Change in the Weather

Background

"Change in the Weather" closes the A-side of the fourth solo album of John Fogerty. Coupled with a non-album cut "My Toot Toot", it was also the second 7" single off the LP.  Like all songs on Eye of the Zombie, "Change in the Weather" was recorded at The Lighthouse in North Hollywood, California, and engineered by Jeffrey Norman. The single came out a couple of months after the release of the long-player in November 1986. It failed to chart. The album reached #26 in the USA. 

Fogerty left the optimism of Centerfield behind and changed his mood on Eye of the Zombie. "I wanted to do a record that was darker, a little moodier," he said in an interview by The Orlando Sentinel in October 19th, 1986. Fogerty admitted in his autobiography (2015) that the dark, spooky mood of the album was also a consequence of his legal and personal problems at that time. 

Between the two albums, Fogerty moved from Bay Area to Los Angeles. His office at Warner Brothers was downstairs in the basement, where he wrote in the evening and nights. He also wanted to be more current and increase the use of drum machines and synths on the album. Fogerty had a guitar and a couple of synthesizers in his office.(John Fogerty, Fortunate Son, 2015).

Fogerty wrote most of the material for Centerfield in his car. The vehicle is related to "Change in the Weather" as well. He went to his car again to try to find some inspiration by listening to his cassette. He then stepped out of the car, hold the cassette in his hand, walked down the sidewalk and started to sing "change in the weather" (Rick Clark, interview with John Fogerty, The Mix Magazine, October 1997).   

With a steady rock beat and long guitar solos, "Change in the Weather" stands out on the album and could have been appeared on any LP of Creedence Clearwater. It's one of the two Eye of the Zombie songs Fogerty admits he's is happy with, the other one is "Sail Away" (John Fogerty, Fortunate Son, 2015).

Personnel

Lead guitar, keyboards, vocals: John Fogerty

Drums, percussion: John Robinson

Bass: Neil Stubenhaus

Background vocals: Bobby King, Willie Green Jr. and Terry Evans

Eye of the Zombie was the first album during his solo career when Fogerty didn't play everything by himself. 

Collector's notes

"Change in the Weather", coupled with "Change in the Weather"  (WB PRO-A-2595), was also launched as a 12" maxi single  in the USA in November 1986. The cover photo of the maxi-single was similar to the single except it had an additional square pattern. 

Another 12" maxi single (Bellaphon 120-07-218) was released in Germany in November 1986. It contained "Change in the Weather", "My Toot Toot", "Change in the Weather" and "Eye of the Zombie"  (Peter Koers, Green River: The Illustrated Discography, 1999).  

Video

Directed by Jim Shea and filmed on October 30th, 1986, the video of "Change in the Weather" features Fogerty performing the song in a room or hall together with the three backing vocalists of the Eye of the Zombie band.  The music fades out at 3:18 (the track is stretched to 6:48 on the album). John plays a semi-acoustic Epiphone on the flick (Lars Bundesen, Creedence Clearwater Revival Fan Club Bulletin #50, February 2000). 

Live versions

John Fogerty played "Change in the Weather" live on Rockin' All Over the World Tour in autumn 1986 in the USA and Canada. The world premiere took place in Memphis, Tennessee, on August 27th, 1986. 

Concert goes had to wait the next opportunity to hear "Change in the Weather" live for 23 years.   Fogerty re-recorded the song for his Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again album in 2009. To promote the collection, Fogerty performed "Change in the Weather" in six concerts in Canada in spring 2009 and additional three shows in the USA in September same year. The premiere of the new era took place in Summerside in Prince Edward Island on May 17th, 2009. 

Furthermore, Fogerty delivered the song live on NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon aired on September 8th, 2009.  

Critical reception

"Fogerty's at his most engaging on "Knockin' on Your Door," a gritty jolt of Stax-Volt R&B, and "Change in the Weather," a chooglin' swamp rocker, nearly seven minutes long, that fixes the master firmly in his element. On those tunes, Fogerty's newly assembled rhythm section — bassist Neil Stubenhaus and drummer John Robinson — locks in tight while Fogerty scratches rhythms and sweats out steamy leads. The two songs are all mesmerizing groove and atmosphere — the absence of Fogerty's fixations is an absolute relief." -Anthony Decurtis, The Rolling Stone, November 20th, 1986. 

"--- this reminds me of "Grapevine", and coincedentally, this is also Fogerty's longest solo tune. Like many of his songs, the lyrics are forboding, and his voice is appropriately threatening. But to me the highlights are definitely the superb guitar licks. Why is there not more of this jam-type playing on his solo projects?" -Matt Loewen

"'Change In The Weather' is tolerable, too, mainly because it's more guitar-based and with even a faint wiff of the CCR sound - heck, the jam at the end is obviously structured so as to remind one of 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' (Fogerty even plays some guitar lines that are very similar to the passages on that classic). But the main melody is being based on a generic riff that doesn't hold a candle to the moody tension of 'Grapevine', and I don't at all feel that the song actually deserves its near seven-minute length. Although, to be frank, I would rather have it last for forty minutes than listening to all the rest of the stuff on here." -George Starostin.

The 2009 remake

John Fogerty re-recorded "Change in the Weather" for his Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again album in 2009.  The new version has more acoustic feel, and the long guitar solos are absent. It's also shorter than the original. The remake was recorded at Berkeley Street Studios and Village Recording Studios in Santa Monica, California, in a 10-day session in October 2008.  It was nominated for a Grammy for Fogerty under “Best Rock Solo performance." The 2009 version was also released as a promotional single in the USA on November 25th, 2009.

Personnel on the 2009 remake include

• Vocals: John Fogerty

• Backing vocals: Jason Mowery, Jodie Kennedy 

• Bass: Dennis Crouch 

• Drums: Jay Bellerose 

• Electric guitar: Buddy Miller 

• Fiddle: Jason Mowery 

• Percussion: Kenny Aronoff 

• Steel guitar: Greg Leisz 

Rehearsals of "Change in the Weather" by John Fogerty and the band are featured on the bonus DVD of the Deluxe version of The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again.

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