Entertainment
“John’s Version”: John Fogerty on re-recording Creedence Clearwater Revival hits
“It was life and death,” said musician John Fogerty. “I used to tell myself that phrase: ‘This is life and death.’ You’re against the whole world.”
He felt that as a young man: “Yes, oh yes. I mean, there’s a million records out there. It’s me against everybody that’s every recorded and ever will record. You’ve got to do a great job. It was either be great, or go home!”
You know how it turned out for Fogerty. “Great” is something of an understatement. That voice … that guitar … and those songs, so many of which became hits that are now classics. But Fogerty, who recently turned 80, says every time he steps up to the mic, he still has something to prove – and still feel a little nerve. “Oh yeah, yeah, every time!” he laughed. “But I think the nerves is what gives you the edge.
I asked, “How do you do that? What’s the magic there?”
“I wish I had a really great, contrived answer for you, but I don’t!” he laughed.
The answer seems quite simple when you watch Fogerty rehearse. There is love of craft, and love of family. (His sons, Shane and Tyler Fogerty, help lead his touring band.)
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The group that put Fogerty on the charts was Creedence Clearwater Revival, which got its start in the late 1950s. Though a native of Northern California, Fogerty soaked up the rhythms of the South, giving birth to his so-called “swamp rock” sound, which he honed in the mid-’60s.
He recalled: “I received my honorable discharge from the Army. And the first line I wrote was, ‘Left a good job in the city, workin’ for the man every night and day.’ Well, of course that was the Army. I mean, it had just happened. But as I begin to strum, I started singing this phrase: ‘Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’ on the river.’ And at that point I’m, Well, what is this song? What is this? And I went to this songbook that I had just started keeping, and on the very first page, the very first entry, I had written the words ‘Proud Mary.’
“And I actually understood right then that I’d written a classic song, a really great, American song,” he said. “And a few moments later, ‘Oh my God. What if I never get to do this again? What if this is the only one that ever happens, and I’m a one-hit wonder?'”
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Turns out, Fogerty was anything but that. Yet, after the 1972 breakup of Creedence, his solo career became mired in legal battles. He was stunned to discover he no longer had control over the use of the songs he wrote – and a limited share of the profits.
Fogerty has looked on as others have endured similar challenges, and pain. The most famous current example: Taylor Swift, who earlier this year purchased the rights to her compositions, and won back control of her music.
I asked, “If you could pull her aside, John, and give her a piece of advice about how to get over the pain of a fight over your own music, what would you tell her?”
“Well, I don’t think you get over that kind of fight,” he replied. “What happened to me is, I stopped touring, and I stopped singing my own songs. I don’t recommend that move to anybody. You become invisible. You’re just forgotten about. It’s like you died.”
I asked Julie, his wife of 34 years, if she ever doubted that he would be able to pull himself out of that anger. “I think it was more sadness than anger,” she said. “And all he ever wanted to do in life was make music. That was his love. That was his best friend. And having that taken away and turned so bad was really hard for me to understand.”
Fogerty gives Julie credit for turning his life around. And she encouraged him not only to buy back the rights to his Creedence catalog, but to re-record those songs with his sons. The result: a new album, “Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years (John’s Version).”
Julie said, “Having those songs and being able to put his fist in the air and go, ‘I own those songs,’ I couldn’t think of a better gift than having him record these with friends and family.”
You can stream John Fogerty’s album “Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years (John’s Version)” by clicking on the embed below (Free Spotify registration required to hear the tracks in full):
Since they were children, sons Shane and Tyler learned guitar from their father. The new album is a family affair, but it’s also serious business. “I have the feeling that somehow Julie knew, she knew that at some point, the life-and-death John would kick in and I would have to roll up my sleeves,” Fogerty said. “‘Cause that’s what happened. And literally, this was kind of when the record was done, I think she told me, she said she could see me going back in time. With each one of these tracks, especially when I was doing the lead vocal, I had to remember what I felt like when I sang it the first time.”
And what a time it has been. For John Fogerty, the highs and lows have landed him here: at peace with it all, and lucky enough to have his songs still playing.
I asked, “What’s it like for you to hear your music everywhere, even now?”
“I don’t know the exact right words; I can almost not believe it actually happened, or that that was me,” he said. “It’s a prideful thing. I think it makes you feel really happy that you are able to tune into the radio station that God delivers, you know, and receive a song like ‘Proud Mary,’ and write it down, and even take credit for it, right? And then have it go around the world like that? It’s kind of too much to really be able to grab hold of.”
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Watch an extended interview with John Fogerty, and a performance of “Proud Mary”:
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Story produced by Ed Forgotson. Editor: Jason Schmidt.
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Kitty Song Covey is entering her senior year – and apparently, she still hasn’t discovered the concept of “chill.”
Anna Cathcart is back as everyone’s favourite chaos queen in season 3 of XO, Kitty, premiering on Netflix this spring. And according to the 22-year-old star, Kitty may want to consider a yoga class. Or three.
“She just needs to calm down a little bit,” Anna told People magazine. “I feel like Kitty has the most chaos [sic] of anyone I know, and that’s what we love about her.”
“But also, girl, you need to sit down sometimes,” she continued. “Take a deep breath, it’s okay. She kind of always has been [that way], but in a controlled way, I guess. She handles it well.”
Season 3 picks up after that cliffhanger (you know the one), and for the first time, fans will see a summer episode – yes, summer at KISS is officially unlocked.
“I’m finally allowed to talk about that because it’s been a secret forever,” Anna shared. “So very excited and I think they’re going to be surprised, but also super happy. So I can’t wait.”
And it’s not just poolside vibes. “[Kitty’s] making some big decisions in her life and it’s senior year, all of that, so I’m very excited for them to see,” she added.
Translation? Expect romance, identity spirals, possibly tears – and definitely Kitty-level impulsive decision-making.
Holly Willoughby is preparing to make her TV comeback with her won Youtube channel, following reports of her solo project.
Since leaving This Morning, she briefly hosted ITV’s You Bet! and Netflix’s reality show Celebrity Bear Hunt.
It has now been reported that the 44-year-old is following other stars who have their own channels, including Ant and Dec, chef Gordon Ramsay and rapper KSI.
By comparison, Gordon Ramsay leads with 21.9 million Youtube subscribers, followed by KSI at 17.3 million.
A source close to Ms Willoughby previously told Daily Mail:
‘She is working with her husband Dan Baldwin’s production company Hungry Bear to develop a ‘multi-strand programme for digital platforms’ in a move she is said to be ‘thrilled and excited’ about.
She also has a production company on hand, Hungry Bear, which creates Gladiators and Michael McIntyre’s Big Show and is run by her husband Dan Baldwin.
A TV insider said: ‘This is a massive game-changer for Holly and the wider industry because this show and her channel will be a threat to the main broadcasters, particularly This Morning and ITV.
‘Advertisers are increasingly turning away from traditional terrestrial telly and looking for new opportunities and new ways to promote themselves online — and with a magazine show like this it’s the perfect vehicle.
‘And if any of the big-name retailers could cherry-pick a presenter who’s an ideal figure to front it, then it is surely Holly.’
Ms Willoughby has largely been off our screens since she left This Morning in October 2023, after she was told a former security guard had planned to kidnap, rape and murder her.
- Interbank rate stays range-bound through the week.
- IMF review talks begin under EFF and RSF.
- Remittances rise year-on-year, dip month-on-month.
KARACHI: The Pakistani rupee is expected to stay stable and may strengthen slightly in the near term, supported by seasonal remittance inflows during Ramadan and ahead of Eid, The News reported, citing a report released on Saturday.
The currency traded in a tight band in the interbank market this week, closing at 279.55 to the dollar on Monday and at 279.47 on Friday.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) team began talks with Pakistani authorities on Wednesday for the third review under the $7 billion Extended Financing Facility (EFF) and the second review of the $1.1 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).
Upon successful completion, Pakistan would become eligible by the end of April for about $1 billion under the EFF and an additional $200 million under the RSF.
The geopolitical situation has worsened as the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, plunging the region into a new conflict.
The rupee has appreciated by approximately 60 paisa since the beginning of the year, said Tresmark, a platform that provides live financial rates, in a client note. While this increase is modest on its own, it is more significant when considering the broader context, it said.
The rupee has strengthened despite several challenges, including rising geopolitical risks and US posturing in the region, escalating tensions along the western border, isolated internal security incidents, Brent crude prices trading above $72 a barrel, a steady decline in exports, a widening trade deficit, tariff pressures and a persistent inflation differential with the US.
“Seasonal remittance inflows around Ramadan and Eid are likely to keep the rupee well bid in the near term,” the Tresmark’s report said.
“That said, most economists argue that further appreciation offers limited structural benefit, which makes the recent firmness somewhat counterintuitive,” it added.
Pakistan’s remittances rose 15.4% year-on-year (YoY) in January to $3.5 billion. However, these flows dropped 4% on a month-on-month (MoM) basis. Remittances increased 11.3% to $23.2 billion in the first seven months of the fiscal year 2026.
“Premiums have marginally improved. If costing is tight, exporters should opt for forwards, as rupee outlook continues to look stable to slightly stronger,” it said.
According to the report, the rupee’s stability is not isolated. Several high-carry or reform-backed EM currencies have also held firm despite geopolitical noise, including the Egyptian pound, Thai baht, South African rand, Brazilian real, Mexican peso, and Indonesian rupiah.
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