DOUG ‘COSMO’ CLIFFORD (feat Bobby Whitlock) – California Gold [recorded ’80s prev. unreleased] (2022)

DOUG ‘COSMO’ CLIFFORD, the iconic Creedence Clearwater Revival’s drummer, has a treasure trove of unreleased recordings he’s produced over the years, all safely stored in Cosmo’s Vault. This summer he re-discovered what he thought was a long-lost album called ”California Gold”.
”California Gold”, along with many other notable players, features famed Bobby Whitlock on lead vocals, singing 10 original songs he and Cosmo co-wrote together. Whitlock founded Derek & The Dominos, with Eric Clapton, where he did vocals and keyboards.
Recorded in the mid-80s, on ”California Gold” the band is slammin’ with Cosmo on drums, Whitlock on vocals, Hammond B3, piano and guitar, Donald “Duck” Dunn and Tom Miller on bass, and alternating guitar players David Vega and Mike O’Neill.
The songs are a combination of classic rock and melodic blues, all natural and earthy. Whitlock’s powerful and distinctive vocals are in top form and Cosmo’s drumming is rock solid, stretching beyond his well-known Creedence grooves.

The album was recorded in the mid-80s at the infamous “Cosmos Factory” and other various San Francisco Bay Area studios and the result is indeed a newly unearthed treasure. The rock luminaries joined forces to create a perfect good-time rock-n-roll record.
Co-founder of Derek & The Dominos, Bobby Whitlock is well known to rock fans, critics, and music aficionados. As well as being a singer/songwriter, guitarist and Hammond B-3 player, the musician has enjoyed his own string of hits in collaboration with Eric Clapton, including “Layla,” “Bell Bottom Blues,” “Tell The Truth” and more.

Cosmo & Whitlock gathered other top-shelf musicians along their journey, including producer/writer and bassist extraordinaire, Donald “Duck” Dunn, who ushered in the sounds of Stax Records and played bass on literally thousands of recordings. Other musicians include Tom Miller on bass and David Vega and Mike O’Neill on guitar.

For reasons that shall remain a mystery, ”California Gold” was somehow lost in time and never was released. But now that the album has been re-discovered, perhaps its time is here and now.
Highly Recommended

01 – Good Times
02 – Get Down Fever
03 – It Ain’t Like Mama Told Me
04 – Turn The Beat Around
05 – On Hold Again
06 – Purple Mountain
07 – It’s Always Darkest Before The Dawn
08 – Do Or Die
09 – I’m Happy Just Being Alive
10 – Rollin’ On

Drums, Background Vocals: Doug “Cosmo” Clifford
Lead Vocals, B3, Piano, Guitars: Bobby Whitlock
Bass: Donald “Duck” Dunn, Tom Miller
Guitars: David Vega, Mike O’Neill

BUY
www.propermusic.com/bfd467-california-gold.html