“Always the bride, never the bridesmaid” is a perfect motto for the classic rock band, Creedence Clearwater Revival. Besides being known for a handful of classic tunes, the band is also known for holding the record for the most #2 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 without reaching a #1 in the U.S. The band also holds the record for having the most singles to reach Top 10 without ever reaching #1, as 14 of their singles hit Top 10. The band’s five songs that hit #2 were “Proud Mary”, “Bad Moon Rising”, “Green River”, “Travelin’ Band/Who’ll Stop the Rain”, and “Lookin’ Out My Back Door/Long as I Can See the Light”. Before getting into the story, there’s definitely someone I’d like to thank for getting me into this band, as they have definitely become one of my top ten favorite bands of all time (yep, even in my list they made top 10 but not #1).
I’d like to thank a past co-worker of mine who worked at a coffee shop with me. His favorite band was Creedence Clearwater Revival, and the coffee shop I worked at would play rock music pretty much all day. We would talk about classic rock bands all day, and he would share some memories from that time, especially some songs from his favorite band…Creedence Clearwater Revival. For me, it started with one of his favorite songs, which reminded him of his late brother, “Have You Ever Seen the Rain”. Thanks to him, I’ve grown to discover and love the music from Creedence Clearwater Revival. Now, let’s get into it!
BEFORE CCR
They were a band with many songs hitting #2…and a band with many names. They began as a trio in junior high school in El Cerrito, California, calling themselves the Blue Velvets with John Fogerty on lead vocals and lead guitar, Stu Cook on bass, and Doug Clifford on drums. Shortly after, Tom Fogerty, John’s brother, joined the band as rhythm guitarist. The band was signed to Fantasy Records, an independent label based in San Francisco, California. For some reason, the head of Fantasy Records, Max Weiss, recommended they change their name from Blue Velvets to the Golliwogs. Weiss pulled the name out of a children’s book and decided to go with it. Soon enough the four wouldn’t have to live any longer with names such as the Golliwogs as Fantasy Records was bought out in 1967 by three time Academy Award winner and producer, Saul Zaentz. Immediately after the buyout, Zaentz suggested they change the name since the four HATED the game the Golliwogs. The four were in no way reluctant to change their name to something they wanted, and what they felt would better represent them.
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL
In 1968 the band changed the name to Creedence Clearwater Revival for multiple reasons. Creedence was chosen because it was the Christian name of someone Tom Fogerty knew. His name was actually Credence Newball, but they changed the spelling to Creedence to include the word “creed” in the name. Clearwater was added to the band’s name, as it was part of a beer commercial. The band claimed the most important part of the name was “Revival”. The band concluded the three worded name with “Revival” because it symbolized a revisiting of the classic tunes and rock’n’roll values from the 1950s which played a major part in their youth. And that was it. They became Creedence Clearwater Revival, destined to become a smashing success in the rock’n’roll industry. The first song that brought the name Creedence Clearwater Revival to the ears of people, and ignited the fire to help the band break through was in 1968 when they covered the song “Suzie Q”. Originally written by Dale Hawkins, Stan Lewis, and Eleanor Broadwater, the song was released in 1956 and spelt “Susie Q”.
“MANIACAL CONTROL”
Drafted in 1966 for the Vietnam War, and serving in reserved units, John Fogerty trained in Fort Knox, Fort Bragg, and Fort Lee. Also drafted to the war was drummer Doug Clifford. Fogerty was inspired during his six months on active duty in the Vietnam War and penned a handful of song ideas that evolved into classic hits…but #2 was the highest they’d ever reach. Soon after, in 1969, John Fogerty wrote their first #2 single: “Proud Mary”. “Proud Mary” was part of the Bayou Country album, and written by John Fogerty when he was discharged from the national guard. The song was based on a washroom maid he knew during his six months in training. The entire album was penned by John Fogerty, as were their previous songs from their first album, “Creedence Clearwater Revival”. This became quite an issue for other band members, Tom Fogerty, Stu Cook, and Doug Clifford, as they wanted more of a voice in the band’s decisions, and involvement in the songwriting process. John Fogerty acted as the captain–the leader, yet he was the youngest of the four. The band confronted Fogerty and explained the situation. John Fogerty blatantly told the band that if he would remain in control, he would prevent them from washing cars for a living. Described as an autocrat, Fogerty would even attend business meetings for the band without the presence of his bandmates. Not only would John solely attend the meetings, he simply wouldn’t share any news to his bandmates about the business meetings. During this time, around 1970, the conflict within the band worsened. It wasn’t the four of them equally angry at each other, rather Tom Fogerty, Doug Clifford, and Stu Cook equally angry at John. Something the band never even knew, and that some sources claim, was that John Fogerty would sneak back to the recording session after grabbing a bite with his bandmates, which is what they would do after recording all day, and record over Clifford on the drums, Tom on rhythm guitar, and Stu Cook on bass. No one has yet claimed this to be true, however, though some sources do say the “control freak”, as Clifford and Cook would call him, would actually do this. Fogerty himself admitted, years later, that he held “maniacal control over the band.”
THE END OF CCR…AS IT BEGAN
Before recording their seventh album, the band confronted John Fogerty again. This time, they demanded a voice. John finally gave in. It was a tough time for John, as he experienced rising pressure and a failing marriage. Despite his brother’s approval, Tom Fogerty left the band in January 1971. Tom had had enough of his brother’s control. Throughout the years, he claimed time after time that he would quit. Finally he did. Tom, however, claimed there was no bad blood between them. With Tom being gone, the band ended the way it began: as a trio. They were finally back to work and developing their seventh album titled, “Mardi Gras” which would be released in 1972. Though Tom was gone and Stu and Doug finally had a say in the band’s decisions, tension remained. John Fogerty ended up writing only three songs of the 10 that consisted of the album. “Mardi Gras” became the band’s most disappointing album, and considered by most as the worst Creedence Clearwater Revival album of all time. “Mardi Gras” became the band’s final album, as they split up after the release of their seventh album. John Fogerty himself claimed he allowed Clifford and Cook to finally sing their own songs just to demonstrate how much better he was. And just like that, Creedence Clearwater Revival was over…but not finished.
AFTERMATH
Brothers Tom and John Fogerty tried to make amends, as their mother wished, but soon enough the friction between the two revived after John accused Tom of suing him. In 1978, Tom had filed a lawsuit on John, but after five years he dropped it. In the 80s, still distant from his brother, Tom went to the hospital for back surgery. Tom received blood transfusion and then became infected with the deadly HIV virus from tainted blood. Tom then died on September 6, 1990 because of this. The two brothers never made peace before Tom’s death. John Fogerty claimed that he declared to himself he would make peace with Tom, but he never did. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Bruce Springsteen in 1993. With people expecting a possible reunion from the band, as Fogerty was present with former bandmates Stu Cook and Doug Clifford as they accepted the induction, it was evident the reunion was never going to happen. Fogerty refused to perform with the two due to the continuous lawsuits from Fantasy Records, which Doug and Stew had a role in. In 1995, Stu Cook and Doug Clifford formed a band titled Creedence Clearwater Revisited where they would perform their songs from Creedence Clearwater Revival live. The band continues to tour, though they have halted all touring dates due to COVID-19. Since Fantasy Records maintained exclusive publishing rights to the band’s music, John Fogerty refused to perform any of the songs he wrote. In 2007, John Fogerty returned to the label and released an album titled “Revival” after Paul Zaentz sold off interest in Fantasy Records.
Since the band’s breakup, the trio never returned to perform together. “Mardi Gras” was the end of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Though disappointing that the band couldn’t last any longer together, the legacy of music from Creedence is undeniable, as they hold a major role in the history of rock’n’roll.
There’s a handful of songs by Creedence that I love, but I have selected my top five favorites. Though possibly predictable, I just can’t get enough of these five songs, starting from five… (5) “Who’ll Stop the Rain” (4) “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” (3) “Fortunate Son” (2) “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” (1) “Up Around the Bend”.
And that’s my top five! If you have any suggestions, comments, or questions, feel free to email me! Thank you for reading, and get ready for episode four as we’ll be heading to a rather strange musician, though still recognized for some classic, creepy, uniquely interesting tunes!
