Blue Moon Nights

Background

“Blue Moon Nights” is the eleventh track on the album Blue Moon Swamp. In Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music, Fogerty explained the inspiration for the song. “With ‘Blue Moon Nights’ I was thinking about Sun Records. When I’d explain the song, I’d say, ‘Imagine if some kid walked in off the street to see Sam Phillips, and he’s got a sackful of songs, and one of them would go like this.’” The resultant song might be described as boom-chick-a-boom with a Carl Perkins-meets-Luther Perkins lead guitar. The almost spoken, first person lyrics are from a man who is losing in love, afraid of loneliness, and beckoning for help. “There’s such an affection coming from that song,” Fogerty wrote, “and I just really wanted to get all that in the track… To get yourself into that emotional and mental place. I love doing that.”

Personnel

Drums: Jeff Donavan

Bass: Bob Glaub

All Guitars: John Fogerty

Drummer Jeff Donavan is best known as the studio and concert drummer for Dwight Yoakam. Bass player Bob Glaub has played with an incredible range of rock musicians.

Production notes

The guitar work heard in “Blue Moon Nights” was the result of some frank self-criticism on the part of Fogerty. In the early stages of the song’s formation when he began to add guitar to the bass and drum tracks, he stopped himself in just five minutes because he felt his guitar work was not up to snuff. “This bass player and this drummer would kick the guitar player out of this band,” he said at the time. To get the expert-sounding guitar he wanted, Fogerty extensively practiced until he was ready (Hank Bordowitz, Bad Moon Rising, 2007).

Live versions

Fogerty did a stripped down version of the song with his touring band in concert during the Premonition Tour in 1998.  He played dobro on this version. 

Fogerty played the song several times in concerts during the Déjà Vu Tour (2004), the Long Road Home Tour (2006-2007) and Revival Tour (2008).

During his tours where he played full Creedence albums, "Blue Moon Nights" was one of the non-Creedence album songs he added (2012).

Fogerty also played the song often during the Wrote a Song for Everyone Tour (2013-2014).

The flannel shirt maestro has only played "Blue Moon Nights" in one TV concert: the birthday bash at El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on May 28th, 2013, was aired by AXS-TV in the USA. 

"Blue Moon Nights" appears on his Long Road Home concert DVD (2006). 

Fans' views

"Another feel-good song that makes you want to sing along. It captures the feel of a simpler time for both the world and for music. One can just imagine John and three buddies sitting down in Sam Phillips studio in Memphis to make a hit record. He has really captured the feel of what he was after."

"So easy to sing along. And thinking about the good memories that left from the first concert from John I ever attended. It was in Deer Creek Indianapolis, June 1998. It was a wonderful night. Thinking about the good company I had that night. The wonderful atmosphere at the Deer Creek outdoor theatre. And not to forget that we attended a big part of the sound check. Everytime I listen to "Blue Moon Nights" I have to think about that night."

"It's a Fogerty 'love' song. Hopeless romantics can really appreciate it."

Essay written by Nick Linville 

previous | next