I’ve known this song forever, but I just heard a version on the radio that does not match my awareness.
The song seemed to go on longer, but it might not have as the version I know drones on for a while till the end (in a good way!). Anyway, in the last, say, third of the song there were guitar chords I swear I’ve never heard. Like three distinct, strummed chords followed by notes on the same guitar I don’t ever recall. This happened (I think) three times in the last third of the song.
Back in the olden days I had a mixed cassette tape with this song on it, recorded from a CCR greatest hits CD and it was not like this. Plus, I’ve heard this song on the radio forever and it was not like this.
Anyone?
ETA: I liked it BTW. It was like hearing the full version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Oh Well” for the first time.
Was it live and where did you heard it? He may have played it at RnR inductions a few years ago, I think he had a set with a few songs on it. I can envision him playing in front of a red backdrop of some sort.
ETA, not that he was being inducted, just playing.
And that might not have even been what he was playing for, I can’t remember what it was.
You must have heard the full 8:36 version from the first, self-titled CCR album. It was issued as a single divided into two parts; you were probably only familiar with Part 1, as collected on Chronicle.
Dale Hawkins was actually the original composer, even though CCR made it famous. Jose Feliciano, just because it’s the longest one. Will Wilde, because it’s long, and it’s labeled as a “tribute” to CCR. Carl Perkins, because, Carl Perkins.
There’s also a live, 6:03 version by John Fogarty, which could be what you heard (I’m not finding the 8:36 version, but I remember 2-sided 45s of the song, so I second that it exists). If you tab through all the John Fogarty and CCR stuff, you may find it. The sample of the 6:03 song probably won’t help much, but it’s only 99 cents.
The Rolling Stones did a version, but it’s fairly short, and pretty recognizable, also, IMO, very much inferior to CCR.
Aha. Here, you can play the 8:36 minute version. I don’t know anything about this site-- I just Googled “Susie Q CCR 8:36.” I have pretty good anti-viral software that did not block the site, but I don’t vouch for it.
The station is doing a weekend special on debut albums. I had no idea that the “Chronicals” version, and the one they ALWAYS play on the radio was cut down for a single. My God, they don’t ever play the single version of “Light My Fire” anymore, so why have we lived with this cut down version of “Susie Q?”