Saturday April 9, 2022 “Who’ll Stop the Rain” Creedence Clearwater Revival
With all the rain songs that we have had this week you had to know that we would end the discussion and ask ‘who will stop the rain”...and you knew we would end up here.
Let’s get started right away with the band name, Creedence Clearwater Revival which we all know must have some genuine deep relevance. Originally they were The Blue Velvets and then became the Golliwogs but the band felt that name wouldn’t be in good company with hip group names like the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, the Doors or the Turtles so they were in the mood for a name change.
The word ‘Creedence’ referred to Credence Newball, who was a friend of band member Tom Fogerty, ‘Clearwater’ came from a TV commercial for Olympia Beer and ‘Revival’ was a nod to the fact that the band returned in 1967 after three of their members had completed their military service. Don't you feel the same comfort that I do when you know how a band arrived at their name?
Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) had five singles in America which peaked at number two. No other artist has had so many number two singles without ever topping the charts.
When CCR was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1993, band founder and primary songwriter John Fogerty refused to play onstage with CCR band members Doug Cook and Stu Clifford due to legal issues surrounding the use of the band name. In a world of irony, or maybe insanity, John Fogerty was sued by his former publishing company for plagiarizing himself.
His former record company said that Fogerty had copied his own song “Run Through the Jungle” and used it for a new song “Old Man Down the Road”. A jury decided that the two songs didn’t meet the legal standard of being “substantially similar” which would have constituted copyright infringement…but really they are so similar…it’s just ridiculous to be sued for copying your own song.
Stay safe and well…and in answer to who will stop the rain? I will stop the rain, with a new theme for next week.