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It was tough to know where to begin with today's "Great Song of the '70s."
There is a lot of history and meaning behind the song...so much so...that within 2 years of its release, there had been three covers that morphed the song a from New Orleans flavored country song...to a song about the black American experience...to a high-powered, soul-driven masterpiece that won a Grammy.
"Proud Mary" was written by Creedence Clearwater Revival's John Fogerty as he was leaving the National Guard and looking ahead to his future. In a nod to the history of the Mississippi River Delta and especially to author Mark Twain, "Proud Mary" was about a riverboat that offered the protagonist an escape from drudgery...and a rebirth of spirit.
The song was released at the end of December, 1968 and reached #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 in early 1969--the first of 5 #2 songs in a row for CCR.
When evangelist/singer Solomon Burke heard the song, it spoke to him as a black man in an entirely different way. Some folks thought he was missing the point. Others thought releasing a soul version an already iconic song was literally stupid. They were ALL wrong, of course. His version went to #15 on the Soul Chart, and John Fogerty was so impressed, he felt Solomon's version was better than his own!
Instead of trying to explain how Solomon felt, I'll let the Rev. Burke do it himself. Just click on the link to his version below and let him tell his version of the story.
But there's MORE!
Sonny Charles and the Checkmates, LTD were impressed by Solomon's version, and released their OWN cover, with their own revival-style interpretation. It wasn't a big hit (#69 on the Hot 100), but their arrangement in turn, impressed Ike Turner.
In 1971, Ike & Tina released THEIR version...which went from a soul ballad with a spoken intro...to a blazing hot, super speed, masterpiece that reached #4 on the Hot 100 and #5 on the Soul Chart. They also scored a Grammy Award for "Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance."
Ike & Tina made it a "Great Song of the '70s," but the truth is, "Proud Mary" was already a "Great Song," thanks to John Fogerty and CCR, The Rev. Solomon Burke and The Checkmates, LTD.
Listen and compare. It's a lesson in musical interpretation!
CCR:
Solomon Burke:
Checkmates LTD:
Ike & Tina Turner:
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