Singer and guitarist John Fogerty is about to release Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years.David McClister/Supplied
After decades of stormy legal wrangling with Fantasy Records over the rights to songs by his band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the rain has finally stopped for John Fogerty. The American singer and guitarist now finally owns the publishing rights to the catalogue and is about to release Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years, a collection of well-known CCR material he wrote and has now rerecorded, this Friday. The 80-year-old rock troubadour spoke to The Globe and Mail via video conference.
You purchased a majority interest in the worldwide publishing rights to the Creedence catalogue in 2023, and now you’re releasing an album of your rerecordings of 20 of the songs. In a 1970 interview with Rolling Stone, you talked about starting your own company – looks like you’ve finally done it.
Did I really say that? I think I feel about it musically rather than corporately, saying I’m going to start a company and then figuring out how to fill it with stuff. That’s probably what I was thinking about all those years ago.
We hear about artists such as Bruce Springsteen selling their publishing rights, but you went the other way, buying yours from Concord Records in 2023. Why?
Maybe I should buy Paul McCartney’s songs [laughs]. I never owned mine before, and I always wanted to. You’ve asked a solid question, and I’ve just had an emotional response. It was longing in my heart to own those songs.
Why is there no Song of the Summer for 2025?
You’re one of countless artists who battled with record labels and publishers. But your dispute with Fantasy Records was more personal, wasn’t it?
I would agree with all that. And that makes people’s passions much more vivid.
It must have hurt more.
Oh, of course. Especially not being recognized as the person who was creating all this wealth for the label and being ripped off.
You grew up on that label. You were friends with Saul Zaentz before he even purchased the label, weren’t you?
Yes. My time of trial with Fantasy, my apprenticeship as it were, was going to last for so long. Probably to the age of 45 or something. So, the feeling was: “Wait a minute, this is not fair.” That really hurt.
Blue Rodeo’s Lost Together is the song of the summer, every summer
Concord finished merging with Fantasy Records last year. Concord still owns the Creedence master recordings. Practically speaking, what does your rerecording of old Creedence songs accomplish?
I can almost not even answer that question, but I’ll try. You’re right, it’s not practical. I’ll own the masters of the rerecordings, but in my mind that wasn’t enough reason to do it. Buying back the publishing rights and now rerecording them is a sort of spiritual statement: These are my songs. I am fully embracing the ownership of my songs as the one who created them.
It’s been a long time coming.
There were years of animosity with Fantasy Records. With that, there was a nebulous energy out there that made things not grounded. The grounding is very straight and solid for me now.
Fogerty purchased publishing rights of the Creedence Clearwater Revival catalogue from Concord Records in 2023.David McClister/Supplied
More than one of the Creedence songs you rerecorded are evocative of the Vietnam War era. How does that association with another time make you feel today?
I’m very proud of it. For any writer, to have your work still resonate and still be recognized years and years later is a wonderful thing. I’m actually mystified I was able to say things so well at the age of 23, or whatever it was.
One of your emblematic songs, Fortunate Son, was played during the military parade in Washington, D.C., in June. The song slams wealthy draft-dodgers, such as U.S. President Donald Trump, who allegedly called fallen soldiers “suckers” and “losers.”
I believe he made those statements. He’s so transparently a liar. Everybody knows it. Four years from now can’t come too soon.
Do you still feel like that person who wrote Fortunate Son?
At times in my life, I have felt disconnected from that person. Most of the time, though, I remember him. We get older, but we’re still that same person in a way. The connection is still there today, and quite instantaneous.
Where are you creatively right now?
I play guitar every day. I feel very vibrant and forward-looking, getting myself situated into a schedule where I can be writing new music and rehearsing my band with the idea of recording the music, and finally getting it out to the public.
Looking back at your greatest hits setlist from Glastonbury Festival this summer, I imagine most fans would be happy to just hear your classics.
Sure, everybody would be happy. Except me.
John Fogerty plays at Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls, Ont. on Aug. 30.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
