"Proud Mary" is a song written by
John Fogerty
John Cameron Fogerty (born May 28, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Together with Doug Clifford, Stu Cook, and his brother Tom Fogerty
Thomas Richard Fogerty (November 9, 1941 – September 6, 1990) was an American mu ...
and first recorded by his band
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival, also referred to as Creedence and CCR, was an American rock band formed in El Cerrito, California. The band initially consisted of lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter John Fogerty; his brother, ...
. It was released by
Fantasy Records
Fantasy Records is an American independent record label company founded by brothers Max and Sol Stanley Weiss in 1949. The early years of the company were dedicated to issuing recordings by jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, who was also one of its inves ...
as a
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
from the band's second studio album, ''
Bayou Country Bayou Country may refer to:
* Bayou Country, a region in the Gulf Coast of the US where bayous are found
* ''Bayou Country'' (album), a 1969 album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival
See also
*
{{Disambiguation ...
'', which was issued by the same record company and is generally considered to have been released in early January 1969,
although one source
states that it came out just before Christmas 1968. The song became a major hit in the United States, peaking at No. 2 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 in March 1969, the first of five singles to peak at No. 2 for the group.
A cover version by
Ike and Tina Turner
Ike or IKE may refer to:
People
* Ike (given name), a list of people with the name or nickname
* Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969), Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II and President of the United States Surname
...
, released two years later in 1971, did nearly as well, reaching No. 4 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and winning a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
.
Background and recording
In a 1969 interview, Fogerty said that he wrote it in the two days after he was discharged from the
National Guard
National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards.
Nat ...
.
In the liner notes for the 2008 expanded reissue of ''Bayou Country'',
Joel Selvin
Joel Selvin (born February 14, 1950) is an American San Francisco-based music critic and author known for his weekly column in the ''San Francisco Chronicle'', which ran from 1972 to 2009. Selvin has written books covering various aspects of p ...
explained that the songs for the album started when Fogerty was in the National Guard, that the
riffs
A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or accomp ...
for "Proud Mary", "
Born on the Bayou
"Born on the Bayou" (1969) is the first track on Creedence Clearwater Revival's second album, '' Bayou Country'', released in 1969. It was released as the B-side of the single "Proud Mary" that reached No. 2 on the '' Billboard'' charts. The s ...
", and "
Keep on Chooglin'" were conceived by Fogerty at a concert in the
Avalon Ballroom
The Avalon Ballroom was a music venue in the Polk Gulch neighborhood of San Francisco, California, at 1244 Sutter Street (or 1268 Sutter, depending on the entrance). The space is known as the location of many concerts of the counterculture move ...
, 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
William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma ...
.
In the Macintosh application "
GarageBand", Fogerty explained that he liked
Beethoven's Fifth Symphony
The Symphony No. 5 in C minor of Ludwig van Beethoven, Op. 67, was written between 1804 and 1808. It is one of the best-known compositions in classical music and one of the most frequently played symphonies, and it is widely considered one of ...
and wanted to open a song with a similar intro (descending by a third), implying the way "Proud Mary" opens with the repeated C chord to A chord. Fogerty wanted to evoke male gospel harmonies, as exemplified by groups he was familiar with such as the
Swan Silvertones
The Swan Silvertones are an American gospel music group that first achieved popularity in the 1940s and 1950s under the leadership of Claude Jeter. Jeter formed the group in 1938 as the "Four Harmony Kings" while he was working as a coal miner in ...
, the
Sensational Nightingales
The Sensational Nightingales are a traditional black gospel quartet that reached its peak of popularity in the 1950s, when it featured Julius Cheeks as its lead singer. The Nightingales, with several changes of membership, continue to tour and r ...
, and the
Five Blind Boys of Mississippi
The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi was an American post-war gospel quartet. They started with lead singer Archie Brownlee, their single "Our Father" reached number ten on the Billboard R&B charts in early 1951. Then the screams of their new lea ...
; especially on the line, "Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river"; and in the
guitar solo
A guitar solo is a melodic passage, instrumental section, or entire piece of music, pre-written (or improvised) to be played on a classical guitar, electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. In 20th and 21st century traditional music and popular m ...
he did his "best
mitation ofSteve Cropper
Steven Lee Cropper (born October 21, 1941), sometimes known as "The Colonel", is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, which backed artists such as Ot ...
." The basic track for "Proud Mary", as with the other songs on the album, was recorded by John Fogerty (
lead guitar
Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...
),
Tom Fogerty
Thomas Richard Fogerty (November 9, 1941 – September 6, 1990) was an American musician, best known as the rhythm guitarist for Creedence Clearwater Revival. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
Biography
...
(
rhythm guitar
In music performances, rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guitar ...
),
Stu Cook
Stuart Alden Cook (born April 25, 1945) is an American bass guitarist, best known for his work in the rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR), for which he is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Career
Cook, along with Doug Cliff ...
(
bass), and
Doug Clifford
Douglas Raymond Clifford (born April 24, 1945) is an American drummer, best known as a founding member of Creedence Clearwater Revival for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. After the group disbanded in late 1972 ...
(
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
) at
RCA Studios in
Hollywood,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, with John
overdubbing
Overdubbing (also known as layering) is a technique used in audio recording in which audio tracks that have been pre-recorded are then played back and monitored, while simultaneously recording new, doubled, or augmented tracks onto one or more av ...
instruments and all the vocals later.
''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' described "Proud Mary" as a "driving blues item with a strong beat."
''
Cash Box
''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' described it as "a steady moving mid-speed chunk of funk and rhythm that will make itself felt in both pop and underground spots." ''Cash Box'' ranked it as the No. 55 single of 1969.
Chart performance
"Proud Mary" was the only song by CCR to be kept from the No. 1 spot by two songs, first unable to dethrone "
Everyday People
"Everyday People" is a 1968 song composed by Sly Stone and first recorded by his band, Sly and the Family Stone. It was the first single by the band to go to number one on the Soul singles chart and the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. It held ...
" by
Sly and the Family Stone
Sly and the Family Stone was an American band from San Francisco. Active from 1966 to 1983, it was pivotal in the development of funk, soul, rock, and psychedelic music. Its core line-up was led by singer-songwriter, record producer, and multi-i ...
and then passed by "
Dizzy" by
Tommy Roe
Thomas David "Tommy" Roe (born May 9, 1942) is a retired American rock and pop singer-songwriter.
Best-remembered for his hits "Sheila" (1962) and " Dizzy" (1969), Roe was "widely perceived as one of the archetypal bubblegum artists of the late ...
.
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
Solomon Burke version
In 1969
Solomon Burke had a small hit with his cover of the song, which was his second release for Bell and was co-produced by singer
Tamiko Jones
Tamiko Jones (born Barbara Tamiko Ferguson, 1945) is an American singer. Her most successful record was "Touch Me Baby (Reaching Out For Your Love)" in 1975.
Career
Barbara Tamiko Ferguson was born in Kyle, West Virginia, and has part Japanese, ...
,
[John S. Wilson, "CAREER RESUMED BY TAMIKO JONES; Recent Polio Victim Presents Songs at Rainbow Grill", The ''New York Times'' (January 14, 1971):43]
"Solomon Burke – Proud Mary"
(November 18, 2009)
''The Age'' (October 13, 2010). For more regarding Tamiko Jones, se
who was being rehabilitated after a bout of
polio
Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...
, and was at the time Burke's fiancée and manager. Burke recalls: "We went to
Muscle Shoals
Muscle Shoals is the largest city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is located along the Tennessee River in the northern part of the state and, as of the 2010 census, the population of Muscle Shoals was 13,146. The estimated popu ...
and recorded Proud Mary, which they didn't like at all. They thought it was stupid to record a song Proud Mary, which was already on the charts. I was explaining to them that it was a very big record, but it's a very white record, a pop record. We will redo the record, open up the doors for it to get on the r&b charts and make the black stations to play the record ... It was a Solomon Burke record made in Muscle Shoals. We proved that we can make a hit record without
Jerry Wexler
Jerry may refer to:
Animals
* Jerry (Grand National winner), racehorse, winner of the 1840 Grand National
* Jerry (St Leger winner), racehorse, winner of 1824 St Leger Stakes
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Jerry'' (film), a 2006 Indian fil ...
eating sandwiches with us. This record was a hit without anybody's help. Proud Mary was only promoted by Tamiko Jones and myself." According to Mark Denning, "While that may have seemed like a bald-faced bid for pop radio play, in Burke's hands the song became a bracing tale of life in the
Deep South
The Deep South or the Lower South is a cultural and geographic subregion in the Southern United States. The term was first used to describe the states most dependent on plantations and slavery prior to the American Civil War. Following the war ...
as African-Americans searched for liberation aboard the ship that carried them as slaves and put them to undignified labor serving wealthy whites."
John Fogerty
John Cameron Fogerty (born May 28, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Together with Doug Clifford, Stu Cook, and his brother Tom Fogerty
Thomas Richard Fogerty (November 9, 1941 – September 6, 1990) was an American mu ...
, the song's composer, was impressed by Burke's version of his song: "Two thousand miles away this man had crawled right up inside my head to learn what Proud Mary was all about. Sure, it's great when someone sings your song, but when he understands it, you listen like it was the first time." "Reworked as a celebration of black consciousness, his potent mix of gospel and country – the kind that defined his earlier sides for Atlantic – and driven by a Southern
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
-like strut, . ... it returned Burke to the US R&B Top 20", with the single reaching No. 15 on the R&B charts and No. 45 on the pop charts. According to Burke in a 2002 interview: "I was in Vegas for sixteen weeks at the
Sands Hotel
The Sands Hotel and Casino was a historic American hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, United States, that operated from 1952 to 1996. Designed by architect Wayne McAllister, with a prominent high sign, the Sands was the seventh ...
. I missed this record being a hit, because we weren't there to promote the record, we had no backing. The greatest thing I ever did was tell
Ike Turner
Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. (November 5, 1931 – December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout. An early pioneer of 1950s rock and roll, he is best known for his work in the 1960s and 1 ...
, "Hey man, you should get on this record ... I think you and
Tina
Tina may refer to:
People
*Tina (given name), people and fictional characters with the given name ''Tina''
Places
*Tina, Iran, a village in Khuzestan Province, Iran
*Tina, Tunisia, a town in Sfax Governorate, Tunisia
* Tina, Guadalcanal, Solomon ...
could tear this thing up."
[Solomon Burke, in James Porter]
"Songs of Solomon: Solomon Burke Interview"
''Roctober'' 33 (2002) On 24 May 1969 Burke sang his version of "Proud Mary" on ''
American Bandstand
''American Bandstand'', abbreviated ''AB'', is an American music-performance and dance television program that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as the pro ...
''.
The Checkmates Ltd. Featuring Sonny Charles version
Checkmates, Ltd. The Checkmates, Ltd. were an United States, American Rhythm and blues, R&B group from Fort Wayne, Indiana, Fort Wayne, Indiana. The group, discovered by Nancy Wilson (jazz singer), Nancy Wilson, included both black people, black and white people, wh ...
released a cover of Proud Mary Featuring
Sonny Charles in 1969. The song peaked at No. 69 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart on the week of November 1, 1969. It also reached No. 42 in France.
Ike & Tina Turner version
Ike & Tina Turner
Ike & Tina Turner were an American musical duo consisting of husband and wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by Ike Turner's band the Kings of Rhythm and backing vocal ...
released "Proud Mary" In January 1971 as the second single from their 1970 album ''
Workin' Together
''Workin' Together'' is a studio album released by Ike & Tina Turner on Liberty Records on November 9, 1970. This was their second album with Liberty and their most successful studio album. The album contains their Grammy Award-winning single "Prou ...
''. Their rendition differs greatly from the structure of the original, but is also well-known and has become one of
Tina Turner
Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...
's most recognizable
signature song
A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a Handwriting, handwritten (and often Stylization, stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and ...
s.
According to Tina, Ike was not keen on the original version, but the cover of "Proud Mary" by the
Checkmates, Ltd. The Checkmates, Ltd. were an United States, American Rhythm and blues, R&B group from Fort Wayne, Indiana, Fort Wayne, Indiana. The group, discovered by Nancy Wilson (jazz singer), Nancy Wilson, included both black people, black and white people, wh ...
piqued his interest. Ike and Tina's version was substantially rearranged by Ike Turner and
Soko Richardson
Eulis Soko Richardson (December 8, 1939 – January 29, 2004) was an American rhythm and blues drummer. His career spanned almost fifty years, during which he performed and recorded with seminal groups including John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and ...
.
[Soko Richardson](_blank)
press release fro
pressnetwork.com
January 30, 2004[Noted Soul Drummer Soko Richardson Dies](_blank)
Paiste Cymbals, February 2004 The song starts off with a slow, sultry
soulful tone in which Tina introduces the song and warns the audience that she and the band are gonna start it off "nice and easy" as "we never do nothing nice and easy" but say they would finish it "nice and rough". After the lyrics are first sung softly by the Turners, the song is then turned into a
funk rock
Funk rock is a fusion genre that mixes elements of funk and rock. James Brown and others declared that Little Richard and his mid-1950s road band, The Upsetters, were the first to put the funk in the rock and roll beat, with a biographer sta ...
vamp with Tina and
the Ikettes
The Ikettes, originally The Artettes, were a trio (sometimes quartet) of female backing vocalists for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Despite their origins, the Ikettes became successful artists in their own right. In the 1960s they had hits such as ...
delivering gospel-influenced vocals.
The single peaked at No. 4 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart on March 27, 1971, two years after the original by Creedence Clearwater Revival was at its peak. It also reached No. 5 on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart, and earned the duo a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
for
Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group in 1972.
Ike and Tina first performed a version of the song on ''
Playboy After Dark
''Playboy After Dark'' is an American television show hosted by Hugh Hefner. It aired in syndication through Screen Gems from 1969 to 1970 and was taped at CBS Television City in Los Angeles.
Overview
''Playboy After Dark'' followed much the sa ...
'' on December 3, 1969; episode aired on February 3, 1970. They also performed it on The Ed Sullivan Show on January 11, 1970, in the film ''
It's Your Thing
"It's Your Thing" is a funk single by The Isley Brothers. Released in 1969, the anthem was an artistic response to Motown chief Berry Gordy's demanding hold on his artists after the Isleys left the label in late 1968.
The lyrics of the chorus, w ...
'' (1970), and on ''
Soul Train
''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. It aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series w ...
'' on April 22, 1972. The song became a staple in all of their live shows. Live versions of the song were released on the albums ''
Live at Carnegie Hall'' (1971) and ''
Live In Paris'' (1971).
The song continued to be an essential part of Tina's performances. In 1988, a live version was included on the album ''
Tina Live in Europe''. In the biopic, ''
What's Love Got to Do with It What's Love Got to Do with It may refer to:
*Tina Turner:
** "What's Love Got to Do with It" (song), a 1984 song by Tina Turner
** ''What's Love Got to Do with It'' (1993 film), a biographical film about Tina Turner
** ''What's Love Got to Do with ...
'', the song is performed in a timeline of events in Ike and Tina's career in which the couple are transformed from an opening act for
the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
to a major headlining act in the 1970s. Tina re-recorded the song for the biopic's 1993 soundtrack album
of the same name. This track was released as a promotional single issued to radio stations and DJs. Tina's solo performance was later included on her 2004 greatest hits album ''
All the Best''. After a contestant's take on the song on ''
The X Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'' in 2010, it entered the UK Singles Chart at No. 62 and fell to No. 121 the next week; it also entered the
Scottish Singles Chart
The Scottish Albums Chart is a chart compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) which is based on how physical and digital sales towards the UK Albums Chart fare in Scotland. The official singles chart for Scotland, the Scottish Singles Chart, ...
at No. 40. Another live version was released in 2009 on the ''
Tina Live
''Tina Live'' is a live album and video album by Tina Turner, released on September 28, 2009, in Europe by Parlophone and on October 13, 2009, in the United States by Manhattan Records. The tracks were recorded at the GelreDome in Arnhem
Arn ...
'' album. It was recorded on March 21, 2009, in
Arnhem
Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both banks of ...
,
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
as part of Turner's
50th Anniversary Tour. Tina also performed duets of "Proud Mary" with
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
and
Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
.
Critical reception
''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' (January 23, 1971): The John Fogerty classic gets a powerhouse treatment with the Turner originality and drive to put it back up the Hot 100 and soul charts. Dynamite entry.
''Cash Box'' (January 23, 1971): "Slow intro almost belies the power that grows into this revival of the Creedence monument. R&B sales could build enough momentum to put the side into top forty again."
''
Record World
''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record Wo ...
'' (January 23, 1971): "Ike & Tina play it 'nice and rough' on Creedence Clearwater's contemporary classic. Great to hear Ike join in with his fine bass and Tina's far out intro is worth the price of admission alone."
Formats and track listings
1971 US 7-inch
# Proud Mary – 3:15
#
Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter – 2:40
1993 US 7-inch and cassette single
#"Proud Mary (Edit Live Version) – 4:32
#"
The Best
Best or The Best may refer to:
People
* Best (surname), people with the surname Best
* Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer
Companies and organizations
* Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain
* Best Lock Corporatio ...
" (Live) – 5:22
1993 US CD single
#"Proud Mary (Edit Live Version) – 4:32
#"Proud Mary (Edit) – 4:10
#"
We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)
"We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)" is a song written by Graham Lyle and Terry Britten, and recorded by American singer Tina Turner. It appeared in the 1985 film ''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'', which starred Mel Gibson and Turner. On the h ...
" (Live) – 4:55
#"The Best" (Live) – 5:22
Chart performance
Weekly charts
;Ike and Tina Turner
Year-end charts
;Tina Turner solo version
Certifications and sales
Accolades
For their rendition, Ike & Tina Turner won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group in 1972.
Both CCR and Ike & Tina Turner's versions of the song received
Grammy Hall of Fame Award
The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...
s, in 1998 and 2003, respectively. "Proud Mary" ranked at No. 155 on ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
''s 2004 list of
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring survey compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2004 in ...
.
Other versions
"Proud Mary" has, over the years, been recorded by a number of artists.
Anthony Armstrong Jones' 1969 version reached number 22 on the U.S. country charts. Also in 1969, a version recorded by the
Checkmates, Ltd. The Checkmates, Ltd. were an United States, American Rhythm and blues, R&B group from Fort Wayne, Indiana, Fort Wayne, Indiana. The group, discovered by Nancy Wilson (jazz singer), Nancy Wilson, included both black people, black and white people, wh ...
and produced by
Phil Spector
Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...
reached number 30 on the
U.K. Singles Chart and number 69 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In 1970, the song was recorded by
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy (; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor, famed for playing Spock in the ''Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes originating Spock in the original ''Star Trek'' series in 1966, then ...
, in his album ''
The New World of Leonard Nimoy''.
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
began incorporating "Proud Mary" into his live shows in 1970. Presley's version is a full-out rocker and is featured in his 1972 concert film ''
Elvis on Tour
''Elvis on Tour'' is a 1972 American concert film starring Elvis Presley during his fifteen-city spring tour earlier that year. It is written, produced, directed by Pierre Adidge and Robert Abel and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).
Follow ...
'', and on his live albums
''On Stage'' (1970) and ''
As Recorded at Madison Square Garden
''Elvis: As Recorded at Madison Square Garden'' is a live album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released in June 1972 by RCA Records. It peaked at No. 11 on the Top 200 US Billboard albums chart on August 26, 1972. Recorded at the ...
'' (1972).
Amanda Ayala
Amanda Ayala (born September 23, 1997) is an American singer from New York who made her first appearance on the national scene on NBC's Emmy Award-winning show ''The Voice.'' Following her time on The Voice she continued her success serving as s ...
performed a rendition of "Proud Mary" in 2019 on
Topgolf
Topgolf is a golf driving range game with electronically tracked golfballs and automatically scored drives that started in 2000 and grew to become a multinational sports entertainment company. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, it has locations i ...
TV's "Who Will Rock You?" The performance was subsequently released exclusively on
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...
.
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
performed a sample of "Proud Mary" during his 2007 Super Bowl Halftime Show performance.
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
1968 songs
1969 singles
1971 singles
1993 singles
Songs written by John Fogerty
Creedence Clearwater Revival songs
Ike & Tina Turner songs
Tina Turner songs
Number-one singles in South Africa
Checkmates, Ltd. songs
Solomon Burke songs
Anthony Armstrong Jones songs
Song recordings produced by John Fogerty
Fantasy Records singles
Parlophone singles
A&M Records singles
Liberty Records singles
Bell Records singles
Songs about Memphis, Tennessee
Songs about rivers
Song recordings produced by Ike Turner
Swamp rock songs
Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients
Male–female vocal duets