It was 54 years ago today (January 5th, 1969) that Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) released its second album and breakthrough collection, Bayou Country. The set, which was the first of three albums John Fogerty wrote and produced for the band during 1969, will always be remembered for its opening cut, “Born On The Bayou,” and CCR's signature hit, the Top Two smash and instant rock standard, “Proud Mary.”
With their trio of classic 1969 albums — Bayou Country, Green River, and Willy And The Poor Boys — CCR's legacy was cemented for all time. We asked John Fogerty, who was only 24 at the time, how he was able to pump out three of the most iconic and beloved rock albums in a single calendar year: “I kinda took stock, and y'know, my situation was, I was on a tiny label, and also it was a jazz label and really, they didn't have a clue about rock n' roll. We didn't have a manager, we didn't have a publicist. There was really no big money-push behind us. I said, 'I guess I'm just gonna have to do it with music.' Which meant — it was up to me (laughs).”
We asked Creedence drummer Doug Clifford if when the band was walking such a fine line between being an AOR and singles act, where he actually saw the band fitting in: “I thought we were more of an FM band, because we were right at the epicenter of FM rock — and that's where we got our first radio play and got started. I think it was sort of an extra little gold chip in the bucket to have the AM success.”
John Fogerty credits his wife and manager, Julie, for inspiring him in recent years to take a closer look at what his '69 songs meant to him and his fans: “Because that year was certainly a momentous year in my career and development — and of course the band, Creedence — I always just looked at it as, sort of, ‘well, yeah, that’s what happened, I got really busy.’ I mean, y'know, I was busy on purpose, of course (laughs), but in ’69, I released three albums, but you just sort of move on. You’re presenting an era is what you’re doing, really.”
The tracklisting to Creedence Clearwater Revival's Bayou Country is: “Born On The Bayou,” “Bootleg,” “Graveyard Train,” “Good Golly, Miss Molly,” “Penthouse Pauper,” “Proud Mary,” and “Keep On Chooglin'.”