VIA PRESS RELEASE | Craft Recordings is pleased to announce two special reissues from Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Doug Clifford and Tom Fogerty.
The two helped make up CCR’s distinctive “chooglin'” rhythm section, roles that, along with John Fogerty and Stu Cook, earned them a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Besides being members of the Greatest American Rock Band, they each recorded solo albums. Tom Fogerty’s Excalibur and Doug Clifford’s Doug “Cosmo” Clifford were both originally released in 1972 and have been long out-of-print until now. These reissues, pressed on 180-gram vinyl from lacquers cut at Fantasy Studios by George Horn and Anne-Marie Suenram, are essential additions to the record collection of any Creedence aficionado. A special bundle is also available via the Craft Recordings store, including a very limited number of LPs signed by Doug Clifford.
About Doug Clifford’s Doug “Cosmo” Clifford | Doug Clifford is best known as the powerhouse drummer for legendary American rock band, Creedence Clearwater Revival. Clifford’s signature simple grooves and impeccable timing, as heard on CCR hits including “Fortunate Son,” “Born on the Bayou,” and “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” have proven to be timeless and influential on future generations of Americana and roots rock drummers.
In 1972, Clifford recorded Doug “Cosmo” Clifford, his first and only solo outing and a fascinating artifact from the end of the Creedence era. This 11-track outing includes eight originals that range from country-infused R&B (“Take a Train”) to Latin rock (the aptly titled “Latin Music”) to CCR-style rockers (“Get Your Raise”). It also features rollicking covers of the Lovin’ Spoonful (“Daydream”), Doug Sahm (“She’s About a Mover”), and the Spencer Davis Group (“I’m a Man”).
Joining Clifford are Stu Cook on rhythm guitar, legendary sideman and Stax musician Donald “Duck” Dunn on bass, John McFee on lead guitar, background vocals from the Walter Hawkins Singers, and the Tower of Power horn section. “Making this record was a blast, because it was a superstar line-up,” recalls Clifford. “It was a collaboration to a large degree, I told everyone that I was open to any ideas they might have. That got everybody involved in the process. The camaraderie was great, there was no pressure and that got the best performances from everyone. We cut everything live so when the horns were playing we were a 10-piece band!” Doug Clifford’s rockabilly-style vocals imbue the songs with a nostalgic flair. Available for the first time in over 40 years, this album is newly remastered by Clifford himself, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and housed in an old-school, tip-on jacket.
The Doug “Cosmo” Clifford will also be available for the first time on streaming platforms, as well as Hi-Res 96/24 and 192/24 audio download.
About Tom Fogerty’s Excalibur | Chiefly remembered as the rhythm guitarist and background vocalist for Creedence Clearwater Revival, Tom Fogerty (1941 – 1990) was born and raised in the Bay Area of California. He signed his first record deal at age 18 as frontman for a short-lived rock group called Spider Webb and the Insects (featuring Jeremy Levine of the Seeds). By the early ’60s, Fogerty had formed a group with his younger brother, John, plus bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford; first performing as the Blue Velvets and later the Golliwogs before solidifying as CCR in 1968. He left Creedence in early 1971, about a year before the group disbanded, and set out on a solo career.
Tom Fogerty spent the rest of the ’70s and early ’80s focused on his solo work, releasing five albums under his own name (one of which, Zephyr National, includes appearances by all three of his former CCR bandmates) and three with his band, Ruby. Tom would record nine albums before his untimely passing at age 48.
Excalibur was his second solo effort, a melodic bluegrass and country affair that evidences many of the same influences heard in CCR’s signature “swamp rock” sound. Tom recruited his Fantasy Records peers Jerry Garcia (The Grateful Dead) and Merl Saunders to play guitar and keys, respectively, and their bluesy style well complements his bright vocals. Out of print for over 40 years, the album is cut from the original analog master, pressed on 180-gram vinyl, and housed in an old-school, tip-on jacket.
This reissue marks the first time Excalibur has been released on streaming platforms, as well as the first time it’s been available for Hi-Res 96/24 and 192/24 audio download. Also newly available on digital platforms, available June 22, are Tom Fogerty’s other solo titles; Tom Fogerty (originally released in 1972), Zephyr National (1974), Myopia (1974), and Deal It Out (1981).
DOUG CLIFFORD, DOUG “COSMO” CLIFFORD TRACK LISTING:
A1: Latin Music
A2: Regret It (For the Rest of Your Life)
A3: Guitars, Drums and Girls
A4: I’m a Man
A5: She’s About a Mover
A6: I Just Want to Cry
B1: Get Your Raise
B2: Daydream
B3: Take a Train
B4: Death Machine
B5: Swingin’ in a Hammock
TOM FOGERTY, EXCALIBUR TRACK LISTING:
A1: Forty Years
A2: Black Jack Jenny
A3: Rocky Road Blues
A4: Faces, Places, People
A5: Get Funky
B1: Sick and Tired
B2: Sign of the Devil
B3: Straight and Narrow
B4: Next in Line
B5: (Hold On) Annie Mae
