One of the preeminent singles bands of the late 1960s and early 70s,
Creedence Clearwater Revival left a stamp on American rock music that has never been erased. The Fogerty brothers—John and Tommy--formed the nucleus of the band and were joined by Stu Cook (bass guitar, vocals), and Doug Clifford (drums, percussion, vocals). Hailing from the San Francisco Bay area, the band had several incarnations and finally took its name in 1967 from Credence Nuball, a friend of Tom Fogerty; "clearwater", a reference to the band's concern for ecology (from a beer commercial of
Continued...
the day); and "
revival", which spoke to the four members' re-commitment to their band. Several Fogerty compositions appeared on Creedence Clearwater Revival, but cover versions of Dale Hawkins’ “Suzie Q” and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “
I Put a Spell on You” were the group’s first hit singles. With the release of Bayou Country it became the most popular rock band in America. Beginning with the two-sided gold hit “
Proud Mary” (#2, 1969) b/w “Born on the Bayou,” Creedence Clearwater revival songs dominated Top 40 radio for two years without disappointing the anti-commercial, progressive element of the rock audience.
At a time when cultural tensions were running high, Creedence dominated the charts with tunes addressing the social and political troubles of the day. Creedence had seven major hit singles in 1969 and 1970, including “
Bad Moon Rising” (#2, 1969), “
Green River” (#2, 1969), “
Fortunate Son” (#14, 1969), “
Down on the Corner” (#3, 1969), “Travelin’ Band” (#2, 1970), “
Up Around the Bend” (#4, 1970), and “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” (#2, 1970). Though they had achieved enormous fame, internal dissention in the band took its toll and Tom Fogerty left the group in 1971. The remaining trio played on, but never achieved the heights of original quartet. After the band split up in 1972, John started a solo career that proved both fruitful and productive. He still tours playing CCR songs and his own compositions to this day. In 1993 Creedence were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, cementing their status as one of the most accomplished bands in a turbulent era.
