Creedence Clearwater Revival Guitar Tabs

Potola Jr. High, in the East Bay San Francisco Suburb of El Cerrito was the place where everything started. Called The Blue Velvets, the band came together when John Fogerty and Doug Clifford discovered a mutual love of the blues, R&B and rock and roll. Not satisfied with the sound, they invited Doug's friend Stu Cook to join. Stu had studied classical piano for years, but also was hooked on the local R&B station, KWBR, in Oakland.

Now they were an instrumental trio, playing sock hops, fairs and parties around the area. Despite being one of the few 'teen bands' in the area, there were just so many sock hops they could play, and during the winter, county fairs are hard to come by. Still eager to perfect their craft, by 1961 the Blue Velvets were hanging around the local recording studios, backing up local artists. In 1959, the group made their first record with John on guitar, Doug on drums and Stu on piano.
At the same time the Blue Velvet's were establishing themselves, John's older brother Tom also a gigged locally as a musician and singer. He was doing the high school dance circuit with a band called The Playboys. His vocals were so impressive that he was asked to join one of the top groups in the area, Spider Webb and the Insects. Spider Webb and The Insects broke up in 1959,   and shortly after that, Tom asked his brother's band to back him on a demo. By fall of 1960, Tommy Fogerty and the Blue Velvets (as they were now billed) played all of the usual haunts, the school sock hops, parties, fairs and the like throughout Northern California.