Craft RecordingsCreedence Clearwater Revival‘s brief but prolific recording career began 50 years ago this past May with release of the band’s self-titled debut album. To mark the roots-rock outfit’s 50th anniversary, a vinyl box set called The Complete Studio Albums, featuring remastered versions of CCR’s seven studio efforts, will hit stores on November 30.
The recordings were remastered at half-speed using high-quality transfers from the original analog tapes. Each album in the box set is pressed on 180-gram vinyl, and comes in a sleeve replicating the original release’s packaging. Also included is an 80-page book containing liner notes penned by music writer Roy Trakin, vintage photos and reproductions of band memorabilia.
The band’s albums were released over the course of four short years, yet during that period, CCR scored five top 10 records and 14 top 10 singles. Two of the albums, 1969’s Green River and 1970’s Cosmo’s Factory, reached #1 on the Billboard 200.
Creedence, of course, showcased the talents of singer, guitarist and songwriter John Fogerty, who was accompanied by his brother Tom on rhythm guitar, Stu Cook on bass and Doug “Cosmo” Clifford on drums. Among the many classic and enduring tunes penned by John were “Proud Mary,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Down on the Corner,” “Fortunate Son,” “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?,” “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” “Born on the Bayou,” “Travelin’ Band” and “Up Around the Bend.”
The band also had a knack for recording memorable versions of other artists’ hits and compositions, including Screaming Jay Hawkins‘ “I Put a Spell on You,” Marvin Gaye‘s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” Dale Hawkins‘ “Susie Q,” Little Richard‘s “Good Golly Miss Molly” and Leadbelly‘s “Midnight Special.”
Here are the track lists of CCR’s albums:
Creedence Clearwater Revival (1968)
Side A:
“I Put a Spell on You”
“The Working Man”
“Suzie Q”
Side B:
“Ninety Nine (And a Half Won’t Do)”
“Get Down Woman”
“Porterville”
“Gloomy”
“Walk on the Water”
Bayou Country (1969)
Side A:
“Born on the Bayou”
“Bootleg”
“Graveyard Train”
Side B:
“Good Golly Miss Molly”
“Penthouse Pauper”
“Proud Mary”
“Keep on Chooglin'”
Green River (1969)
Side A:
“Green River”
“Commotion”
“Tombstone Shadow”
“Wrote a Song for Everyone”
Side B:
“Bad Moon Rising”
“Lodi”
“Cross-tie Walker”
“Sinister Purpose”
“The Night Time Is the Right Time”
Willy and the Poor Boys (1969)
Side A:
“Down on the Corner”
“It Came Out of the Sky”
“Cotton Fields”
“Poorboy Shuffle”
“Feelin’ Blue”
Side B:
“Fortunate Son”
“Don’t Look Now (It Ain’t You or Me)”
“The Midnight Special”
“Side o’ the Road”
“Effigy”
Cosmo’s Factory (1970)
Side A:
“Ramble Tamble”
“Before You Accuse Me”
“Travelin’ Band”
“Ooby Dooby”
“Lookin’ Out My Back Door”
“Run Through the Jungle”
Side B:
“Up Around the Bend”
“My Baby Left Me”
“Who’ll Stop the Rain”
“I Heard It Through the Grapevine”
“Long as I Can See the Light”
Pendulum (1970)
Side A:
“Pagan Baby”
“Sailor’s Lament”
“Chameleon”
“Have You Ever Seen the Rain?”
“(Wish I Could) Hideaway”
Side B:
“Born to Move”
“Hey Tonight”
“It’s Just a Thought”
“Molina”
“Rude Awakening #2”
Mardi Gras (1972)
Side A:
“Lookin’ for a Reason”
“Take It Like a Friend”
“Need Someone to Hold”
“Tearin’ Up the Country”
“Someday Never Comes”
Side B:
“What Are You Going to Do”
“Sail Away”
“Hello Mary Lou”
“Door to Door”
“Sweet Hitch-Hiker”
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