Mardi Gras (album)

Mardi Gras
Studio album by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Released April 11, 1972
Recorded Spring 1971
January 1972
Studio Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco, California
Fantasy Records Studio A in Berkeley, California[1]
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
Pendulum
(1970)		 Mardi Gras
(1972)		 Creedence Gold
(1972)
Singles from Mardi Gras
  1. "Sweet Hitch-Hiker"/"Door to Door"
    Released: July 1971 (U.S.)
  2. "Someday Never Comes"/"Tearin' up the Country"
    Released: May 1972 (U.S.)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Robert Christgau(B)[3]

Mardi Gras is the seventh and final studio album by American band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released on April 11, 1972. The group disbanded after this album was released.

Unlike previous albums, Mardi Gras had Stu Cook and Doug Clifford sharing songwriting and production with John Fogerty, as well as their own lead vocal contributions for the first time. Reviews were mixed to poor, and critics called the album "Fogerty's revenge".[4] Following the album's release, the group was officially dissolved on 16 October in a statement released by the group and its record label Fantasy Records. Mardi Gras is the only album by the band that was not remastered and reissued until 2008 to mark the 40th anniversary of the band's formation.

Production

Previously, bandleader John Fogerty sang all lead vocals, created the song arrangements and composed all the band's original material. Older brother Tom Fogerty had departed after a dispute which was in large part caused by his 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 1961 Ricky Nelson hit "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. 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.[5] 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 break 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 vocals or 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.[5]

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.

Reception

Reviews were mixed to poor, and critics called the album "Fogerty's revenge".[4][6]

In 1976, John Fogerty told Rolling Stone magazine "I figured that Creedence made six albums. Let me count... the first one, Bayou Country, Green River, Willy and the Poor Boys, Cosmo's Factory, Pendulum... yeah, six. I wouldn’t even count Mardi Gras and neither would anybody else. I had no control over anything after that. The rest is horse manure. Baloney."[7]

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s)Lead singer Length
1. "Lookin' for a Reason"  John FogertyJohn Fogerty 3:28
2. "Take It Like a Friend"  Stu CookStu Cook 3:00
3. "Need Someone to Hold"  Stu Cook, Doug CliffordDoug Clifford 3:00
4. "Tearin' Up the Country"  Doug CliffordDoug Clifford 2:14
5. "Someday Never Comes"  John FogertyJohn Fogerty 4:01
No. TitleWriter(s)Lead singer Length
1. "What Are You Gonna Do"  Doug CliffordDoug Clifford 2:53
2. "Sail Away"  Stu CookStu Cook 2:29
3. "Hello Mary Lou"  Gene Pitney, Cayet MangiaracinaJohn Fogerty 2:14
4. "Door to Door"  Stu CookStu Cook 2:09
5. "Sweet Hitch-Hiker"  John FogertyJohn Fogerty 2:59

Personnel

Production

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

  1. ↑ Gary, Russ (15 May 2006). "Who plays what instruments on Creedence Mardi Gras". forums.stevehoffman.tv. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  2. ↑ AllMusic review
  3. ↑ Robert Christgau review
  4. 1 2 Rolling Stone review, Jon Landau, May 26, 1976. Accessed Jan. 21, 2015.
  5. 1 2 The Classics with Steve Downs
  6. ↑ Bad Moon Rising: The Unauthorized History of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Hank Bordowitz, Chicago Review Press, Jul 1, 2007. p. 143. Accessed via Google Books Jan. 31, 2015.
  7. ↑ Fogerty, John (May 6, 1976). "John's Clearwater Credo: Proud Fogerty Post-Creedence". Rolling Stone (Interview). Interview with Cameron Crowe.
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