John Weldon Cale (5 December 1938 – 26 July 2013), known as JJ Cale or J.… Read Full Bio ↴John Weldon Cale (5 December 1938 – 26 July 2013), known as JJ Cale or J.J. Cale, was a Grammy Award-winning American singer, musician, and songwriter. Cale was one of the originators of the Tulsa Sound, a loose genre drawing on blues, rockabilly, country, and jazz influences. Cale's personal style has often been described as "laid back".
His songs have been performed by a number of other musicians including "After Midnight" and "Cocaine" by Eric Clapton,"Cajun Moon" by Randy Crawford, "Clyde" and "Louisiana Women" by Waylon Jennings, "Magnolia" by Jai, "Bringing It Back" by Kansas, "Call Me the Breeze" and "I Got the Same Old Blues" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, "I'd Like to Love You, Baby" by Tom Petty, "Travelin' Light" and "Ride Me High" by Widespread Panic, "Tijuana" by Harry Manx, "Sensitive Kind" by Carlos Santana, "Cajun Moon" by Herbie Mann with Cissy Houston, and "Same Old Blues" by Captain Beefheart.
Cale was born on December 5, 1938, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He was raised in Tulsa and graduated from Tulsa Central High School in 1956. Along with a number of other young Tulsa musicians, Cale moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960s, where he first worked as a studio engineer.
The Leathercoated Minds was a 1966-67 psychedelic studio-based band masterminded largely by Snuff Garrett and J J Cale. The band produced one album, A Trip down the Sunset Strip, co-produced by Cale and Garrett
Finding little success as a recording artist, he later returned to Tulsa and was considering giving up the music business until Clapton recorded "After Midnight" in 1970. His first album, Naturally, established his style, described by Los Angeles Times writer Richard Cromelin as a "unique hybrid of blues, folk and jazz, marked by relaxed grooves and Cale's fluid guitar and laconic vocals. His early use of drum machines and his unconventional mixes lend a distinctive and timeless quality to his work and set him apart from the pack of Americana roots-music purists."
Some sources incorrectly give his real name as "Jean-Jacques Cale". In the 2006 documentary, To Tulsa and Back: On Tour with J.J. Cale, Cale talks about Elmer Valentine, co-owner of the Sunset Strip nightclub Whisky à GoGo, who employed him in the mid-1960s, being the one that came up with the "JJ" moniker to avoid confusion with the Velvet Underground's John Cale. Rocky Frisco tells the same version of the story mentioning the other John Cale but without further detail.
His biggest U.S. hit single, Crazy Mama, peaked at #22 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1972. During the 2006 documentary film To Tulsa and Back Cale recounts the story of being offered the opportunity to appear on Dick Clark's American Bandstand to promote the song, which would have moved the song higher on the charts. Cale declined when told he could not bring his band to the taping and would be required to lip-sync the words to the song.
Cale died on Friday, July 26, 2013, at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, California, after suffering a heart attack.
His songs have been performed by a number of other musicians including "After Midnight" and "Cocaine" by Eric Clapton,"Cajun Moon" by Randy Crawford, "Clyde" and "Louisiana Women" by Waylon Jennings, "Magnolia" by Jai, "Bringing It Back" by Kansas, "Call Me the Breeze" and "I Got the Same Old Blues" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, "I'd Like to Love You, Baby" by Tom Petty, "Travelin' Light" and "Ride Me High" by Widespread Panic, "Tijuana" by Harry Manx, "Sensitive Kind" by Carlos Santana, "Cajun Moon" by Herbie Mann with Cissy Houston, and "Same Old Blues" by Captain Beefheart.
Cale was born on December 5, 1938, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He was raised in Tulsa and graduated from Tulsa Central High School in 1956. Along with a number of other young Tulsa musicians, Cale moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960s, where he first worked as a studio engineer.
The Leathercoated Minds was a 1966-67 psychedelic studio-based band masterminded largely by Snuff Garrett and J J Cale. The band produced one album, A Trip down the Sunset Strip, co-produced by Cale and Garrett
Finding little success as a recording artist, he later returned to Tulsa and was considering giving up the music business until Clapton recorded "After Midnight" in 1970. His first album, Naturally, established his style, described by Los Angeles Times writer Richard Cromelin as a "unique hybrid of blues, folk and jazz, marked by relaxed grooves and Cale's fluid guitar and laconic vocals. His early use of drum machines and his unconventional mixes lend a distinctive and timeless quality to his work and set him apart from the pack of Americana roots-music purists."
Some sources incorrectly give his real name as "Jean-Jacques Cale". In the 2006 documentary, To Tulsa and Back: On Tour with J.J. Cale, Cale talks about Elmer Valentine, co-owner of the Sunset Strip nightclub Whisky à GoGo, who employed him in the mid-1960s, being the one that came up with the "JJ" moniker to avoid confusion with the Velvet Underground's John Cale. Rocky Frisco tells the same version of the story mentioning the other John Cale but without further detail.
His biggest U.S. hit single, Crazy Mama, peaked at #22 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1972. During the 2006 documentary film To Tulsa and Back Cale recounts the story of being offered the opportunity to appear on Dick Clark's American Bandstand to promote the song, which would have moved the song higher on the charts. Cale declined when told he could not bring his band to the taping and would be required to lip-sync the words to the song.
Cale died on Friday, July 26, 2013, at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, California, after suffering a heart attack.
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J.J. Cale Lyrics
After Midnight After midnight We're gonna let it all hang out After midnigh…
Anyway The Wind Blows Some like this and some like that And some don't know…
Borrowed Time Well we're living on borrowed time, Lord Can you give us…
Cajun Moon Cajun moon, where does your power lie As you move across…
Call Me The Breeze They call me the breeze, I keep blowing down the road They…
Carry On If life's little downs they keep coming around Carry on, car…
Changes How can you put me through these changes Why do you…
Cherry Down on Cherry Street All the girls are lookin' fine Down on…
City Girls City girls they're all right They just want you for the…
Cocaine If you want to hang out, You've got to take…
Crazy Mama Crazy mama, where you been so long Crazy mama, where you…
Crying Every time I see you, All that you do Crying, crying,…
Crying Eyes It ain't easy drying These crying eyes of mine It ain't…
Devil in Disguise From the California shore to New York City The beat don't…
Don't Cry Sister Don't cry sister cry, it'll be alright in the morning Don't…
Don't Wait Don't wait, don't wait Don't wait for the good times to…
Downtown L.A. Downtown L.A. is a depressing place You can see young men…
Guitar Man Guitar man, tell me what your secret am Tell me please,…
Hard Times Hard times is about to get me Hard times, they hurt…
Hey Baby Hey baby, it's your time now Hey baby, you made it…
I'll Kiss The World Goodbye I've been so lonely In these prison walls Good lord, thin…
I'll Make Love to You Anytime I can't read and I can't write And I don't know…
If You Leave Her You don't love her like I love her You don't treat…
If You're Ever In Oklahoma If you're ever in Oklahoma You better move around at night '…
Lies You told me this, You told me that You try to…
Low Down Low down, low down dirty shame Low down, low down dirty…
Magnolia Whippoorwill's singing Soft summer breeze Makes me think of …
Mama Don't Yeah, Mama don't allow no guitar playing 'round here Yeah, M…
Mona Mona, she comes in the morning She brings me a bottle…
Money Talks Money talks, it'll tell you a story Money talks, says strang…
Sensitive Kind Don't take her for granted, she has a hard time Don't…
Stone River (J.J. Cale) Stone river Water ain't runnin' no more Sto…
Teardrops In My Tequila I've got teardrops in my tequila I've got teardrops in my…
The Problem Have you heard the news that's going 'round here The man…
Thirteen Days Thirteen days on a gig in the south Thirteen days on…
Travelin' Light Travelin' light, is the only way to fly Travelin' light, jus…
Trouble In The City Heard the one about your woman Lord, she's been messing 'rou…
You Got Something You don't look like my baby And you don't feel quite…