Best version of CC rider

[Buddy]

To me Memphis 74 followed by On Stage 70

[brian]

The 1966 studio recording by the Animals. Credence Clearwater Revival's studio recording of Proud Mary is the best and the most rocking.

[ian]

1970 and Rapid City, 1977, plus many others!!!!!

[emjel]

Hello ,

I remember a thread a long time ago about the best version of CC Rider , I seem to remember it being from 1970 and maybe no backup singer but cannot remember. What is the best rockin version of this song . Also what is the best rocking version of Proud Mary also. I want to hear the best rockin version's . Thanks

When you say you want to hear the best rockin’ versions, do you mean you literally want to hear them, or just read about everyone’s individual preferences. And are you talking about just Elvis’ Versions of the songs or only other artists versions.

[chop983]

The live version without the orchestra on Platinum and On Tour rehearsals deserve a mention.

[LSP-4445]

Best versions&mixes to me:

CC Rider = Today ,Tomorrow&Forever box set.
Proud Mary = Polk Salad Annie FTD

[jurasic1968]

On stage 1970.

[dougkapp]

CC Rider, master from On Stage followed by CC Rider from Today Tomorrow and Forever, box set.

[Johnny2523]

The live version without the orchestra on Platinum and On Tour rehearsals deserve a mention.

That's not a live version.. That's actually a rehearsal from January/February 1970.

[Rob]

Doesn't live in rehearsal count?

[elvis-fan]

Probably in the minority... but my favorite version is from January 14, 1973.

[JimmyCool]

On Stage master.

[JohanD]

Anything On Tour 1972 April/june related, the power!!

[Jaime1234]

The 1966 studio recording by the Animals. Credence Clearwater Revival's studio recording of Proud Mary is the best and the most rocking.

You are going to compare this song, recorded at a studio in 1966



with this, recorded live in 1970.


Brian, you are always off the mark. One sang the song as if he was an African American, the other as if he was Elvis Presley. Take it from Burdon. And I quote "When at last I made my journey to the land of the blues, I never dreamt for one minute that I'd actually become friends with the guys who were my mentors, heroes and my cultural icons. (Witherspoon's) voice held a great mysticism for me, like when I first heard the voice of Elvis Presley—you knew it was coming from the source.
** Eric Burdon, lead singer of "The Animals", commenting on his meeting bluesman Jimmy Witherspoon, as published in Gadfly's March 1998 edition."

[Domino]

1970 Onstage/1974 Memphis

[brian]

The Animals did C.C. Rider better live than Elvis too. Credence Clearwater Revival did Proud Mary better live than Elvis did. No dispute there.

[londonflash]

For See See Rider, one of the Feb '70 versions, although I'm also partial to the ones from April '72.

I also like the Aloha version elvis-fan posted about above.

With Proud Mary, Feb '70 or June '72 (MSG). I like that they are quite different in feel. That track always shows the difference between Lanning and Tutt - two brilliant drummers!

[DarrylMac]

For those who love the Feb 70 versions of CC Rider, I'm right with you - they are excellent, but there's always been something about the March 74 version in Memphis that captures my attention. It has an exuberant playful energy that I find infectious.

As for Proud Mary, I know I'm in the minority, but I don't care too much for the Feb 70 versions, the way he bellows the word Rolling, especially on the key change. Does nothing for me. I love the versions between Nov 71 and June 72 - they are sensational, to me at least. What a second song, with Never Been To Spain following too. I can imagine the crowd sat there, as Elvis would say, with their hair blown straight back! What an opening 10 mins to a show! I love Ronnies drumming, JD hitting the deep notes, and the band and orchestra cooking together. I can watch the EOT version over and over.

And finally - the Animals doing CC Rider better? Not even close? They've tried to turn it in to an Animals song, and failed. There are so many better, and more authentic versions before and after. CCR do Proud Mary justice though, although it's a very different groove.

[jurasic1968]

CCR - the best version of the song.

[londonflash]

Inspired by the "last concert you listened to" thread, tonight I played A Greensboro Revolution to mark EP's show there 48 years ago tonight, excellent versions of both songs.

Nice posts about his performances of those two songs in this period, DarrylMac and Greystoke.

[Jaime1234]

The Animals did C.C. Rider better live than Elvis too. Credence Clearwater Revival did Proud Mary better live than Elvis did. No dispute there.

No dispute for you. Their live version? No one, absolutely no one, would go and see them do it, knowing that in the building just in front, or a block from there, there was the possibility that Elvis would open with his version of See See Rider. Incidentally the best version of Proud Mary is by Ike and Tina Tuner, then CCR and way on third place, Elvis 1972 MSG version.

[brian]

Fans of the Animals didn't go and see them sing C.C. Rider live in concert. The Animals had a big pop hit with C.C. Rider. Out of all the people that covered C.C. Rider the Animals had the biggest hit with it yet their fans couldn't stomach it. There version is very well known and I always assumed it was liked among their fans. Fans of the Animals would prefer to hear Elvis sing C.C. Rider live. For some reason I doubt that. I never cared for Tina Turner's version of ''Proud Mary'' but she did do a better job with it than Elvis did. Certainly her version was more popular than Elvis's version and a lot of people liked it. She put more thought into it.

[emjel]

These are all different interpretations of the song C C Rider, with Elvis’ being quite different to all the others due to its pacing, but out of all the versions uploaded here, my favourite is The Animals with Eric Burton. As often when Elvis takes on a song, he has a habit of leaving out lyrics which he has done on all his renditions of the song. I could listen to Burdon’s version a lot more than Elvis’ which to me gets ruined not so much by the speed, but the brashness of the Vegas orchestration/horns throughout. Regarding Proud Mary, CCR’s version is the best, although I do like Elvis’ version with his Feb 70 versions probably the best - there is just something about the songs he did during that season and the one before.

Still not sure if the OP is looking for best versions by Elvis or just other artists though.

[brian]

Still not sure if the OP is looking for best versions by Elvis or just other artists though

He just wanted to know the best Elvis version of C.C. Rider. Out of Elvis's versions which one rocks the most. Opinions have and will vary on that. I would say to settle it which one is done at the fastest tempo. I think they are all done at about the same tempo though. He also remembered a version of C.C. Rider without any backup singers but he can't remember which version it is. He wants to know that as well. What show and what year did the version of C.C. Rider without the backup singers come from?

2.Which version of Elvis's covers of Proud Mary rocks the most? The 1970, 1972 or 1974 version?

[rlj4ep]

I like the 1972 versions just a bit better than 1970. Forgive me, but my favorite (if I have to pick one) is I love the way Elvis greeted us with See See Rider on June 23, 1974 afternoon show. Boy did he rock the Spectrum that rainy Sunday afternoon.
In fact as I remember, the evening performance of the song was pretty darn good as well!

rlj