Creedence Clear Water Revival -Biography

Creedence clearwater revival

The Goliwags morphed into Creedence Clearwater Revival, after a friend of a friend of Tom's, Credence Nuball. The first name, with its connotations of believability and integrity, appealed to the group. Clearwater also had two meanings. It came initially from a beer commercial, but also resonated with the burgeoning environmental movement of the time. Revival, however, had one meaning. It was the band's aspiration, that after four years as the Golliwogs, after ten years of playing together, this new change in their fortunes would take the band where they all knew it could go. John would often say, "The most important part was revival."

The newly named band released a single, Porterville, then went into the studio to cut their album. One of the tunes they cut was an extended version of one of their live favorites, Dale Hawkins' "Susie Q." Even before the album was pressed, "Suzy Q" was on the radio. KMPX one of the more popular free-form FM stations in the Bay Area, played tapes the band brought them after the band had supported a DJ strike, playing a benefit concert, and the like. So even before the record came out, it started to generate excitement on the West Coast. They played to a packed house at the LA club The Cheetah. Bill Drake, one of the most powerful people in pop radio at the time, decided he really liked the tune and suggested it to the radio stations that used his services.

At this juncture, though, the band couldn't go too far from home. Doug and John still had to get to reserve camp one weekend a month. This impediment disappeared as they both got discharged from the service at almost the same time. In 1969 the group charted with three separate albums. Their eponymous debut, Creedence Clearwater Revival peaked at #52. Bayou Country peaked at #7, largely on the strength of the monster hit single, "Proud Mary." That tune topped out at #2 on the charts, beginning of a long history of songs by the band that go shut out of the top spot on the chart. The third LP of the year, Green River also hits #7, the song "Bad Moon Rising" peaking at #2.

The band headlined at Woodstock, although by the time they got on, following the Grateful Dead, it was three in the morning. Few people were awake to see them. They didn't want to be in the film because none of them were particularly happy with the performance. They weren't on any of the albums because Cotillion (the label on which the film soundtrack came out) couldn't strike an agreement with Fantasy for release rights on their biggest money maker. Anything CCR, at the height of their fame, came out on Fantasy. (The 1994 Atlantic Records release of the four-CD remastered Woodstock set features 5 Creedence songs from their performance.)

Willy and the Poor Boys, appeared near the beginning of 1970, peaking at #3 on the album charts. The single "Down on the Corner," released late in 1969, foreshadowed the album. The a-side of the singe reaches a chart peak of #3. The flip side, "Fortunate Son," has a chart peak of #14. The album also featured several other notable songs, like a reworking of Leadbelly's "Midnight Special." "It Came Out Of the Sky" showed John's prescience as a songwriter, taking one of the first musical swipes at Ronald Regan. The band toured all over America, mostly playing weekends.

After ten years of struggle, the year and a half of astonishing success started to spawn dissension in the band. Fogerty took the reigns hard. When the band recorded "Down On the Corner," one band member complained, `This isn't rock and roll.' Looking for outside satisfaction, Doug produced a record for Mark Spoelestra. Cosmo's Factory came out in September of 70. The album has a chart peak at #1, both in America and in England, the band's only #1 album over there. "Traveling Band" had already had a chart peak at #2. "Who'll Stop The Rain," the single's B-side, hit #13. One of Fogerty's first public political statements (aside from the gentle jibe in "It Came Out of the Sky,") the song is an allegory about the situation in Vietnam.

When the Beatles announced their break up in the winter of 1970, CCR became the most successful band and the biggest singles act in the world, despite never landing a #1 single. Always very private, the group never became stars personally to befit their status on the pop charts. They sought to change that with the release of Pendulum. Before the album's release, they had a fan type book written. Called "Inside Creedence", the book took about six weeks from the time it was conceived until it was actually published, coincidental with the release of Pendulum. In fact, many copies of the book were sold packaged with the record. The band also made a television special and had a $30,000 press junket to ballyhoo the album. The record shipped a million copies.

There were signs of internal dissension at the junket party. Stu Cook beefed to Rolling Stone about lack of respect he felt the band received. "We're tired of that riff about John Fogerty's back-up band." Tom Fogerty, although one of the instigators of the party, became reticent during the event. He's the only band member not directly quoted in the coverage.

In 1971, Tom left the band. "I started out in this business in 1958 as a stand up singer," he said later. "I got really frustrated at not being able to be everything I wanted to be when I started out�I left because of a falling out between John and I about the music itself and how much I could contribute."

The band decided to continue as not only a trio, but a democracy. Unfortunately, the members all had different ideas about how to democratize the band. The result is Mardi Gras, referred to as the worst record ever made by a major band. After touring Europe as a trio, the band called it a day on October 16, 1972.

Album List

    Creedence Clearwater Revival
    Bayou Country
    Green River
    Willy And The Poorboys
    Cosmo's Factory
    Pendulum
    Mardi Gras
    Creedence Gold
    More Creedence Gold
    Live In Europe
    Chronicle
    The Concert
    Creedence Country
    At The Movies
    Chronicle 2
    Creedence Clearwater Revival [BOX SET]
    Best of Creedence Clearwater Revival
    CCR Medley
    Greatest Hits
    Hot Stuff
    Rollin' on the River
    Ultimate Collection

The Website
http://www.creedence-online.net/