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.
That Kind Of Thing
J.J. Cale Lyrics
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It's that kind of thing babe, shuffle or die
Going through these changes
Like Mr. Right
It's that kind of thing babe, no alibis
It's that kind of thing babe, pay your dues
It's that kind of thing babe, win or lose
Going through these changes
It's that kind of thing babe, no alibis
In J.J. Cale's song "That Kind Of Thing," the lyrics describe a situation that is inescapable and unavoidable. The phrase "it's that kind of thing babe" is repeated throughout the song, acting almost as a mantra to remind the listener that this is just the way things are. The lyric "no alibis" emphasizes the idea that there is no way out of whatever situation the singer is referring to.
The line "shuffle or die" suggests that the choice is between moving forward or giving up entirely. The other line "pay your dues, win or lose" reinforces this idea that one must put in work and effort to achieve success or progress. The metaphor of "going through these changes like Mr. Right" indicates that this is a personal journey, and the singer must navigate it with the knowledge that it might not be easy.
Overall, "That Kind Of Thing" is a powerful statement about the struggles of life and the need to face them head-on, no matter what challenges come up.
Line by Line Meaning
It's that kind of thing babe, no alibis
I'm sorry, but there's no excuse or justification for what I'm about to tell you.
It's that kind of thing babe, shuffle or die
This situation is tough and you have to be willing to adapt quickly or it will consume you.
Going through these changes
I'm experiencing a lot of growth and transformation in my life.
Like Mr. Right
Just like the perfect partner, I'm evolving and becoming a better version of myself.
It's that kind of thing babe, pay your dues
Success doesn't come easy, you have to work hard and earn it.
It's that kind of thing babe, win or lose
The outcome of this situation is uncertain, but either way, you have to try your best and accept the consequences.
It's that kind of thing babe, no alibis
Once again, I apologize but there's no way to sugarcoat the truth.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: J J CALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind