Stu Cook and Doug “Cosmo” may not have intended it, but their band Creedence Clearwater Revisited has
taken on a startling life of its own. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame rhythm section (bass and drums
respectively) from the legendary group Creedence Clearwater Revival launched the Creedence Clearwater
Revisited project in 1995 to once again perform live Creedence Clearwater Revival hits – touchstones of a
generation. Though the pair initially only planned to play private parties, Creedence Clearwater Revisited now
performs up to 100 shows a year and has released the album “Recollection.”
“We never really had any intention of playing for the public,” says Stu. “But a friend wanted to promote a
couple of concerts. We got talked into it, but didn’t know how it would go over.”
Since then, the reaction to Creedence Clearwater Revisited’s concerts has been astounding, and driven in part
by a generation of kids who, as Cosmo says, “weren’t even born when the music came out.” Likewise, the
release of a double-live CD on Universal’s Hip-O Records label, which features passionate, authoritative
version of 22 classic hits – was the result of public demand. “It was generated by requests of the people who
came to the shows,” Stu acknowledges. “Over and over they would ask, “‘do you guys have a CD?’” Creedence
Clearwater Revisited’s “Recollection” has proven so popular that it was certified as a gold record by the RIAA
in 2002 and is well on its way towards platinum record status.
Having now toured North America, South America, New Zealand, Europe and Asia, knocking out audiences
with astounding concerts jam packed with songs that are still a staple of radio and movie soundtracks,
Creedence Clearwater Revisited has come a long way. “In the beginning Cosmo and I decided that if we could
find the musicians that could capture the sound and recreate what the music was about, we’d do it,” recalls Stu.
As fans who have experienced a Creedence Clearwater Revisited concert can attest, Stu and Cosmo found the
right players. Lead singer/rhythm guitar player John Tristao, a powerful tenor with the energy to power songs,
initially rose to prominence as lead singer for the band People when their hit “I Love You” bulleted into the top
ten. Lead guitarist Tal Morris has been described as “the quintessential Bay Area guitar prodigy” and his
monstrous talent unleashed live is what a rock ‘n’ roll concert is all about. Talented multi-instrumentalist Steve
Gunner rounds out the group. As Cosmo puts it, “Gun provides live all the overdubs that were on the records.
He plays keyboard, acoustic guitar, percussion, harmonica and sings the high harmonies.”
With this new lineup, Stu and Cosmo and their band Creedence Clearwater Revisited add a new chapter to their
legacy with vibrant and exhilarating energy and pure American spirit. As the Hollywood Reporter’s music critic
John Lappen wrote about a Creedence Clearwater Revisited concert in Los Angeles, “Their set was an amazing
list of hit after hit that was done serious justice by the players involved. If anyone in the cheering crowd was
disappointed [anyone] wasn’t there, they hid it well behind their big smiles and whoops of joy at hearing live
some of the best American rock ever written and recorded.” “People don’t want to be involved in an endless
debate,” Cosmo sums up. “They want to hear the music.” And Creedence Clearwater Revisited always delivers.
