J.J. Cale

J.J. Cale - Special Edition - 1984 - Mercury

Sinuous rhythms, conversational singing, and, most of all, intricate, bluesy guitar playing characterize Cale's performances of his own songs. This compilation, covering 11 years of recording, includes the songs Eric Clapton, who borrowed heavily from Cale's style in his 1970s solo work, made famous: "After Midnight" and "Cocaine." © William Ruhlmann © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/special-edition-r3136

All tracks were recorded between Sep 29, 1970 and Feb 15, 1983 and represent many of J.J. Cale's best songs. There have been complaints about the audio quality of these tracks on the CD re-issue. Allegedly, the original tracks were used without any re-mastering or sound normalization. But really, this is a minor quibble. As an introduction to J.J. Cale's music this is a good album. The sound quality is varied over a 13 year time period, but audio is not poor and the tracks are sonically adequate. There is another J.J.Cale compilation album available called "The Very Best Of J.J. Cale, (a.k.a The Definitive Collection)". However, as with all compilation albums, it is impossible to please everybody with regard to track selection . Listen to J.J. Cale's "Troubadour" and "Travel Log" albums

TRACKS

1 Cocaine 2:50
2 Don't Wait 3:08
3 Magnolia 3:23
4 Devil in Disguise 2:02
5 Sensitive Kind 3:36
6 Carry On 2:19
7 After Midnight 2:22
8 Money Talks 4:15
9 Call Me the Breeze 2:35
10 Lies 2:46
11 City Girls 2:49
12 Cajun Moon 2:15
13 Don't Cry Sister 2:13
14 Crazy Mama 2:23

All songs composed by J.J. Cale except "Don't Wait", and "Money Talks" by J.J. Cale & Christine Lakeland

MUSICIANS

J.J. Cale - Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Rhythm), Bass, Drums, Piano, Vocals
Christine Lakeland - Guitar (Rhythm), Organ, Percussion, Vocals, Voices
Reggie Young - Guitar, Guitar (Electric)
Harold Bradley - Guitar (Electric)
Weldon Myrick - Guitar (Steel)
Ray Edenton, Jimmy Capps, Tommy Tedesco, Jimmy Johnson, Johnny Christopher - Guitar (Rhythm)
Mac Gayden - Slide Guitar
Tim Drummond, Tommy Cogbill, Bob Moore, David Hood, Carol Kaye, Carl Radle, Norbert Putnam - Bass
Jerry Whitehurst - Organ, Piano
Bob Wilson, David Briggs, Glen D. Hardin - Piano
Barry Beckett - Piano (Electric)
Bobby Emmons, Spooner Oldham - Organ
Beegie Cruzer - Keyboards
Kenny Malone, Bill Boatman, Chuck Browning, Kenny Buttrey, Buddy Harmon, Roger Hawkins, Karl Himmel, Russ Kunkel, Jim Keltner - Drums
Farrell Morris - Percussion, Vibraphone
Jim Karstein - Conga, Percussion
Dennis Good, George Tidwell, Terry Williams - Horn
Don Sheffield - Horn, Trumpet
Bob Philips - Trumpet
Bill Humble - Trombone
Ed Colis - Harmonica
Sheldon Kurland, Carl Gorodetzky, Roy Christensen, Marvin Chantry - Strings

SHORT BIO

With his laid-back rootsy style, J.J. Cale is best known for writing "After Midnight" and "Cocaine," songs that Eric Clapton later made into hits. But Cale's influence wasn't only through songwriting -- his distinctly loping sense of rhythm and shuffling boogie became the blueprint for the adult-oriented roots rock of Clapton and Mark Knopfler, among others. Cale's refusal to vary the sound of his music over the course of his career caused some critics to label him as a one-trick pony, but he managed to build a dedicated cult following with his sporadically released recordings. Born in Oklahoma City but raised in Tulsa, OK, Cale played in a variety of rock & roll bands and Western swing groups as a teenager, including one outfit that also featured Leon Russell. In 1959, at the age of 21, he moved to Nashville, where he was hired by the Grand Ole Opry's touring company. After a few years, he returned to Tulsa, where he reunited with Russell and began playing local clubs. In 1964, Cale and Russell moved to Los Angeles with another local Oklahoma musician, Carl Radle. Shortly after he arrived in Los Angeles, Cale began playing with Delaney & Bonnie. He only played with the duo for a brief time, beginning a solo career in 1965. That year, he cut the first version of "After Midnight," which would become his most famous song. Around 1966, Cale formed the Leathercoated Minds with songwriter Roger Tillison. The group released a psychedelic album called A Trip Down Sunset Strip the same year. Deciding that he wouldn't be able to forge a career in Los Angeles, Cale returned to Tulsa in 1967. Upon his return, he set about playing local clubs. Within a year, he had recorded a set of demos. Radle obtained a copy of the demos and forwarded it to Denny Cordell, who was founding a record label called Shelter with Leon Russell. Shelter signed Cale in 1969. The following year, Eric Clapton recorded "After Midnight," taking it to the American Top 20 and thereby providing Cale with needed exposure and royalties. In December 1971, Cale released his debut album, Naturally, on Shelter Records; the album featured the Top 40 hit "Crazy Mama," as well as a re-recorded version of "After Midnight," which nearly reached the Top 40, and "Call Me the Breeze," which Lynyrd Skynyrd later covered. Cale followed Naturally with Really, which featured the minor hit "Lies," later that same year. Following the release of Really, J.J. Cale adopted a slow work schedule, releasing an album every other year or so. Okie, his third album, appeared in 1974. Two years later, he released Troubadour, which yielded "Hey Baby," his last minor hit, as well as the original version of "Cocaine," a song that Clapton would later cover. By this point, Cale had settled into a comfortable career as a cult artist and he rarely made any attempt to break into the mainstream. One more album on Shelter Records, 5, appeared in 1979 and then he switched labels, signing with MCA in 1981. MCA only released one album (1981's Shades) and Cale moved to Mercury Records the following year, releasing Grasshopper. In 1983, Cale released his eighth album, 8. The album became his first not to chart. Following its release, Cale left Mercury and entered a long period of seclusion, reappearing in late 1990 with Travel Log, which was released on the British independent label Silvertone; the album appeared in America the following year. 10 was released in 1992. The album failed to chart, but it re-established his power as a cult artist. He moved to the major label Virgin in 1994, releasing Close to You the same year. It was followed by Guitar Man in 1996. Cale returned to recording in 2003, releasing To Tulsa and Back in 2004 on the Sanctuary label and The Road to Escondido, a collaborative effort with Clapton, in 2006 on Reprise. Roll On appeared in 2009 on Rounder Records. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jj-cale-p3817/biography