, not only predates Tommy but does so with an entirely different approach—focusing on a gothic, dark narrative that contrasts with the more traditional rock operas of the time.
“The Genesis, originally formed in Luton in 1966, were a group of working-class men who played in the local circuit before venturing into uncharted territory with their ambitious rock opera. Despite their creative aspirations, they had no manager, no label, and little financial support. Their recording equipment was basic at best, and they had no clear template for what a “rock opera” should sound like. But what they produced was a rare, sui generis piece of music that blends psychedelic, progressive, and even early glam rock influences—soundtracked by a group of men with limited resources but boundless creativity.
“The band was determined to push the boundaries of what they could do,” explains Twynham. “They were inspired by the music of the time but also wanted to do something new and entirely their own. It’s free of the excesses typical of late-60s rock. There’s no fuzz, no heavy reverb, no Mellotrons—just the sounds of a group determined to create something unique with whatever they had.”
The rock opera, titled A Story (renamed for legal reasons to A Story by The Genesis), is a haunting, quasi-gothic tale of a doomed love affair spiraling into a nightmare. While the album’s narrative touches on themes of love, loss, and murder, it also delves into deeper philosophical musings on the nature of existence itself. The opera is a far cry from the gentle, flower-power sound of many of its contemporaries, and it stands as a testament to the band’s musical ingenuity and ambition. “Had this album been released in its time, it would have stood alongside Forever Amber’s Love Cycle as one of the earliest privately pressed full-length albums of original material,” says Twynham. “It’s undoubtedly one of the most elusive and legendary recordings from the UK’s underground rock scene.”
For Stokes and his bandmates, the rediscovery of their music has been both surreal and humbling. “We never thought anyone would be interested in this stuff,” says Stokes. “To think that someone is finally listening to these songs 50 years later—it’s kind of insane.”But for Twynham, the discovery is a victory for the overlooked, the obscure, and the underappreciated. “Somehow, Chris and his bandmates managed to make a great go of the music of the era—everything from moody mid-60s beat group sounds like The Zombies to psych, prog, and even pioneering rock opera,” Twynham says. “This music deserves to be heard, and I’m so thrilled to be able to give it a home.”
The album will be released on September 19 via Hand of Glory, and fans of lost 60s obscurities are in for a treat. The band’s newly unearthed tracks, including the rock opera A Story and other experimental works, mark a significant moment in music history—and will undoubtedly leave a lasting imprint on fans who are discovering this unique piece of musical history for the very first time.As Stokes puts it, “It’s just another happy accident in my life. It’s a funny old thing.”
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