Friday, March 8, 2019

“Proud Mary” #2 3/8/1969

The first of three straight #2 singles for Creedence Clearwater Revival came together for John Fogerty just after he was discharged from the National Guard in early 1968. The opening riff was loosely based on Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, and he said the rest of the song just poured out. I always thought the second line of the second verse went “Pumped a lot of pain...” Fogerty said it was p-a-n-e, as in propane - the dude was pumping gas down in New Orleans. John did all the vocal parts, lead guitar and the overdubs, too, thoroughly pissing off his bandmates years before they broke up. Ike and Tina Turner did a positively smokin’ version several years later. An absolute classic from CCR.


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