John turned his Kustom K200/A Amp up to 11 with this song. It’s a little harder than their radio hits and they dip into blues rock with this cut. It was never released as a single but has become a fan favorite, especially among those who appreciate CCR’s rock album tracks.
It featured on their 6th studio album Pendulum released in 1970. This album was the last to feature Tom Fogerty, the band’s rhythm guitarist and older brother of lead singer John Fogerty. He would leave the band band after this one. The album departed from the band’s previous work in several ways. Fogerty’s songs are strong throughout and are made more interesting by the addition of horns and keyboards
It was recorded at Wally Heider’s studio in San Francisco, it took a month to record which was a long time for a Creedence album. , was down to the fact that the initial take on each song was performed by all four members, this was then followed by overdubbing by John. The overdubs included a horn section, keyboards, and additional backing vocals, all of which were played and sung by John.
The album was met with mixed reviews from critics. Some praised the deeper sound they had in their songs. Some wanted the rawer energy they had on their previous 5 albums. It included the two hits Have You Ever Seen The Rain and Hey Tonight. Pagan Baby does have that earlier CCR energy.
Pendulum peaked at #5 on the Billboard Album Charts, #2 in Canada, and #8 in the UK in 1970. Their next album Mardi Gras was the only CCR album to be panned by critics and fans alike…including John Fogerty.
Pagan Baby
Pagan baby, won’t you walk with me? Pagan baby, come on home with me. Pagan baby, take me for a ride. Roll me, baby, roll your big, brown eyes.
Yeah! ooh! ooh!
Pagan baby, let me make your name. Drive it, baby, drive your big love game. Pagan baby, what you got, I need.
Don’t be savin’, spread your love on me.
Aah! mm-mm-mm!
Pagan baby, now won’t you rock with me? Pagan baby, lay your love on me.
Hey Tonight is the B-side of “Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” the first single Creedence Clearwater Revival released in 1971 and the last the band launched as a quartet. Both single cuts also appear on the Pendulum album. What terrific singles this great band produced like clockwork.
This is yet another song that has the character “Jody” in it. Songs like It Came Out Of The Sky, Hey Tonight, and a solo Fogerty song called Almost Saturday Night. He has never said one way or another if it was based on someone or just sounded good in the song…probably the latter.
John Fogerty wrote “Hey Tonight” and the band rehearsed it before the group hit the studio in 1970. Fogerty thought the song was one of the better ones on the album despite the fact it was written in while the band was in turmoil at that time. Creedence Clearwater played “Hey Tonight” live for a first time at the private party the band held to music writers at Cosmo’s Factory on December 12th, 1970.
John not only wrote, sings and plays guitar on every track, he also overdubbed organ and saxophone (which he played himself) on some of the songs.
Have You Ever Seen The Rain?/Hey Tonight peaked at #9 in the Billboard 100 and #1 in Canada in 1971.
This video below is not a real video to the song but it shows some footage I haven’t seen before of the band as a trio after Tom quit. The song is right below this one.
Hey Tonight
Hey, Tonight, Gonna be tonight, Don’t you know I’m flyin’ Tonight, tonight. Hey, c’mon, Gonna chase tomorrow Tonight, tonight.
Gonna get it to the rafters, Watch me now. Jody’s gonna get religion All night long.
Hey, c’mon, Gonna hear the sun Tonight, tonight.
Gonna get it to the rafters, Watch me now. Jody’s gonna get religion All night long.
Aaaah! Hey, Tonight, Gonna be tonight, Don’t you know I’m flyin’ Tonight, tonight. Tonight, tonight.
CCR is one band that crosses genres. I haven’t met many people that don’t like them. I can’t say the same for my band The Beatles, or The Stones, The Who, and others. Country fans, Metal fans, Rock fans, and bluegrass fans. It’s something about John Fogerty’s deceptively simple songs that says something to everyone.
John Fogerty did almost all the overdubs for the band until the Pendulum album when other members contributed. Pendulum is the album this song is on. Time was running out on this great band. John said this song was about the impending breakup of the band…Tom Fogerty had told the band he was quitting after the album was finished.
John’s brother Tom Fogerty quit the band after this album and CCR was then a trio. Tom’s voice was close to John’s and he felt restricted in CCR. If you want to hear what Tom sounded like…check out this post by Christian on the forgotten Forgerty brother. Creedence did release one more album after this called Mardi Gras without Tom and it has a few good songs but it’s not up to their standard.
I could tell you my feelings on this song but just listen to it today and it will make your Friday even better.
The song peaked at #8 in the Billboard 100, #1 in Canada, #3 in New Zealand and #36 in the UK in 1971.
John Fogerty: “That song is really about the impending breakup of Creedence. The imagery is, you can have a bright, beautiful, sunny day and it can be raining at the same time. The band was breaking up. I was reacting: ‘Geez, this is all getting serious right at the time when we should be having a sunny day.’”
From Songfacts
This song is John Fogerty’s take on the imminent departure of his brother Tom from the band, and the overall tension in the group at a time when they should have been enjoying their success. The line, “I want to know – have you ever seen the rain comin’ down on a sunny day?” refers to Tom leaving while CCR was at its commercial zenith. The flip side of this single, “Hey Tonight,” is John reassuring the band that all would go well despite the adversity.
Tom Fogerty left the group in early 1971, after this album was released. He released three solo albums before dying of tuberculosis in 1990. A fourth album, completed in 1988, was released posthumously.
According to John Fogerty, this song’s meaning changed for him over time. Introducing the song at a 2012 show in Arizona, he said: “This song was originally written about a very sad thing that was going on in my life. But I refuse to be sad now. Because now this song reminds me of my little girl, Kelsy, and every time I sing it, I think about Kelsy and rainbows.”
Fogerty added that this is his all-time favorite song, even though it’s one he wrote himself.
Musically, this song was inspired by the group Booker T. & the MG’s, whose most famous song is “Green Onions.” They opened for Creedence Clearwater Revival before CCR recorded the Pendulum album. John Fogerty loved the sound of Booker T. Jones’ Hammond organ, so he used it on some tracks for the album, including this one.
According to Stu Cook, this song and another track on the album, “Pagan Baby,” were written and rehearsed from scratch during one recording session. “Pagan Baby” was done in one take.”
This was used in the TV show Tour Of Duty, which was set in Vietnam during the war. >>
Bonnie Tyler covered this song for her 1983 blockbuster album Faster Than the Speed of Night. Her version reached #47 in the UK. >>
In 2006, Rod Stewart covered this song on his album Still the Same… Great Rock Classics of Our Time. >>
Allison Moorer covered this for her 2015 Down To Believing album. She explained why to Billboard magazine: “The record label wanted me to do a cover. I said ‘I don’t really think the record needs a cover on it,’ and we certainly have enough songs, but in the spirit of being cooperative, I said ‘OK, if you really want one, I’ll come up with something.'”
“If I was going to do a cover, it was going to be something that I had always wanted to do,” she continued. “I’m a huge Creedence fan, and that song might be my very favorite song of theirs. I’ve always thought it was the perfect country / rock song, and this record to me is a country / rock record, so I thought ‘If I’m ever going to this, this is the perfect time. I think what you hear on the record is actually the second take.”
As part of the CCR50 campaign to honor the 50th anniversary of Creedence Clearwater Revival, a video was commissioned for this song starring Jack Quaid, Sasha Frolova and Erin Moriarty as childhood friends in Montana. Directed by Laurence Jacobs, it takes a nostalgic turn when one of the friends moves away.
Willie Nelson recorded this with his daughter Paula Nelson for his duets album To All the Girls… The veteran country singer’s cover was included in the closing moments of the HBO miniseries Big Little Lies’ season 2 finale on July 21, 2019. The interest generated drove Nelson’s cover to a #36 debut on the Country chart dated August 3, 2019.
Have You Ever Seen The Rain
Someone told me long ago There’s a calm before the storm I know it’s been comin’ for some time When it’s over so they say It’ll rain a sunny day I know shinin’ down like water
I want to know Have you ever seen the rain? I want to know Have you ever seen the rain Comin’ down on a sunny day?
Yesterday and days before Sun is cold and rain is hard I know been that way for all my time ‘Til forever, on it goes Through the circle, fast and slow, I know it can’t stop, I wonder
I want to know Have you ever seen the rain? I want to know Have you ever seen the rain Comin’ down on a sunny day?
Yeah
I want to know Have you ever seen the rain? I want to know Have you ever seen the rain Comin’ down on a sunny day?
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