Workin' on a Building

Background

“"Workin' on a Building" was the B-side of "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)", the second single John Fogerty released as The Blue Ridge Rangers. The song was recorded at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley and engineered by Skip Shimmin and Russ Gary. Fogerty plays all the instruments by himself. The 45 RPM single was released in October 1972. The song also appears on The Blue Ridge Rangers album which came out in April 1973.

John Fogerty used to make compilation tapes of the music he thought other people should hear.  He played them for his band mates and other people he met. Fogerty thought Stanley Brothers' version of "Workin' on a Building" would be an approppriate follow-up for Ray Charles' "Drown in My Own Tears" on one of the tapes. Fogerty didn't want to do any compromises while recording the song. He desired to mix various styles and put in all the fire he wanted it to have.  (John Fogerty promotional interview, 1973.)

Collector's notes

The single was released with different cover sleeves in Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Singapore, Spain and Sweden. The US release had no picture sleeve. (Peter Koers)

Live versions

The world premiere of the live version of "Workin' on a Building" took place in the opening concert of the Blue Moon Swamp Tour at The Fillmore in San Francisco on May 18th, 1997. Fogerty played a lap-mounted dobro in this version which remained in his setlist during the Blue Moon Swamp World Tour in 1997 and the Premonition Tour next year.  

Fogerty also performed the song in the sessions where the live DVD Premonition was recorded but it didn't appear on the subsequent CD or DVD.

The song made a return to the setlists of John Fogerty several years later. He played it regularly in the concerts in the USA, Canada and Europe in summer and fall 2009. This time Fogerty played it on an Eastwood Airline Coronado guitar. (He donated it to an Argentine fan in the concert in Buenos Aires in May 2011.)

Fogerty played the Airline version also in a concert in Lucca, Italy, on July 26, 2009. It was broadcast live by Italian radio RAI.

Critical reception

"His guitar playing is unchanged from Creedence days, with "Workin' on a Building" featuring the guitar part first heard on the great "Green River."" -Jon Landau, The Rolling Stone, July 5th, 1973.

"Another gospel song that could've come from a church. I love the multitude of Fogerty voices at the beginning, and his extended "I" at the third verse, but the guitar chords are screechy and annoying. An overlong fade-off as well." -Matt Loewen. 

"'Jambalaya' --- is played perfectly - not a guitar lick out of place, not a climactic point missed." -George Starostin.

Thanks to Jukka. 

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