The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Creedence Clearwater Revival

May 2024 · 2 minute read

Unsurprisingly, Mardi Gras was the last straw for Creedence Clearwater Revival, and the group dissolved shortly after. However, this wasn't the end of conflicts between CCR and John Fogerty. Fogerty fought everyone connected to CCR's music, and in the years after the band's breakup, that included the label that owned the songs he wrote and sang. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, Fogerty refused for decades to perform his old CCR songs, blaming the bad deal he made with Fantasy Records in his early days for his boycott.

Per the deal, Fantasy had the exclusive publishing rights to Fogerty's music. Fogerty said of the situation, "I realized I was being treated very poorly and that I wasn't being paid anywhere near a proper way. In the back of my mind, I wanted to own my songs — my children, you might say."

Fantasy Records head Saul Zaentz and Fogerty grew to hate each other during and after CCR. When the group broke up in 1972, Saul refused to let John out of his contract, something he did for the other members, until he fulfilled the agreement. Fogerty refused to work with Zaentz and, when he realized he couldn't win back his publishing rights from Fantasy, refused to perform his classic CCR songs, Forbes reports. When Zaentz sold off his interest in Fantasy Records, Fogerty returned to the label, released the album Revival in 2007, and became more comfortable performing his old songs again.

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