Mardi Gras (album)
| Mardi Gras | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Creedence Clearwater Revival | ||||
| Released | April 11, 1972 | |||
| Recorded | spring 1971, January 1972 | |||
| Genre | Roots rock, country rock, swamp rock, southern rock | |||
| Length | 28:04 | |||
| Label | Fantasy | |||
| Producer |
Doug Clifford, Stu Cook, John Fogerty | |||
| Creedence Clearwater Revival chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Mardi Gras | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
| Robert Christgau | (B)[2] |
Mardi Gras is the seventh and final studio album by American band Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR), released in 1972. The group disbanded after this album was released.
Production
Previously, bandleader John Fogerty sang all lead vocals and composed nearly all the band's original material. Older brother Tom Fogerty had departed after a dispute which was in large part caused by the elder Fogerty's desire to play a larger creative role.
For Mardi Gras, remaining members Stu Cook and Doug Clifford shared the writing, singing, and production duties. Fogerty contributed only three original songs, and sang a fourth lead on a cover of the early 1960s standard "Hello Mary Lou." Clifford and Cook each wrote and sang the lead vocals on three songs. The album was a commercial success peaking at #12 and going gold, but was a critical failure. The album contained two Top 40 singles, both of which were contributed by Fogerty: the raucous "Sweet Hitch-Hiker" and the wistful swan song "Someday Never Comes."
All songs were recorded in January 1972, except "Door to Door" and "Sweet Hitch-Hiker" which were recorded in the Spring of 1971.
Recording sessions for Mardi Gras were fraught with conflict. According to Cook and Clifford, it was Fogerty's idea for all members to contribute songs equally, despite their reservations.[3] They believed Fogerty was bitter over Tom Fogerty's departure and their own requests to have additional say in the group's musical decisions. Both also believed Fogerty was looking for an excuse to end up CCR to pursue a solo career. When Clifford and Cook at first demurred at the idea of having to supply two-thirds of the album's material themselves, Fogerty threatened to quit the band outright. Fogerty also refused to contribute any instrumentation to Cook and Clifford's songs, except for guitar. Mounting financial and legal woes compounded the fragile situation and CCR disbanded shortly after the Mardi Gras tour ended.[3]
Mardi Gras was remastered on 180 Gram Vinyl by Analogue Productions in 2006. The album was re-released in remastered format as a Japan exclusive in January 2011. A remastered version of the album had previously been featured internationally on the 40th anniversary CCR box set, but not as a stand-alone album.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead singer | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lookin' For a Reason" | John Fogerty | John Fogerty | 3:28 | |
| 2. | "Take It Like a Friend" | Stu Cook | Stu Cook | 3:00 | |
| 3. | "Need Someone to Hold" | Stu Cook, Doug Clifford | Doug Clifford | 3:00 | |
| 4. | "Tearin' Up the Country" | Doug Clifford | Doug Clifford | 2:14 | |
| 5. | "Someday Never Comes" | John Fogerty | John Fogerty | 4:01 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead singer | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "What Are You Gonna Do?" | Doug Clifford | Doug Clifford | 2:53 | |
| 2. | "Sail Away" | Stu Cook | Stu Cook | 2:29 | |
| 3. | "Hello Mary Lou" | Gene Pitney, Cayet Mangiaracina | John Fogerty | 2:14 | |
| 4. | "Door to Door" | Stu Cook | Stu Cook | 2:09 | |
| 5. | "Sweet Hitch-Hiker" | John Fogerty | John Fogerty | 2:59 |
Personnel
- Doug Clifford - drums, vocals
- Stu Cook - bass, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, piano, vocals
- John Fogerty - lead guitar, rhythm guitar, keyboards, vocals
Production
- Producers: Doug Clifford, Stu Cook, John Fogerty
- Engineer: Russ Gary, Kevin L. Gray, Steve Hoffman
- Mastering supervisor: Tamaki Beck
- Mastering: Shigeo Miyamoto
- Remastering: George Horn
- Arrangers: Doug Clifford, Stu Cook, John Fogerty
- Art direction: Tony Lane
- Design: Tony Lane
- Cover design: Tony Lane
- Photography: Bob Fogerty, Baron Wolman
- Liner notes (CD): Craig Werner
Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Pop Albums | #12 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Position | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pop Singles | UK Top 40 | ||
| July 1971 |
"Sweet Hitch-Hiker"/ "Door to Door" |
#6 | #36 |
| March 1972 |
"Someday Never Comes"/ "Tearin' Up the Country" |
#25 | |
Citation
- ↑ Allmusic review
- ↑ Robert Christgau review
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Classics with Steve Downs
