Today marks the third visit of legendary Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame drummer DOUG "COSMO" CLIFFORD - a.k.a. founding member of Creedence Clearwater Revival - to my show. At the tender age of seventy-seven, Doug stills practices and sharpens his drum chops, even if his Parkinson's condition limits his travels and actions. However, he has reached once more into his musical vault and prepared another newly remastered treasure for our enjoyment. This third project is a new album called 'CALIFORNIA GOLD' and it features the vocal talents of musician BOBBY WHITLOCK (famous for his keyboard work with Derek and the Dominoes.) This record was created in 1978, which is eight years before his last two restored albums MAGIC WINDOW and FOR ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD. I let Mr. Clifford know how much I enjoyed this latest collection, so Doug and I went over some of my favorite tracks and talked about the making of this golden effort. Together, we discussed Doug and Bobby's process of collaboration and songwriting, and I was happy to get a repeat story about Cosmo's buddy Steve Miller in the process! The episode wouldn't be complete without an inspirational moment from Cosmo, and he delivered something pretty special. Please enjoy the show and check out the great tunes from Doug and Bobby. They have set a new Gold standard. Thank you once more, Cosmo!
Dean Olson
StrongWriter On the Radio
* Listen to Doug "Cosmo" Clifford's Interview with Dean! *
Featured Guest: DOUG "COSMO" CLIFFORD
Creedence Clearwater Revival founding member and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Drummer
RENO, Nevada — Doug “Cosmo” Clifford, the iconic Creedence drummer, has a treasure trove of unreleased recordings he’s produced over the years, all safely stored in Cosmo’s Vault.
This past summer he re-discovered what he thought was a long-lost album called California Gold. It features Bobby Whitlock on lead vocals, singing 10 original songs he and Cosmo co-wrote together. The album was recorded at the infamous “Cosmos Factory” and various other San Francisco Bay Area studios and the result is indeed a newly unearthed treasure.
The rock luminaries joined forces to create a perfect good time rock-n-roll record. Doug Clifford is known for his powerful drum style in one of the most popular American bands from the late 60s and early 70s, Creedence Clearwater Revival. Co-founder of Derek & The Dominos, Bobby Whitlock is well known to rock fans, critics and music aficionados. As well as being a singer/songwriter, guitarist and Hammond B-3 player, the musician has enjoyed his own string of hits in collaboration with Eric Clapton including “Layla,” “Bell Bottom Blues,” “Tell The Truth” and more.
Doug and Bobby gathered other top shelf musicians along their journey including producer/writer and bassist extraordinaire, Donald “Duck” Dunn who ushered in the sounds of Stax and played bass on literally thousands of recordings. Other musicians include Tom Miller on bass and David Vega and Mike O’Neill on guitar.
The songs are a combination of roots rock and melodic blues, all natural with no filler. Whitlock’s powerful and distinctive vocals are in top form and Cosmo’s drumming is rock solid, stretching beyond his well-known Creedence grooves.
For reasons that shall remain a mystery, California Gold was somehow lost in time. But now that the album has been re-discovered, perhaps its time is here and now.
The California Gold release date for streaming and downloads is Sept. 9 via Cliffsong Records, distributed globally by BFD/The Orchard. CD available for pre-order now at https://orcd.co/DougCliffordCaliforniaGold
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