Have You Ever Seen the Rain

Background

"Have You Ever Seen the Rain", backed with "Hey Tonight", is the first 45 rpm Creedence Clearwater Revival released in 1971. It was also the last single the band launched as a quartet because Tom Fogerty (rhythm guitar) left the group in early 1971.

Both single cuts were taken off the Pendulum album that came out right before the Christmas 1970. "Have You Ever Seen The Rain" reached #8 in the USA, #36 in the UK, #6 in the Netherlands and #6 in Belgium. It was the band's eighth gold-selling single. Furthermore, the song topped the charts in Canada. 

John Fogerty wrote "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" during a chaotic time in the history of Creedence Clearwater. Just before the Pendulum sessions, the other members of  the group called a meeting, and they insisted on a change to the management structure of the band. Everybody would have a vote. "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" basically describes the breakup of the band (John Fogerty, Fortunate Son, 2015).

Recording session

"Have You Ever Seen the Rain" and "Pagan Baby" were the two songs that were written and rehearsed on spot in the studio during the Pendulum sessions. 

According to engineer Russ Gary,  "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" was the first time Tom played acoustic. Before that it was electric (E-mail correspondence with Russ Gary by Jim Tusing, 2015). 

Collector's notes

The "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" b/w "Hey Tonight" single was released with a similar cover sleeve in France and Spain. It was different from the one launched in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Singapore, Sweden and the UK. There were two different Singaporean cover sleeves (one or the Fantasy release, one for Liberty) (Peter Koers, Green River, 1999).  

An EP including "Hey Tonight", "Chameleon", "Molina" and "Have You Ever Seen The Rain" was released by Melodiya in the Soviet Union in 1974. 

Live versions

Creedence Clearwater never performed "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" in a regular concert. However, it's possible the band played it in the press conference they held at Cosmo's Factory on December 12th, 1970. According to a newspaper story they played "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "two new songs."

John Fogerty added he song onto his set list on Premonition Tour in 1998. The premiere took place in Indianapolis on June 13th, 1998. On this tour, he started alone on acoustic guitar and strapped on the mouth-mike and just walked around with it. 

After that, concert goers have enjoyed the song regularly in John Fogerty gigs. "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" appears on one of his three live DVDs: The Long Road Home (2006). 

Sound files of most of the John Fogerty live concerts have officially been made available for a couple of months as per the North American Tour in fall 2013. 

Extraordinary live versions of the song include the ones Fogerty performed with the  Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in early July 2009 and with a big orchestra (Il Novecento Orchestra)  at Night of Proms in Antwerp, Belgium, in fall 2010. The latter performance was broadcast by Belgian television.

On March 16, 2013, Fogerty played the song with Sound City Players in Austin. In September 2013, he played "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" as an acoustic solo at Grammy Museum Exhibit Opening.  Fogerty also performed the number with Bonnie Tyler in a concert in Switzerland on June 25th, 2017.

In the movies

• Condom (1990)

• December Boys (2007)

• Evan Almighty (2007)

• High Life (2009)

• Muuttolinnun aika (1991)

• The Longest Yard (2005)

Critical reception

"A slow dramatic performance at which they excel." -Roy Carr, The New Musical Express, December 1970.

"---moves along evenly with a lovely bass piano figure while Fogerty's singing and lyrics offer an intense and personal statement heard effectively before only on "Wrote A Song For Everyone" --- and "Long As I Can See The Light." -Jon Landau, The Rolling Stone, February 4th, 1971. 

Fans' views

"Unquestionably fine lyrics and singing ability put together ... John Fogerty's voice is stirring, going high-pitch but totally in control."

"Was the first Creedence song I ever noticed on the radio, and the one that moved me to buy my very first rock album."

"A soaringly beautiful melody."

"Something entirely different, there isn’t any song, anywhere, which is similar. If anything is deceptively simple then this is it. No guitar solo but amazingly enough you don’t miss it. But organ comes along genuinely. And the voice, it just couldn’t be better!"

"Because of how the organ sounds ... remember hearing this on grandmother's radio as a child late at night as I faded off to sleep."

The 2007 remake

John Fogerty recorded a new version of the song for the Evan Almighty - Music From and Inspired by the Motion Picture album (Curb Records). The album came out on July 4th, 2007. The remake is very different from the 1970 take. While the original features amplified accoustic guitar, the 2007 version features a powerful driving electric guitar and some steel guitar backup. The 2007 version was only used on the From and Inspired album, not in the movie or the official Evan Almighty soundtrack. It was produced by Dann Huff.

The 2013 remake

John Fogerty recorded a new version of the song alongside Alan Jackson for his collaboration album Wrote A Song For Everyone that was released in May 2013. The remake was recorded at The Castle in Nashville in early May 2012. Jackson had his producer Keith Stegall there. 

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