My Toot Toot

Background

"My Toot Toot" is the B-side of "Change in the Weather", the second single John Fogerty released in 1986. Not unlike the A-side, "Toot Toot" failed to chart. Neither was the zydeco number included in in the Eye of the Zombie album. It took 25 years to get an album release for the song. It came out finally as a bonus track on the 25th Anniversary Edition of Centerfield in summer 2010.  

The song was originally written and recorded by zydeco artist Rockin' Sidney Simien (1938-1998). Fogerty visited the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in late April and early May 1985 and saw Rockin' Sidney perform the number. He liked the song so much that he immediately wanted to record it. He travelled to Crowley, Louisiana, and cut it together with Rockin' Sidney at Jay Miller's Master Trak Studios (413 N Parkerson Avenue) in May 1985. The video, filmed at Atchafalaya Basin in Louisiana, was included in the HBO Showtime Special aired in the USA in June 1985 (Kevin Cooper, Who'll Stop the Rain Fan Club Bulletin #8, November 1985). 

Personnel

Lead vocals, lead guitar: John Fogerty

Accordion: Rockin' Sidney Simien

Drums: Warren Storm 

Bass guitar: Mark Miller 

Saxophone: Willy T 

Rhythm guitar: Kip Basque 

"My Toot Toot" was the first recording during his solo career when Fogerty didn't play everything by himself. 

Trivia

Fogerty's version of "My Toot Toot" was originally planned for a mini-album of his Showtime Special performance but the disc never came out.

It was also considered for the B-side of the "Vanz Kant Danz" single but the closing track of Centerfield was never released on a commercial 45 rpm disc.

It was also rumoured that another Rockin' Sidney song titled "Zydeco Shoes (Got the Zydeco Blues)" was recorded at the sessions at Master Trak Studios, but it has never been released  (Kevin Cooper, Who'll Stop the Rain Fan Club Bulletin #8, November 1985). 

Collector's notes

A 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

The music video of "My Toot Toot" was filmed at Atchafalaya Basin in Louisiana in May 1985. It was premiered in the HBO Showtime Special: John Fogerty's All-Stars TV show in the USA on June 15th, 1985. The flick features John Fogerty, Rockin' Sidney and the rest of the band performing the song at a Cajun Crawdad barbecue.  

Fogerty uses a Washburn Les Paul guitar on the video (Lars Bundesen, Creedence Clearwater Revival Fan Club Bulletin #50, February 2000).   

Live versions

John Fogerty added "My Toot Toot" to his concert repertoire in May 2008. The world premiere took place in Council Bluffs, Iowa, USA, on May 4th. In summer 2008, he delivered the song in almost each concert but next summer the frequency of plays decreased. In 2011, he only performed the zydeco number once: at Sonoma Jazz Festival in California on May 20th. 

"My Toot Toot" also appears on the Comin' Down the Road concert DVD which was filmed at Royal Albert Hall in London, UK, on June 24th, 2008.  

On the concert versions 2008-2011, accordion was played by keyboardist Matt Nolen and the fiddle parts were delivered by Jason Mowery. On Blues And Bayous Tour in summer 2018, Nathan Collins provided a sax solo, Bob Malone played the accordion and Devon Pangle the washboard. 

The song made a return to the concert repertoire during the Blues And Bayous Tour in May and June 2018. This time it featured Bob Malone on accordion and Devon Pangle on washboard. Nathan Collins blowed a sax solo. 

Critical reception

"John does zydeco! It's a must have --- It's just a nice, catchy little tune." -Adam Bryant

"The bonus cuts, the Cajun-influenced party song My Toot Toot and the modern gospel of I Confess are both cover tunes culled from mid 1980's recording sessions that are getting their first official release. Although they are welcome additions to the Fogerty catalog, they stray from the content and quality of the album's original nine tracks - the real stars of this reissue." -Greg Yost, Country Standard Time, 2010.

Fans' views

"This song has such a feeling of joy and freedom."

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