Cosmo

Ransan

Senior Member
Here is a short but sweet diddy from Cosmos 1972 album. Doug Clifford is one of the smoothest behind a kit, definitely an influence of mine. His drumming in the pocket so tight you can count the loose change down to the penny.https://youtu.be/7zM1Ea5aiqE
 
This is awesome! I've been waiting for this album to be re-released and it is now available again! Thanks for the heads up! He was my first major influence on drums.

Just listen to the very first track (I Put a Spell on You) from CCR's very first album and was their very first hit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hvA0wWTIv4
Clifford had some great songs to really stretch out on at times.
 
Yep J Boogie he also has been with Credence Clearwater Revisited since the mid late 90s, but that is nonetheless derived from CCR minus Fogerty bros. It was a shame the way they disbanded.

RUOK - Yessr - one of my favorites on the album is “Get Your Raise” but I only posted this one. Clifford was one of the few “rock” drummers to endorse Camco drums. Although I grew up trying to cover his stuff at a young age, for his hi hat sound, I would hit the edge of the tightly closed hat with the shoulder of my stick to try to emulate that definition. Lo and behold he used 16” hi hats so I would never be able to get that chunky sound out of mine.
 
Despite being one of the few drummers known by a single (nick)name - Cosmo of Creedence hasn't made it to Drummerworld's list.
Don't know too much about him other than he played on some fine songs and destroyed a lot of cymbals, and that Creedence had a reputation for being uncommonly well behaved and professional.
Any thoughts to share on his significance, style and technique?
 
I always liked CCR and appreciated his drumming. Nothing really remarkable about it, just always the right parts and a nice feel. I guess nailing the simple stuff is remarkable enough. :)

I saw them as Creedence Clearwater Revisited about 20 years ago in Cabo San Lucas, on the beach for a major corporate event. Stu Cook on bass, someone from The Cars, and I forget the singer, a bald rocker type who sounded just like John Fogerty. Doug's playing was great, nice and solid, and I'd forgotten just how many hits CCR had! Maybe 20 of the songs that night were radio hits, pretty good for a band that was around maybe 3 or 4 years, and weren't the Beatles or Stones!
 
I love Cosmo and endear his style, he’s an influential drummer no doubt. Not a soloist but can lock in the pulse and hold down a beat for years to come.
One of the first that I knew of using 2 16” crashes as hi hats. And they weren’t the sloshy crap your hearing now, they were crisp and articulate, thought out in other words.

Also his Camco kit is to die for. I also saw Credence Revisited but in Amarillo, he was in black jeans and a black tank top, playing DWs, 2 up 2 down configuration that I must admit looked odd with him behind, and, of course then I knew nothing of the Camco DW relationship history.


I have posted a thread about his solo album post Credence, showcasing a song of his that I happen to like very much. Of course Cosmos factory was one of the last albums and it had the most band input, highly underrated album, albeit to the direction it took.
It’s really a shame they could not reform due to Cosmo and Cooks relations with infamous John Fogerty.
 
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Doug's playing was great, nice and solid, and I'd forgotten just how many hits CCR had! Maybe 20 of the songs that night were radio hits, pretty good for a band that was around maybe 3 or 4 years, and weren't the Beatles or Stones!
..Exactly on the hits I’m with you.
They were only around 4-5 years but laid a lasting foundational imprint.

And believe they never even had a #1!
 
Sweet Hitchiker should be on everyone’s set list!
So intense and that measure break at the last verse -
 
The boys from Creedence were East Bay, coming from El Cerrito CA. They were semi-Beatle copycats to start wearing matching suits, high heeled boots and called themselves the Blue Velvets. Every summer I lived in the East Bay (Albany), the El Cerrito Mall held a battle of the bands. Usually 10 or 15 garage rock groups gave their all to be number one. First year my band played we came in fifth. Next year we were Number 2. Both years the number one band was the Golliwogs, who used to be the Blue Velvets. They stopped the matching suits and went more Rolling Stones in appearance.
The third year my band came in first place, because the Golliwogs moved on to bigger and better things as Creedence Clearwater Revival. Doug "Cosmo" Clifford and Stu Cook were really nice guys. Tom Fogerty was more a clown but nice. John was all business. I'll never forget those days. Yeah, Doug needs to be in the Drummerworld list of drummers.
 
The boys from Creedence were East Bay, coming from El Cerrito CA. They were semi-Beatle copycats to start wearing matching suits, high heeled boots and called themselves the Blue Velvets. Every summer I lived in the East Bay (Albany), the El Cerrito Mall held a battle of the bands. Usually 10 or 15 garage rock groups gave their all to be number one. First year my band played we came in fifth. Next year we were Number 2. Both years the number one band was the Golliwogs, who used to be the Blue Velvets. They stopped the matching suits and went more Rolling Stones in appearance.
The third year my band came in first place, because the Golliwogs moved on to bigger and better things as Creedence Clearwater Revival. Doug "Cosmo" Clifford and Stu Cook were really nice guys. Tom Fogerty was more a clown but nice. John was all business. I'll never forget those days. Yeah, Doug needs to be in the Drummerworld list of drummers.
Yessr ahh the Golliwogs - concerning Fogerty, my dad went on and still listens to Blue Ridge Rangers as well as his solo lp Centerfield which is a masterpiece in itself ...
 
Born on the Bayou
Susie Q
Fortunate Son


Desert island songs.
 
The boys from Creedence were East Bay, coming from El Cerrito CA. They were semi-Beatle copycats to start wearing matching suits, high heeled boots and called themselves the Blue Velvets. Every summer I lived in the East Bay (Albany), the El Cerrito Mall held a battle of the bands. Usually 10 or 15 garage rock groups gave their all to be number one. First year my band played we came in fifth. Next year we were Number 2. Both years the number one band was the Golliwogs, who used to be the Blue Velvets. They stopped the matching suits and went more Rolling Stones in appearance.
The third year my band came in first place, because the Golliwogs moved on to bigger and better things as Creedence Clearwater Revival. Doug "Cosmo" Clifford and Stu Cook were really nice guys. Tom Fogerty was more a clown but nice. John was all business. I'll never forget those days. Yeah, Doug needs to be in the Drummerworld list of drummers.
Wow! ??
 
Doug's playing was great, nice and solid, and I'd forgotten just how many hits CCR had! Maybe 20 of the songs that night were radio hits, pretty good for a band that was around maybe 3 or 4 years, and weren't the Beatles or Stones!
I remember Leslie West of Mountain once made the same observation when discussing Woodstock in an interview. Mountain had just finished their set, and Leslie stayed behind the stage when CCR went on. He said that was one of his biggest memories of the event: he couldn't believe just how many hits they had, playing one hit after another.

The boys from Creedence were East Bay, coming from El Cerrito CA. They were semi-Beatle copycats to start wearing matching suits, high heeled boots and called themselves the Blue Velvets. Every summer I lived in the East Bay (Albany), the El Cerrito Mall held a battle of the bands. Usually 10 or 15 garage rock groups gave their all to be number one. First year my band played we came in fifth. Next year we were Number 2. Both years the number one band was the Golliwogs, who used to be the Blue Velvets. They stopped the matching suits and went more Rolling Stones in appearance.
The third year my band came in first place, because the Golliwogs moved on to bigger and better things as Creedence Clearwater Revival. Doug "Cosmo" Clifford and Stu Cook were really nice guys. Tom Fogerty was more a clown but nice. John was all business. I'll never forget those days.
Love this story! The Golliwogs did had a minor hit: "Fight Fire". It was a catchy tune.

 
Yeah, that was one of the reasons they did so well in those 2 battle of the bands. While the rest of us were doing other people's music, the Wogs as we called them actually played a lot of originals.
 
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