In a time of exploding success and creativity in rock music, Creedence Clearwater Revival was fairly presumably the best singles band of the late Sixties and early Seventies. Fashioned in suburban El Cerrito in Northern California by frontman John Fogerty, his brother Tom on guitar, bassist Stu Prepare dinner and drummer Doug Clifford, CCR put up an absurd variety of all-timers within the area of about 2 1/2 years, together with many of the 20 collected on “Chronicle,” the 1976 greatest-hits LP that also sits on the Billboard 200 album chart at present, practically half a century later.
The band’s immediately identifiable sound — which the members started growing first because the Blue Velvets after which because the Golliwogs — mixed blues, rock, psychedelia and R&B; John Fogerty’s voice, preternaturally scratchy and soulful for a man in his early 20s, gave the music a sense of intercourse and grit whilst he flexed his business pop smarts as a producer and hook-meister.
For all their reputation, Fogerty refused to play Creedence’s greatest hits for many years on account of a protracted authorized battle along with his previous label, Fantasy Information, over the rights to his songs — a feud that reached a type of apex when Fantasy’s head honcho, Saul Zaentz, sued Fogerty for plagiarizing himself along with his solo music “The Old Man Down the Road,” which Zaentz stated sounded an excessive amount of like CCR’s “Run Through the Jungle.” (Fogerty finally received; Zaentz died in 2014.)
But two years in the past, Fogerty regained management of his publishing, and now he’s made an album of Taylor Swift-style rerecorded variations of the band’s songs referred to as “Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years,” due Aug. 22. Forward of a live performance Sunday night time on the Hollywood Bowl, the place he’ll be accompanied by a band that features his sons Shane and Tyler, Fogerty, 80, referred to as from the street to inform the tales behind 5 of his signature tunes.
‘Proud Mary’ (1969)
After charting in 1968 with covers of Dale Hawkins’ “Susie Q” and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You,” Fogerty scored his first hit as a songwriter with this funky and propulsive country-soul jam.
“Proud Mary” got here as a bolt of lightning and inspiration from heaven. I’d obtained my honorable discharge from the Military in the midst of 1968, and I used to be overjoyed — I imply, completely euphoric. It meant that I might now pursue music full-time. So I went in the home with my Rickenbacker guitar and began strumming some chords, and the primary line I wrote was “Left a good job in the city / Working for the man every night and day.” That’s how I felt getting out of the Military.
However what is that this music about? I actually didn’t know. I went to my little music guide that I’d solely began writing in just a few months earlier than — it was a acutely aware determination to get extra skilled — and, lo and behold, the very very first thing I’d ever written in that guide was the phrase “Proud Mary.” I didn’t know what it meant — I simply wrote it down as a result of that was gonna be my job. I’ve received this little guide, and I’m gonna gather my ideas.
On the very backside of the identical web page was the phrase “riverboat.” I keep in mind saying to myself, “Oh, this song’s about a riverboat named Proud Mary.” How unusual is that? Who writes a music a few boat? However after that I used to be off and working — completed the music inside the hour, and for the primary time in my life, I used to be wanting on the web page and I stated, “My God, I’ve written a classic.” I knew it was an awesome music, just like the individuals I admired a lot: Hoagy Carmichael or Leiber & Stoller or Lennon & McCartney. I felt it in my bones.
The place did the narrator’s accent come from? “Big wheel keep on toinin’” and all that?Howlin’ Wolf was an enormous inspiration to me after I was 10, 11, 12 years previous. He stated issues like that loads, and I suppose it went into my mind. I didn’t do it consciously — it simply appeared proper to me after I was writing the music.
CCR had 5 singles that received to No. 2 on the Billboard Sizzling 100, together with “Proud Mary.” Do you recall what was at No. 1 when “Proud Mary” reached No. 2?Let’s see, this was early 1969 — I’d like to assume that it was [Otis Redding’s] “Dock of the Bay.”
“Everyday People” by Sly and the Household Stone.No kidding. How cool.
Do you know Sly?I by no means met Sly Stone. I actually liked the data. I used to be at Woodstock, and he was a pair acts after me. I watched Janis [Joplin] after which a few of Sly, after which we retired to our Vacation Inn — should have been 4 within the morning by then.
Ike and Tina Turner remade “Proud Mary” for themselves.It’s nearly a unique music. First time I heard it, I used to be driving in my automotive — was a kind of instances you pump your first and go, “Yeah!”
‘Lodi’ (1969) 
This twangy account of a musician fallen on arduous instances first appeared on the B-side of the “Bad Moon Rising” single.
My mother and pa liked touring from our little city of El Cerrito. We’d drive up San Pablo Avenue — I don’t assume there was a freeway again then — and cross the Carquinez Bridge into Vallejo and hold going up into the northern-central a part of California and all these fantastic locations like Stockton and Tracy and Modesto. I received to know all these cities like Dixon and Davis, and I heard my mother and father speak about Lodi. As a teen, that was one of many phrases I saved in my guide, like I used to be speaking about earlier. I informed myself, “That’s important, John — you need to save that and remember it.”
As I began to get just a little older, I keep in mind enjoying on campus at Cal Berkeley with a ragtag group of men — an area dance type of factor for the scholars. The man from Quicksilver Messenger Service with the afro [David Freiberg], he was there too enjoying along with his band, they usually did a music the place it appeared like he was saying “Lodi.” I used to be heartbroken. When he received carried out along with his set, I went over and requested the gentleman, “What was that song you were doing? Was it called ‘Lodi’?” He stated, “Oh, you mean ‘Codeine.’” Boy, did I crack up. Right here I’m, the farmer boy serious about Lodi, and he’s the downtown man speaking about medicine.
Anyway, all that meandering my household did via the Central Valley was crucial to me. There got here a time after I was impressed to jot down a music framed in a spot that was type of out of the best way. I used to be 23 or so, however I used to be picturing a a lot older particular person than myself — possibly Merle Haggard when he will get older. There he’s, caught on this little city as a result of he’d drifted in and he doesn’t have the cash to get out.
‘Fortunate Son’ (1969) 
Instantly adopted as an anthem amongst these against the Vietnam Warfare, Fogerty’s searing protest music was later inducted into the Library of Congress’ Nationwide Recording Registry.
You stated in 2014 that you simply weren’t fully happy by your lead vocal.I nonetheless really feel the identical approach. The essential tracks for “Down on the Corner” and “Fortunate Son” had been each recorded, and one afternoon I went over to Wally Heider’s studio to complete the songs. For “Down on the Corner,” I did the maracas and the center solo half, then sang all of the background vocals, then sang the lead. So I’d been singing on the high of my lungs for in all probability an hour and a half, then I had to return and end “Fortunate Son.” I used to be screaming my coronary heart out, doing the very best I might, however later I felt that a few of the notes had been just a little flat — that I hadn’t fairly hit the mark. I at all times form of cringed about that.
There’s an argument to be made that the raggedness in your voice is what offers the music its urgency.I do know that within the case of the Beatles, John would simply sit within the studio screaming and screaming till his voice received uncooked sufficient, then he’d file some takes. Maybe the truth that it was just a little out of tune made it — what’s the phrase? — extra pop-worthy. I don’t know.
Due to the cease-and-desist — and since the music is actually about an individual of privilege avoiding navy service.I assumed to myself: Do you assume someone did it on function? Are they doing it as some bizarre type of efficiency artwork? I is perhaps giving an excessive amount of credit score to the thought that went into it.
“Fortunate Son” is without doubt one of the nice rock songs about class, which is an idea that Trump has deeply reshaped in his time. He’s a wealthy man however he manages to make himself appear like the underdog and the sufferer. I’m from the ’60s — the hippie period — when younger individuals had been rather more unified within the sense that everyone must be equal and everybody must be tolerant and respectful of one another. It’s just a little totally different now, although I’m very completely satisfied that persons are protesting and making noise and stating injustice — I’m thrilled that’s happening as an alternative of simply standing by and watching someone get lit on fireplace.
However we’re so polarized in America now. I’m hopeful, although. You didn’t ask me the query, however I’m. I believe we’re all beginning to get uninterested in that. It doesn’t work very nicely — what we’re doing proper now’s actually not working. If we fireplace everyone and give up all data and science and schooling and manners and morality and ethics and kick out all of the immigrants — nicely, I suppose you and me are in all probability gone together with everyone else. I imply, it’s simply such full negativity. As Individuals, that’s not us — that’s not how we roll.
‘Run Through the Jungle’ (1970) 
With worries in regards to the unfold of gun possession in his head, Fogerty devised considered one of his eeriest productions for this swampy psych-rock quantity.
I used to be making an attempt to do loads with just a little — actually received the band cooking and received a superb groove going. For the intro, I wished to create possibly a Stanley Kubrick film soundscape, however after all I didn’t have a symphony orchestra or synthesizers or any of that type of stuff. I needed to think about: How do I exploit these rock ’n’ roll devices — mainly guitar and piano and just a little little bit of percussion and a few backward tape — and create that ominous, rolling vibe?
Together with the Seashore Boys’ Brian Wilson, you had been one of many few rock and pop musicians of that period who produced your individual data. To me, it was pure. I keep in mind a time within the little shed that Fantasy had constructed outdoors the again of their warehouse to make use of as a recording studio — I used to be working there someday, had the earphones on and I used to be on the mic. This was Golliwogs time, in all probability ’65 or ’66, and I used to be making an attempt to get one thing achieved that was not getting achieved. I stated out loud, “Well, I guess Phil Spector’s not gonna come down here and produce us, so I’m gonna have to learn how to be a producer myself.”
Saul Zaentz famously took you to court docket for self-plagiarism. Is there something in any respect in your thoughts that connects “Run Through the Jungle” and “The Old Man Down the Road”?Apart from each of them having a really deep footprint inside the blues, which is what has influenced me drastically in my life, I by no means thought they had been even related. The entire thing was preposterous.
‘Have You Ever Seen the Rain’ (1970) 
After CCR’s “Pendulum” LP — which included this tender ballad that now boasts greater than 2 billion streams on Spotify — Tom Fogerty give up the group; the remaining three members went their separate methods lower than two years later.
I liked my band — I assumed it was the end result of all the pieces I’d been working for — and to look at it form of disintegrating, I simply felt powerless. That’s why I exploit the unusual metaphor of rain coming down on a sunny day: We had lastly discovered our sunny day, and but everyone appeared to be an increasing number of sad. I simply felt fully befuddled by what was happening — I didn’t know what to say or try this was gonna repair it.
As much as that point, I’d thought the best way to repair it was: Effectively, I’ll simply write extra songs and we’ll have extra success — that’ll handle all our issues. That’s how I felt — pathetically so — even so far as my relationship with Saul Zaentz and the horrible contract. I assumed if I simply confirmed that I used to be an awesome songwriter and will make these data that maybe he would have some empathy and go, “I should treat John better because I want to have more of these songs.” After I say that now, it sounds completely silly.
Regardless of the ache you had been in on the time, this music is considered one of your sweetest.That’s true. It’s like an atom bomb going off in your yard — it’s so horrible that you simply simply form of cling to your optimistic human emotion. Even when it’s painful, you attempt to really feel relatively than be numb.
“Have You Ever Seen the Rain” has been lined extensively: Willie Nelson, Johnny Money, the Ramones, Rod Stewart. You’ve got a favourite rendition in addition to yours?I actually preferred Bonnie Tyler’s model.
