John Fogerty Reclaims His Creedence Legacy

Monday, 2 June 2025 00:05

The new album "Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years" will be released later this summer

John Fogerty is doing something fans never thought they’d see—releasing new versions of the songs that made Creedence Clearwater Revival a rock powerhouse.

Set to arrive on August 22, Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years brings 20 CCR tracks back to life, this time under Fogerty’s creative control. Each one is marked “John’s Version,” echoing Taylor Swift’s recent re-recordings and signaling a personal victory decades in the making.

For years, Fogerty didn’t own the rights to the music he wrote and recorded with Creedence. Legal wrangling with Fantasy Records and former executive Saul Zaentz kept him on the sidelines while his songs lived on without him.

That changed in 2023, when he finally regained ownership of his publishing catalog. He’s described the shift as a major turning point—one that gave him a fresh reason to re-engage with music that had long been a sore spot.

He’s now re-recording those songs not just to take ownership back, but to revisit the material on his own terms. The album is a family affair, too. Produced alongside his son Shane Fogerty, with both Shane and his brother Tyler playing on the sessions, the project blends deep personal meaning with musical collaboration. Longtime session players like drummer Matt Chamberlain and bassist Bob Glaub round out the sound, with mixing handled by studio veteran Bob Clearmountain.

The track list includes core Creedence hits like “Fortunate Son,” “Proud Mary,” “Bad Moon Rising,” and “Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” reinterpreted with care but not stripped of their original punch. Fogerty says the experience of going back into the studio with these songs has been cathartic—a way to finally enjoy the music without baggage.

He even considered naming the album Taylor’s Version as a nod to Swift’s influence, but the label didn’t go for it. Instead, he leaned into the idea of John’s Version, embracing the idea that this time around, these songs are truly his.

Speaking with Rolling Stone, Fogerty acknowledged the similarities between his situation and Swift’s, saying that the challenges she’s faced with music rights felt all too familiar.

The album announcement came during his 80th birthday show at the Beacon Theatre in New York City, a sold-out event that doubled as a celebration of his long journey back to the music he created. The release of Legacy marks both a personal victory and a return to form, with Fogerty fully in control of the work that launched his career.

The album will be out on CD and as a 2-LP vinyl set from Concord Music, with pre-orders already available. For fans who’ve waited years to hear Fogerty reconnect with his past on his own terms, this record is more than nostalgia—it’s a long overdue homecoming.