Creedence Clearwater Revival (l. to r.): Stu Cook, Tom Fogerty, John Fogerty, Doug Clifford (Photo: Ed Caraeff via Craft Recordings; used with permission)
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the formation of Creedence Clearwater Revival, Craft Recordings is kicking off its “CCR50” campaign by releasing an official music video (the first ever) for the band’s hit “Fortunate Son.”
According to the press release from Craft, “Beyond its anti-war sentiment, ‘Fortunate Son’ is an anthem for the 99%ers, condensing a critique of elitism and class privilege into three simple, but powerfully defiant words: It Ain’t Me. Craft partnered with director Ben Fee (Band of Horses, The War on Drugs, The Lumineers, Aesop Rock) to give a whole new generation a visual entry point into the world of Creedence.”
The release continues: “The song already has an undeniable place in history as one of the most visceral, attention-grabbing protest tunes of the Vietnam era. With the new video, Fee extends the reach of ‘Fortunate Son’ even further. ‘For me, protest right now is just showing pure positivity in the face of division and anger,” says Fee. “I wanted to highlight the community and positivity that everybody shares…I wanted to show what America feels like when you actually hit the road and drive throughout the states.’”
Related: What were the top radio hits of 1969?
For the video, says the announcement, Fee created a concept as relevant to today’s world as it is to the original 1969 setting of “Fortunate Son.” He says, “I met so many beautiful people. I went to the Taos Pueblo people, into their land, and met with the war chief, and they were very big fans of CCR. They were so welcoming because they knew the song and the band, and they really loved the idea of protest through positivity.”
(Photo: Joel Selvin via Craft Recordings; used with permission)
Fee’s video road trip took him across the country, from Los Angeles to Miami and all points in between. The footage captures people across America of diverse ages, cultures, ethnic backgrounds and locations (including Florida, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, California, Washington and Hawaii) to document the true spirit that makes up the fabric of the United States, for which CCR have been the soundtrack for 50 years.
In addition to the video, the half-century celebration will continue in the coming months to fill out the CCR story even further. Craft will honor the band’s musical legacy via a diverse array of media, products and events, including a special release coming this fall. The fête will also provide fans with new ways to engage with CCR online-sharing their memories, streaming new content, and diving deeper into the band’s legendary history. Stay tuned to CCR50.com for more details, coming soon.
Watch the video for “Fortunate Son”
2 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationThis is anything but what is in most peoples heads when they heard this song. It Ain’t Me seems to be the theme here as per the video, and the video is waaay off. If I was John, I’d be… let’s say, Not Very Happy. There’s a big difference between protest and Americana. Big waste of bandwidth.
Fortunate Son is a Vietnam protest song and this video is a joke!