Five CCR Classics You Should Know

Best friends since childhood, Stu Cook and Doug “Cosmo” Clifford are also among the most celebrated rhythm sections in rock. As half (and after Tom Fogerty left, two-thirds) of Creedence Clearwater Revival, Cook (bass) and Clifford (drums) were an integral part of what made CCR one of the all-time great rock bands. The duo may have modeled their rock-solid, lean ‘n’ mean approach on another great rhythm section, Donald “Duck” Dunn and Al Jackson Jr. of Booker T & the MGs, but the musical engine room of CCR was a wholly original and superb unit.

Rock and Roll Hall of Famers CCR split in 1972, but Stu and Cosmo continued their close friendship and musical partnership as , touring and releasing records for a quarter century (1995-2020). CCR’s legacy remains strong. Ironically, Creedence is often referred to as one of the great American singles groups, but they never once reached the #1 position on the Billboard singles charts. Still, CCR’s music is the soundtrack of a generation, and the group created some of the most enduring music in rock. The band’s music has been endlessly repackaged; there have been no less than 25 CCR best-of type compilations released since the band ceased activity. Honoring the recent pair of 80th birthdays – Clifford on April 24 and Cook the day after – here are five CCR greats.

“Susie Q” from Creedence Clearwater Revival (1968)
Leader John Fogerty was already a talented songwriter by the time the Golliwogs became CCR. But the group still sometimes cut inventive covers of songs by other writers. Dale Hawkins had a hit in both the U.S. and his native Canada with “Susie Q” in 1957. When Creedence covered it just over a decade later, their funky, simmering version was a success as well, reaching #11 on the singles charts. It would be the band’s only hit single not written by Fogerty.

“Proud Mary” from Bayou Country (1969)
A hit single from CCR’s second LP, “Proud Mary” is an exemplar of the band’s “swamp rock” sound. But “Proud Mary” would soon take on a life of its own: Solomon Burke covered the song within months of its release, scoring a hit single (#15) on Billboard’s R&B chart. A couple of years later, Ike and Tina Turner covered “Proud Mary” in a high-energy version of their own. That recording made the Top 5 on both the R&B and Hot 100 singles charts, and earned the duo a Grammy Award.

“Lodi” from Green River (1969)
This song on Creedence Clearwater Revival’s third studio album was released as the B-side of the hit “Bad Moon Rising” months ahead of the album. One of Fogerty’s most vivid story songs, it paints a picture of a down-on-his-luck musician whose career has taken a path so precipitous that he’s forced to play gigs in a backwater California town. But rather than being an attack on Lodi, the song – about a town Fogerty had never visited – was chosen only because it sounded good within the context of the song. The spare rhythm section suits the song’s forlorn, countrified vibe just right.

“Fortunate Son” from Willy and the Poor Boys (1969)
John Fogerty’s lyrics have often been misinterpreted (“There’s a bathroom on the right,” anyone?) and sometimes used inappropriately for jingoistic, political purposes. But there’s no doubt that “Fortunate Son” was an anti-war protest song, decrying the privilege that let some avoid the draft while other less fortunate young men were sent off to fight in the unpopular Vietnam War. As a single, “Fortunate Son” climbed to the #3 spot on Billboard’s charts. It fared nearly as well in Belgium, also charting in Canada and selling well in the UK, Spain, Germany, New Zealand, Brazil, Italy and Denmark.

“I Heard it Through the Grapevine” from Cosmo’s Factory (1970)
CCR was never a noodly “jam band.” One of the tightest and most focused ensembles in rock, the group always knew where the songs were going. But that didn’t mean they didn’t stretch out: while CCR was known for its concise singles, some of its best songs were lengthy. At over 11 minutes, this bravura rock recasting of this Motown classic made famous by Marvin Gaye earned praise by Rolling Stone’s Dave Marsh as “more intense than any six minutes of Grateful Dead music on record.”