Just as he dips his toes into the world of retirement, 75-year-old Doug Clifford of CCR fame has released a new album. ‘New’ might not be the right word for it. It’s newly released, but was recorded back in 1985.
Like granddad’s fudge recipe, it got tucked away and forgotten about for many years. The plan was to use the recording to secure a record deal. As with many plans, life got in the way. After an initial setback (keep reading), one project after another kept popping up that required his attention and participation.
Then, last year he found a tape reel that reminded him that he had a bunch of tapes stashed away somewhere, so he went digging around in the garage, and found them. They weren’t really lost, just out of sight and out of mind. He found them in, of all places, a locker designated for musical stuff.
The songs were recorded in Clifford’s home in Incline Village, Nevada.
“I had a great studio upstairs in my house with a 16-track recorder and a brand new Trident board,” Clifford said. “I’d sit up there for hours and write all the time. It was great. It had huge windows all the way around with an amazing view of Lake Tahoe: a magic window! I had a record deal all set with former Planet Records owner Richard Perry. We were all set to sign the deal when he had to go into rehab, and the deal disappeared.”
Clifford says he has well over 100 songs on the tape, and after 35 years in storage, “Magic Window” is the first batch he’s releasing, and there will be more to come down the road.
The songs all have a refreshing throwback feel to them, having been put to tape so long ago.
Clifford is a very accomplished singer and songwriter. I had no idea, and was pleasantly surprised. Unlike his rough a gravely speaking voice, his singing voice is very smooth, with a natural ease to it.
Of the ten songs included, I noticed that one in particular has a definite CCR sound to it.
“That was intentional. That’s my calling card,” he told me.
Another song that I found to be my favorite had, in my opinion, a very John Lennon/Sergeant Pepper sound to it. Take a listen to it and see if you can tell which ones I’m referring to. If you’re a fan of CCR or Doug Clifford, or even just of music from the 80’s, you’ll love it.
MAGIC WINDOW
- Magic Window
- Born On The South Side
- Don’t Leave Me Alone
- Somebody Love Me Tonight
- Hungry For Your Love
- Just Another Girl
- Love Mode
- Fallin’ For You
- Don’t Let Go
- You Mean So Much To Me
Magic Window is available at: https://songwhip.com/doug-cosmo-clifford/magic-window
Produced by Doug Clifford and Russell DaShiell
Recorded at Cosmo’s Lake Tahoe Studio in Incline Village, Nevada
Musicians:
Doug “Cosmo” Clifford: drums, lead vocals
Russell DaShiell: lead and rhythm guitars, background vocals, synthesizer
Chris Solberg: bass, keyboards
Rob Polomsky: 2nd rhythm guitar (songs 1, 2)
Songwriters:
Doug “Cosmo” Clifford (songwriter on all songs, 1 through 10)
Rob Polomsky (co-writer on songs 1, 2, 3, 6)
Chris Solberg (co-writer on songs 4, 10)
Russell DaShiell (co-writer on song 9)
Engineered by Russell DaShiell
Mastered by George Horn
Doug shared some other very interesting stories that I will share in an upcoming article.
