Blueboy
Background
“Blueboy” is the third track on Blue Moon Swamp, the fifth solo album of John Fogerty. It came out in May 1997. The cut was written, produced and arranged by John Fogerty, engineered by John Lowson and mixed by Bob Clearmountain. The album peaked at #37 in the USA, #1 in Finland and #8 in Australia. It also won Best Rock Album at the 40th Grammy Awards in 1998. "Blueboy", backed with "Bad Bad Boy", also appeared on the single that came out in September 1997 and reached #22 in the USA.
Personnel
Guitars, vocals: John Fogerty
Backing vocals: Julia Waters, Maxine Waters, Oren Waters
Drums: Chester Thompson
Bass: Dick "Duck" Dunn
Tambourine: Luis Conté
Handclaps: Andy Brauer, Bob Glaub, Bob Fogerty, John Fogerty
"Blueboy" is the one and only recorded collaboration between John Fogerty and Dick "Duck" Dunn. Chester Thompson is a renowned session musician and mostly known as the tour drummer with the band Genesis for many years.The track also marks the debut on a John Fogerty record by The Waters.
Equipment
Fogerty used a Danelectro guitar and a 1962 brown Concert amplifier to create a tremelo effect on "Blueboy". It's the same effect that was heard on ZZ Top's Rhythmeen (Willie G. Moseley, Interview with John Fogerty, The Vintage Guitar, August 1997).
Trivia
On the last seconds of the song, you may hear Shane or Tyler saying "You're hurting my ears, Daddy."
Collector's notes
A CD single containing "Blueboy", "Bad Bad Boy" and "Searchlight" came out in Sweden (WB 9362439422 WO423CD) and Australia (WB 9362439422). Both had a cover sleeve (Peter Koers, CCR Fan Club Bulletin #47, February 1998).
“Blueboy” was also released as a promotional CD single (WB PRO CD 8943) in the USA (Peter Koers, Green River, 1999).
Furthermore, "Blueboy" b/w "Bad Bad Boy" was launched as a promotional cassette single with a picture sleeve (9-17283-4) (Peter Koers, CCR Fan Club Bulletin #47, February 1998).
Video
A Gerry Wenner directed music video of "Blueboy" was released in summer 1998. It features Fogerty playing at a country barbecue. Julie is playing tambourine with the boys Shane and Tyler in the audience. The performance was filmed at the Historical Society barn in Holliston, Massachusetts, USA. Fogerty was looking for a rustic place to shoot a video and it was Julie's sister who suggested the barn (Holliston-Hopkinton Patch, July 28th, 2011). The video went on circulation on Country Music Television in the USA on June 14th, 1998 (The Billboard, June 27th, 1998).
According to the credits o the video, it was already shot on August 5th, 1997.
Live versions
The World premiere of the live version of "Blueboy" took place in Burbank, California, on May 12th, 1997, on the radio special for Album Network. Hosted by Redbeard, the show was broadcast by such stations as KLOS-FM in Los Angeles and WXRK in New York. It was also streamed online.
At that time, Warner Brothers also launched a 19-minute promo video featuring Fogerty and the band rehearing several songs, including "Blueboy".
Fogerty added the song to his set list on the Blue Moon Swamp World Tour in 1997, starting at the Fillmore in San Francisco on May 18th, 1997. He didn't deliver the song on the Premonition Tour next year though it was included in the Premonition DVD launched in June 1998. Instead, Fogerty let the Blueboy play regularly on stage again in 2000 and 2004-2006.
For some odd reason, Fogerty likes to play the song in the old continent. After the year 2010, he only has performed "Blueboy" in a couple of concerts in Europe in summer 2010, 2012 and 2014, including Gröna Lund in Stockholm, Sweden, on July 2nd, 2010.
To promote Blue Moon Swamp, Fogerty also performed the song in a couple of TV shows in the USA in summer and fall 1997: Late Night with Conan O'Brien (NBC), on July 18th, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC), on August 11th and the Farm Aid concert on October 4th. Furthermore, he delivered the number live in Stockholm, Sweden, on July 25th, in a concert screened partially by the Swedish television.
Soundboard recordings of the John Fogerty concerts as per autumn 2013 were officially made available for the public as files.
Critical reception
"Sure there's a couple of hot flashes here, like the oozy soul, slinky guitar, and gospel harmonies of The Waters gospel trio on "Blueboy" ---." -Hal Horowitz, The Music Monitor, summer 1997.
"A signature opening lick, something which set most of Fogerty’s CCR tunes apart from the proverbial “pack” as well as each other, is gloriously present in “Blueboy.” Lyrically, the song paints a scene of by-gone, simpler times when country folk gathered in town on a Saturday to watch a local boy play his guitar." -Cole Powell, Southern Senses, September 14th, 2015.
Fans' views
Written by John Fogerty.
Recorded at The Lighthouse, North Hollywood, CA, USA.
Appears on the Blue Moon Swamp album and the "Blueboy" b/w "Bad Bad Boy" single.
Released on May 16th, 1997 (album, Europe), May 20th, 1997 (album, America), September 1997 (single, America) and October 13th, 1997 (single, Australia).
"The imagery here is outstanding. Road side juke joint. The main guitar riff is simple and almost funky. This is another example (there have been so many in the CCR/JF catalogue) that features a main guitar riff that is instantly identifiable (BOTB, GR, OMDTR, UATB, etc.) and very catchy. When I play the BMS cd and this song is about to start, I'll start humming that guitar riff."
"Great song. Maybe a catharsis of John's legal battles and final release from them!"
"Blueboy has a certain cool vibe to it. When it starts, you know something good is about to happen. The same applies to the whole Blue Moon Swamp album. It's great music for on the road (as is CCR/Fogerty music in general) and when Southern Streamline starts, the road trip has officially started. This album is close to my heart because it came out around the time when I became a fan."
"Best roadhouse song John has done."