Ninety-Nine And a Half (Won't Do)

Background

"Ninety-Nine And a Half (Won't Do)" opens the B-side of the original self-titled debut album of Creedence Clearwater Revival. The band recorded the blue-eyed soul number at Coast Recorders in San Francisco in February 1968. 

The Steve Cropper, Eddie Floyd and Wilson Pickett written song was originally recorded by Wilson Pickett with the Muscle Shoals cats in 1966. 

Equipment

John Fogerty used three-quarter-size Rickenbacker 325 guitars in the sessions for the first album. They had a Bigsby tremolo arm and a humbucker in each, the tremeloes being switched out. One “Rick” was black, and the other sported a Fireglo finish. As for the amplifiers, his choice was the 100-watt Kustom K200.

Stu Cook used a Fender Precision bass.

Trivia

"Ninety-Nine And a Half" is one of the two songs in the catalogue of John Fogerty that were originally recorded by Wilson Pickett. Mr. Pickett cut the other one, "I Found a Love", originally as a member of a vocal group The Falcons  in 1962 and re-recorded it as a solo artist a couple of years later.

Live performances

Creedence Clearwater played the song at Deno & Carlo's (later Keystone Korner) in San Francisco each week as per February 2nd until April 28th 1968. It stayed in the programming of the band until the end of 1969. The Bay Area quartet also delivered the song on their first gig in New York (at Fillmore East) in October 1968.

The version they performed at Woodstock Pop Festival in August 1969 was released on Woodstock - Three Days of Peace and Music, Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Collection Box Set in 1994. Furthermore, the version captured on tape at Fillmore West on March 14th, 1969, was released as a bonus track on the 40th Anniversary CD Edition of the band's debut album. 

Creedence Clearwater also did the song in a jam session together with Booker T & MGs on January 30th, 1970. It was the one and only occasion when Creedence Clearwater performed "Ninety-Nine And a Half" together with one of the writers of the song, Steve Cropper.  

John Fogerty has performed another Wilson Pickett standard "In the Midnight Hour" for a couple of times during his solo career but he hasn't touched "Ninety- Nine And a Half" so far.

Critical reception

"His [John Fogerty's] singing on "Ninety-Nine And a Half" is beautiful. But even on that track, whenever it's suspended between riffs, the unimaginative drumming kills it. --- They should release "Ninety-Nine And a Half" as a single: I think it would tear up the Top-40 crowd and sell a million." -Barry Gifford, The Rolling Stone, 1968.

"The band became even more 'audacious' by taking Wilson Pickett's ''Ninety Nine And a Half'' just two years after its release, garnished it with some cowbell hits and some simplistic guitar chords to deliver a southern blues anthem." -Antonius, Sputnik Music, May 3rd, 2013. 

Fans' views

"Fogerty has the perfect raspiness in his voice."

"I love Wilson Pickett, but the CCR version can't be topped."

"Great cover of a great song. Fogerty's growl in this song is amazing."

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