Battle of the Bands – “Proud Mary”

Today marks the start of another Battle! I’m presenting two very different versions of the same song and both versions are charting hits.

“Proud Mary” is a rock song written by John Fogerty and first recorded by his band Creedence Clearwater Revival. The song was released by Fantasy Records as a single from the band’s second studio album, Bayou Country, January 1969. The song became a hit in the United States, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1969.

In a 1969 interview, Fogerty said that he wrote it in the two days after he was discharged from the National Guard. “In the liner notes for the 2008 expanded reissue of Bayou Country, Joel Selvin explained that the songs for the album started when John Fogerty was in the National Guard, that the riffs for “Proud Mary,” “Born on the Bayou,” and “Keep on Chooglin'” were conceived by Fogerty at a concert in the Avalon Ballroom, and “Proud Mary” was arranged from parts of different songs, one of which was about a “washerwoman named Mary.” The line “Left a good job in the city” was written following Fogerty’s discharge from the National Guard, and the line “rollin’ on the river” was from a movie by Will Rogers.” (Source: Wikipedia)

Tina Turner first covered “Proud Mary” in 1970 with her husband at the time, Ike Turner. The Ike & Tina Turner version was released as a single from their Workin’ Together album and the song differed greatly from the structure of the original, but is also well known and has become one of Tina’s most recognizable signature songs. The Turners’ version was substantially rearranged by Ike Turner and Soko Richardson. The song started off with a slow, sultry tone; after the lyrics are first sung softly by the Turners, the song is then turned into a funk rock vamp with Turner and assorted background singers delivering soulful vocals. It reached #4 on the pop charts on March 27, 1971, two years to the week after Creedence Clearwater Revival’s version was at its peak, and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group in 1972. (Source: Wikipedia)

Both Creedence Clearwater Revival’s and Ike & Tina Turner’s versions of the song received Grammy Hall of Fame Awards, in 1998 and 2003, respectively. And both versions charted in Billboards top five, #2 and #4, respectively. So this battle may be a toss-up. I know I like both versions.

To make it most fair, I’m presenting live performances by each band:

Creedence Clearwater Revival version:

 

Ike & Tina Turner version:

 

Such a great song! “Proud Mary” placed at #155 on Rolling Stone’s 2004 list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.  Now it’s time for you to vote! Who’s version do you like best and why?

To check out the other Battle of the Bands participants, here is a list with links. Lots of great battles to explore:

• Far Away Series
• Stephen T. McCarthy’s Battle of the Bands Blog
• Tossing it Out
• This Belle Rocks
• Mike’s Ramblings
• Curious as a Cathy 
• Book Lover
• The Sound of One Hand Typing
• Cherdo on the Flipside 
• THE DOGLADY’S DEN 
• Jingle Jangle Jungle 
• WOMEN: We Shall Overcome
• Alex J. Cavanaugh (when the Battle falls on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday)

Don’t forget to cast your vote! And thanks for playing along…