Band Of The Month: Creedence Clearwater Revival--An American Soundtrack 1968-1972

For today's post, my lovelies, I've decided to focus on one of my personal favourite bands of the late '60s/early '70s, Creedence Clearwater Revival.




CCR and I go way back. I don't remember our very first meeting as I'm sure I was most likely less than a year old. You see, my dad was always a huge fan of them from his college days and they were played often around our house when I was little.




My first tangable CCR memory is of weekend trips to the lake with my parents. My dad had an old uber-cool '71 Blazer that we used to pull the boat on those excursions to the lake house. It was green with a black top and was nicknamed 'The Green Bean'.



It had an 8-track player in it and the only two 8-tracks we ever listened to on the way to the lake were Janis Joplin and, of course, CCR. I don't remember which album it was...most likely Cosmo's Factory or a Greatest Hits ...as I super young and it disappeared with the Green Bean itself. But I DO remember that 'Lookin' Out My Back Door' was on it. To this day it's my favourite Creedence tune and always reminds me of the lake!

Another favourite is Bad Moon Risin'. Again, it reminds me of my dad. I remember him telling me when I was little that they were saying, "There's a bathroom on the right". Of course I believed him and he had me thinking that really was the line for years. I reminded him of it a few days ago and he almost fell out of his chair laughing at me. Here's a pic of the two of us...he kind of looks like he could be in CCR himself!...



I always loved CCR's Deep Southern sound...although they weren't from the Deep South at all! Instead they were from San Francisco, but nevertheless they were pioneers of the 'Southern Rock' genre that flourished in the early 1970s.




Creedence was formed in the late '50s as The Blue Velvets. In the mid-'60s they changed their name to The Golliwogs. In 1968, the band known now as Creedence Clearwater Revival released their self titled debut album.





By 1969, the band was huge. They played Woodstock in August of that year...a great setlist including 'Commotion', 'Green River', and 'Susie Q'.






That same year, 1969, the band had THREE albums in the top ten after Willy and The Poor Boys was released in November. Cosmo's Factory was released less than a year later.





This article is scanned from my copy of the March 1970 issue of Song Hits Magazine where they were 'Pop Star of the Month' (click and enlarge to read it!):



Creedence Clearwater Revival disbanded in 1972, but individual band members have continued to play their music. Although I was always disappointed that I was born far too late to hear them together way back then, I was lucky enough to see John Fogarty in 2005 in Asheville, North Carolina. I was not disappointed any longer! John is just as good a show now as in 1970. If you ever have the opportunity, I highly recommend catching one of his gigs.