#Willy November 10

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

Maybe the hashtag WILLY drew you in thinking this was a post about Willie Nelson but that is not the case. WILLY and the Poor Boys by Creedence Clearwater Revival is the feature for today’s 30 Day Album #Coach4adayChallenge.

WILLY and The Poor Boys was the 4th studio album for CCR and was released in 1969. Yes, I had listened to some of the tracks on this album including some of their hits like “Down on the Corner” and “Fortunate Son” but never the complete album. CCR had a total of 7 studio albums plus 3 live albums. You can see the entire list here. Many music critics and reviewers consider this album the best of all of them.

Creedence Clearwater Revival

In researching the start of CCR I learned a new slang that musicians know quite well. That word is “Woodshedding”. Well CCR got it’s start in the San Francisco in the late 1950’s by playing in bars. They used that time to perfect their sound.

Here is a quote I found about CCR from a 2014 Uncut article

Creedence Clearwater Revival were an American phenomenon. From 1968 to 1972, they dominated FM and AM radio alike – an unusual feat – with a prolific run of glorious singles (“Suzie Q”, “Proud Mary”, “Bad Moon Rising”, “Green River”, “Fortunate Son”, “Up Around The Bend”). In 1969 alone, they earned three platinum discs and released three acclaimed albums (Bayou Country, Green River, Willy And The Poor Boys), as well as playing Woodstock and most major festivals. By late ’69, Creedence could have called themselves the biggest band in America. 

Discography of Willy and The Poor Boys

Listening to this album I discovered two songs that I really loved. The first was “Poorboy Shuffle” which features John Fogerty on harmonica. The second song is “Side of the Road” with John Fogerty playing guitar. He makes the guitar sound like Booker T and the MG’s. My research has said that CCR never played this song in concert.