Mardi Gras (album)

Mardi Gras
Studio album by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Released	April 11, 1972
Recorded	spring 1971, January 1972
Genre	Rock, roots rock, country rock, swamp rock
Length	28:04
Label	Fantasy
Producer	Doug Clifford, Stu Cook, John Fogerty
Creedence Clearwater Revival chronology
Pendulum (1970) Mardi Gras (1972)
Singles from Mardi Gras
"Sweet Hitch-Hiker"/"Door to Door" Released: July 1971 (US) "Someday Never Comes"/"Tearin' up the Country" Released: May 1972 (US)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	(B)[2]

Mardi Gras is the seventh and final studio album by American band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released in 1972. The group broke up after this album was released. The album was re-released in remastered format as a Japan exclusive in January 2011. A remastered version of the album had previously been featured internationally on the 40th anniversary CCR box set, but not as a stand-alone album.

Previously, bandleader John Fogerty sang all the lead vocals and he wrote almost all the band's original material. His older brother Tom Fogerty had just left after a dispute which was in large part caused by the elder Fogerty's desire to play a larger creative role.

For this album, Stu Cook and Doug Clifford shared the writing, singing, and production duties. Fogerty only contributed three original songs, and he sang a fourth lead on a cover of the early 1960s standard "Hello Mary Lou." Clifford and Cook each wrote and sang the lead vocals on three songs. The album was a commercial success peaking at #12 and going gold. However, it was considered weak compared to the sales of their previous albums. The album contained two Top 40 singles, both of which were contributed by Fogerty: the raucous "Sweet Hitch-Hiker" and the wistful swan song "Someday Never Comes."

According to Stu Cook and Doug Clifford it was John's idea for all the members to contribute songs equally for the album, even though the two did not want to.^[3] They believed he was bitter over Tom's departure and their own requests to have more of a say in the group's musical decisions, and that he was looking for an excuse to break up CCR entirely and pursue his own solo career. When Clifford and Cook at first demurred at the idea of having to supply 2/3 of the album's material themselves, Fogerty threatened to quit the band outright. Further compounding the tension during recording was the fact that for Stu and Doug's material, John refused to provide anything other than basic rhythm guitar, leaving all other instrumentation and vocals to them. The acrimony generated within the band during these sessions, coupled with mounting financial and legal woes, soon led to an irreparable breach among the three.

Track listing

Side one

1. "Lookin' for a Reason" (John Fogerty) – 3:28
   • Recorded January 1972. Lead vocal: John Fogerty.
2. "Take It Like a Friend" (Stu Cook) – 3:00
   • Recorded January 1972. Lead vocal: Stu Cook.
3. "Need Someone to Hold" (Cook, Doug Clifford) – 3:00
   • Recorded January 1972. Lead vocal: Doug Clifford.
4. "Tearin' Up the Country" (Clifford) – 2:14
   • Recorded January 1972. Lead vocal: Doug Clifford.
5. "Someday Never Comes" (Fogerty) – 4:01
   • Recorded January 1972. Lead vocal: John Fogerty.

Side two

1. "What Are You Gonna Do?" (Clifford) – 2:53
   • Recorded January 1972. Lead vocal: Doug Clifford.
2. "Sail Away" (Cook) – 2:29
   • Recorded January 1972. Lead vocal: Stu Cook.
3. "Hello Mary Lou" (Gene Pitney, Cayet Mangiaracina) – 2:14
   • Recorded January 1972. Lead vocal: John Fogerty.
4. "Door to Door" (Cook) – 2:09
   • Recorded spring 1971. Lead vocal: Stu Cook.
5. "Sweet Hitch-Hiker" (Fogerty) – 2:59
   • Recorded spring 1971. Lead vocal: John Fogerty.

Personnel

• Doug Clifford - drums, vocals
• Stu Cook - bass, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, piano, vocals
• John Fogerty - lead guitar, rhythm guitar, keyboards, vocals

Production

• Producers: Doug Clifford, Stu Cook, John Fogerty
• Engineer: Russ Gary, Kevin L. Gray, Steve Hoffman
• Mastering supervisor: Tamaki Beck
• Mastering: Shigeo Miyamoto
• Remastering: George Horn
• Arrangers: Doug Clifford, Stu Cook, John Fogerty
• Art direction: Tony Lane
• Design: Tony Lane
• Cover design: Tony Lane
• Photography: Bob Fogerty, Baron Wolman
• Liner notes (CD): Craig Werner

Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1972	Pop Albums	#12

Singles

Year	Single	Position
		Pop Singles	UK Top 40
July 1971	"Sweet Hitch-Hiker"/ "Door to Door"	#6	#36
March 1972	"Someday Never Comes"/ "Tearin' Up the Country"	#25

Citation

1. ^ Allmusic review
2. ^ Robert Christgau review
3. ^ The Classics with Steve Downs