RARE TOMMY FOGERTY AND THE BLUE VELVETS ON ORCHESTRA RECORDS pre-CREEDENCE

$

325

 TOMMY FOGERTY
and the BLUE VELVETS
ORCHESTRA RECORDS OA-611010
pre - CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL
Have You Ever Been Lonely b/w Bonita

Condition:  Side A: VG+ (any light scuffs play through) Note: label has two "X's" and name written small and light - see pix
Side B: VG+ (light scuffs play through)

please direct all inquiries to:
THE RECORD MAN
1322 El Camino Real
Redwood City, CA 94063
(650) 368-9065

All our items are professionally packed and shipped
Vinyl records are placed in separate generic jackets to protect the original jackets from damage during shipping


F.Y.I.

There were five Fogerty brothers living in the working class suburb of El Cerrito near San Francisco. John was the middle brother born in 1945. He fondly recalls his oldest brother Jim being a great R&B fan and that he grew up listening to many of our SAO 'favs' on local radio. Elvis was king but John wanted to be Carl Perkins, "he was a real musician". His second older brother Tom was also an aspiring musician. His mother had encouraged him to study music and he was proficient with the violin and accordian. He was also a sports star playing halfback for the school until he sustained a leg injury.Times were hard when the Fogerty parents divorced in the 50s with Lucille Fogerty struggling to raise 5 sons, their ages spanning 16 years. She worked full time and studied for a teaching degree and eventually taught handicapped youngsters, quite a woman. She was also a folkie and took her sons to see Pete Seeger and Ramblin Jack Elliot in local Bay area festivals. She was also musical and her boys took turns playing any old guitars lying around the house, John recalls songs like Endless Sleep and Lost Dreams being played. John and Tom eventually paid $5 a month to rent a cheap electric guitar, Tom got into the blues during this period (his leg being in a cast from his football injury). He played football again later but music had him in its grip.

Tom. began sitting in with brother John's group the Blue Velvets, which already included future Creedence Clearwater Revival members Stu Cook and Doug Clifford. The Velvets set would've included instros by Duane Eddy, Johnny & the Hurricanes, Ventures, r&b by Ray Charles and Howlin' Wolf and songs like Hully Gully and Annie Had A Baby. Although Tom's band, the incredulously named Spider Webb & the Insects got as far as getting a contract with Del-Fi Records, recording a demo of Lyda Jane but nothing came out before they broke up in the winter of 1959. Tom sang songs like Do You Wanna Dance. John Stu and Doug had backed local black singer James Richmond on a doo-wop song called Beverly Angel, released on Christy Records. The Blue Velvets began backing Fogerty at demo sessions and live performances, and Tom eventually joined them as billed lead singer (they sent demos out to people like Pat Boone but the songs all came back rejected). Under that name, they cut three very obscure singles for the small Orchestra label, owned by Wayne Farlow, in 1961 and 1962, one was Come On Baby/ Oh My Love composed by Tom and John, then Have You Ever Been Lonely /Bonita. Local dj Casey Kasem played it several times but it wasn't a hit.Neither was Yes You Did/ Now You're Not Mine. Tom had married Gail his high school sweetheart. and worked for a local utility company, they soon had two kids to feed as well.

John went to college but in 66 Uncle Sam knocked, Doug and John became reservists in the Coast Guard and Army respectively. John married and had a child. By the time they started releasing material under the name Creedence in 1968, John was firmly in control of the band's musical direction. He wrote Porterville in the army and it became CCR's first 45 in early 68, written under the alias T Spicebush Swallowtail, it flopped but follow up Susie-Q reached number 11 in Billboard and I Put A Spell On You made 52 before swamp gem Proud Mary hit number 2 spawning later covers from their heroes Elvis and Ike & Tina! Sunalike Bad Moon Rising and Green River all hit the 2 spot, Down On The Corner reached 3, Little Richard inspired Travellin' Band hit 2, Up Around The Bend 4, Lookin' Out My Back Door hit 2 making CCR one of the world's biggest bands between 68 and 71. In the UK my 6/8d helped put the great Memphis sounding Bad Moon Rising on Liberty at number one. Debut lp CCR reached a respectable 52 in '68, whilst Bayou Country, Willy & the Poor Boys and Pendelum reached the top 10. Green River and Cosmo's Factory (with Ooby Dooby, My Baby Left Me and Before You Accuse Me on it) reached number one. The band played Woodstock, perfectionist John vetoed the band being in the film, costing the band big bucks when the film and triple album were mega hits.

Only one Tom Fogerty composition, "Walk on the Water" (which had actually first been recorded by the Gollis in 1966), would appear on a CCR album, credited to both John and Tom under the joint composition agreement that held in the Golli days. In early 1971, after five LPs and more than a half-dozen huge hit singles, Tom left the band, fed up of playing rhythm guitar frustrated by the lack of opportunity to sing and contribute his own material. No doubt a teeny bit jealous of his younger sibling's place as Mr CCR too. The group would continue for a trio for one final album before disbanding leading to years of biterness and acrimony.When the band were elected to the RnR HOF, John only agreed to appear on the final star jam if his former band mates were left out.