Centerfield (album)

This article is about the song and album. For the baseball position, see Center fielder.

Untitled

Centerfield is an album by musician John Fogerty, released in 1985. It was his most popular post-Creedence album, containing the hit singles "The Old Man Down the Road", "Rock and Roll Girls" and the title track "Centerfield". Fogerty played all the instruments on this album himself, thanks to overdubbing. The image on the cover shows an old-fashioned, "beat-up glove", as referenced in the title song, and text similar to a logo of a baseball team, setting the mood for the track.

Track listing

All songs written by John Fogerty.

1. "The Old Man Down the Road" – 3:34
2. "Rock and Roll Girls" – 3:28
3. "Big Train (From Memphis)" – 2:58
4. "I Saw It On T.V." – 4:20
5. "Mr. Greed" – 4:09
6. "Searchlight" – 4:31
7. "Centerfield" – 3:53
8. "I Can't Help Myself" – 3:15
9. "Vanz Kant Danz" – 5:32

Personnel

All instruments, vocals, production and arrangement done by John Fogerty.

Background

This album was Fogerty's first album in nine years. After Asylum Records rejected his Hoodoo album, he decided to take a long break from the music business. In the meantime, Fogerty's recording contract with Asylum Records was reassigned to co-owned Warner Bros. Records so this album was the first released on the Warner Bros. label.

The song "Zanz Kant Danz" was altered and re-titled "Vanz Kant Danz" a few months after the release of the album in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid a defamation lawsuit from Saul Zaentz, owner of Fantasy Records. The altered "Vanz Kant Danz" version of this song appears on all post-1985 pressings of the album.

A Zaentz lawsuit claimed that "The Old Man Down the Road" shared the same chorus as "Run Through the Jungle" (a song from Fogerty's days with Creedence Clearwater Revival: years before, Fogerty had relinquished copy and publishing rights of his Creedence songs to Zaentz and Fantasy, in exchange for release from his contractual obligations to same). The defendant Fogerty ultimately prevailed, when he showed that the two songs were whole, separate and distinct compositions. Bringing his guitar to the witness stand, he played excerpts from both songs, demonstrating that many songwriters (himself included) have distinctive styles that can make different compositions sound similar to less discerning ears.

After prevailing as defendant, Fogerty sued Zaentz for the cost of defending himself against the copyright infringement. In such (copyright) cases, prevailing defendants seeking recompense were bound to show that original suit was frivolous or made in bad faith.

Fogerty v. Fantasy became precedent when the Supreme Court (1993) overturned lower court rulings and awarded attorneys' fees to Fogerty, without Fogerty having to show that Zaentz's original suit was frivolous.

In popular culture

• The song "Centerfield" has often been used as a soundtrack for collections of short clips of classic Baseball moments. For example, the line "Just to hit the ball / And touch 'em all / A moment in the sun / (sound of ball meeting bat) / It's a-gone and you can tell that one 'Good-bye'" timed with film of Bobby Thomson's pennant-winning home run in 1951.
• The Boston Red Sox play "Centerfield" at Fenway Park every game right before the top of the 1st inning.
• In the biography film, W., a young George W. Bush plays baseball while "Centerfield" plays. "Centerfield" is one of Bush's favorite songs to listen during his biking exercises, but singer John Fogerty opposes him.

In space

On Day 12 of the NASA Space Shuttle Mission STS-124, Centerfield was played for Pilot Ken Ham.

• Audio clips: WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT

Album rating

The RIAA has certified the album double-platinum (2 million album sales).