JJ Cale

Born: December 5th, 1938, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA.
J.J. Cale is an American singer, songwriter, and musician.

Cale is the epitome of the expression "laid back". His career path has been almost secretive in the world of mainstream music, like the wise ol' Okie racoon he's allied to by a school-friend's painting on the cover of his first album "Naturally".

Cale learned his craft as a teenager, performing in the Gene Crose Band in 1957 and playing the bars and clubs in Oklahoma City, imitating the styles of artists like Billy Butler, Clarence Brown and the guitar riffs of the likes of Chet Atkins and Chuck Berry until the unique and sparse sound that is his trademark emerged. This Tulsa scene found Cale crossing paths with artists such as Claude Bridges (aka Leon Russell), David Gates, Jimmy Karstein and Carl Radle, the latter two eventually becoming members of Cale's band. Cale made his first recording in 1958 as Johnnie Cale & The Valentines, backing Al Sweatt on the rockabilly release "I Hate Myself" (KEEN OP-289X45). By 1961 he'd released a further three singles, first as the Johnny Cale Quintette and then solo as Johnny Cale. These were the rare "Purple Onion" b/w "Troubles, Troubles, Troubles" (Chan 860), "Shock Hop" b/w "Sneaky" (Mercury 7136X45) and "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby" b/w "She's My Desire" (Chan 101).

In 1964 Cale moved to Los Angeles, where Russell had already set up a studio on Sky Hill Drive. It was there that Cale met with Liberty Records A&R man and independent producer Snuff Garrett, who gained Cale a signing to Liberty in 1965, setting him up as a recording engineer at Garrett's own Amigo Studio. During this period, along with artist Greg Dempsey, Cale backed Junior Markham & The Tulsa Review on "Black Cherry" (Uptown 762) and he partnered Russell on the release "Everybody's Talking 'Bout The Young" (Dot 45-1677). Cale was also performing at Elmer Valentine's club, the renowned 'Whiskey A-Go-Go' on Sunset Strip, as a replacement act when regular Johnny Rivers was absent. It was Valentine who first promotionally coined Cale's nickname "J.J.".

Garrett then founded the US label Viva Records In 1966, distributed by Dot Records, on which he produced Cale on the 1967 compilation 'covers' album "A Trip Down The Sunset Strip" by The Leathercoated Minds (Viva 36003), on which Cale wrote and produced four numbers. The band included Roger Tillison, Leon Russell and Jimmy Karstein, with Bill Boatman arranging. "After Midnight", featuring a horn section, was also written for this project, but did not appear until later as a B-side on "Slow Motion" (Liberty 55931) credited for the first time as J.J. Cale. Other Cale works that appeared in 1966 were "In Our Time" b/w "Outside Lookin' In" (Liberty 55881) and a single produced by Russell, "I'm Puttin' You On" (World Pacific 77825) with Cale, David Teegarden and Tommy Triplehorn, calling themselves the Sunday Servants. In 1967 he also co-wrote "Lazy Me" with Russell and Jimmy Boyd, released by Boyd on Liberty (Dot 66166).

Cale's brush with 'celebrity fame' on the LA scene, helping Garrett produce diverse artists such as Brian Hyland and Blue Cheer, did not last long. In 1968 he found sanctuary in Nashville in Hubert Long's publishing organization Moss Rose, where Garrett and producer Audie Ashworth had set up a production company. The trio began work for productions on Dot Records, but things did not pan out and Cale went back to his roots in Tulsa in 1969, performing once again on the club circuits.

In 1970 Cale's work suddenly grabbed national attention upon the release of Eric Clapton's eponymous album, on which "After Midnight" featured. Clapton released the track as a single (Atco 456784) which charted in the US. There are a number of tales as to how Clapton sourced the song but it is most likely that he heard the Cale single during recording sessions for the album, when artist friends such as Russell, Carl Radle, Jerry Allison and Bobby Keys were present. The first Cale got to know of it was when he heard it on his car radio back home in Tulsa. Audie Ashworth took the initiative and convinced Cale that the time was ripe for an album and in the spring of 1971 they began recording four tracks at Moss Rose with Cale laying down all the instruments to a drum machine. Ashworth then called in some favours, did some negotiating, and got access to the multitrack at Bradley's Barn studio in Tennessee for a fuller and fatter sound. An array of friends, such as Radle, sessioned in and the outcome was twelve tracks that would become "Naturally".

Back in the spring of 1970 Leon Russell had co-founded the Shelter label in Hollywood with partner Denny Cordell, who had been the producer of The Move and Procul Harum. Carl Radle helped get a demo tape of "Naturally" to their attention. Cautiously, the first J.J. Cale Shelter single, "Magnolia" b/w "Crazy Mama," was released on July 5, 1971. Feedback suggested the B-side was more of an 'upbeat' track and so the single was re-released in the pre-Christmas period as "Crazy Mama" b/w "Don't Go To Strangers". The result was a US hit, reaching #22 in the charts at the close of 1971. The album was released soon after and Cale, once again, brushed with fame but remained reserved about being in the media spotlight.

Cale has subsequently produced an enviable catalog of recordings, from the follow-up album "Really" in 1972 to the present, each recorded with a precision and economy that hallmarks his individualistic 'Okie' guitar style and lyrics. Since 1994 the wily racoon may occasionally be spotted among the acres of his desert ranch in California, foraging out from time to time to give birth to his latest masterpiece.