In 1963, Marvin Gaye was packin’ up his luggage and hitch mountaineering to his child. In 1970, Vainness Fare have been “Hitchin’ A Ride.” In July 1971, Creedence Clearwater Revival have been telling us about their “Sweet Hitch-Hiker,” and touchdown yet one more Billboard Sizzling 100 entry. It was to be the group’s final US High 10 hit.
Together with chart entries for a number of of the flip sides of their 45 rpm releases, “Sweet Hitch-Hiker” was Creedence’s 18th singles chart look in lower than three years. Written by John Fogerty and produced by the group, it got here out as a single on Fantasy effectively forward of what turned the mum or dad album, Mardi Gras, the 1972 set that appeared simply earlier than CCR break up up.
It was an LP that noticed the songwriting credit unfold across the now-three piece band, after the departure of John’s brother Tom. There have been contributions by each Stu Prepare dinner (together with the only B-side “Door To Door”) and Doug Clifford, even when Mardi Gras would later be described by Mojo journal as “a misbegotten exercise in democracy.”
Nonetheless, Prepare dinner advised Sounds in late 1971 how happy he was with the transition to a three-piece. “We’re all working together much better now,” he mentioned. “We’re playing much tighter. I don’t think the sound has suffered at all, it’s still the same as before…some of the arrangements are faster without the rhythm guitar — [1969’s] ‘Tombstone Shadow,’ for instance.”
Flyin’ to the Greasy King
Basically a biker track, the lyric of “Sweet Hitch-Hiker” has Fogerty “cruisin’ on by way of the junction, flyin’ ‘bout the speed of sound” when he sees the girl of the title. The lyric refers to the Greasy King, the nickname of a real-life restaurant in the band’s residence city of El Cerrito, California, close to their rehearsal area.
Take heed to the official The 12 months 1969 playlist, that includes Creedence Clearwater Revival and different favorites.
“Sweet Hitch-Hiker” entered the Sizzling 100 for the week of July 17, 1971 at No.68, as Carole King entered her fifth and closing week at No.1 with the double-sided Tapestry hit “It’s Too Late”/“I Feel The Earth Move.” The CCR track rose swiftly, to spend two weeks at No.6 in August. Mardi Gras then provided up one other high 30 single in “Someday Never Comes,” however the group’s dazzling run of High 10 hits was lastly at an finish.
Purchase or stream “Sweet Hitch-Hiker” on the album Mardi Gras.
