Green River

Background

“Green River” is the sixth single of Creedence Clearwater and the opening track of the album of the same title. It was written by John Fogerty and recorded at Wally Heider's Studios in June 1969. The single was the debut session of the band at Wally Heider's and the first collaboration with engineer Russ Gary. "Green River" peaked at #2 in the USA and #19 in the UK.

The song was based on a childhood vacation spot for John Fogerty in Winters, northern California. The river by the campsite wasn't called Green River but Putah Creek and it wasn't green but in the mind of John Fogerty he always called it Green River. All the anecdotes of the song, including a rope hanging from the tree, were part of Fogerty's childhood. The old man the Fogertys saw there occasionally, was a direct descendant of Buffalo Bill Cody, hence the reference to “Old Cody Junior”.

The title of the song came from a soda pop-syrup label that the 7-8 year old Fogerty saw in the big bottle behind the counter at the drugstore, a block-and-a-half from his home in El Cerrito. On the label there was the artist’s rendering of a sunset behind a little creek. Fogerty said, “‘Green River’… that’d be a cool song. Someday I should grow up and write it.” Recalled Fogerty: "At about the age of eight, I became fascinated with the Green River drink and it came to represent the whole mystical dimension of youth, freedom, nature, exploration, and life “on the river”." (Bud Scoppa, John Fogerty's Guide to Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Uncut, March 2006). 

In several interviews, John Fogerty has regarded “Green River” as his favorite song from the Creedence era: "Because it really had the whole Sun Records vibe to me – and the album, too. The barefoot boy with a cane pole down by the river – it seemed to have that feel all over that album."

In many ways it is the archetypal Creedence song. Strong guitar opening, and licks throughout, heavily reverbed lead vocal, succinct and evocative lyrics, and all over and done in around 2 and half minutes. Some might say the perfect rock single.

Production notes

“Green River” was one of the first Creedence Clearwater sessions engineered by Russ Gary who recalled it in 2010: "Tracking went smoothly, but when it was time to record vocals, none of the condenser microphones in the locker complimented John Fogerty’s voice. I tried them all, and a Shure SM 56 became the eventual choice; the microphone also befitted the Sun Records mood of the two songs. Following that vocal session, Wally [Heider] brought in some Neumann U47′s from LA. I used them to record Fogerty’s vocals thereafter." (Chuck Crisafulli, Interview with Russ Gary, Gibson, November 11th, 2010). 

On "Green River" song, John Fogerty plays a J-200 acoustic guitar which he bought right around the early Creedence Clearwater days (Dan Forte, Interview with John Fogerty, The Vintage Guitar, February 2006). As for the electric guitar, Fogerty wanted a bluesy rockabilly sound into it and imagined how James Burton would've done it. Stu Cook plays both electric and stand-up bass on "Green River" (John Fogerty, Fortunate Son, 2015).  

Alternate versions

John Fogerty recorded an instrumental version of "Green River" in 2004. It was played off tape right before the concerts in 2004-2006. It was not released commercially. 

Collector's notes

The "Green River" b/w "Commotion" single was released with a similar cover sleeve in France, Germany and Spain. It was different from the one launched in Denmark, India, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Sweden (Peter Koers, Green River, 1999).  

A live version of "Green River" delivered by John Fogerty with Bruce Springsteen, Robbie Robertson and others at Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on January 12th, 1993, was released on Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Live, Vol. 2. on September 16th, 2016. It's a Limitd Edition pressed on Orange and Red Marble 180g vinyl.

Live versions

The first documented Creedence Clearwater concert with "Green River" in the set list is Woodstock Pop Festival in mid August 1969. The audio was officially released 25 year later in the 1994 Three Days of Peace And Music - Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Collection boxed set. 

Creedence Clearwater performed "Green River" as playback in two TV shows in 1969: Dick Clark's American Bandstand on September 20 and Andy Williams Show on October 18. The version for Andy Williams featuring live vocals by John was taped one day before the band's show at Woodstock. 

The band delivered Green River regularly in 1969-1970 except on the first Mondo Bizarro Tour in summer 1970. A live version from Oakland Coliseum on January 31, 1970, appeared on The Concert album ten years later. It was also featured in In Concert TV special in summer 1971.  

On 1971-1972 tours, the CCR trio played "Green River" as a medley together with "Suzie Q".  One of the versions of the medley was added to the Live in Europe album released in 1973. The version played in Stockholm, Sweden, in September 1971 ended up to the 40th Anniversary CD Edition of the Green River album in 2008.  

During his solo era, Fogerty delivered "Green River" live for the first time in AIDS Benefit concert in May 1989. In Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Induction 1993, Fogerty performed the song together with Bruce Springsteen and Robbie Robertson. It was released on Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Live 9DVD in 2009 and on a Limited Edition vinyl in 2016. Fogerty and Springsteen revisited "Green River" at a concert at New Orleans Jazz Festival in May 2014. 

In 1997, John Fogerty began touring regularly. He's used to play Green River practically in each concert. It was usually the second or third number of the show and features an extended final guitar solo on his 1957 Gibson Goldtop. The song is also included in two John Fogerty concert DVDs: Premonition (1998) and The Long Road Home (2006).

John Fogerty performed the Green River long-player in its entirety from the beginning to the end for the first time at Beacon Theatre, New York, on November 18th 2011. The show was broadcast live by Sirius XM satellite radio.

Extraordinary live versions include the one Fogerty performed with guest guitarist Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top during the Blues And Bayous Tour in summer 2018.   

Soundboard recordings of the John Fogerty concerts have officially made availale for the public as iles as per autumn 2013.  

In the movies, TV series and video games

"Green River" appears on the soundtracks of a couple of films:

• 1969 (1988)

• Butler's Night Out (1974)

• The Indian Runner (1991)

• The Post (2017)

The studio version of “Green River” was also used in the trailer for Ang Lee's film Taking Woodstock (2009). 

The song is also heard on TV series King of the Hill, episode Hank's Back Story (2001)

Furthermore, "Green River" is featured in video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004).

Critical reception

"By far the best cut on the album is "Green River," already released and doing well as a single. Fogerty's vocal is really fine, especially playing an alternating duet with his guitar, feeding and answering cues, precisely timed. The rest of the group really get together behind this one; the pity is that the song seems too short, prematurely cut off for maximum-commercial-potential-time of just under three minutes." -Susan Gordon Lydon, The New York Times, September 21st, 1969. 

"When I first heard "Green River," the initial cut on the album, I thought, "Oh, shit, another Creedence bayou song!" But John Fogerty's raw guitar quickly drew me in. The throbbing riff which introduces the song signals that Creedence's return to the bayou will be a complete delight. And it is. Fogerty's tough, gritty voice infuses the lyrics ("walkin' along the river road at night/barefoot girls dancin' in the moonlight") with a marvelously evocative feeling." -Bruce Miroff, The Rolling Stone, October 18th, 1969. 

"The guitar riff used by John on here is an all-time classic one - catchy, bluesy and hard-hitting, and, of course, dark, moody and swampy. The lyrics are also quite swampy, with 'nostalgic' remarks about the bayou lands ---." -George Starostin.

Fans' views

"Green River was not the first Creedence song I'd heard - Proud Mary was the song that first caught my attention, at the age of 11 - but that swampy sound hooked me for good. The instant I heard that opening guitar riff - I still remember the moment. I came home from school, walked through my bedroom door, and flipped on the radio, and there it was - I froze. It was like magic. All my friends were into the Beatles and the Stones, and while I liked all their music, it wasn't "me." All of a sudden, it was like finding myself. Green River made Creedence "my" band."

"The other song defining Swamp Rock. And another song which somehow is totally different than anything else.  You can imagine a long freight train (with a few passangers, you included) passing by a big swampy area at some remote location and all of a sudden Creedence Clearwater Revival is there in the swamp, pounding Green River and doing it LOUD." 

"Everybody claimed Mark Twain's writing was a literary picture of all that is Americana ... I submit that Green River is the musical equivalent of this type of "catch-all" sample."

"A fantastic song ... a rasping voice singing nostalgic lyrics to a piece of great guitaring ... if anyone who hasn't heard the song happened to look at the lyrics, he would have imagined slow emotionally charged music for the song."

"Embodies the creativity, spirit, and energy which made CCR the best American rock band ... full of passion, energy, nostalgia, and hope for the future, not to mention good times."

Legacy

In an Internet survey in 1995, "Green River" was voted the fourth best Creedence Clearwater Revival song and 13 years later the third.  

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