John Fogerty's voice was like no other in 1969. It still is. Anyone who was listening to pop music in 1969 still recognizes it.
He was one of four men in Creedence Clearwater Revival. The band's first album attracted some attention, but it had no major hit. It contained "Suzie Q," which had been a minor hit in 1957. (That song featured a teenage James Burton on guitar. Elvis had not yet made famous the phrase, "Play it, James.") It was released in late May 1968. Then came their album, "Bayou Country," in January 1969. Two more albums followed in 1969. By the end of the year, Credence Clearwater Revival was a major band.
This was on "Bayou Country." Fogerty wrote it and sang the lead: "Proud Mary." It was also released as a single, and it climbed to #2.
On the same album was "Born on the Bayou." It made Fogerty a household sound.
That was just the beginning. In August came the "Green River" album. On it was "Bad Moon Rising." This YouTube post has had over 49 million hits, and there are other postings. This was unforgettable.
On August 16, they played at Woodstock.
In November came "Willy and the Poor Boys."
It included "Fortunate Son," which soon became an antiwar anthem. The lyrics are here.
In his 2015 memoir, Fogerty, who had joined the Army in 1966, wrote this:
'Fortunate Son' wasn't really inspired by any one event. Julie Nixon was dating David Eisenhower. You'd hear about the son of this senator or that congressman who was given a deferment from the military or a choice position in the military. They seemed privileged and whether they liked it or not, these people were symbolic in the sense that they weren't being touched by what their parents were doing. They weren't being affected like the rest of us.
By 1970, there was a new form of popular music: swamp rock.
The band disbanded -- the right word -- in 1972. Fogerty's older brother Tom had quit in 1971. For the next three decades, Fogerty went solo, but never with the success he had enjoyed with Creedence.
Creedence never died commercially. The band has sold 26 million albums in the United States. The albums continued to sell on CD's decades after it was gone.
THE COMEBACK KID
Fogerty began to make a major comeback in 2005. That was because Fantasy Records, the original publisher, got sold in 2004. Fogerty's legal dispute with Fantasy had gone to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1994, where Fogerty won. Fogerty in 2005 re-joined the "new, improved" Fantasy label. He began to tour.
In 2005, he played in Los Angeles to a sold-out crowd. The fans were young. The concert is here. Its title was appropriate: "The Long Road Home."
He was 60 years old. His enthusiasm was astounding. He was all over the stage, Mick Jagger-like. But he looked as though he was having fun. Jagger looks like he is working very hard for old time's sake. He has a professional trainer. Fogerty came out onto the stage like a cheerleader. Watch the first song of the full concert: "Travellin' Band." Then stop.
At the end of the song, he welcomed the audience. He said it right: "What I'm about is just playing rock and roll. So, let's get to it." He got to it.
The DVD went platinum in the U.S.: 100,000 copies. It sold well around the world.
I was impressed by the following. First, his energy. Second, his masterful guitar work. Third, the fact that he wrote all of the songs. Fourth, the quality of the band. Fifth, his voice may have been better than in 1970. Of course, his voice had always been something similar to the description of Bob Dylan's voice offered by Mitch Jayne of the Dillards ("the Darlings") in 1964: "He has a voice that's very much like a dog with its leg caught in barbed wire."
He had a light touch when he wanted to. "Lookin' Out My Back Door" was representative. His guitar work was close to James Burton's chicken picking. And who could resist this surrealism?
There's a giant doing cartwheels, a statue wearin' high heels.
Look at all the happy creatures dancing on the lawn.
A dinosaur Victrola list'ning to Buck Owens.
Doo doo doo -- lookin' out my back door.
Then came "Down on the Corner."
He was really rolling now. It was time for "Up Around the Bend."
Remember, he was 60 years old.
Sadly, "Rockin' All Over the World" does not have an embed function. You must click through here. Do it.
He closed with "Proud Mary," 41 years after it hit the charts.
The kid was back.
STILL ON THE ROAD
Eleven years later, he was still playing in a travelling band. The oldies were still goodies.
This week, I looked up his tour schedule. I saw that he will be in Atlanta on June 6. I was willing to pay the price. Too late. Sold out.
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