How CCR Cut Through the Psychedelic Sixties
Creedence Clearwater Revival was as unique as its name
It’s curious that the band members of Creedence Clearwater Revival (aka CCR) came from El Cerrito, California, a small city not far from San Francisco, for two reasons.
First, it was the Sixties and San Francisco, most notoriously Haight-Ashbury, was the epicenter of psychedelic rock — the polar opposite of CCR’s music. Second, CCR had a distinct sound that was variously called country rock, roots rock, Southern rock or swamp rock, certainly not what you’d expect to hear from a West Coast group.
But then, Creedence Clearwater Revival, whose name is obscure and virtually meaningless, was in a class by itself. Early on, as “The Blue Velvets,” the group signed with San Francisco-based Fantasy Records. They went through a few name changes until they became Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1968, first getting noticed for their cover of “Susie-Q,” which reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Recorded in two parts as sides A and B of a 45 RPM, the record would establish a pattern of two-sided future hits for the band.
After the modest success of their first eponymous album in 1968, CCR hit it big with their second album, Bayou Country, released in 1969. The album reached #7 on the album charts and achieved…
