Happy Halloween Everyone!
John’s voice is on display in this song. This was on Creedence Clearwater Revival’s debut album. It was a cover written by Screaming Jay Hawkins. John Fogerty forgot the swamp rock and just plugged into the psychedelic sound with this cut. It’s a slightly creepy song to listen to on a long car ride in the dark. Fogerty draws on every bit of soul he has in this vocal.
This was the second single they ever released as CCR…the singles they released before this was from The Goliwogs. They rightly decided that a name change would be in order. A question for the readers…if they would have remained The Golliwogs…would they have made it? What’s in a name right? Well, it can probably be argued.
This song did rather well! I didn’t know it did this much in the charts. It peaked at #11 on the Billboard 100 and #10 in Canada in 1968 and went Platinum.
The original version by Screaming Jay Hawkins was released in 1956. The song was banned from most radio stations because of groans and moans. He played it up to the hilt on appearances that he made.
Be Safe tonight and I hope all of you have a great time!
I Put A Spell On You
I put a spell on you
Because you’re mine
You better stop
The things that you’re doin’
I said “Watch out!”
I ain’t lyin’, yeah!
I ain’t gonna take none of your
Foolin’ around
I ain’t gonna take none of your
Puttin’ me down
I put a spell on you
Because you’re mine
All right!
I put a spell on you
Because you’re mine
You better stop
The things that you’re doin’
I said “Watch out!”
I ain’t lyin’, yeah!
I ain’t gonna take none of your
Foolin’ around
I ain’t gonna take none of your
Puttin’ me down
I put a spell on you
Because you’re mine
All right and I took it down!
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Man, look at Fogerty’s ‘stache! I thought he was always clean-shaven! CCR is one of my all-time favorite bands.
Mine also…they were one of the best American Bands….yea that mustache surprised me as well.
It just don’t look right! He looked far better clean shaven. Makes me bristle to see it.
Where’s some gardenin’ shears when ya need ’em!
Great Halloween song.
https://youtu.be/3TrSMaOZm3Y
Good version Jim
A local band here is fronted by a guitarist and singer who is normally a quiet and shy guy. When he gets on stage he is more like Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. The transformation is kinda scary and he does a great cover of this song. Their former drummer is now our County Executive. I’m not a big fan of CCR but I think they do a good job on this.
Hawkin’s had a very aggressive style. I like that in singers…Bruce can be like that as well.
Oh Doug Clifford…
“The Golliwog Convention” might’ve survived, lol, but who knows — how dumb might other bands’ names have initially seemed (The Beatles, The Animals, The Cranberries, U2, etc.) By any other name, CCR would’ve still been CCR!
Yes you are probably correct…the record company wanted The Beatles to change their name but they refused.
Cut my music teeth on this stuff. Set the tone for my future listening.
CCR’s version is the best I’ve heard, even better than Screaming Jay Hawkins’s. I won’t even mention Bette Midler’s…
Agreed. There is an ominous feel that rolls all through the CCR version. I get the same feel listening to their cover of ‘Grapevine.’
Better left unsaid.
Good tune. I think he put a spell on the weather too. Freak blizzard going on here right now. Will write more about it later. Happy Halloween!
Don’t answer any knocks on the door during the blizzard Lisa. It could only be Abe Bominable Snowman Jr.
Happy Halloween too.
🙂
It’s cold here also! Happy Halloween!
I loved, and still love, crr. great version of this that I’ve never heard. I see you have Annie Lenox here, who does a wonderful version, but have you ever seen her live version with hozier at the grammies? a bit hard to find but worth it. he starts out with ‘take me to church’ and then Annie comes out and commands the stage with ‘I put a spell on you.’ very powerful
Thanks Beth.
I checked it out…the ending of it is fantastic! That was awesome.
The CCR version is just incredible. John Fogerty killed it! I agree the Golliwogs was an odd name, but so was Creedence Clearwater Revival, if you think about it. However, it could easily be abbreviated to CCR and that’s a fairly easy name to remember.
I knew the original was by Screamin Jay Hawkins, who demonstrates impressively demonstrates his name was justified, but this was the first time I saw this clip. Slightly creepy! 🙂
While I don’t celebrate the occasion, I don’t have any problem with it, so Happy Halloween!
Do you think they would have been as big with The Golliwogs? They probably would have been…probably.
Yes Hawkin’s was creepy! We don’t either…we live in the middle of the woods anyway…so no one comes to our door lol.
Have you seen the top 250 guitarists in Rolling Stone? Somehow Eric Clapton dropped from 2 to 35 and Joni MItchell is in at number 9?????????????
I hate Rolling Stone.
Golliwogs sounds like a bunch of small fury animals to me! 🙂 That said, at the end of the day, it’s about the music.
I took a casual look at the Rolling Stone list before. If I recall it correctly, they listed Duane Allman at no. 10 or, i.e., behind Joni Mitchell.
I mean Mitchell came up with all kinds of interesting guitar tunings, so she certainly deserves to be on the list, but ahead of Duane Allman? Also, Clapton dropping from 2 to 35 sounds harsh. Did they think he turned from slow hand into sleeping hand?
Yea Golliwogs I think of a swamp monster or somthing lol.
Read the review of him on the list and you will find out why. Nothing to do with his guitar playing. Think Van Morrison…
Yea is Joni a great songwriter and singer? YES…and yes she does have odd tunings and is good at what she does…but she is better than SRV?
I agree, some of these Rolling Stones rankings are odd. In addition to Duane Allman, who in my book is one of the best guitarists who ever walked the planet, as is SVR, you also have Carlos Santana (11), Prince (14) and Keith Richards (15) behind Joni. I think it’s fine for her to be included in a list of 250, but not ahead of the aforementioned guitarists. And Eric Clapton, for that matter, who should also be way higher!
They bring politics into it like they did the album list….that pisses me off Christian. I might do my own list lol.
I had no idea that was CCR’s original name…! For the best they changed it, really, as they wouldn’t be getting much airplay these days…
I do not think they would have made it as The Golliwogs. And if they had made it, they’d have been canceled by now. Can you imagine a DJ announcing their name in 2023?
You know what? In all honesty I never knew what that meant! I just googled it…I’m surprised they got by with it then.
In the post I just thought it was a silly name. Damn…I feel stupid!
I love this song, which is my all-time favorite by CCR. Those wailing guitars are absolute fire!