Southern Streamline
{{short description|1997 song by John Fogerty}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Southern Streamline
| cover = File:Southern Streamline.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = John Fogerty
| album = Blue Moon Swamp
| B-side =
| released = {{Start date|1997|05}}
| recorded = 1997
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Rock, country rock, rockabilly{{cite web | url=https://sites.google.com/site/theelectricbayou/songs/southern-streamline | title=Electric Bayou - Creedence Clearwater Revival & John Fogerty - Southern Streamline }}
| length = {{Duration|m=3|s=56}}
| label = Warner Bros.
| writer = John Fogerty
| producer = John Fogerty
| prev_title = Walking in a Hurricane
| prev_year = 1997
| next_title = Blueboy
| next_year = 1997
}}
"Southern Streamline" is a song written and recorded by John Fogerty for his 1997 album Blue Moon Swamp. It was released as the second single from the album.
Background and composition
According to Fogerty, "Southern Streamline" was inspired by train songs, which he greatly enjoyed growing up. The opening lyric "Mama, I'm on fire!" refers to his early desire to improve at guitar. Fogerty plays his custom Fender Telecaster on the song, which formerly was owned by the Eagles, and a Vox AC30 amplifier.{{cite book|title=Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music|author=Fogerty, John|year=2015|publisher=Little, Brown|isbn=9780316244565|page=340}} He wrote the song in Newhall, California, near the first commercially successful oil well in California.Fogerty 2015, pp. 338-339 He got the idea for the song after picking his daughter up from a slumber party. Fogerty originally envisioned the song as a gospel number, but transformed it into a guitar song after working in the studio.{{cite news |last1=Stout |first1=Gene |title=Chasing blues ghosts |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/84291731/santa-cruz-sentinel/ |access-date=August 28, 2021 |work=Santa Cruz Sentinel |date=September 11, 1997 |page=33|via=Newspapers.com}} "Southern Streamline" features backing vocals from the bluegrass group Lonesome River Band.{{cite news |last1=Alden |first1=Grant |title=Blue Moon Swamp |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/blue-moon-swamp-255530/ |access-date=August 28, 2021 |work=Rolling Stone |date=June 12, 1997}}
Release and reception
"Southern Streamline" peaked at No. 67 on the Hot Country Songs chart on August 16, 1997 and spent two weeks on the chart.{{cite magazine |title=Southern Streamline - John Fogerty |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/john-fogerty/chart-history/csa/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=28 August 2021}} The song was generally well-received by critics. Anthony Violanti of The Buffalo News called it a "rocking hoedown."{{cite news |last1=Violanti |first1=Anthony |title=John Fogerty Resurfaces With an Album of Swamp Blues |url=https://buffalonews.com/news/john-fogerty-resurfaces-with-an-album-of-swamp-blues/article_2aed2c44-d0ef-54c3-8daf-b22ba33e9e14.html |access-date=August 28, 2021 |work=The Buffalo News |date=May 20, 1997}} Soren Andersen of The News Tribune considered it one of the album's "rollicking rockers."{{cite news |last1=Andersen |first1=Soren |title=Bad Moon Rising Again |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/84291398/the-news-tribune/ |access-date=August 28, 2021 |work=The News Tribune |date=August 19, 1997 |page=35|via=Newspapers.com}} Jeff Reynolds of The Modesto Bee compared "Southern Streamline" favorably to Fogerty's past work in Creedence Clearwater Revival.{{cite news |last1=Reynolds |first1=Jeff |title=Fogerty tour worth waiting a "Blue Moon" |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/84292024/the-modesto-bee/ |access-date=August 28, 2021 |work=The Modesto Bee |date=May 23, 1997 |page=75|via=Newspapers.com}} The Salina Journal's Michael Cote called it a "musical cousin of "Bad Moon Rising"."{{cite news |last1=Cote |first1=Michael |title=Fogerty, lang are back with style |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/84293227/the-salina-journal/ |access-date=August 28, 2021 |work=The Salina Journal |date=June 6, 1997 |page=28|via=Newspapers.com}}
Other versions
"Southern Streamline" has become a staple in Fogerty's stage performances.{{cite news |last1=Devlin |first1=Mike |title=Review: Big guitar keeps on turnin' as Fogerty astonishes |url=https://www.timescolonist.com/entertainment/music/review-big-guitar-keeps-on-turnin-as-fogerty-astonishes-victoria-crowd-1.2369365 |access-date=August 28, 2021 |work=Times Colonist |date=October 19, 2016}} It was covered by South African country musician Alan Ladd for his 2018 album Country Things.{{cite web |title=Country things – Alan Ladd |url=https://www.fak.org.za/2019/06/07/country-things-alan-ladd/ |website=Fak.org.za |access-date=August 28, 2021 |language=Afrikaans |date=June 7, 2019}}
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Chart (1997)
! Peak |
|---|
| {{single chart|Billboardcountrysongs|67|artist=John Fogerty|access-date=March 17, 2022}} |
| Canada Country
| style="text-align:center;"|83 |