Fogerty completes Blue Ridge Rangers CD
Sunday, June 7, 2009 – Post-production work on the "John Fogerty: The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again," the follow-up to a debut recorded 36 years ago, is now complete with a late summer/early fall album release date pending. 1973's Blue Ridge Rangers was the first release from Fogerty following the break-up of Creedence Clearwater Revival.
The new disc contains 12 songs, illustrating the influence country and roots music have had on Fogerty and his own songwriting.
Fogerty played all instruments on the original, but not here. His backing band includes Buddy Miller, Kenny Aronoff, Greg Leisz, Jay Bellerose, Jason Mowery, Herb Pedersen, Jodie Kennedy, Oren Waters, Chris Chaney, Dennis Crouch and Hunter Perrin.
"I'd long thought I'd do another Blue Ridge Rangers album," Fogerty said, "and not make the mistake of playing all the instruments. These are fantastic players who really understand what the Blue Ridge Rangers vibe is about."
Also helping were Bruce Springsteen and Eagles' Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmit who worked, respectively, with Fogerty on the Everly Brothers' When Will I Be Loved and Rick Nelson's Garden Party. The album was produced by Fogerty with Lenny Waronker and Julie Fogerty serving as associate producers.
The album was recorded, for the most part, at Berkeley Street Studios in Santa Monica, Cal. with Bob Clearmountain mixing. Tracking began last October at Village Recorders in Santa Monica with engineer Mike Piersante Additional sessions took place after the first of the year including the Springsteen contribution.
"That was Julie's idea," Fogerty said. "I'd hoped we be able to work together some day; I'm a fan of his and he's a fan of mine, and we're friends," said Fogerty. Springsteen and Julie discussed the idea and Springsteen immediately agreed to the idea. The track was cut at Berkeley Street, and the Fogertys flew to New Jersey where the vocals were completed.
Fogerty had inducted Nelson into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and has been a life-long fan of the man and his music. "He helped shape who I am," said Fogerty of the late Nelson. The theme of the song, especially the line "If memories were all I sang, I'd rather drive a truck," has long resonated with Fogerty in light of his legal and emotional struggles concerning the Creedence Clearwater Revival catalog of songs that he wrote but lost control of. "I loved the record," said Fogerty of Nelson's 1972 Top Ten hit. "Obviously, I identified with it." So, too, did Henley and Schmit who, says Fogerty, "were happy to be part of it."
Song selection for The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again includes two songs identified with Ray Price as well as songs associated with or written by John Prine, Buck Owens, John Denver, The Kendalls, Delaney & Bonnie, Johnny Fuller and Pat Boone. There is also a Blue Ridge Rangers "cover" of Fogerty's own Change In The Weather.
Songs are:
Paradise (John Prine)
Never Ending Song of Love (Delaney Bramlett)
Garden Party (Rick Nelson)
I Don't Care (Just As Long As You Love Me) (Buck Owens)
Back Home Again (John Denver)
I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me) (Ray Price, Rusty Gabbard)
Change In The Weather (John Fogerty)
Moody River (Gary Bruce)
Heaven's Just A Sin Away (J. Gillespie)
Fallin', Fallin', Fallin' (D. Deckleman, J. Guillot, J.D. Miller)
Haunted House (Robert Geddins)
When Will I Be Loved (Phil Everly)
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