"The Singles Collection" by CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL (2009 Fantasy/Concord Music Group 2CD/1DVD Remasters) Including US and UK 7" Singles Discography - A Review by Mark Barry...

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“…I Can Hear The Bullfrog Calling Me…”

Released November 2009 in the USA on Fantasy FAN-31752 (use Barcode 888072317529 in Amazon's search bar to get the right issue) – “The Singles Collection” by CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL is a fabulous release and one that’s answered many fan prayers. There’s a wad of stuff to get through so let’s get into the swamp details right away. 

30 tracks across 2CDs (49:47 and 45:55 minutes) will allow you to sequence their 45s as follows…

USA:

1. Porterville b/w Call It Pretending (November 1967, Scorpio 412)

2. Suzie Q. (Part 1) b/w Susie Q. (Part 2) (September 1968, Fantasy 616)

3. I Put A Spell On You b/w Walk On The Water (November 1968, Fantasy 617)

4. Proud Mary b/w Born On The Bayou (January 1969, Fantasy 619)

5. Bad Moon Rising b/w Lodi (May 1969, Fantasy 622)

6. Green River b/w Commotion (July 1969, Fantasy 625)

7. Down On The Corner b/w Fortunate Son (October 1969, Fantasy 634)

8. Travellin’ Band b/w Who’ll Stop The Rain (January 1970, Fantasy 637)

9. Up Around The Bend b/w Run Through The Jungle (April 1970, Fantasy 641)

10. Lookin’ Out My Back Door b/w Long As I Can See The Light (August 1970, Fantasy 645)

11. Have You Ever Seen The Rain b/w Hey Tonight (May 1971, Fantasy 655)

12. Sweet Hitch-Hiker b/w Door To Door (July 1971, Fantasy 665)

13. Someday Never Comes b/w Tearin’ Up The Country (May 1972, Fantasy 676)

14. I Heard It Through The Grapevine [Edit] b/w Good Golly, Miss Molly (March 1976, Fantasy 759)

15. 45 Revolutions Per Minute (Part I) b/w (Part II) (1970 USA PROMO-ONLY US 7” single on Fantasy F-2833

UK:

1. Proud Mary b/w Born On The Bayou (May 1969, Liberty LBF 15223)

2. Bad Moon Rising b/w Lodi (August 1969, Liberty LBF 15230)

3. Green River b/w Commotion (November 1969, Liberty LBF 15250)

4. Down On The Corner b/w Fortunate Son (February 1970, Liberty LBF 15283)

5. Travellin’ Band b/w Who’ll Stop The Rain (March 1970, Liberty LBF 15310)

6. Up Around The Bend b/w Run Through The Jungle (June 1970, Liberty LBF 15354)

7. Long As I Can See The Light b/w Lookin’ Out My Back Door (August 1970, Liberty LBF 16384)

8. Have You Ever Seen The Rain b/w Hey Tonight (March 1971, Liberty LBF 15440)

9. Sweet Hitch-Hiker b/w Door To Door (July 1971, United Artists UP 35261)

10. Someday Never Comes b/w Tearin’ Up The Country (May 1972, Fantasy F 676)

11. Born On The Bayou b/w I Put A Spell On You (December 1972, Fantasy FTC 101)

12. It Came Out Of The Sky b/w Side O’ The Road (February 1973, Fantasy FTC 104)

13. I Heard It Through The Grapevine [Edit] b/w Good Golly Miss Molly (March 1976, Fantasy FTC 142)

14. Bad Moon Rising b/w Proud Mary and Green River (July 1977 3-track EP, Fantasy FTC 142)

15. Who’ll Stop The Rain b/w Proud Mary and Hey Tonight (November 1978 3-track EP, Fantasy FTC 164)

USA Notes: initial pressings of Fantasy 634, 637, 641, 645, 665 and 759 all came in rare Picture Sleeves and are pictured in the foldout poster that accompanies this release along with many other Worldwide rarities. All 28 single-sides are presented in their original 7” single MONO mixes – and are therefore exclusive to this release. Tracks 13 and 14 on Disc 2 are from a Promo-Only 7” single and are in STEREO. This uber-rare Promo has Doug Clifford impersonating an interview with the band – aping the voice of the then famous Bay Area DJ Tom Campbell. There are 4 other CCR single releases in the States on Fantasy 908, 917, 920 and 957 from 1981 but they’re not covered here. And Creedence’s earlier Sixties incarnations as THE BLUE VELVETS and THE GOLLIWOGS are not dealt with on this compilation either.

UK Notes: because this is a US-based release – it unfortunately doesn’t include “It Came Out Of The Sky” British 45.

The presentation is first rate – a gorgeous fold-out colour poster of singles from around the planet, a 20-page colour booklet with tremendous liner notes by BEN FONG-TORRES – the text peppered with rare picture sleeves, USA Top 50 charts and an advert for the limited edition 45’s Box Set version. The DVD called “The Video Collection” has 4 tracks - “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”, “Bootleg”, “I Put A Spell On You” and “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” and it played perfectly on my UK (non-chipped) Sony BLU RAY player without any Region Coding problems.

The first thing that clobbers you is the sound – MONO! Having spent my life listening to the STEREO album versions – these MONO mixes are a sonic assault of a different kind. In absolute truth I’d say some of the earlier cuts feel weedy to me and I personally prefer the Stereo album cuts – but others have extraordinary punch. The lethal double-whammy of “Up Around The Bend” b/w “Run Through The Jungle” sounds just fantastic while the one-channel aural muscle given to “Sweet Hitch-Hiker” is just amazing. “Green River” – I’ll adore it until I croak and the 7” edit of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” is fascinating. You also have to say that GEORGE HORN - who oversaw the 2009 remasters of the album catalogue – has done another bang-up job here. Great stuff…

To this day – and as you play through each disc – you’re hit with the simplicity – the great songs – that unique CCR sound. And a final thought – what a band!