“Once people were talking about us as the No.1 band in the world, some people took that as the sign that they could do anything they wanted”: The apocalyptic 1969 hit that marked the beginning of the end for one of America’s greatest rock’n’roll bands

Creedence Clearwater Revival posing for a photograph in the early 1970s.

The end of the 60s was a transitional time in America – not least for the members of Creedence Clearwater Revival.

“At the start of 1969 we were walking the tightrope between fire and ice,” recalls band lynchpin John Fogerty. “We’d just put out Proud Mary, and in two weeks had gone from being one-hit wonders with [1968’s] Suzie Q to being on our way up. But I was looking ahead. I was desperately worried we were about to fall flat on our faces. In those days, you put out singles every few weeks, so when Proud Mary was on the radio I knew we had to write the next one.”