CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL - HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE RAIN?

Llançament: Gener de 1971  

Llistes: EUA: #8   Regne Unit: #36  

"Have You Ever Seen the Rain" és una cançó escrita per John Fogerty i llançada com a senzill el 1971 dins de l'àlbum “Pendulum”. El single va tenir més èxit al Canadà, on va arribar al número u de la llista nacional de senzills RPM 100 el març de 1971. Als Estats Units va assolir el vuitè lloc a la llista Billboard Hot 100 i el tercer lloc a la llista pop de Cash Box. Al Regne Unit, va arribar al número 36. La cantant gal·lesa Bonnie Tyler en va fer una versió en el seu àlbum de 1983 “Faster Than the Speed of Night”, assolint el lloc número 47 al Regne Unit.

"Have You Ever Seen the Rain" reflecteix els sentiments de John Fogerty sobre la imminent marxa del seu germà Tom de Creedence Clearwater Revival i la tensió general dins la banda durant un període d'èxit. La frase "I want to know - have you ever seen the rain comin' down on a sunny day?" (Vull saber si has vist mai la pluja caient en un dia assolellat?) simbolitza la sortida de Tom mentre la banda estava en el seu apogeu comercial. La cara B del senzill, “Hey Tonight”, mostra John tranquil·litzant la banda suggerint que tot aniria bé malgrat els desafiaments. Tom Fogerty va deixar el grup a principis de 1971, poc després de la publicació de l'àlbum. Més tard, va llançar tres àlbums en solitari abans de morir de tuberculosi el 1990, amb un quart àlbum publicat pòstumament el 1992.

John Fogerty va revelar que el significat de “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” ha evolucionat amb el temps. Durant un concert a Arizona el 2012, va explicar que, tot i que la cançó s'inspirava inicialment en un període difícil de la seva vida, ja no l'associa amb la tristesa. En lloc d'això, ara pensa en la seva filla, Kelsy, i en la imatge dels arcs de Sant Martí cada cop que la canta. Fogerty també va afirmar que aquesta és la seva cançó preferida de totes les que ha escrit.

Per al 50è aniversari de la banda el 2018, es va llançar un videoclip protagonitzat pels joves actors Jack Quaid, Sasha Frolova i Erin Moriarty. Dirigit per Laurence Jacobs, el vídeo es descriu com una història de maduració ambientada a Montana, que es centra en tres amics íntims mentre un d'ells es prepara per marxar. Captura moments d'amistat, incloent tirar pedres al riu, conduir pel camp en una Chevrolet pickup vermella vintage i passar una estona junts al voltant d’un foc. Un vídeo del making-of, llançat el 26 de juny de 2019, inclou entrevistes amb els actors i el director. Posteriorment, Quaid i Moriarty van protagonitzar la sèrie “The Boys” d'Amazon Prime.

CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL - HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE RAIN?

Released: January 1971

Charts: US: #8    UK: #36 

"Have You Ever Seen the Rain" is a song written by John Fogerty and released as a single in 1971 from the “Pendulum” album. The song was most successful in Canada, where it reached number one on the RPM 100 national singles chart in March 1971. In the US it peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number three on the Cash Box pop chart. In the UK, the song charted at number 36. Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler covered the song on her 1983 album “Faster Than the Speed of Night”, with her version reaching #47 in the UK.

"Have You Ever Seen the Rain" reflects John Fogerty's feelings about the impending departure of his brother Tom from Creedence Clearwater Revival and the overall tension within the band during a time of success. The lyric "I want to know - have you ever seen the rain comin' down on a sunny day?" symbolizes Tom's exit while the band was at its commercial peak. The B-side of the single, "Hey Tonight," features John reassuring the band that everything would be alright despite the challenges. Tom Fogerty left the group in early 1971, shortly after the album's release. He later released three solo albums before passing away from tuberculosis in 1990, with a fourth album released posthumously in 1992.

John Fogerty revealed that the meaning of "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" evolved for him over time. During a 2012 concert in Arizona, he explained that while the song was initially inspired by a difficult period in his life, he no longer associates it with sadness. Instead, he now thinks of his daughter, Kelsy, and the imagery of rainbows whenever he sings it. Fogerty also stated that this song is his all-time favorite, despite being one he wrote himself.

For the band's 50th anniversary in 2018, a music video was released, featuring up-and-coming actors Jack Quaid, Sasha Frolova, and Erin Moriarty. Directed by Laurence Jacobs, the video is described as a "coming-of-age story" set in Montana, focusing on three best friends as one prepares to move away. It captures moments of friendship, including skipping rocks, driving through the countryside in a vintage red Chevy pickup, and bonding around a fire. A behind-the-scenes featurette, released on June 26, 2019, includes interviews with the cast and director. Quaid and Moriarty later starred in Amazon Prime's “The Boys”.