A release date for Travelin' Band, the long-awaited documentary about Creedence Clearwater Revival's historic London show at the Royal Albert Hall in 1970 – and an accompanying live album – has finally been announced. It'll hit stores on September 16. The news comes two months after the Record Store Day release of a 7" single of Travelin' Band recorded at the show. A recording of Bad Moon Rising from the Albert Hall performance is available now.
The live album will be available on 180-gram vinyl, CD, and cassette, with colour variants available from select retailers. A limited edition, super-deluxe box set will ship on November 14, and includes the live recordings on two 45-RPM 180-gram vinyl LPs and CD, a second CD featuring the soundtrack of the documentary, a Blu-ray of the Royal Albert Hall film, plus the digital album in hi-res and Dolby ATMOS® immersive audio.
Limited to 5,000 individually numbered copies, the super-deluxe version is only available direct from Craft Recordings. It comes in a 12” x 12” box and includes a reproduction of the original 1970 tour program, a gig poster, and a 16-page booklet featuring an excerpt from the film's voice-over script, which was narrated by actor Jeff Bridges.
“What set Creedence apart from many of their contemporaries was their ability to produce the sound of their records on stage, and the primal excitement and joy of their concerts, which came from their love of live performance,” says Bridges.
The documentary was put together from footage shot for the BBC in 1970, both at the venue and at Pinewood Studios in London. Both filmings were set to be part of a 30-minute UK TV special that was never broadcast.
The new film features full concert footage from the original show – much of which has been previously available via unofficial DVD and video releases – including recently rediscovered 16mm film of the concert, alongside interview and live footage of the band, including the earliest known clips of Creedence performing.
The film was directed by Bob Smeaton, the director of films including The Beatles Anthology and Hendrix: Band Of Gypsys, as well as multiple episodes of the Classic Albums TV series. It was narrated by actor Jeff Bridges.
"As a kid growing up in the U.K. during the late sixties, early seventies, Creedence were a band that I was only really aware of through their hit singles," says Smeaton. "Therefore making this film was an education for me, I was able to see and hear why they are worthy of their status as one of the greatest bands of all time. I knew they were good, I never knew they were that good."
In 1980 Creedence released an album entitled The Royal Albert Hall Concert, but it was actually recorded at the Oakland Coliseum earlier the same year and given an incorrect title after the original master tapes were mislabelled. It was later reissued as The Concert.
Creedence Clearwater Revival: At The Royal Albert Hall tracklist
LP 1
A1. Born on the Bayou
A2. Green River
A3. Tombstone Shadow
B1. Travelin' Band
B2. Fortunate Son
B3. Commotion
B4. Midnight Special
LP 2
C1. Bad Moon Rising
C2. Proud Mary
C3. Night Time Is The Right Time
D1. Good Golly Miss Molly
D2. Keep on Chooglin’
CD 1: Music from the Film Travelin’ Band...
1. Tommy Fogerty and the Blue Velvets - Come On Baby
2. The Golliwogs - Brown-Eyed Girl
3. The Golliwogs - Porterville
4. Susie Q.
5. I Put A Spell On You
6. Proud Mary
7. Born On The Bayou
8. Bad Moon Rising
9. Green River
10. The Night Time Is The Right Time
11. Down On The Corner
12. Who'll Stop The Rain
CD 2: Creedence Clearwater Revival - At The Royal Albert Hall
1. Born On The Bayou
2. Green River
3. Tombstone Shadow
4. Travelin' Band
5. Fortunate Son
6. Commotion
7. Midnight Special
8. Bad Moon Rising
9. Proud Mary
10. The Night Time Is The Right Time
11. Good Golly Miss Molly
12. Keep On Chooglin'
