Sea Cruise

Background

"Sea Cruise" is the B-side of “Almost Saturday Night”, the second 45 rpm single John Fogerty released in 1975 after signing with Asylum Records. The song was recorded at Wally Heider Recording in San Francisco and engineered by David Coffin. Fogerty plays all the instruments by himself. The single was released in October 1975. "Sea Cruise" failed to chart. The tune also appears on the John Fogerty album.

The number was initially recorded by Frank Ford in 1959, using the original backing track of Huey "Piano" Smith who had written the song. Fogerty opted covering the Ace label gem because he didn't consider it quite as classic as  eg. "Blue Suede Shoes".

Recording session

Fogerty wasn't happy with the first mix of his version of "Sea Cruise". After one day of work it wasn't there and he was thinking about throwing it out of the album. But finally they got it right (interview with Fogerty on KSAN, San Francisco, October 18th, 1975). 

Collector's notes

The single was released with different cover sleeves in Denmark, Germany, Netherlands. The US version didn't have a cover sleeve. (Peter Koers, Green River: The Illustrated Discography, 1999). 

The John Fogerty album is only available as an imported item in the USA.

Trivia

While Frankie Ford was asked in an interview which of the several cover versions of "Sea Cruise" he likes most, he answered: "My particular favourite is John Fogerty's." (Worldwide CCR Fan Club Bulletin, October 1988)

Live versions

John Fogerty has never performed the song live in concert.

Critical reception

"A pure delight!" -Bob Edmands, The New Musical Express, 1975

"Another superb Fogerty rendition of a popular song. His voice is so raw (especially the throaty "ooowee"'s) that it gives me shivers, and a stark contrast to the chipper original. I love the pier sound effects and pounding piano at the beginning, and the foghorns and joyous sax throughout." -Matt Loewen

"But the weirdest thing, of course, is 'Sea Cruise' (one of the few old covers on the record) that sounds just a little too Little Richard-ish for me. No, I have nothing against Little Richard, and I don't even have anything against John Fogerty doing Little Richard - the CCR cover of 'Good Golly Miss Molly' is amazing. But this number lacks a lot in the guitar department - John almost goes for a note-for-note, instrument-for-instrument emulation of that lounge Fifties' sound, and why? is the obvious question." -George Starostin.

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