Centerfield
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the song and album. For the baseball position, see Center fielder.
| Centerfield | |||||
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| Studio album by John Fogerty | |||||
| Released | January 15, 1985 | ||||
| Recorded | July-September 1984 | ||||
| Genre | Rock | ||||
| Length | 35:20 | ||||
| Label | Warner Bros. | ||||
| Producer | John Fogerty | ||||
| Professional reviews | |||||
| John Fogerty chronology | |||||
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Centerfield is an album by musician John Fogerty, released in 1985. It was his most popular post-Creedence album, containing the hit singles "The Old Man Down the Road", "Rock and Roll Girls" and the title track "Centerfield". Fogerty played all the instruments on this album himself, thanks to overdubbing. The image on the cover shows an old-fashioned, "beat-up glove", as referenced in the title song, and text similar to a logo of a baseball team, setting the mood for the track.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
All songs written by John Fogerty.
- "The Old Man Down the Road" – 3:34
- "Rock and Roll Girls" – 3:28
- "Big Train (From Memphis)" – 2:58
- "I Saw It on T.V." – 4:20
- "Mr. Greed" – 4:09
- "Searchlight" – 4:31
- "Centerfield" – 3:53
- "I Can't Help Myself" – 3:15
- "Vanz Kant Danz" – 5:32
[edit] Personnel
All instruments, vocals, production and arrangement done by John Fogerty.
[edit] Background
This album was Fogerty's first album in nine years. After Asylum Records rejected his Hoodoo album, he decided to take a long break from the music business. In the meantime, Fogerty's recording contract with Asylum Records was reassigned to co-owned Warner Bros. Records so this album was the first released on the Warner Bros. label.
The song "Zanz Kant Danz" was altered and re-titled "Vanz Kant Danz" a few months after the release of the album in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid a defamation lawsuit from Saul Zaentz, owner of Fantasy Records. The altered "Vanz Kant Danz" version of this song appears on all post-1985 pressings of the album.
A Zaentz lawsuit claimed that "The Old Man Down the Road" shared the same chorus as "Run Through the Jungle" (a song from Fogerty's days with Creedence Clearwater Revival: years before, Fogerty had relinquished copy and publishing rights of his Creedence songs to Zaentz and Fantasy, in exchange for release from his contractual obligations to same). The defendant Fogerty ultimately prevailed, when he showed that the two songs were whole, separate and distinct compositions. Bringing his guitar to the witness stand, he played excerpts from both songs, demonstrating that many songwriters (himself included) have distinctive styles that can make different compositions sound similar to less discerning ears.
After prevailing as defendant, Fogerty sued Zaentz for the cost of defending himself against the copyright infringement. In such (copyright) cases, prevailing defendants seeking recompense were bound to show that original suit was frivolous or made in bad faith.
Fogerty v. Fantasy became precedent when the Supreme Court (1993) overturned lower court rulings and awarded attorneys' fees to Fogerty, without Fogerty having to show that Zaentz's original suit was frivolous.
[edit] In popular culture
The song "Centerfield" can be seen as a metaphor for any comeback or second chance. Taken literally, it has often been used as a soundtrack for collections of short clips of classic Baseball moments. For example, the line "Just to hit the ball / And touch 'em all / A moment in the sun / (sound of ball meeting bat) / It's a-gone and you can tell that one 'Good-bye'" timed with film of Bobby Thomson's pennant-winning home run in 1951.
President George W. Bush calls "Centerfield" his favorite song[citation needed]. This could be seen as ironic since Fogerty is a staunch opponent of President Bush's policies, even releasing an anti-war record in 2004 (During the Vietnam era, he and CCR had produced the anti-war song, "Fortunate Son")
[edit] Album rating
The RIAA has certified the album double-platinum (2 million album sales).
| Preceded by Make It Big by Wham! |
Billboard 200 number-one album March 23 - March 29, 1985 |
Succeeded by No Jacket Required by Phil Collins |
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