re: John Fogerty/CCR early record deal

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Fogerty has always been very clear that CCR was his backi

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That's a shame, because his solo stuff is dog shite.

He didn't perform those CCR hits for years. I remember reading somewhere that Bob Dylan was messing with John Fogarty backstage at a FarmAid concert by saying something like "If you don't do your own songs everyone will think Proud Mary is a Tina Turner song".

Interview with Doug Clifford

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He said that we were jealous of him and wanted to take control of the band. And what we wanted to take control of — or have someone else who was qualified take control of — was the business affairs. John was our manager. And he didn't understand the contracts. He doesn't own his songs to this day. We were renegotiating our record contract and found out that Fantasy was offering us 10 percent of the company plus the contract we already had. There had never been a deal like that made up to that point in time, where a band got a piece of the company. And there were other perks that went with it. But he didn't understand the contracts and totally blew it and then wouldn't tell us, except, "These guys are evil." He used to go to business meetings with a baseball and a glove and throw the ball against the wall like Steve McQueen did in "The Great Escape."

The other thing is he cut Tom Fogerty out from singing. It was Tom who took us along with him to record because his band didn't see the opportunity that was presented to them. But he believed in us and stuck with us the whole time. He paid for the recordings. He had a wife, two kids, a house and a mortgage. And he was just wonderful. Without Tom, we wouldn't be talking. There wouldn't have been a Creedence Clearwater Revival. When Tom graciously gave up the vocals to his younger brother, he had no idea that he would never be singing another song again. So Stu and I and Tom were always at odds with John about that. Tom had a high tenor voice like his brother but he had what I call a sweet tenor. Like Ritchie Valens. I think John was afraid that if Tom had a hit, he'd lose control. And John is a control freak.

That's where "Mardi Gras" came from. Tom was not allowed to sing a song, so then when Tom quit the band, John gave us an ultimatum that we'd do a third of the material each and write our own songs. That was the way he'd deal out punishment. And when the band finally broke up, he told the press Stu and I held a gun to his head and said, "We want to do a third of the material." That's the last thing we wanted to do. And that's the real regret I have about the way it went down. We took the blame as the a--holes who thought we could become singer-songwriters. We knew we weren't.

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That reads very similar to an in depth article I read several years ago when digging through the Rolling Stone archives and what led me to the impression I've carried with me about what happened with that band.

It's always interesting read or hear about all the different sides of an issue and try and figure out all the angles and where the truth lies.

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We were renegotiating our record contract and found out that Fantasy was offering us 10 percent of the company plus the contract we already had.

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Total bullshite. If you looked at the fine print, Fantasy was offering them to BUY as a band 10% of that 10% (i.e. only 10% of the stock in the company was "floated"). IOW, Fantasy graciously offered the band to buy 1% of the company.

Also, Doug's convenient account makes no mention at all of the fact that Fantasy embroiled them in an illegal tax scheme in the islands. When John figured it out, he wanted out, but the other guys wanted to stay in it.

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The other thing is he cut Tom Fogerty out from singing. It was Tom who took us along with him to record because his band didn't see the opportunity that was presented to them. But he believed in us and stuck with us the whole time. He paid for the recordings. He had a wife, two kids, a house and a mortgage. And he was just wonderful. Without Tom, we wouldn't be talking. There wouldn't have been a Creedence Clearwater Revival. When Tom graciously gave up the vocals to his younger brother, he had no idea that he would never be singing another song again. So Stu and I and Tom were always at odds with John about that. Tom had a high tenor voice like his brother but he had what I call a sweet tenor. Like Ritchie Valens. I think John was afraid that if Tom had a hit, he'd lose control. And John is a control freak.

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This is bullshite. The canon and the voice speak for themselves: John was a writing and singing genius. Sucks for Tom to be in the shadow of a younger brother, but if he hadn't been a fricking idiot, he could have been way richer and more famous.

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That's where "Mardi Gras" came from. Tom was not allowed to sing a song, so then when Tom quit the band, John gave us an ultimatum that we'd do a third of the material each and write our own songs. That was the way he'd deal out punishment. And when the band finally broke up, he told the press Stu and I held a gun to his head and said, "We want to do a third of the material." That's the last thing we wanted to do. And that's the real regret I have about the way it went down. We took the blame as the a--holes who thought we could become singer-songwriters. We knew we weren't.

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John's version is he had to do literally everything up to that point - including even getting these assholes to practice regularly. They got to ride a 3-year wave of incredible hit writing from John, and then instead of being thankful, they insisted they should get to do more. frick 'em.

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I rest my case.

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And, you lose. Involuntary dismissal granted on motion of the court. Plaintiff to pay all costs plus attorney fees of $5,000 for asserting a claim with no merit and no investigation of the facts.

Seen John Fogerty at Jazz Fest twice. Every song he sings in his 90 minute sets were hits. When I was walking out several years ago, some big black girls who had gone to see Maze were complaining why John Fogerty sang Proud Mary by Ike and Tina Turner!!!!!