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.
Mo Jo
J.J. Cale Lyrics
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But it just don't work on you
I've got my mojo working
But it just don't work on you
I done tried it in New York city,
Now I'm gonna try it out on you
I've got my mojo working
I've got my mojo working
I've got my mojo working
I've got my mojo working,
It just don't work on you
The lyrics of J.J. Cale's "Mo Jo" tell a tale of a man who is convinced he has the power to attract and charm women, and has tried it out on several occasions, only to find out that it doesn't work on the particular woman he desires. The lyrics "I've got my mojo working, but it just don't work on you" convey a sense of disappointment, as the man realizes that his charm and attraction are not universal, and that he has limitations when it comes to winning over the woman he desires.
The use of the phrase "mojo" in the song is an interesting reference to African-American folk magic, specifically a charm or amulet that is believed to have supernatural powers to attract or seduce others. The phrase was popularized in the blues music genre, and has been used in many songs since its inception. In this particular song, the man is using his "mojo" to try to win over a woman, but is ultimately unsuccessful.
The lyrics also mention the man trying out his "mojo" in New York city, which could be interpreted to mean that he has tried it out in other contexts or with other women before. However, he is still unsuccessful with the woman he desires, implying that his "mojo" has limitations and may not work on everyone. Overall, the lyrics of "Mo Jo" convey a sense of disappointment and frustration in the ultimate realization that not everyone can be won over with charm and attraction alone.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got my mojo working
I have a magical charm or power that typically helps me in situations
But it just don't work on you
Unfortunately, this charm or power has no effect on you
I done tried it in New York city,
I attempted to use my charm or power in New York City but it didn't work there either
Now I'm gonna try it out on you
Despite previous failures, I will still try to use my charm or power on you
Lord, I've got my mojo working
Expressing amazement and gratitude about having this power
It just don't work on you
A repetition of previous disappointment of the charm or power not working on the intended target
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: INCORRECT WRITER, MCKINLEY MORGANFIELD, PUB. INFO
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