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Remembering When John Fogerty Rocketed Back to Pop Stardom in 1985
John Fogerty returned to major chart success in 1985 with *Centerfield*, after years away from music and a difficult start to his solo career. The album’s success revived his pop profile, drawing in part on the gritty sound that had made Creedence Clearwater Revival famous.
After CCR broke up in 1972, contract problems and writer’s block left Fogerty releasing only two albums in the 1970s, with one Top 40 hit. A fishing trip sparked the song “I Saw It On The TV”, and a new deal with Warner Brothers helped him resume recording; Fogerty played every instrument on *Centerfield*. Its first single, “The Old Man Down The Road”, led to a plagiarism lawsuit from former label owner Saul Zaentz over its resemblance to CCR’s “Run Through The Jungle”; Fogerty won. His 1986 follow-up, *Eye Of The Zombie*, did not match the album’s success.
In short
- *Centerfield* brought John Fogerty back to pop success in 1985.
- A fishing trip helped break his long spell of writer’s block.
- Fogerty won a lawsuit alleging he copied his own CCR work.
Explained simply
John Fogerty first became widely known as the singer, guitarist and principal songwriter of Creedence Clearwater Revival, whose rootsy rock songs were popular around the turn of the 1970s. After the band split in 1972, disputes over his recording contract and a long spell of writer’s block limited his solo output.
A new record deal with Warner Brothers helped Fogerty return to recording, and he made *Centerfield* largely on his own, playing all the instruments. Its success renewed interest in his music, while a legal dispute over similarities between one of its songs and a Creedence track drew attention to the complicated ties between Fogerty and the band’s former label.