THE FINE REIGN OF CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL

[email protected] March 13, 2020

No matter how dazzling or imaginative, the whole concept of pop videos was lost entirely on your genial host here at SAMTIMONIOUS.com.

As part of a generation whose attachment to a rock song was still largely formed by the someone or somewhere it reminded them of, this personal connection to the words and music became a thing of the past with the advent of MTV.

The accompanying video not only offered images to suggest what the song was about, so bang went personal interpretation and, while not dismissing in anyway their artistic merit, it does seem a shame that songs such as ‘Thriller‘ or ‘Sledgehammer‘ are summoned via a collective imagination based upon four minutes of film broadcast countless times.

Now this of course could be the over-sensitive mutterings of an irascible old-timer who places too much store on how popular music informs our moods and memories – but surely it is better to have our own evocation of a song through a time or place than by virtue of the same video.

So in taking far too much time to explain why videos served to make music more impersonal (it could also be argued a good video could make a terrible song look great and vice-versa), you could be forgiven in thinking what on earth has this well-intentioned, long-winded stating of the case have to do with the magnificent rock band of the title – who had broken up long before videos were a common occurrence.

To the world at large, absolutely nothing is the obvious answer – but determined to make the point about self-engagement with a song, there is no better example to offer than why ‘Bad Moon Rising‘ by Creedence Clearwater Revival so resonates with me.

On the day of a UK general election in May 1979 it was played, quite by coincidence one suspects, on a BBC radio station. Aware of the group through reputation rather than any great familiarity with their work and unaware of ever hearing the track before, clearly something in the chugging guitar sound, throaty yet unusual vocal and prominent drums struck a chord – this listener, if memory serves, thinking they sounded like a rockabilly version of The Clash, a group with whom he was currently smitten.

As the night wore on the ‘bad moon rising‘ depiction began to prevail as Great Britain elected the right-wing Tory government of Margaret Thatcher, the song a portent for the years about to follow.

Sometime later, when much more familiar with the incredible body of work released by Creedence Clearwater Revival, it became a source (still unfounded) of fascination if songwriter/guitarist John Fogerty had written ‘Bad Moon Rising‘ on the night Richard Nixon was elected US President in November 1968.

Fogerty, easily the most politically-savvy lyricist of the late-60s and early-70s, had infused yet another of their impeccable songs with the wit and working-class sensibility that made them not only a standout singles band – but arguably the greatest rock group America has produced.

Led by Fogerty and augmented by elder brother Tom (rhythm guitar), Stu Cook (bass) and Doug ‘Cosmo’ Clifford (drums) – all four members hailing from the East Bay area of San Francisco – the quartet had played together under various names since the late-50s, gathering a steady following in California, but also a string of flop singles. Becoming Creedence Clearwater Revival brought a change of fortune and on Christmas Eve 1967 signed a recording contract with Fantasy Records.

With San Francisco bands such as the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and Big Brother and the Holding Company at the forefront of an exploding psychedelic rock scene, Creedence were immediately at odds with prevailing trends. Rooted firmly in the rock ‘n’ roll traditions of Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, they were not converts to electric music due to the influence of Bob Dylan – and also eschewed the self-indulgent instrumental excesses adopted by many contemporaries.

Not only did Creedence emerge from the opposite side of San Francisco to the Grateful Dead (Fogerty and co were born in much poorer neighbourhoods), they played with an intensity that contrasted sharply to the drawn out meanderings of their local counterparts.

Their self-titled debut effort released in May 1968 did contain overtones of what was happening around them, particularly in the lengthy rendition of ‘Suzie Q‘, a 1957 hit for rocker Dale Hawkins. In edited form it helped Creedence achieve a US Top 20 placing – their only single not to be written by John Fogerty.

While the playing is compact and the ominous mood of their subsequent albums is developing, Fogerty has not quite hit his stride as a composer – but when he did the floodgates burst open with a deluge.

In the twenty three months between January 1969 and December 1970, Creedence released five superb albums, three of which belong in the masterpiece category. For this astonishing run of records Fogerty wrote almost forty tracks, with barely a wasted second to be found among them.

At a time when conceptualised albums were all the rage, the concept behind a Creedence LP was merely how many great three minute Fogerty songs they could pile onto the piece.

On occasion they did indeed rock ferociously over five or six minutes – their extended version of ‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine‘ certainly packs a punch – but his true metier was the single and with ‘Proud Mary‘ in January 1969 began an incredible sequence that was to include ‘Born on The Bayou,’ ‘Commotion,’ ‘Bad Moon Rising,’ ‘Green River,’ ‘Lodi,’ ‘Down on the Corner,’ ‘Fortunate Son,’ ‘Travellin’ Band,’ ‘Lookin’ Out My Back Door,’ ‘Up Around the Bend,’ ‘Who’ll Stop the Rain,’ ‘Long As I Can See The Light‘ and ‘Have You Ever Seen The Rain.’

Whether he was describing life as a struggling musician, making social comment or indulging in flights of fancy there was no doubt Fogerty had been blessed with a brilliant turn of phrase and fertile imagination. He had never lived in Bajou country or hitched a ride on a riverboat queen, but on ‘Proud Mary‘ evoked the South with a sure, yet magical touch.

‘Lodi‘ perfectly captured the depressing nature of playing to drunks in loser bars – although possibly best of all was ‘Fortunate Son‘ where Fogerty produces a venomous vocal to deliver an acerbic rebuke of the sons of senators and millionaires whose connections were allowing them to dodge the draft as America became mired in the Vietnam war.

(Five years before Fogerty and Clifford had both been drafted and served time in the US military).

As a protest anthem, attack on privilege and exhilarating rock song, ‘Fortunate Son‘ succeeded on every level – and with their record sales soaring, Creedence were providing the musical commentary for a country who could land men on the moon, but not extrapolate from a divisive war in South East Asia.

From ‘Bayou Country‘ onward Fogerty had taken full charge of their studio activities, his personal control extending to writing or selecting material, arranging, production and all instrumentation beyond bass, drums and rythum guitar. Finding themselves little more than session players when the shots were called, the discontent affected Tom Fogerty first who quit amid considerable acrimony shortly after release of ‘Pendulum.’

Continuing as a trio, John Fogerty acceded to demands from Cook and Clifford for greater input, the subsequent ‘Mardi Gras‘ album notable for the absence of supportive guitar work his brother had been so adept in providing and evidence that Cook and Clifford were far better musicians than they were writers or singers.

Not even three accomplished Fogerty songs, ‘Lookin’ for a Reason,’ ‘Someday Never Comes‘ and ‘Sweet Hitch-Hiker‘ could salvage a project Rolling Stone magazine was quick to label ‘the worst album ever made by a major rock band.’

Having had his authority challenged on ‘Mardi Gras‘ (that hence became known as ‘Fogerty’s Revenge‘), Creedence disbanded toward the end of 1972, plagued by rancour and resentment. The ill-feeling between the Fogerty brothers would sadly endure, the two barely reconciled when Tom died of a HIV-related illness after receiving contaminated blood following back surgery in September 1990.

Down the years Clifford and Cook were never slow to level criticism at John Fogerty – although as time passed the focus of their ire was based more on some poor business decisions they alleged he made with regard to their recording contract (another aspect of Creedence he was in control of) rather than his role of studio Sergeant-Major.

The backstory of Creedence Clearwater Revival, like that of The Band, alongside whom they were the great purveyors of heartland rock flavoured with soul and R&B, is ultimately a sad one.

Both groups produced albums full of atmospheric verve and beauty – only to disintegrate and remain estranged through clashing egos and bitter recrimination.

In the wake of Creedence John Fogerty made two likable solo albums in the mid-70s and then spent an age locked in a contractual dispute with Fantasy Records. After being silent for almost ten years he emerged on Warner Bros in 1984 with ‘Centrefield‘ an album offering several reminders of his undoubted talent as a writer – far more than could be found on ‘Eye of the Zombie‘ (1986), a lacklustre offering that was to his solo catalogue what ‘Mardi Gras‘ represented to Creedence.

Since then Fogerty has continued recording and after years of resisting finally began playing Creedence material in concert. Despite his touring band being twice the size, it struggles to capture the essence of a muscular four-piece outfit whose finest records rocked like Eddie Cochran, had the lyrical potency of Dylan and could fill a dance floor as fast as The O’Jays.

Given their phenomenal high-standard, no mainstream record collection is complete without a Creedence compilation, but worth reiterating is that ‘Green River,’ ‘Willy and the Poor Boys‘ and ‘Cosmo’s Factory‘ are magnificent albums in their own right.

In any film or documentary based on the late-60s/early-70s, a Creedence track is essential in setting the tone. Watch any news footage filmed either on the streets of Chicago or jungles of Vietnam, or if able to remember, try separating the images from a Creedence Clearwater Revival song.

Thought not – and that my friends is why the combination of music and our own recollections will always win out over videos.

CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL – Studio Albums: Creedence Clearwater Revival (1968) B+; Bayou Country (1969) A-; Green River (1969) A; Willy & The Poor Boys (1969) A; Cosmo’s Factory (1970) A; Pendulum (1970) A-; Mardi Gras (1972) C+;

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NEIL SAMBROOK is the author of ‘MONTY’S DOUBLE‘ – an acclaimed thriller now available as an Amazon Kindle book.