Fogerty started writing songs in earnest while in the Army in the mid '60s.
When the band reunited in '67, they were a seasoned, rock-solid unit that was confident enough to avoid trends and aim for the essence of rock 'n' roll. Their first hit was a swampy version of Dale Hawkins's "Susie Q" in '68, and the extended album version became a staple of the new free-form FM radio format. They were a 10-year overnight success.
Cosmo's Factory, the band's fifth album, is their greatest and one of the finest rock 'n' roll albums ever. Chock full of hits: "Travelin' Band," "Who'll Stop the Rain," "Up Around the Bend," "Lookin' Out My Back Door," "Long As I Can See the Light"; their astonishing 11-minute version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," the great "Ramble Tamble" and no holes, this is fundamental American art.
Their blazing run was cut short in '71 when Tom Fogerty, tired of taking a back seat to his younger brother, left the band for a notably unsuccessful solo career. For their final album together in '72, Mardi Gras, Fogerty agreed to share singing and songwriting duties with Cook and Clifford, a move that painfully revealed why Fogerty had been leading the band in the first place.
Due to legal and other issues, John Fogerty has had a sporadic, but ultimately successful solo career, with the Centerfield album being most notable.
Article comments
1 - Mark Morris
One of my all-time favorite bands. I read on a Trivial Pursuit card that although CCR had many top 10 singles they never had a song reach No. 1. I still find that hard to believe.