Creedence Clearwater Revival

2011-08-31T08:34:00.001-07:00

Creedence Clearwater Revival, also known as CCR or simply as Creedence was an American band in the late 60's and early 70's. They were know for their music style, which combined southern rock and swamp rock, and for their numerous hits. They remain very popular among radio stations even today. They have sold over 26 million albums in the US and are members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
CCR consisted of four men, two of which were brothers. John Fogerty, Tom Fogerty, Stu Cook, and Doug Clifford met each other in middle school in California. They were all born in 1945, apart from Tom, who was John's older brother by three years. At first, they were all backing up Tom at his "gigs." Eventually they formed a band and gained airtime on local radio stations in California. But in 1964, they signed their first contract with Fantasy Records, a local label in San Francisco. In 1966, just as they were beginning to achieve some fame, two of the members were drafted for military service. John Fogerty enlisted in the Army Reserve, while Doug Clifford spent time in the United States Coast Guard Reserve. In 1967, Saul Zaentz, the new owner of Fantasy Records, allowed CCR to make a full length album, but only if they changed their name. Because at this time, they were known as The Golliwogs. They agreed. In 1968, their first album, Creedence Clearwater Revival, was out, and in the same year, the two men were discharged from service. They all quit there jobs and began rehearsing and performing. They released "Suzie Q", and it climbed to #11 nationally. It would be the only song to reach the top 40 not written by John Fogerty.
The "glory days" for CCR was in the years of 196 through 1970. In this time period, they released numerous hits. "Proud Mary" went to number two on the Billboard chart in January, and in March, "Bad Moon Rising" did the same thing. Green River, one of their albums, went gold. They continued with several more top hits including "Down on the Corner", and "Fortunate Son." They even performed at Woodstock. They do not appear on the 1994 film of Woodstock because lead singer, John Fogerty, thought that their performance was subpar.
Creedence Clearwater Revival changed their image throughout the years. At first, they weren't in the public eye very much. When it came time to release Pendulum, they had a book written and releases it at the same time. It gave insight on their lives that no one else had experienced. One of their albums, Mardi Gras, was released in times of tension that they had not previously had. This resulted in their album being dubbed the worst album by a major band. But they also changed music. They wrote feel good music, but they could also sing about serious things. They combined hot topics with a happy feel, like "Fortunate Son", which protested the war. They had the ability to go from one end of the spectrum to the other in their music and lyrics. This inspired other bands to do the same. They changed band's outlook on their own music.

Late 50s

2011-08-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

The Civil Rights movement was still in full swing in the late 50s. The Brown decision started even more rebellions in the South. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was started by Rosa Parks's actions to a white man. The boycott led to a Supreme Court decision that made it illegal to segregate public transportation. Martin Luther King, Jr. was chosen to lead the civil rights movement. He preached nonviolence, even in the face of violence.
President Eisenhower was the most popular president in the postwar area. He approved the Federal Highway Act in 1956. This made over 40,000 miles of nationwide highways. The Vietnam War was also happening during this time. In 1953, negotiators agreed to move the battle lines back. This ended hostilities in Vietnam.

Kyle Weber

2011-08-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

Good morning