Willy and the Poor Boys

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Willy and the Poor Boys
Studio album by
Creedence Clearwater Revival
ReleasedOctober 29, 1969 (1969-10-29)[1]
Recorded1969
StudioWally Heider (San Francisco)[2]
Genre
Length34:31
LabelFantasy
ProducerJohn Fogerty
Creedence Clearwater Revival chronology
Green River
(1969) 		Willy and the Poor Boys
(1969) 		Cosmo's Factory
(1970)
Singles from Willy and the Poor Boys
  1. "Down on the Corner" b/w "Fortunate Son"
    Released: October 1969[6]

Willy and the Poor Boys is the fourth studio album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released by Fantasy Records on October 29, 1969. It was the last of three studio albums the band released that year, arriving just three months after Green River.[6] In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked the album number 193 in its list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".

Overview

The album features the songs "Down on the Corner", from which the album got its name, and "Fortunate Son", which is a well-known protest song.[7] Creedence also released its own version of "Cotton Fields" on this album, which reached the #1 position in Mexico.[8]

The album was planned to be formed around a concept introduced in "Down on the Corner", with Creedence taking on the identity of an old-time jug band called "Willy and The Poor Boys". However, this was dropped rather quickly, except for the cover, where the band remains in character.

Background

By the fall of 1969, Creedence Clearwater Revival was one of the most popular rock bands in the world, having scored three consecutive #2 singles and the #1 album

Woodstock Festival in August and made several high-profile television appearances, including The Ed Sullivan Show. Bandleader and songwriter John Fogerty had assumed control of the band after several years of futility, but, despite their growing success, the other members – bassist Stu Cook, drummer Doug Clifford and guitarist Tom Fogerty, John's older brother – began to chafe under Fogerty's leadership.[citation needed] In 1969, the band released three full-length albums while also fulfilling touring commitments. "That was a bit of overkill and I never did understand that," Clifford stated to Jeb Wright of Goldmine in 2013, "Fogerty told us that if we were ever off the charts, then we would be forgotten... To make it worse, it might sound funny, but we had double-sided hits, and that was kind of a curse, as we were burning through material twice as fast. If we'd spread it out, we would not have had to put out three albums in one year." On that point, Fogerty told Guitar World's Harold Steinblatt in 1998, "Everyone advised me against putting out great B-sides. They'd tell me I was wasting potential hits. And I looked at them and said, 'Baloney. Look at the Beatles. Look at Elvis
. It's the quickest way to show them all that good music."

Songs

In August, CCR released its third

gut bass.[10] In a 1969 appearance on The Music Scene,[11] the band performed the song as Willy and the Poor Boys. Stu Cook
played a gut bass, Doug Clifford the washboard, and Tom Fogerty the Kalamazoo, which mimicked the appearance of the band as they appear on the album cover.

"

Julie Nixon, the daughter of President Richard Nixon, in 1968.[13] Fogerty told Rolling Stone
:

Julie Nixon was hanging around with David Eisenhower, and you just had the feeling that none of these people were going to be involved with the war. In 1968, the majority of the country thought morale was great among the troops, and eighty percent of them were in favor of the war. But to some of us who were watching closely, we just knew we were headed for trouble.[14][15]

In 1993, Fogerty confessed to Rolling Stone's Michael Goldberg, "It was written, of course, during the Nixon era, and well, let's say I was very non-supportive of Mr. Nixon." The song has been widely used to protest military actions and elitism in Western society, particularly in the United States; as an added consequence of its popularity, it has even been used in completely unrelated situations, such as to advertise

Concert for Valor in Washington, D.C. Fogerty, a military veteran, defended their song choice.[16]

Fogerty's revulsion with President Nixon can also be found on the album's closing track, "Effigy." In 2013 the singer-songwriter told David Cavanagh of Uncut that the tune was his response to Nixon emerging from the White House one afternoon and sneering at the anti-war demonstrators outside, with Fogerty remembering, "He said, 'Nothing you do here today will have any effect on me. I'm going back inside to watch the football game.'"

"Don't Look Now" displays Fogerty's concern for the working poor ("Who will take the coal from the mine? Who will take the salt from the earth?"). As recounted in the VH1 Legends episode on the band, Fogerty once stated to Time magazine, "I see things through lower class eyes."

The

America
. The album also includes two instrumental tracks in "Poorboy Shuffle" and "Side o' the Road", the former of which segues directly into the song "Feelin' Blue."

The album contains two songs associated with blues and folk legend Lead Belly: "Cotton Fields" and "The Midnight Special". In 2012, Fogerty explained to Uncut, "Lead Belly was a big influence. I learned about him through Pete Seeger. When you listen to those guys, you're getting down to the root of the tree." In 1982, the band's rendition of "Cotton Fields" made #50 on Billboard magazine's Country Singles chart.[9]

When the band members were finalizing the album, they and photographer Basul Parik went over to the intersection of Peralta St. and Hollis St. in Oakland, California and shot the cover photograph at Duck Kee Market, owned by Ruby Lee.[17]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Encyclopedia of Popular Music
[20]
Rolling Stone (original)(favorable)[21]
Rolling Stone (40th Ann.)[22]
The Village VoiceA+[23]

Willy and the Poor Boys was released in November 1969 as Fantasy 8397,[6] and in 1970 made the Top 50 in six countries,[24][25][26][27][28][29] including France, where it reached #1.[25] On December 16, 1970, the Recording Industry Association of America certified the album gold (500,000 units sold). Almost 20 years later, on December 13, 1990, the album was certified platinum (million units sold) and 2× platinum (2 million units sold).[30]

The album was well received, exemplified by the original review in Rolling Stone, which stated it was the band's "best one yet".[31] In a contemporary review for The Village Voice, Robert Christgau also believed it was the group's best record and wrote, "Fogerty's subtlety as a political songwriter (have you ever really dug the words of 'Fortunate Son'?) comes as no surprise."[23] He later included it in his "Basic Record Library" of 1950s and 1960s recordings, published in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981).[32]

In a retrospective review,

Fortunate Son", that has a good beat to it.[22]

In 2003, the album was ranked number 392 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time;[33] the 2012 edition of the list had it ranked number 309,[34] and the 2020 edition of the list included the album at number 193.[35]

The album was remastered and reissued on 180-gram vinyl by Analogue Productions in 2006. On June 10, 2008, it was remastered and released by Concord Music Group as a compact disc, with three bonus tracks.[7]

Track listing

All tracks are written by John Fogerty, except where noted

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Down on the Corner" 2:46
2."It Came Out of the Sky" 2:53
3."Cotton Fields"Huddie Ledbetter2:56
4."Poorboy Shuffle" 2:25
5."Feelin' Blue" 5:06
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."
Traditional, arr.
John Fogerty		4:13
4."Side o' the Road" 3:24
5."Effigy" 6:26
40th Anniversary Edition CD bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."
Fortunate Son" (live in Manchester, September 1, 1971)
2:13
12."It Came Out of the Sky" (live in Berlin, September 16, 1971, recorded for Live in Europe)3:26
13."Down on the Corner" (Jam with Booker T. & the M.G.'s)2:49

Personnel

Per liner notes[7][36][37]

Creedence Clearwater Revival
Additional musicians
Production
  • Basul Parik – photography
  • Chris Clough – 2008 compilation producer
  • Ed Ward – 2008 liner notes
  • Joel Selvin – 2008 liner notes
  • Rikka Arnold – project assistance
  • Bill Belmont – project assistance
  • Jennifer Peters – project assistance

Charts

Chart performance for Willy and the Poor Boys
Chart (1970) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[38] 2
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[39] 2
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[40] 3
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[41] 25
Finnish Albums (
The Official Finnish Charts)[42]
 3
Italian Albums (
Musica e Dischi)[43]
 17
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[44] 11
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[45] 2
UK Albums (OCC)[46] 10
US Billboard 200[47] 3
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[48] 28

Certifications

Certifications for Willy and the Poor Boys
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[49] Gold 10,000‡
United States (RIAA)[50] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. ^ "RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America.
  2. ^ "Classic Tracks: Creedence Clearwater Revival "Fortunate Son"". March 2009. Archived from the original on May 26, 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  3. ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. December 31, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2024. John Fogerty's ability to wed swamp rock with catchy, complex arrangements gave Willy a durability few rock albums can match.
  4. Music Radar
    . All three of 1969's Bayou Country, Green River and Willy And The Poor Boys are vital additions to the blues rock canon.
  5. ^ a b Wood, Gabe (July 17, 2017). "Patriot Month #5: Willy and the Poor Boys, by Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)". Sevencut. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  6. ^
    Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits (CD booklet). Creedence Clearwater Revival. U.S.A.: Fantasy Records. 1991. FCD-CCR2-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link
    )
  7. ^ a b c Ward, Ed; Selvin, Joel (2008). Willy and the Poor Boys [Expanded Reissue] (PDF) (CD booklet). Creedence Clearwater Revival. U.S.A.: Concord Music Group. FAN-30879-02. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 14, 2012.
  8. ^ stated in our article "Cotton Fields" without further refs. But does it work there, it should do in this article as well
  9. ^ a b "Music Charts, Top 40 Hits, Top 40 Hits by Year". Top 40 USA. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  10. Metrolyrics. Archived from the original on November 22, 2011. Retrieved October 5, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link
    )
  11. ^ "Music Scene - Season 1 - IMDb". IMDb. December 1, 1969. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  12. ^ "Creedence Clearwater Revival Biography". The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on May 25, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2013.
  13. ^ "The story behind the lyrics and the identity of the "Fortunate Son"". Snopes.com. August 15, 2006. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2010.
  14. ^ "Fortunate Son Songfacts". Songfacts.com. Archived from the original on August 13, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  15. ^ "Fortunate Son — Creedence Clearwater Revival". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 24, 2008. Retrieved November 12, 2008.
  16. ^ Lewis, Randy (November 12, 2014). "John Fogerty defends 'Fortunate Son' song choice at Concert for Valor". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 20, 2015. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  17. ^ DelVecchio, Rick (September 30, 1998). "Vandals Rip Rock History from Store in Oakland" (.DTL). San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 2, 2008. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
  18. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Willy and the Poor Boys Review". AllMusic. Retrieved November 1, 2004. It all adds up to one of the greatest pure rock & roll records ever cut.
  19. ^ a b "Review: Creedence Clearwater Revival – Willy and the Poor Boys". Blender.com. Alpha Media Group. Retrieved November 20, 2010.[dead link]
  20. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8
    .
  21. ^ Dubro, Alec (January 21, 1970). "Records". Rolling Stone. No. 50. San Francisco: Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. p. 44. Archived from the original on March 24, 2008. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  22. ^ a b Walters, Barry (October 2, 2008). "Creedence: Back to the Bayou". Rolling Stone. No. 1062. p. 74. Archived from the original on March 5, 2009. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  23. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (April 23, 1970). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on November 20, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2006.
  24. ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  25. ^ a b "InfoDisc : Tous les Albums classés par Artiste". Infodisc.fr. Archived from the original on July 20, 2015. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  26. ^ Hung, Steffen. "Creedence Clearwater Revival – Willy And The Poor Boys". dutchcharts.nl. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  27. ^ Hung, Steffen. "Creedence Clearwater Revival – Willy And The Poor Boys". norwegiancharts.com. Archived from the original on December 25, 2011. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  28. ^ "1970-03-28 Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. March 28, 1970. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  29. ^ "Creedence Clearwater Revival – Billboard Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
  30. ^ "American album certifications – Creedence Clearwater Revival – Willy". Recording Industry Association of America.
  31. ^ Dubro, Alec (January 21, 1970). "Creedence Clearwater Revival Willy and the Poor Boys > Album Review". Rolling Stone. No. 50. Archived from the original on March 24, 2008. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
  32. ISBN 0899190251. Archived
    from the original on March 12, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  33. OCLC 70672814. Archived
    from the original on December 20, 2010. Retrieved March 7, 2006.
  34. ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Archived from the original on May 10, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  35. ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Penske Media Corporation. September 22, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  36. ^ Willy and the Poor Boys (Vinyl sleeve). Creedence Clearwater Revival. Fantasy Records. 1969. back cover. 8397.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  37. ^ Everett, W, 2008. The Foundations of Rock: From "Blue Suede Shoes" to "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes". 1st ed. U.K.: Oxford University Press. p. 92.
  38. ISBN 0-646-11917-6
    .
  39. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 3764". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
  40. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Creedence Clearwater Revival – Willy and the Poor Boys" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
  41. GfK Entertainment Charts
    . Retrieved July, 8 2023.
  42. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5
    .
  43. Musica e Dischi
     (in Italian). Retrieved July 8, 2023. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Creedence Clearwater Revival".
  44. ISBN 4-87131-077-9
    .
  45. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Creedence Clearwater Revival – Willy and the Poor Boys". Hung Medien. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
  46. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
  47. ^ "Creedence Clearwater Revival Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
  48. ^ "Creedence Clearwater Revival Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
  49. ^ "Danish album certifications – Creedence Clearwater – Willy and the Poor Boys". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  50. ^ "American album certifications – Creedence Clearwater Revival – Willy". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 23, 2023.

External links

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