From 1968 to 1972 Creedence Clearwater Revival were among the most successful bands in America, blending rockabilly, R&B and country influences into a uniquely original rock sound that resulted in dozens of hit songs.

Bass player Stu Cook and drummer Doug “Cosmo” Clifford may not have intended it, but their band Creedence Clearwater Revisited has taken on a life of its own, allowing audiences to hear this great music in a live setting and lasting far longer than the original group.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame rhythm section from the legendary group launched the Creedence Clearwater Revisited project in 1995 to once again perform live the songs that were touchstones of a generation. At first they had no intention of making it a full-time band. A friend talked them into playing a few concerts, and 15 years later the group is still going strong.

They recruited John Tristao as lead singer and rhythm guitarist. A powerful tenor with the energy to power songs, Tristao rose to prominence with the band People, which had a top 10 hit with the song “I Love You.” They brought in Tal Morris to handle lead guitar duties. Multi-instrumentalist Steve Gunner rounds out the group, doing live what generally were overdubs on the records. He plays keyboards, acoustic guitar, harmonica, percussion instruments and sings high harmonies. “It feels good to be playing again,” Cook said from a hotel room in North Dakota during a recent stop on the current tour. “It is starting to feel like a glove, just like where we left off last year.”

With such a great catalog of songs to choose from, how does the band select the set list?

Cook said they play many of the singles and the B-sides, many of which eventually became hits on radio. “Because we were blessed by so many great songs, we have 17 or 18 that the audience will recognize from the first note,” he said. “Suzie Q” and “Run Through The Jungle” are staples of the set. “It is a great collection of songs, one of the best in popular music.”

Cook is hard-pressed to say what the fan favorites are. “In a concert situation, we are trying to deliver each song on its own strength,” he said. “We are not always aware of which ones the audience reacts to best.”

He can tell “Down On The Corner” goes over well.

“What one person remembers, the person next to him may have forgotten,” Cook said. “People are surprised by how many songs they do recognize. That makes our job easy.”

They have another set they do not play in concert due to time limitations although they use some in sound checks.

“We do not get tired of playing any of them,” he said. “We know which ones work the best in concert. It can be a tough choice when we have so many good songs. Maybe we should get set lists from audiences.”

The group has toured for 16 years, playing about 75 concerts a year. With travel days, they are on the road about 130 days a year.

They have toured Europe five times, Asia once and South America several times. This year their tour will take them to Hong Kong, Australia, then Brazil, Argentina and Chile in November. “South America is one of our favorites. We are well received there,” Cook observed. “I am on my third passport,” he remarked. “I am running out of pages!

“Creedence is popular all over the world,” he continued, noting they have gotten offers to perform in Israel, Russia and South Africa. “Even with the language barrier, the fans are similar everywhere. They have more things in common than differences. They react about the same way.”

Even 40 years later, many songs have messages that are still relevant. “Fortunate Son” was about the Vietnam War and the draft. While we now have an all-volunteer military, soldiers are being sent to combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. “These wars still go on forever,” Cook commented. “When will it end?”

“John Fogerty hit on some timeless themes,” he said of Creedence’s primary songwriter. “He wrote in a way that was fairly general, so it could stand the test of time. Many of those social issues are still with us. We are kicking the can down the road for the next generation to deal with. If someone had done something about the deficit, we would not be broke now.”

Cook moved to Austin, Texas three years ago. He grew up in Oakland, Calif. He sees similarities between how it sits in the shadow of San Francisco across the bay and the Puget Sound region.

“Tacoma is Seattle’s Oakland,” he said, noting he can relate to T-town’s blue-collar image. “I have always felt that way about Tacoma.”

Creedence Clearwater Revisited plays at 8:30 p.m. on May 21 at Emerald Queen Casino. Tickets range from $30-$70. Order online at www.ticketmaster.com or call (888) 831-7655.

For more information on the band, visit www.creedence-revisited.com or www.facebook.com/CCRevisited.