John Fogerty (1985)
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This is the closing track to John Fogerty’s solo album Centerfield, originally titled Zanz Kant Danz in reference to Saul Zaentz, Fogerty’s former boss at Fantasy Records who famously tried to sue Fogerty for plagiarism of Creedence Clearwater Revival material, to which Zaentz held the rights. The song is about an unnamed street dancer and his sidekick, a pig trained to pick people’s pockets as they watch the dancer do his stuff. The pig, originally named Zanz as a dig at Saul Zaentz, “Can’t dance, but he’ll steal your money – watch him or he’ll rob you blind.” When Zaentz threatened Fogerty with yet another lawsuit, but Fogerty changed the pig’s name to Vanz.
The video for Vanz Kant Danz was the first ever filmed entirely in claymation through the process of stop-motion animation. It was produced at Will Vinton Studio. Unfortunately, unlike other groundbreaking music videos such as a-ha’s Take On Me and Dire Straits’ Money For Nothing, this one failed to garner much public notice.
Another song from the Centerfield album, Mr. Greed, is also thought to be a musical salvo by Fogerty in his long-running feud with Zaentz, which lasted until 2004 when Fantasy Records was bought out by Concord Records, who restored Fogerty’s rights to his CCR material.
No shit? You learn something new everyday. Interesting.
Oh yea….that manager is the real reason they still hate each other. He was terrible. This is an interesting bit of trivia… he used most of the CCR money to buy the rights of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings…he helped produce the animated versions of the 70s
No, thank you. I encourage suggestions, but I think you’ve been the only one who has done so. I like how it’s a swipe at his old production manager
Thank you! I’ve always loved this video and back in the eighties and even now…it was really cool and different. It wasn’t to his strongest song…that was part of the reason I think…if it would have been connected with the song Centerfield or Old Man Down the Road…I think it would have been better known.
Thank you again!