‘Creedence Clearwater Revival At The Royal Albert Hall’ Due With New Documentary

Craft Recordings have announced the September 16 release of the multi-format, complete concert recording Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall, concurrently with the previously-announced concert documentary feature film centered on the famed 1970 show.

The album, and the documentary, directed by two-time Grammy-winner Bob Smeaton (The Beatles Anthology, Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsies), bring the long-lost recording of the London show to CCR’s legions of fans. The film, Travelin’ Band:  Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall, is narrated by Academy Award-winning actor, and major Creedence admirer, Jeff Bridges.

The fabled 1970 concert, at London’s most prestigious venue, places listeners front and center of the show, with John and Tom Fogerty, Doug Clifford, and Stu Cook performing such CCR signatures as “Fortunate Son,” “Proud Mary,” and “Bad Moon Rising.” The latter track is now available to stream or download.

The Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall album can now be pre-ordered in multiple formats. It will be available on 180 gram vinyl, CD, and cassette, while select retailers will offer a variety of exclusive color variants. Walmart will have “Tombstone Shadow” vinyl while Target offers “Green River” vinyl. The album will be available across digital platforms, including in hi-res and Dolby ATMOS immersive audio formats.

A limited Super Deluxe Edition Box Set will follow on November 14, featuring both the album and the film and available exclusively via CraftRecordings.com. The 2-LP/2-CD/1-Blu-ray collection includes the live album on two 45rpm 180 gram vinyl LPs, and on CD. A second CD features music from the film, including formative recordings from the band’s early, pre-Creedence incarnations such as Tommy Fogerty and the Blue Velvets and the Golliwogs.

The Blu-ray edition offers the complete Travelin’ Band:  Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall film, plus the digital album in hi-res and Dolby ATMOS immersive audio. This edition is limited to 5,000 copies worldwide, each set individually numbered and housed in a 12” x 12” box, with embossed gold foil detail. It includes a reproduction of the original 1970 tour program, a 17” x 24” poster, and a 16-page booklet, featuring an excerpt from Bridges’ voiceover script, offering further background on CCR’s incredible path to the London show. View the unboxing trailer below.

After some 50 years in storage, the original multitrack tapes were meticulously restored and mixed by the Grammy-winning team of producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell. The LP was mastered by the celebrated engineer Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios, using half-speed technology for the highest-quality listening experience.

As Bridges says in the film of Creedence’s rapid rise: “In only 12 months the band had achieved five Top 10 singles and three Top 10 albums [Bayou Country, Green River, Willy and the Poor Boys] on the American charts, outselling The Beatles. They had appeared on the legendary Ed Sullivan Show and played to over a million people across America, including the hundreds of thousands gathered at Woodstock.

“‘John, Tom, Stu, and Doug’ may not have had the familiar ring to it of ‘John, Paul, George, and Ringo,’” he goes on, “but Creedence were challenging the Beatles for the title of the biggest group in the world. John Fogerty was considered one of America’s most politically significant songwriters. What set Creedence apart from many of their contemporaries was their ability to produce the sound of their records on stage, and the primal excitement and joy of their concerts, which came from their love of live performance.”

Rave reviews for the Royal Albert Hall show appeared in such publications as The Times and the NME, the latter declaring: “Creedence Clearwater Revival had proved beyond a doubt that they are, in more opinions than mine, the Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World. In their capable hands, not only is the true spirit of rock music alive and well, but it is kicking like a mule.”

Pre-order the Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall album.