Guitar - Tablature - Voca ln JN Me | \ } od \ | h 2 i Vv Ls £ Sy ¥ we i. es Ps Bra kee \ ery: 3 mM » Waa | AG © |Exclusive Distributors rece erence ote Cee Moet eg Ea) International Music Publications Limited 25 Rue D'Hauteville, 75010 Paris, France Cree ee eee Roy ere eect ea Dreier Ren Beer ee nem ad Se EA eee era ees Warner/Chappell Music Australia Pty Lt. 3 Talavera Road, North Ryde, New South Wales 2113, Australia Caney Cea cn) Essay by Colin Escott CBee nee tse ee] SR tn Dee eee mare Printed by The Panda Group - Havernill Suffolk CB9 SPR - UK Reproducing this music in any form is illegal and forbidden by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act Binding by ABS » Cambridge coPER At asa. pera TTY LTT AFTER MIDNIGHT 3) Say Pe aay Po td HEY BABY SO aa Da sy Mea DE SENSITIVE KIND oT ANYWAY THE WIND BLOWS Pea Ey a Sas Le MONEY TALKS ptt NOTATION AND TABLATURE EXPLAINED OS aap ea ay SUA y ‘SPIEGAZIONE DELLA NOTAZIONE E DELLINTAVOLATURA ae ee) ee eee eee eeDear Friend, International Music Publications Limited requested that | write a few lines about the songs contained in this folio. So, here are a few sideman comments and some tech info | remember about the songs, people, and places where they were recorded. CALL ME THE BREEZE - This song was recorded on a 4 Track Ampex Recorder with the Ace Tone Drum Machine into a Fender Twin Amp and then miked. The Rhythm Guitar was a Harmony Acoustic Guitar with a Dano Electric Pick Up. The Lead Guitar was a Gibson ES 335 with Fender Twin Amp recorded by Audie using Teletronix Limiter and Ampex 2 Track Recorder giving slap back echo at 71/2 IPS for a saturated tape sound CRAZY MAMA - Same set up as “Breeze”, with guitar tuned up to F##. Mac Gayden added Slide Guitar, playing on his lap. | think he was using a Lincoln Guitar, (Japanese Les Paul copy), with a Small Fender Amp. MAGNOLIA - The Harmony Guitar again recorded on 16 Track Ampex. AFTER MIDNIGHT - This song was recorded with Norbert Putnam - Bass, Chuck Browning - Drums, Jerry Whitehurst - Piano. Chuck and | rehearsed the drum feel in the car on the way to Nashville. This is the second recording of this song by me. My first recording of “After Midnight” was on Liberty Records years earlier, The Liberty record became the demo when the song was played for Eric Clapton. LIES. - Recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama with the guys down there. Horns, Vocals, and my Harmony Acoustic Guitar, through a Fender Amp for lead, were over-dubbed in Nashville, MIDNIGHT IN MEMPHIS - Recorded in Muscle Shoals with Barry Beckett on Piano, Roger Hawkins on Drums, and Jimmy Johnson on Rhythm Guitar. Horns, Bass and my Lead Guitar were over-dubbed in Nashville. CAJUN MOON - Reggie Young on Lead Guitar. I'm noodling in the background. | over- dubbed Bass with Dano Electric Bass. ROCK AND ROLL RECORDS - Karl Himmel playing Drums. Guitars over-dubbed. COCAINE - Originally, when | wrote this song, | made a Jazz demo, After playing this demo for Audie, he suggested that we cut it as a Rock and Roll song. I'm glad we did and sos Eric. Audie, of course, is smiling like a Cheshire Cat, The riff was over-dubbed one string at a time. Later on, when playing the song ‘Live’, | just laid my fingers across. the sixth fret on the 2, 3, and 4th strings and got the same sound. During the recording, the Drummer, Ken Buttrey, and the Bass player got into an argument and the Bass player left, $0 later | over-dubbed Bass. The track was recorded at Colombia Studio. Overdub lead by Reggie Young at Audie’s house. HEY BABY - Recorded at Chip Young's log cabin studio in Murfreesboro, Tn. This room was 80 small, Chip had an old phone booth for Vocals, Bass was Charles Dungey. Lloyd Green on Stee! Guitar. Horns over-dubbed later. PLL MAKE LOVE TO YOU ANYTIME - The Snap Rhythm Guitar was done to augment the drum beat. You just mute the lower strings with the palm of your hand and snap the pick. DON'T CRY SISTER - This is an early Korg Drum Machine, M3 Hammond Organ, 335 Gibson Electric Guitar recorded at my house in Nashville, 13 DAYS - Harmony Acoustic Guitar with low impedance Gibson Pickups recorded at Audie's house in Nashville. | do this song ‘live’ a lot. Of course, it doesn’t sound like the record. We left John Galley’s name off the credits, but he’s playing Piano on this cut. SENSITIVE KIND - Buddy Harmon on Drums, Carl Radle on Bass, Cam Mullins - String Arrangement. Recorded at Audie's house. CARRY ON - Russ Kunkel on Drums, Carol Kay on bass, Tommy Tedesco on Rhythm Guitar. Recorded at Capitol Studios, Hollywood. ANYWAY THE WIND BLOWS .- Ace Tone Drum Machine, Dano Bass, and two different rhythm tracks with the Harmony Acoustic Guitar, Recorded on Ampex One Inch 8 Track Recorder. If you would like to hear a ‘polished’ version of this song, check out Brother Phelps on Asylum Records. DEVIL IN DISGUISE - Recorded in the ‘Alley’ Rehearsal Studio, North Hollywood. Bill Boatman on Drums. DON’T WAIT - Bob Moore on Bass, Terry McMillan on Harmonica, Recorded at Columbia Studio ‘’ in Nashville. Harmony Guitar through ‘4-10" Fender Bassman Amp for Rhythm, Harold Bradley on Tic Tac Guitar, | think. MONEY TALKS - Jim Keltner on Drums, | played a Gibson S.6. on Lead, Spooner played Organ, Tim Drummond on Bass, and Glen D. Hardin on Piano, Recorded on a 3M 32 Track Digital Recorder (my first with digital) at Warner Bros. Studio in North Hollywood. This Studio once belonged to Snuffy Garrett back when it was called Amigo Studio. | was the Engineer, recording anyone and everybody Snuffy could find. Interestingly, the studio was powered in those days by a series of car batteries hooked together and stored under the floor. There was no A.C. hum in the system. HOLD ON - Buddy Emmons on Stee! Guitar pulled this Jazz - Bo tune off. Thanks Buddy! ‘Hold On is not on the Anthology Album, but it is on the Very Best Of J. J. Cale CD which, as a matter of fact, is the basis for this folio Enjoy. 995 _ DISCOGRAPHY 1972 NATURALLY (Originally Shelter, now Mercury) Cat. No. 830 042-2 1973 REALLY (Originally Shelter, now Mercury) Cat. No. 810 314-2 1974 OKIE (Originally Shelter, now Mercury) Cat. No. 842 102-2 1976 TROUBADOUR Cat. No. 810 001-2 1979 5 Cat. No. 810 313-2 1980 SHADES Cat. No. 800 105-2 (Originally Shelter, now Mercury) (Originally Shelter, now Mercury) (Originally Shelter, now Mercury) 1982 GRASSHOPPER (Mercury) Cat. No. 800 038-2 1983 8 (Mercury) Cat. No. 811 152-2 1984 SPECIAL EDITION (Mercury) Cat. No. 818 633-2 1990 TRAVEL-LOG (Silvertone) Cat. No. 1306 2 J 1992 10 (Silvertone) Cat. No. 01241415062 1994 CLOSER TO YOU (Delabel/Virgin) Cat. No. 724383961023 1996 GUITAR MAN ((DelabelWVirgin) Cat. No. 724384148027 1997 ANYWAY THE WIND BLOWS (Mercury) The Anthology (2 CD set) Cat. No.532 901-2 1997 THE VERY BEST OF J.J. CALE — (Mercury) (1 CD) Cat. No. 534 754-2/4CALL ME THE BREEZE Words and Music by J.J. Cale Double time feel (J = 90) Fe? fH ; = i — They call 14 14@ $14 J 1 — me the breeze, I keep blow - ing down the road. change in the wea - ther, ain’t no change in me. _ green light babe, I got - ta be mo - ving on.— ad lib. 2nd and 3rd times © 1971 Johnny Bienstock Music Carlin Music Corp., London NW1 8BD87 Tr He They call___ me the breeze, Ain’t no change in the wea-ther, —_ T got that green light babe, WO et W141 4 9—11—9— yo —? we Li FaZ tee —— — I keep blow - ing down the road.__ ain’t no change in me. I got - ta be mov - ing on. ‘14 — 16 414-155 ——__—____4g 16 16 B7 to Coda @ fn” — Tain’t got__ me — no-bo-dy, Tain'’t carryin” meno load. Tain’t hid - ing from no-bo-dy, ain’t no-bo - dy hi- ding from Imight go out to Ca - li-fornia I might go down to Geor-gia, I might go 1416-14= == SSS ‘There ain’t no 14415 14-1511 4—11 # 1 4 Tt + fu 13—n ral === Cr wa 14—14— 1 SS eS Se 14 1416 — 146154» 4 14—15—16- ats rr 1" 1. —s 4st SSS eS T Er ¥ = + 1 10- H 10- t 1 t I! 10 == + = 10—] —0- 1 1o— nS [se . 2 3 ee —_ is ~—¥ == -—f £—f = o—_\te _f + | t arn = + ———— 14-— 16- cits “— 16-— 14 —} t Z = — +—_—v—1 tet = ——FR7 fie D.& al Coda = T= ee | I got that let ring } copa FR? fe fade out 14— 16141 = W W—n—11 te. + alede ¥ fe ptete et 4 Tota is “4 bias 1 7 f : eS =— = a a & tCRAZY MAMA Words and Music by J.J. Cale 2 = 96 Capo 2 bee or = — r - — z” fee Sided aS Se Zz slide with wah-wah SS=as ae Wt py i Pp f : 5-—11- EH obo y —— Cra - zy ma - ma, where you been so long? Stand-ing on = a_ cor - ner, look - ing for you rhythm guitar sim. © 1971 Johnny Bienstock Music Carlin Music Corp., London NW1 8BD13 = - SS SS Cra - zy ma - ma,_ Stand - ing on a cor - ner, bee opr ie ee = Pte eee = , hy = a1 wt — i ie = | = = = —* long? __ you babe, where you been so look - ing for You’ve been t ts + ts ees 5S SS SSS Se hi - ding out, I know that’s true _ Cra - zy ma - ma, Lord____— have mer - cy, but can I see Cra - zy ma - ma, to Coda 4) | : + s ———— ——————— — = sure need . you, Cra - zy ma - ma, where you been_ so long? com - ingback to me Cra - zy ma - ma, where you been_ so long? E Fe - SSS | Sts = hn ; Se =i}—13——_" 2 1181 —— 9-1 1 qt 1a a—11- 1 Vets . aoe D% al Coda em rea aa W119 ne — g—I1MAGNOLIA Words and Music by J.J. Cale Fmaj7 Cmaj? Fmaj7 Cmaj7 Cmaj7 Fmaj? Cmaj7 s 1. Whip-poor-will’s sing ing, soft sum-mer breeze,_ 2.3. Mag-no - lia you sweet thing, you're driv-ing me mad,__ ©1971 Johnny Bienstock Music Carlin Music Corp., London NW1 8BD16 Fmaj7_ Cmaj7 x o00 Fmaj? ee makes me think of my got to get back to babe, you Sa Sa # I left down in New Or - babe, you're the best I ev-er had, | = = | = — { t t 55 Cmaj7 Fmaj7 Cmaj7 — - leans, You whis-per ‘good - mor-ning’, to Coda ro left down in NewOr = - leans. you’re the best I’ve ev-er had.__ so gen-tly in my ear, Tllsoon be___ there,17 Fmaj7 Cmaj7 Am G mo «ooo xo oon “SS Pllsoon be there, Am 6 Am so00 Fmaj? Cmaj7 ) copa Fmaj7 Cmaj7 Fmaj7 axe «ooo FOB | xx o D& al Coda — “S You’re the best I’ve ev-er had, __ ze 1 5 1 {| rall. Cmaj7 Fmaj7 Cmaj7 5a — u’re the best I’ve ev-er had.AFTER MIDNIGHT Words and Music by J.J. Cale Af - ter md - night we're gon - na let it all____._ hang Af - ter mid - night gon-na shake yourtam - bou-rine,__ af - ter mid-night af - ter mid-night i : Se oS SS a Ea SS © 1966 Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. Warner/Chappell Music Ltd, London W1Y 3FASS — Ss we’re gon-na chug-a - lug and shout. a We're gon -n: its gon-na_ be peach-es_ and cream. B a 1+ comscans cause F G ras = talk_ and sus - pi-cion, give an ex - hi-bi-tion, find out whatit is all a - bout. Lo F G ae ae SSS SSS Af - ter mid - night we're gon-na let it all ener iets te == to Coda @ Ep20 ae iui D8 al Coda = We're gon-na a Sade Hg ae — J = =F t 4 r S53 zs FS res Af - ter mid - night we’regon - na let it all hang out. Piet rot { aS SS tt21 LIES Words and Music by J.J. Cale 2 = 88 Shghtly swing sixteenth notes cm ig - a, | 5, eet Sicpreee ito ttn 8—9 01 ‘mes 10- 1 as wa 10, ws ‘8 fie + — oa “0 = +t or f— 8 10—8—10—12 = r= 4-10—12—10— 10-8: t 8 4 —3——— 104-1 a ee wet nt © 1972 Audigram Music Warner / Chappell Music Ltd, London W1Y 3FA22 You told me this, You left_ me hang-in’, Tell me babe, you told me that, hang-in’ from a limb, why do you take my Cm ag” you tried to tell me, you said you loved me, you get_ a thrill off, tell play-in’ me where it’s at. then you left. with him. with my mind. a _-# You said youloved me, I can see through that, _ Lord, you didit tome, I seeit in_ your eyes, Lord, you didit tome, I seeit in_ your eyes, cm Str ai lg, = a 5 Ea tH 8—3—10—8-10—13 — ses 10-11 ; ion S ia EBs a She ae ES Cm D& al Coda MosRE iw —— ‘ 2 tf 2 to Ze eff t Sete PEEL Pp repeat ad lib. to fade este Bi PeoMIDNIGHT IN MEMPHIS Words and Music by J.J. Cale 4 = 112 (G] es ae xr [c] [G] SSS Se pote Sao) =a [D] (c] [G] SSS = a © 1993 Audigram Songs, Inc, Warner/Chappell Music Ltd, London W1Y 3FA26 4% $—t = SS — _ ae ae , Saxophone solo Gg) SSS SSS =p == SSS a =27 a2, £ t 10— 12-12-12 12: ey 235 1. Trumpet solo 33;| 2.3. Piano solo [G] Saas =i28 {G] 1.2. play 3 times [3- [c] a a s e@b a — ; SSeS s—s— 6 fe) 1 __} = 7s 11-7 Is [c] [G] P +—5—3- I SS29 CAJUN MOON ‘Words and Music by J.J. Cale Aic----- nu... 4 se ate Coe es we wes ue—6= >16— 14-11 te 14-11-1611 14—16--—16— 14— 1. t 42 14-1114 11 # EH Bee Le ee oe oe] ebm? / Ab Ebm7 where does your po-wer lie, _ as you move, a-cross the and night comes on, you can hear the si lence of this W—13—-1—. © 1974 Audigram Music Warner/ Chappell Music Ltd, London W1Y 3FA30 Ab Ebm7 Bb7 — ae ee DS SS SS SS Se ee south-ern sky? You took my babe, way too soon, what have you done, song. Don’t trou-ble your mind, _______ what ev-er you do, __ ‘cause he got me,_ oof eS a 13—__15-, — 1513-11-11 ~——— WW 13-11 3 - 3 Ef | tt 1,3. Ab Ebm7 ebm? 4 Ta 3rd time to Coda 4 ape 4A ca - jun moon? Some-day when you want your man like he got you. Ca - jun W WN 13—n—13— 1 BH Ab Ebm7 Ab ie" al ERY afr — — and you find him just like the wind. _ Don’t trou-ble your mind te g 2H i31 Ebm7 Bb7 what-ev-er you do,_ *cause ca - jun. took him from Ebm7 Bb7 Ab Ebm7 fea" i aE D.& ai Coda When day-light fee 3 * A ni 14+ 16-14-11 — 11 ee tt tt tt 13-11-13— 1;32 cone Ebm7 Ab 152 1 tr pate ae ait SSS SSS SS moon, — where does your pow - er lie,__ Ebm7 Ab fae tr ie” fade Eaa E a-cross the south-ern ? You took my way too Bb? Ab Ebm7 fe” cg“ | SS ae SSS a soon, what have you done, — ca - jun. i = —33 ROCK AND ROLL RECORDS Words and Music by J.J. Cale 2 = SS = = = = SS pe SS SS ee of & = ee Eb c ST a ee i” make tock ’n’ roll re - cords, sell em for adime, -mn’ sun_ don’t shine,___ my friend tell you what I’m gon-na do, ‘© 1973 Audigram Music Warner/ Chappell Music Ltd, London WILY 3FA34 F Eb Bb F Ab a" & & - «& ca make my liv-in’? and feed my child-ren, all = for = your good ham-mer out this rhy - thm, ‘tH get might next to 10 — 1 1-12 — 101 F &b Bb F Eb c Ab Bb we Panes) Per) 4 ee ar a) ae 10fr AE 8fr we! ‘Str blues they go for a quart-er, gua-ran-teed to sa - tis - fy, make rock ’n’ roll re - cords, sell ‘em for a dime, F Eb Bb F ay c fea" tetie® if f) at je" et tee i — real funk-y deal, let it pass you by. make my feed my child-ren, for yourgood time.35 . = ——15- 13- . 1— = 17 i pa 15 a Wd a we ——— See SE > 2, py” feo" talon al FE imei” iperor fee Ifyoureve- __36 COCAINE Words and Music by J.J. Cale = 104 Recording sounds semitone lower. 1. Za, D c D c D c rg tga te” iz” ine” aye i fa” If you want 7S Se Te fet 7 eo e Ss pS AEE - 5—5—3 5 2 3 — 3 D Cc D G aa” Hl i — ¥ rae 2 = __ — to hang out, you’ve got to take her out, co - caine. — bad news, you want to kick them blues, co - caine. is gone, and you want to ride on, co - caine.___ —t i i ea oe e a 1 ~ 7 $< 5 7——1 1 5 —s 7 45 5 i—_1—$ 1 —+—t 1 a 7 § 1 § ——— =) =| et f “TH | | eS 5 — If you want to get down, down in the = ground, co - caine._ When your day 1s done, and you want to run, co - caine. Don’t for - get this fact you can’t get back, — co - caine._ — A = ee : = ei oP a F i © 1975 Audigram Music Warner/ Chappell Music Ltd, London W1Y 3FA37 lie, she don’t she don’t lie, lie, She don’t 3 io i + 3rd time to Coda oO 5fr a” st time only [ise Cc ‘ofr 4 5fr ate * ca 5 a nu got. yo oe s38 atte! ————————— 47. a ht 10. 1-9 — 2-18 1215-17 1 ee 0 14: ‘12: == 4 14—16 —, = 16 } at ———_— oz $=39 D.& al Coda SSS If your thing == SSS She don’t lie, she don’t lie, she don’t i +3 fade out40 HEY BABY Words and Music by - J. Cale J=72 oc Ea Acoustic guitar Capo 3 LF x a wo, Smt om? Pre Gm? Gm Feo nom Ei HE Ei HHH He HR He fC c c Gm7 4 Ea Hae EAE - 7 _ = SS 3 = — it’s your time now, ___ hey ba - you’ve got them on the___ run, you know, you're look-ing real____ good, you know, © 1975 Audigram Music Warner / Chappell Music Ltd, London W1Y 3FA41 om F Cm7 c Gm7 lig seo ng guscox a = koe —— e ra you made it some - how, you’re gotthemon the___ run, a you're look-ing real good, ff, ft == > bg Do G Gm7 G Gm7 don’t let no-bo-dy come and_ bring you down. _ Hey ba - I know you, you have just be - gun. you made the day_ sa song like I knew you would. cl —~ De. = WH ol | ht42 (F] —3— [c] SSS SSS Ne and I thought I would die, _—_ there ne - ver been no - bo - dy like you, tc] ae a ar SS SS SS SS SS SS _ take a - way_ these blues. — Hey ba - woe o% mn c x0. H EE xo" x oxo00% wos axe. + [33] Pedal steel solo ia HEE ae EH ab Hie it e tr43 (J=d) (F] [c] When youcome _in-to my life, I thought I would die, Gm (FI {c] aE DS& al Coda —_— SS SS nf a ne-ver been no-bo-dy like you, tellyoumy trou-bles too.___ Hey ba - SSeS =S ¥ + —— —" - e nS44 @ CODA 2:33 Gm7 c Gm7 ompooe =e ot Oe c HEH EETH aHE FEE HEH HEH aH HEH chords sim. Electric guitar, (capo 3) repeat ad lib. to fade Gm7 peersPLL MAKE LOVE TO YOU ANYTIME ths Ee 45 Words and Music by J.J. Cale cs Nate oom oom cs DS * ax * ax, x com Ae x oo. x Ds x 8 a HB” ie EE ie cia ag = # t ZH { Hs = == += r E a read_ and I can’t write, and swim and =I can’t fly, I count from one to ten, and =! KN S$ = — a ¢ 4 3 ¥ = = SSS SS SS SS SS SS aoe oo os cs AS cs DS C6 tai fe” , fel” te Ee] Hae’ ae ia” 2 = 3 =F Z } 4 = oe t = — = =| I don’t know my left from right. I ain’tno bird in the sky. the shape I’m in. = | y = sped z 2a 7 = 5 Fass bee a 7 fost == = © 1975 Audigram Music Warner / Chappell Music Ltd, London W1Y 3FA46 cs DS cs DS ee Mr tS 5fr ine 3tr tHE” SS tell if the sun’s gon-na_ shine and I don’t know if you'll ev-er be mine, but T can’t ee ae — = e = = = — = — is 4 1 — =) 3 5 a I “si AS cs D5 cs AS cs DS cs Ue” i” fH * ** T'll make love to you a-ny old time. 1. Ds AS . om » Sty Fu inh" Hi |. eee 5: 5: Hi t47 D& al Coda 0S 4 fr repeat ad hb. to fade C5 aa n ry afr if cs Str xe HH DS a Str DS DS ie” cs cs la DS ‘Pecttste ET i 05 7 Sr HR ig 7 5tr cé DS 15—17—13~-14 = p —5 14—18 pt 3+ —1 D5 cs ear Hae gl oH” + 05 =12- ) copa AS 18Coincidence or not, the phrase “laid back” crept into common use right around the time of J.J. Cale’s first album. Nearly everyone but Cale missed paint. “Laid back” wasn't a synonym for “slow”; it was a frame of mind that applied to any tempo. A fast song could be “laid back” as easily as a slow one, hinged on the approach. Cale arrived at a time when entire sides of LPs were consumed with suites, and the suites had paragraph-length titles. In the mid this, Cale took his cue from old pop records which said what they had to say in three minutes. His concession to the new world order was to stretch occasional song to four minutes. It wasn’t that he couldn't play all those notes or write a 20-minute suite; he just couldn't see the point. In a world gi excess, Cale made a virtue of economy. Even his LP titles expressed much in few words, Naturally, Really, Okie. j Cale seems proud that he has prevented himself from becoming tremendously famous. “I stopped a lot of people who wanted to shove me into the re time, “he said recently. “Your ego wants to say, ‘Hey I’m somebody, man,’ but | knew there were many days when | just wanted to be John Cale.” Some knew from school painted him as a sly raccoon on his first album jacket. He slips out at night and makes a record. You catch him sometimes in your headl then he’s gone, Back to the lake. Back to the desert. Back to the trailer park. J.J. Cale has given few interviews over twenty-five years. Someone likened a Cale interview to the appearance of Halley's Comet. Only technical ques about guitars and studio hardware elicit detailed replies. The core of the man is known only to himself. Cale’s songs are often wry, ironic little observations) they aren't deeply revealing. Cale has—by his own choice become the Howard Hughes of rock ‘n’ roll. If it's a pose, it's one that has fooled everyone whd worked with him over twenty-five years. If Cale could write his songs, make his records, and never show his face, he probably would. Cale was born in Oklahoma City. He was raised and went to school in Tulsa. “It was a good nightclub town,” he said later. “Lots of bars. They don't pa very much, but you have such a good time you forget you're poor.” His earliest musical influences were rockabilly records from Memphis, and single string players like Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown and Billy Butler. He tried to figure out how to play like them, and like Chet Atkins, Les Paul, and Chuck Bemyj trying to imitate them,” Cale says, “I missed it, and came up with my own kinda thing.” Others floating around the Tulsa rock ‘n’ roll scene at that time included David Gates, later the founder of Bread; Russell Bridges, who reinvented hims Leon Russell; and Carl Radie and Jimmy Karstein, who later joined Cale’s band, Everyone ended up in Los Angeles. Russell went first and came back wit news that you could actually make a living playing music there. Cale went in 1964. “When | got to Los Angeles,” he said, “I decided no matter how bad thé (as a musician), it was better than that straight jive. | don't like to get out of bed too early.” Cale engineered at Leon Russell's home studio on Sky Hill D and it was there that he met Snuff Garrett, who had been head of A&R at Liberty Records. Garrett had discovered Bobby Vee and, at that time, wa independent producer working with Gary Lewis, Brian Hyland, and several others. He placed Cale with Liberty in 1965, and set him up as the rec engineer at his Amigo Studio. Around the same time, Cale was a quasi-regular performer at the Whiskey A-Go-Go, working when Johnny Rivers wast owner of the Whiskey, Elmer Valentine, suggested the name change to “J.J.” Cale. In 1966, Garrett started Viva Records. There's a cult market (mostly in Europe) for Cale’s Viva album, Take a Trip Down Sunset Strip by the Leather-Cog Minds. It’s an album that gives a real sense of Cale’s feeling for the experimental edge of music and technology. “After Midnight” emerged from this pi According to Cale, it was originally an instrumental track for Take a Trip Down Sun: ip, but it was jettisoned and then recycled into a b-side for Liberty in 1966, Cale was playing in Atlanta when he heard someone in the crowd shout, “Let it all hang out.” The Lyrics fell into place from there. It was probably 1968 when Cale first went to Nashville. He had been working in New York and Los Angeles for Garrett, producing Brian Hyland, Cheer, and other acts. Audie Ashworth and Garrett were putting a production company together, financed by Hubert Long, who owned a booking agency Moss-Rose music publishers, Audie worked for Moss-Rose as a song scout, plugger, and producer. He persuaded Long to install a studio, using an old co from Bradley's Barn. Snuffy told Ashworth he was sending someone down to help him. “I know this guy,” he said, “J.J. Cale, He can work in the studio wit players.” Cale drove into Nashville in the '65 Mustang that Garrett had given him, and took an office in Hubert Lony’s building. j “Cale had a different sound,” says Audie, “A different approach to the guitar and songwriting. We tried to produce some records. Then Snuffy went with] Records, and we tried some projects for him, but nothing worked. Next thing | know, Cale said, ‘Snuffy’s unhappy. He wants his car back, so | guess I'll gob to Oklahoma.’ He split, went back to Tulsa and started working his club gigs again.” There are several accounts of how Clapton came to cut “After Midnight.” Clapton was working with Cale's buddy Carl Radle in Delaney & Bonnie's band, ai one version of the story Clapton heard Cale’s song on a tape that Radle had made. Garrett, though, says that Jerry Ivan Allison, once Buddy Holly’s drummet heard Cale’s Liberty record. Allison was hanging out with Clapton and offered to get the song, now three years old, to Clapton on Garrett's behalf. Cale has an id how “After Midnight” got to Clapton; he said that his own mom might have sent it to Clapton for all he knows. According to Clapton, “Delaney said someone cover it. He said if I didn’t, he would. Delaney actually did a version with the same tracks with his voice instead of mine. We argued about it, and he gave in.” Bobby Keys, who had worked with Cale in Los Angeles and was working with Delaney & Bonnie at the time, phoned Cale to tell him that Clapton recorded it, but Cale had heard what he called “that kind of jive” before. He didn’t pay much attention until “After Midnight” came on his car radio in Tulsal had never heard one of his songs on the radio before. “After Midnight” became a Top 20 hit in the Fall of 1970. “| phoned Cale,” says Audie Ashworth, “and | said, ‘It might be time for you to make your move. Do an album." | said, ‘Get your songs together.’ He said do a single.’ | said, ‘It's an album market.’ He said, ‘I don’t have that many songs,’ so | said, ‘Write some.’ Three or four months later he called me. He sa got the songs.’ He drove in. He was driving a Volkswagen this time. He came in with his dog, Foley. He played me all of those songs.” Ashworth heard a different J.J. Cale this time. Cale had been working on a quiet mix of country, blues, and rockabilly. It was time to be true to himself “He and | went in} Moss-Rose studio and we cut ‘Call Me the Breeze,’ ‘Crying eyes,’ ‘River Runs Deep’ and ‘Crazy Mama,” ’ recalls Ashworth. “He played everything and we ug drum machine. We needed to add some stuff to ‘Crazy Mama,’ so | called Jerry Bradley, Owen's son, and said | needed the multitrack. He let me in there demo rate. | promised him full rate if we sold it. We worked at night. | pulled a group of players together, Karl Himmel on drums, Tim Drummond on bass, Bob Wilson on piano. Eric was in Nashville for the Johnny Cash TV show and Carl Radle was with him. | called Carl and said, ‘Bring Clapton out to the B we're doing an album with J.J.'. Clapton didn't make it, but Carl did. He came and played bass on a few tracks including ‘Crazy Mama.” ’ Ashworth said, " track ‘Mama’ needs something. How about a slide guitar?’ | called Mac Gayden, and he came out and set up as he ran it down with the tape. J.J. said, ‘Re it, that's it! Let's go home.’ Mac said, ‘I can do it better.’ Cale said, ‘You can't do it better.’ ” Ashworth ended up with twelve songs. Out in Los Angeles Denny Cordell had launched Shelter Records in January 1970 as a partnership with Russell. Originally from Ireland, Cordell had started out in England producing The Moody Blues and selling Beatles merchandise. Then he started Ri Zonophone Records to record The Move and Procol Harum. He came to the United States with Joe Cocker’s revue, eventually selling out his share of R Zonophone to start Shelter Records. Shelter was headquartered in Hollywood. “Carl Radle got us the deal with Shelter,” says Audie. “He called Leon. He said, ‘This album that Cale and Audie are working on is pretty good. | think ought to listen to it.' Leon said, ‘Send me a tape.’ we ran off a reel-to-reel and sent it with Carl. | always thought that Leon got us the deal, but | heard later he didn’t care for the tape, but it got on Denny Cordell’s desk, and Denny loved it” The first Shelter single, “Magnolia” backed with “Crazy Mama,” was released on July 5,1971. It didn’t make many waves, except in Little Rock at KA 50,000 watt station, where dee-jay, Wayne Moss, kept spinning the b-side. Wayne kept calling Ashworth saying, “You guys are on the wrong side of] record.” Ashworth finally got the message to Cordell, and just before Christmas Shelter reissued “Crazy Mama” as an a-side backed with “Don't Strangers." The new coupling got into the charts, peaking at No. 22—Cale's all time highest placing. The first album, Naturally, was released soon after. Rd Stone came to call, and Cale monosyllabled his way through his first major write-up. Cordell got him on a Traffic tour. On his days off, Cale would fly bad Tulsa to get his bearings. Already, the mantle of stardom was sitting uneasily on him. Ashworth remembers him saying, “Send me the money and let younger guys have the fame.” Naturally created enough of a stir to present Cale with the option of going for it, but he made a conscious decision not to. Work began on the second album Really in April 1972. “We started it at Quadrophonic in Nashville,” says Audie, “and we did some work in Muscle Sho and we put some horns on at the Barn. Cale liked to visit different studios and pull players from different locations.” There was more commercial gloss to Re but it was still clear that Cale had a unique notion of how to make a record. He reversed the Nashville equation in which everything was factored aroundCale mix, the soloing instruments and the voice just barely rise out of the bed track, and they never stand apart from it. According to Audie, “Cale ited the voice mixed down. We'd be sitting at the board and both of us were trying to get our hands on the faders. He was always pulling back the svoral. He'd mix his voice back in the bed. He said it made you want to lean into the music instead of leaning back from it. It would pull people in. wineer, and he came with chops. He had definite ideas about mixes.” Wantage of being with Shelter was the relative lack of corporate pressure to meet album commitments.The albums came when they were ready, Cale ate alone, “When the first album was a success, we needed some more songs,” says Ashworth, “and Cale said, ‘| had thirty years to get that first ong ideas together.’ There was a steady stream of tapes from people wanting to get a song on a J.J. Cale album, but he usually rejected them. He'd gw, | only have a three-note range. | can't do that song. It gets too high in the bridge. Let's keep it simple so people can understand it.’, He’d say, “| da little niche that's just me.’ Ashworth describes Cale as “very conscious of trying to be original, and serious about trying to make records that est of time. He has a no-nonsense approach to the studio. He brings the songs and a bag full of ideas for arrangements. He usually runs the song |guitar calling the changes as he goes, but he’s open to ideas.” dalbum, Okie, was much more a backporch record than Really.The title track had literally been recorded on Cale’s porch, and several others had been pside the house. “Cajun Moon” was pulled as the first single. Nashville session ace Reggie Young, a veteran of the Bill Black Combo, took the solo. Another this album, “Any Way The Wind Blows” is an object lesson in just how little you really need. It's one chord, a fifty-dollar Harmony guitar (albeit one d with hundreds of dollars worth of hardware), and the simplest of all blues riffs. Cale paid a drummer for the session, but it's a drum machine on the Cale moved to Nashville in 1975, he and Ashworth set up their own studio, Crazy Mama's, in Ashworth’s house. “John said we'd rented enough d paid enough rentals that we could own our own equipment,” says Ashworth. “I'll bring the mixing console, you bring your 16-track Ampex. He ‘a bedroom, and he'd stay here occasionally. He was very insistent on not making the studio too fancy. He moved another console out to his house on and recorded out there by himself.” bought a house near Andrew Jackson's old home in Hermitage, Tennessee. It was far enough out that people wouldn't be dropping in on him, he said shase was probably made easier by the fact that Lynyrd Skynyrd put “Call Me The Breeze” on their mega-platinum Second Helping. There was plenty of shad in Nashville, but Cale rarely did other people's sessions. He played on an album by French singer Eddy Mitchell and he worked on Neil Young's e and Art Garfunkel’s Angel Clare. He produced Chicago bluesman Jimmy Rogers for Shelter, but otherwise, as Ashworth says, “Cale was busy busy.” He bought an Airstream trailer, and he'd park it in a KOA trailer park near Opryland and live there from time to time. He hated the Nashville ‘so he'd hook up the truck and trailer and then take off for Florida or California. Were two years between Okie and Troubadour. “Hey Baby” was the first single pulled from Troubadour. It spent three weeks in the Hot 100. The flip “Cocaine.” Cale had brought the song to Ashworth as a Mose Allison-style jazz piece. “You want to make some money?” asked Ashworth. “He said, Welllet’s make a rock ‘n’ roll song out of it. Can you do that?’ He went home and changed the arrangement, Cale overdubbed the riff three times, atime, then did the bass part. Reggie Young took the solo, Again, we recorded it as he did the run down. Reggie said, ‘Let me do it again. | can i Cale said, ‘No you cant! That's it!’” pil 1976, Cale overcame his fear of flying and went to Europe to promote Troubadour. “| was in London playing at Hammersmith Odeon when Carl Radle (Clapton) came and sat with us,” he told Nicky Horne on UK's Channel 4. “We all went down to the studio, and Eric surprised us with his cut of ‘Cocaine.’ sion'had been out for a year, and | couldn't get anybody to play it The ironic thing was that for about five years after, you'd walk into a bar and hear everybody "Clapton's version was issued on Slowhand, and then on the flip side of “Tulsa Time.” Most writers would kill for one Clapton cut; Cale has had several. and Don Williams were having a strong influence on Clapton at this stage in his life. Clapton once said that “Lay Down Sally” was as close as an hman could get to being J.J. Cale. For his part, Cale never saw Clapton's success as success that should have been his. “Eric Clapton was just picking up ale said later. “He picked up some of mine-like | picked up some from the people before me. It's very flattering that people of that calibre are listening do. {t's always kind of nice when people cut my songs and turn them into something that people really like. For a lot of people, it’s hard to listen to my ecause it’s very raw, kinda rough around the edges and they may sound unfinished, but that’s the way | like it, not too slick.” gees of “Cocaine” meant that Cale was once again at the crossroads. He could have toured on the strength of it, and rushed out another album, He ing what he called a younger “boogie crowd” at his. shows. “They wanted someone up. there bustin’ them one," he said. He could have picked up the dgone for it, but instead he went back to Nashville and worked on installing a studio in his home. The next album, 5, didn't appear until 1979. Audie th saw some AM potential for “The Sensitive Kind,” and overdubbed strings. “! was hoping for airplay on that,” he says. “i was digging for ideas to itup.” Radio ignored Cale's version of “Sensitive Kind,” but Santana covered it and took it half-way up the Hot 100. 9 1980, Musical Express in London sent a journalist, Philippe Garnier, to interview Cale out at the lake. Cale seemed totally immersed in studio hardware. kinda grow the flour to make the cake,” Cale said, trying to explain why he now needed to master studio technology. He wanted his records to be wholly the ground up. All in all Garnier thought that Cale radiated contentment and seemed to have no regret for the path his career had taken. tale finally left Nashville and moved to California in 1980. His sister lived in southern California. Cale sold his boat, packed everything into his Airstream and moved to a trailer park in Anaheim. For a while he stayed put in the trailer. Anyone wanting to talk to him would have to leave a message with worth and wait for Cale to call in. Cale might have had the latest digital gizmos, but he didn’t have a phone. The final Shelter album, Shades, was issued in 1981. Not long thereafter Denny Cordell wound up Shelter Records. Cale's new label Phonogram al subsequently acquired his 6 Shelter albums from Cordell. In 1982, the first album on Phonogram's Mercury label, Grasshopper, was released. It safine, varied album, which did very well in Europe, though not as well in the US. Its successor, #8, released in 1983, sold modestly and if nothing else, pmarkable for the fact that Cale had finally allowed a photograph of himself to go on the front of the album. I wasn't until 1989 that Cale signed a new deal with Silvertone Records in England, a company started by Andrew Lauder, the founder of Demon/Edsel ds. Silvertone’s first album with Cale was Travel-Log. Cale toured to support the album. According to an interview he gave to Dave Hoekstra at the Chicago Times, he had spent the previous six years cycling, mowing the lawn every Saturday, and listening to rap and Van Halen. The years in Los Angeles had his music “more rattly... more uptown,” he said. Hoekstra remarked on Al Capps’ very full arrangement on “New Orleans,” which pitted a Dixieland de against a string section. “Al Capps knocked me out on that,” said Cale. “I liked it so well | was going to take my voice off it and make it an mmental.” As always, he was happy to talk about which model bass was patched into what amp, but beyond that his conversation was couched with alities. in 1992 Cale issued his tenth album, titled with impeccable logic Number LO. The languid grace was still intact. “Artificial Paradise" sported perhaps Cale’s sever solo, The usual precision and economy were married to a flawlessly executed flow of ideas. The tone was uniquely Cale’s own. On “Jailer” Cale's guitar weaves with Spooner Oldham’s organ for a much darker texture. In 1994, Cale signed with Virgin Records. He had bought a house and several acres in the semi-desert of southern California. The first Virgin album, Closer to came with unexpected quickness. Cale had ordered a new customised Martin guitar. “A good guitar will inspire you,” he told Paul Trynka. “! wrote eight songs 9 e day. Then I rented Capito! Studios In Hollywood and recorded the album in two days with alf the vocals cut live. Then | brought all the stuff home and ted over dubbing.” it's been almost twenty-five years since a dapper raccoon, looking like a refugee from a Lewis Carroll story, introduced us to J.J. Cale. He has probably lasted by ping himself so well. Twelve albums. Maybe fifty shows a year. Cale’s records still seem remarkably fresh, untainted by fads and rock musics urban frenzy. He ee remarked that his records were demos, recorded simply so that another musician would take interest in them and record them. That way, he'd make more ey, You can't believe that, though. This is the art that conceals art. Plenty is going on here. As always, Cale is very busy appearing to be unbusy. The texturing, eaking, and fine-tuning are hallmarks of the craftsman. These are hand-made records, rich in dance and detail, More individualistic music cannot be found.