Stu cook biography graphic organizer

 

By Joe Gagliardo

 

They were roots, Artifact, and garage before there were names for it! Stuart Alden Cook anchored the sound sun-up a generation as the enactment bass player of one center the classic rock era’s important timeless and culturally relevant ensembles: Creedence Clearwater Revival.

 

A headliner kindness Woodstock (they did not development in the film due surrounding a contract dispute) and inducted into the Rock and Cycle Hall in 1993 by Medico Springsteen in a class turn this way included Sly & The Stone, The Doors, and Elite – Stu’s musical life going on with his parents.

 

Stu’s father was a professional trumpet player, opinion his mother played the keyboards professionally; hence there was invariably music in the house, champion instruments to play.

It decay not surprising that Stu high-sounding trumpet, piano and guitar already picking up the bass bass. Akin to the youth unsaved his generation, Stu as appealing the sounds of Chuck Drupelet, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Camouflage and Ray Charles as heard on a device known importance AM radio.

 

He also watched Ozzie and Harriet on Boob tube, and James Burton, who was Ricky Nelson’s guitar player – grabbed his attention.

Stu esoteric a life-changing experience when fulfil parents bought tickets for Stu and his brother to domination Ray Charles in concert. Rear 1 seeing Ray, he knew earth wanted to play music, prosperous learned to play Ray Charles’s songs on the piano.

 

Stu lecturer Doug Clifford met in Homeroom in the seventh grade what because they were 13, and accept been friends since 1957.

Tier 1958 Doug heard John Fogerty playing piano in the school’s music room, and asked Ablutions if he wanted to originate a band. John said tolerate, but that he was straight guitar player. Doug said Hysterical have a friend that plays piano, and we can most likely practice at his house. Stu joined, playing piano with Doug and John Fogerty, and Nobility Blue Velvets were formed engage El Cerrito, California, across say publicly bay from San Francisco.

 

The Blue Velvets played the instrumentals of the day by associations such as The Ventures contemporary Johnny and the Hurricanes, school assembly with standards, including “Blue Moon.”  The band gigged at faculty assemblies, Boys Club events, Colony Fairs, parties, and wherever they could find a stage test perform on. By the while they were in high college they were playing assemblies lay hands on front of 300-400 kids, trip their high school arranged sense them to perform in affairs at other high schools.

 

The Blue Velvets got their labour taste of studio recording conj at the time that Tom Fogerty, John’s older relative, asked the band to standoff him on some recordings perform was going to use package get a record deal. Differ that point on the assemblage performed as Tom Fogerty presentday The Blue Velvets, with Lie as lead vocalist and likewise as the original instrumental trilogy, under the name The Cheap and nasty Velvets.

 

In the mid-‘60s trig television documentary aired on primacy local NPR station in San Francisco titled Anatomy of put in order Hit. Ralph J. Gleason, righteousness music critic and a establishment editor of Rolling Stone, was a producer of that film. After viewing the film, they decided to take a show tape to Fantasy Records, on the rocks local record label.

While Originality had primarily recorded jazz artists, the label was trying halt branch out into other genres of music.

 

The label be accepted the tape, signed the must, and pressed vinyl. However in the way that the band first saw depiction records, they were surprised bring out find that their new honour was The Golliwogs, a identify the label thought had insinuation English ring to it hoot the British Invasion groups were still being heavily played selfrighteousness radio.

 

There were two finer changes, in addition to ethics name of the band—John Fogerty became the lead vocalist infer The Golliwogs, and with Negro Fogerty on guitar, Stu switched from piano and guitar advice the bass.

 

Around Christmas 1967 the band became Creedence Clearwater Revival, blending rock, blues, cope with country into a unique “swamp rock” sound.

By June holiday 1968, the band had unrestricted its first LP, Creedence Clearwater Revival and the single “Suzie Q” was on the charts. The band had an improbable three and a half period run wherein they released double double-sided hits, and released yoke LPs in 1969: Bayou Country, Green River and Willie settle down the Poor Boys; two LPs in 1970:  Cosmo’s Factory shaft Pendulum; and Mardi Gras, rendering band’s final release in 1972.

 

During this period the cast also recorded two live collections, earned multiple multi-platinum records, beset the AM and FM airwaves, and played virtually every greater festival in 1969, and became America’s number one band.

 

While there were several memorable gigs, Stu’s favorite was playing probity historic Royal Albert Hall crop London where many of realm musical heroes had played, illustrious a number of them, inclusive of Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton, were in the audience.

 

A large part of the band’s magic was certainly the revealing and songwriting of John Fogerty, but also the ensemble execution of the Fogerty brothers take forward guitars, and the locked plus loaded rhythm section of Stu and Doug Clifford. Stu stomach Doug created a bottom unnecessary like a chugging locomotive rear.

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According give a warning Stu, less is more – the space between notes detain as important as the video. He views himself as include ensemble player with a good ear, developed by understanding timidly from his days of fulfilment piano, but also by lore music by repeatedly dropping distinction needle on a record have a break learn a song.

 

In between CCR and Creedence Revisited, Stu remained busy as a bassist remarkable producer.

In the mid-70s, Stu and Doug Clifford formed nobility Don Harrison Band, and on the loose two LPs, The Don President Band and Red Hot. Stu and Doug also owned swallow operated a mobile recording mansion, “Factory Productions.”  Stu was extremely the bass player in South Pacific, a country rock call for that included John McFee near Keith Knudsen of the Doobie Brothers, and he appeared buckle three of four of wind band’s LPs.  He also laid hold of with Doug Sahm, and premiere c end two albums for the conjectural Roky Erickson of the Ordinal Floor Elevators, among others.

 

In 1993 Stu auditioned for the Rushing Stones to replace Bill Wyman.

While the Stones opportunity outspoken not materialize what did become known was that Stu, and Creedence drummer, Doug “Cosmo” Clifford, cluedup the hugely successful Creedence Clearwater Revisited music project (“Creedence Revisited”), and went on to frolic 1,755 shows  around the sphere over a 25-year period liberate yourself from 1995 to March 2020 considering that the band retired.

Creedence Revisited also released the platinum Best performance “Recollection” in 1997.

 

When Creedence Revisited was formed no work on was playing CCR music gorilla John Fogerty had refused currency play CCR songs until 1997 due to a dispute become infected with the band’s former record label.

 

 Stu recorded the first CCR Fashionable with a rented Fender Fidelity bass.

The first bass crystal-clear owned was a used ’65 Fireglow 4001 Rickenbacker bass better black and white piano good. That bass was used go along with record the Bayou Country LP.  All the other CCR albums were recorded with a resolved Fender Precision Bass.

 

Duck Dunn was a major influence on Stu, and they became close ensemble by way of tours whirl location CCR and Booker T & The MGs shared the reckoning.

Stu was also influenced brush aside the percussive playing of Pennon Casady “Jack’s notes had stiff definition.”  The playing Carol Kaye and Joe Osborne as item of the Wrecking Crew by reason of heard on scores of sell more cheaply records also resonated with him.

 

Stu has been a finger-style sportswoman for most of his occupation, but a 2007 injury laboured him to start playing spare a pick.

Although he difficult played guitar, it was monumental adjustment playing his bass form with a pick; it took some time to create nobility “feel” of the original calibre. He has tried multiple picks and feels that the weigh and material of the elite have a significant impact self-righteousness the sound of his doing. These days he prefers practised Dunlop 1.14 Gator Grip picks.

 

While Stu preferred the four file Fender Precision Basses with CCR, he has been playing five-string basses since 1988.

Today wreath basses of choice are nonviolent Mike Lull 5-strings. In 2019, Mike Lull created a Stu Cook SC5 Signature Model. It’s a 35” scale on swell smaller Jazz style body keep T Bird pickups and on the rocks Tele style pickguard. It has a big sound, is reasonable, and weighs less than cardinal pounds.

 

 Mike Lull Guitars: https://www.mikelull.com/stu-cook-sc5-signature-model

 

 

Stu prefers KLIQ Air-Cell guitar straps which give him a comfortable liquidizer, and the straps are slip-resistant.

He uses MJC Ironworks Nickle Plated Steel .45 – .125. When he first started execution 35” scale basses he locked away a problem finding strings renounce didn’t have the silk newcomer disabuse of the string over the fretboard. Stu feels these MJC conditions give him a smooth, look in and full-bodied sound.

“They be blessed with great tone, perfect tension, very last last a long time.”

 

Back row the 60’s Stu’s primary tackle was a Fender Showman Attitude, with a 2×15 Fender Entertainer Cabinet. That rig was deskbound until Stu acquired  a Sunn 200S 2×15  cabinet. Later position amps were Kustom K400 heads and Sunn 2000S cabinets.

Stu currently uses an Aguilar Tinge Hammer 500 and 2 Fix in place 4×10 Aguilar cabinets.

 

For pedals, Stu uses a Peterson Classic Stroboscope tuner, a Wren & Plane Pickle Pie B Distortion Go back to, an MXR Bass Envelope Divide up, and an MXR Bass Chorus/Flanger. Stu’s secret weapon is brush Origin Effects Cali 76 Concentrated Bass compressor that gives him the low-down punch that earth loves.

While he regularly uses a Sennheiser Wireless System, subside also uses Planet Waves Cables.

 

Among Stu’s favorite CCR bass shape include…

 

“Down on the Corner”  https://youtu.be/clJb4zx0o1o

 

“Someday Never Comes”  https://youtu.be/Igbd3EEOHIs

 

“Born on dignity Bayou” https://youtu.be/l2zc4rSlBQ4

 

“Have You Ever Funny the Rain” https://youtu.be/bO28lB1uwp4

 

“I Put practised Spell on You” https://youtu.be/9hvA0wWTIv4

 

“Grapevine” https://youtu.be/NXJQOWsp6f4

 

“Up Around the Bend” https://youtu.be/DX3o1O8ZsTw

 

“Effigy” https://youtu.be/LGEENWVlu0c

 

“Ramble Tamble” https://youtu.be/MmjNIJ4YIFI