The Golliwogs
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The Golliwogs was an American rock band which eventually became Creedence Clearwater Revival.
The band started out, in 1959, as an instrumental trio called The Blue Velvets. The original line up was John Fogerty (guitar), Stu Cook (piano), and Doug Clifford (drums). In 1960, John's older brother Tom, who had been in local bands since 1958, began singing with the group.
The Blue Velvets released three singles in the San Francisco Bay area, during 1961 and 1962, on Oakland's Orchestra Records. These recordings received only minimal sales although the second Blue Velvets single was added to Oakland's KEWB top 40 playlist by famed disc jockey Casey Kasem, who was employed at the station.
Following the Orchestra singles, Tom began playing rhythm guitar in addition to remaining the lead vocalist and front man while John continued as the lead guitarist. Meanwhile, Stu Cook switched from piano to bass guitar.
In the middle of 1964, the band recorded two songs for Fantasy Records, a local label based in San Francisco. The band was attracted to Fantasy because, in 1963, it had released a national hit by Vince Guaraldi, "Cast Your Fate To The Wind". Max Weiss, one of Fantasy's co-owners initially changed the group's name to The Visions, but when their songs were released as a single, in November 1964, Weiss re-named them The Golliwogs, an apparent reference to a once-popular minstrel doll called a Golliwogg. Seven singles were released in the San Francisco Bay area. While none of these broke out nationally, one, "Brown Eyed Girl," was a near break out in Miami, Fla., for four weeks beginning on February 26, 1966, when it reached #10 on Billboard's "Regional Breakout" chart for Miami (a chart one level below their Bubbling Under charts).
Eventually John Fogerty took control of the group, writing all of their material, singing lead vocals, and blossoming into a multi-instrumentalist who played bass, keyboards, and harmonica in addition to lead guitar. By 1967, he was producing the group's recordings.
In December 1967, the band changed its name to Creedence Clearwater Revival. The band's first album as Creedence Clearwater Revival was released in 1968.
In 1975 Fantasy released Pre-Creedence, a compilation album of recordings by The Golliwogs. Fantasy also included an extensive collection of Blue Velvets and Golliwogs recordings in their 2001 CCR box set.
[edit] Recordings
- "Come on Baby" (Tom Fogerty) - as Tommy Fogerty & The Blue Velvets (Orchestra 6177)
- Recorded fall 1961, Orchestra Studios, Oakland, California. Released October 1961. Lead vocal: Tom Fogerty.
- "Oh My Love" (Tom Fogerty) - as Tommy Fogerty & The Blue Velvets (Orchestra 6177)
- Recorded fall 1961, Orchestra Studios, Oakland, California. Released October 1961. Lead vocal: Tom Fogerty.
- "Have You Ever Been Lonely" (John Fogerty) - as Tommy Fogerty & The Blue Velvets (Orchestra 611010)
- Recorded late 1961, Orchestra Studios, Oakland, California. Released early 1962. Lead vocal: Tom Fogerty.
- "Bonita" (John Fogerty-Tom Fogerty) - as Tommy Fogerty & The Blue Velvets (Orchestra 611010)
- Recorded late 1961, Orchestra Studios, Oakland, California. Released early 1962. Lead vocal: Tom Fogerty.
- "Yes You Did" - as Tommy Fogerty & The Blue Velvets
- Recorded 1962, Orchestra Studios, Oakland, California. Released June 1962. Lead vocal: Tom Fogerty.
- "Now You're Not Mine" - as Tommy Fogerty & The Blue Velvets
- Recorded 1962, Orchestra Studios, Oakland, California. Released June 1962. Lead vocal: Tom Fogerty.
- "Don't Tell Me No Lies" (John Fogerty-Tom Fogerty) (Fantasy 590)
- Recorded mid 1964, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California. Released November 1964. Vocals: John & Tom Fogerty.
- "Little Girl (Does Your Momma Know)" (John Fogerty-Tom Fogerty) (Fantasy 590)
- Recorded mid 1964, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California. Released November 1964. Lead vocal: Tom Fogerty.
- "Where You Been" (John Fogerty-Tom Fogerty) (Fantasy 597)
- Recorded January 1965, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California. Released April 1965. Lead vocal: Tom Fogerty.
- "You Came Walking" (John Fogerty-Tom Fogerty) (Fantasy 597)
- Recorded January 1965, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California. Released April 1965. Lead vocal: Tom Fogerty
- "You Can't Be True" (John Fogerty-Tom Fogerty) (Fantasy 599)
- Recorded April 1965, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California. Released July 1965. Lead vocal: John Fogerty.
- "You Got Nothin' on Me" (John Fogerty-Tom Fogerty) (Fantasy 599)
- Recorded April 1965, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California. Released July 1965. Lead vocal: John & Tom Fogerty.
- "I Only Met You Just an Hour Ago" (John Fogerty-Tom Fogerty)
- Recorded April 1965, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California. Released 2001. Lead vocal: John Fogerty.
- "Brown-Eyed Girl" (John Fogerty-Tom Fogerty) (Scorpio 404)
- Recorded August 1965, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California. Released November 1965. Lead vocal: John Fogerty.
- "You Better Be Careful" (John Fogerty-Tom Fogerty) (Scorpio 404)
- Recorded August 1965, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California. Released November 1965. Lead vocal: John Fogerty with Tom Fogerty.
- "Gonna Hang Around" (John Fogerty-Tom Fogerty)
- Recorded November 1965, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California. Released 2001. Lead vocal: John Fogerty.
- "Fight Fire" (John Fogerty-Tom Fogerty) (Scorpio 405)
- Recorded February 1966, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California. Released March 1966. Lead vocal: John Fogerty.
- "Fragile Child" (John Fogerty-Tom Fogerty) (Scorpio 405)
- Recorded February 1966, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California. Released March 1966. Lead vocal: John Fogerty.
- "Try Try Try" (John Fogerty-Tom Fogerty)
- Recorded February 1966, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California. Released 2001. Vocals: John & Tom Fogerty.
- "She Was Mine" (John Fogerty-Tom Fogerty)
- Recorded early 1966, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California. Released 2001. Lead vocal: John Fogerty.
- "Instrumental #1" (John Fogerty-Tom Fogerty)
- Recorded early 1966, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California. Released 2001.
- "Action USA" (radio promotional spot)
- Recorded June 1966
- "Little Tina" (John Fogerty-Tom Fogerty)
- Recorded mid 1966, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California. Released 2001. Lead vocal: John Fogerty.
- "Walking on the Water" (John Fogerty-Tom Fogerty) (Scorpio 408)
- Recorded August 1966, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California. Released September 1966. Lead vocal: John Fogerty.
- "You Better Get It Before It Gets You" (John Fogerty-Tom Fogerty) (Scorpio 408)
- Recorded August 1966, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California. Released September 1966. Lead vocal: John Fogerty.
- "Tell Me" (John Fogerty-Tom Fogerty) (Scorpio 410, cancelled)
- Recorded May 1967, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California. Released 2001. Lead vocal: John Fogerty.
- "You Can't Be True" (John Fogerty-Tom Fogerty) (Scorpio 410, cancelled)
- Recorded May 1967, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California. Released 2001. Lead vocal: John Fogerty.
- "Porterville" (John Fogerty) (Scorpio 412)
- Recorded October 1967, Coast Recorders, San Francisco, California. Released November 1967. Lead vocal: John Fogerty. Producer: John Fogerty. Following its release as the A-side of the last Golliwogs single, this track was re-released, in January 1968, as the A-side of the first single credited to Creedence Clearwater Revival. In July 1968, it was included on Creedence Clearwater Revival's first album.
- "Call it Pretending" (John Fogerty) (Scorpio 412)
- Recorded October 1967, Coast Recorders, San Francisco, California. Released November 1967. Lead vocal: John Fogerty. Producer: John Fogerty. Following its release as the B-side of the last Golliwogs single, this track was re-released, in January 1968, as the B-side of the first single credited to Creedence Clearwater Revival.
[edit] External links
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