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John Davies Cale (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, singer, songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the American rock band
the Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise ...
. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various styles across rock, drone, classical,
avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
and
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroa ...
. He studied music at
Goldsmiths College Goldsmiths, University of London, officially the Goldsmiths' College, is a constituent research university of the University of London in England. It was originally founded in 1891 as The Goldsmiths' Technical and Recreative Institute by the Wo ...
,
University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
, before relocating in 1963 to
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
's
downtown music Downtown music is a subdivision of American music, closely related to experimental music, which developed in downtown Manhattan in the 1960s. History The scene the term describes began in 1960, when Yoko Ono, one of the early Fluxus artists, o ...
scene, where he performed as part of the Theatre of Eternal Music and formed the Velvet Underground. Since leaving the band in 1968, Cale has released sixteen solo
studio albums An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...
, including the widely acclaimed '' Paris 1919'' (1973) and '' Music for a New Society'' (1982). Cale has also acquired a reputation as an adventurous record producer, working on the debut albums of several innovative artists, including
the Stooges The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Da ...
and
Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album ''Horses''. Called the "punk poet ...
.


Early life and career

John Davies Cale was born on 9 March 1942 in the mining village of
Garnant Garnant is a Welsh mining village in the valley of the River Amman in Carmarthenshire, north of Swansea. Like the neighbouring village of Glanamman it experienced a coal-mining boom in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but the last big col ...
in the valley of the River Amman in
Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire ( cy, Sir Gaerfyrddin; or informally ') is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as ...
of Wales to Will Cale, a
coal miner Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...
, and Margaret Davies, a
primary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...
teacher.Mitchell, Tim ''Sedition and Alchemy: A Biography of John Cale'', 2003, p. 24 Although his father spoke only English, his mother spoke and taught Welsh to Cale, which hindered his relationship with his father, although he began learning English at primary school, at around the age of seven. Cale was
molested Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assau ...
by two different men during his youth: an Anglican priest who molested him in a church and a music teacher.Cold, Black Style: The John Cale Interview
markmordue.com; accessed 3 January 2018. He played organ at Ammanford church. The
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
recorded Cale playing a
toccata Toccata (from Italian ''toccare'', literally, "to touch", with "toccata" being the action of touching) is a virtuoso piece of music typically for a keyboard or plucked string instrument featuring fast-moving, lightly fingered or otherwise virtu ...
he composed primarily on the black keys of the piano in the style of
Aram Khachaturian Aram Ilyich Khachaturian (; rus, Арам Ильич Хачатурян, , ɐˈram ɨˈlʲjitɕ xətɕɪtʊˈrʲan, Ru-Aram Ilyich Khachaturian.ogg; hy, Արամ Խաչատրյան, ''Aram Xačʿatryan''; 1 May 1978) was a Soviet and Armenia ...
. His mother was institutionalized for breast cancer when he was 11. Having discovered a talent for
viola ; german: Bratsche , alt=Viola shown from the front and the side , image=Bratsche.jpg , caption= , background=string , hornbostel_sachs=321.322-71 , hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow , range= , related= *Violin family ...
, Cale joined the National Youth Orchestra of Wales at age 13. Receiving a scholarship, Cale studied music at
Goldsmiths College Goldsmiths, University of London, officially the Goldsmiths' College, is a constituent research university of the University of London in England. It was originally founded in 1891 as The Goldsmiths' Technical and Recreative Institute by the Wo ...
,
University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
. While he was there he organised an early
Fluxus Fluxus was an international, interdisciplinary community of artists, composers, designers and poets during the 1960s and 1970s who engaged in experimental art performances which emphasized the artistic process over the finished product. Fluxus ...
concert, ''A Little Festival of New Music'', on 6 July 1964. He also contributed to the short film ''Police Car'' and had two scores published in ''Fluxus Preview Review'' (July 1963) for the nascent avant-garde collective. He conducted the first performance in the UK of Cage's ''Concert for Piano and Orchestra'', with the composer and pianist Michael Garrett as soloist. In 1963, he travelled to the United States to continue his musical training with the assistance and influence of
Aaron Copland Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900December 2, 1990) was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later a conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as "the Dean of American Com ...
. Upon arriving in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, Cale met a number of influential composers. On 9 September 1963 he participated, along with John Cage and several others, in an 18-hour and 40 minute piano-playing marathon that was the first full-length performance of Erik Satie's "
Vexations ''Vexations'' is a musical work by Erik Satie. Apparently conceived for keyboard (although the single page of manuscript does not specify an instrument), it consists of a short theme in the bass whose four presentations are heard alternatingly ...
". After the performance Cale appeared on the television panel show ''
I've Got a Secret ''I've Got a Secret'' is an American panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show, ''What's My Line ...
''. Cale's secret was that he had performed in an 18-hour concert, and he was accompanied by Karl Schenzer, whose secret was that he was the only member of the audience who had stayed for the duration. Cale would later attribute Cage's writings with his own "relaxed" artistic outlook, having hitherto been raised to believe that European composers were obliged to justify their work. Cale played in La Monte Young's ensemble the Theatre of Eternal Music. The heavily drone-laden music he played there proved to be a big influence in his work with his next band,
the Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise ...
. One of his collaborators on these recordings was the Velvet Underground guitarist
Sterling Morrison Holmes Sterling Morrison Jr. (August 29, 1942 – August 30, 1995) was an American guitarist, best known as one of the founding members of the rock group the Velvet Underground, usually playing electric guitar, occasionally bass guitar, a ...
. Three albums of his early experimental work from this period were released in 2001.


The Velvet Underground (1964–1968)

Despite his background in art music and the avant-garde, Cale had enjoyed and followed rock music from a young age; on a visit to Britain in 1965, he procured records by
the Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, north London, in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhyt ...
,
the Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
and
Small Faces Small Faces were an English rock band from London, founded in 1965. The group originally consisted of Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston as the band's keyboardist in 1966. The ...
that remained unavailable in the United States. Early that year, he co-founded
the Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise ...
with Lou Reed, recruiting his flatmate Angus MacLise and Reed's college friend
Sterling Morrison Holmes Sterling Morrison Jr. (August 29, 1942 – August 30, 1995) was an American guitarist, best known as one of the founding members of the rock group the Velvet Underground, usually playing electric guitar, occasionally bass guitar, a ...
to complete the initial line-up. Just before the band's first paying gig for $75 at Summit High School in
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, MacLise abruptly quit the band because he viewed accepting money for art as
selling out "Selling out", or "sold out" in the past tense, is a common expression for the compromising of a person's integrity, morality, authenticity, or principles by forgoing the long-term benefits of the collective or group in exchange for personal ga ...
; he was replaced by
Moe Tucker Maureen Ann "Moe" Tucker (born August 26, 1944) is an American musician and singer-songwriter who was the drummer for the New York City-based rock band the Velvet Underground. After they disbanded in the early 1970s, she left the music industry ...
as the band's drummer. Initially hired to play that one show, she soon became a permanent member and her tribal pounding style became an integral part of the band's music, despite the initial objections of Cale to the band having a female drummer. On his aforementioned visit to Britain in the summer of 1965, Cale shopped a crudely recorded, acoustic-based Velvet Underground demo reel to several luminaries in the British rock scene (including
Marianne Faithfull Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (born 29 December 1946) is an English singer and actress. She achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her hit single " As Tears Go By" and became one of the lead female artists during the British I ...
) with the intention of securing a recording contract. Although this failed to manifest, the tape was disseminated throughout the UK underground over the following eighteen months by such figures as producer
Joe Boyd Joe Boyd (born August 5, 1942) is an American record producer and writer. He formerly owned Hannibal Records. Boyd has worked on recordings of Pink Floyd, Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny, Richard Thompson, Nick Drake, The Incredible String Ba ...
and
Mick Farren Michael Anthony Farren (3 September 1943 – 27 July 2013) was an English rock musician, singer, journalist, and author associated with counterculture and the UK underground. Early life Farren was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, and aft ...
of the Deviants. As a result, the Deviants,
the Yardbirds The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band's core lineup featured vocalist and harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist and later bassist Chris Dreja and bassist/producer Paul Samwell ...
and
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
had all covered Velvet Underground songs prior to the release of their debut studio album in 1967. The very first commercially available recording of the Velvet Underground, an instrumental track called "Loop" given away with ''
Aspen Aspen is a common name for certain tree species; some, but not all, are classified by botanists in the section ''Populus'', of the '' Populus'' genus. Species These species are called aspens: *'' Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (Chin ...
'' magazine, was a feedback experiment written and conducted by Cale. His creative relationship with Reed was integral to the sound of the Velvet Underground's first two studio albums, ''
The Velvet Underground & Nico ''The Velvet Underground & Nico'' is the debut album by the American rock band the Velvet Underground and German singer Nico, released in March 1967 through Verve Records. It was recorded in 1966 while the band were featured on Andy Warhol's Ex ...
'' (recorded in 1966, released in 1967) and '' White Light/White Heat'' (recorded in 1967, released in 1968). On these albums he plays
viola ; german: Bratsche , alt=Viola shown from the front and the side , image=Bratsche.jpg , caption= , background=string , hornbostel_sachs=321.322-71 , hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow , range= , related= *Violin family ...
,
bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
and
piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
, and sings occasional
backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are ...
. ''White Light/White Heat'' (1968) also features Cale on organ (on "
Sister Ray "Sister Ray" is a song by the Velvet Underground that closes side two of their 1968 album ''White Light/White Heat''. The lyrics are by Lou Reed, with music composed by John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Maureen Tucker and Reed. The song concerns dr ...
") as well as two vocal performances: "
Lady Godiva's Operation "Lady Godiva's Operation" is a song by the Velvet Underground from their second album, '' White Light/White Heat'' (1968). The lyrics of the first half of the song, sung by John Cale, describe Lady Godiva; the lyrics of the second half, sung by ...
", an experimental song where he shares lead vocal duties with Reed, and " The Gift", a long
spoken word Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...
piece written by Reed during his time at Syracuse University. Though Cale co-wrote the music to several songs, his most distinctive contribution is the electrically-amplified viola. He also played celesta on " Sunday Morning". Cale also played on
Nico Naftiran Intertrade Company limited (NICO) is a Swiss-based subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). NICO is a general contractor for the oil and gas industry. NIOC buys the vast majority of Iran's gasoline imports. NICO is a key pl ...
's 1967 debut studio album, '' Chelsea Girl'', which includes songs co-written by Velvet Underground members Cale, Reed and Morrison, who also appear as musicians. Cale makes his debut as lyricist on "Winter Song" "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams", and "Little Sister". Apart from appearing on the Velvet Underground's first two studio albums, he also played organ on the track "Ocean" during the practice sessions to produce demos for the band's fourth studio album '' Loaded'' (1970), nearly two years after he left the band. He was enticed back into the studio by the band's manager, Steve Sesnick, "in a half-hearted attempt to reunite old comrades", as Cale put it. Although he does not appear on the finished album, the demo recording of "Ocean" was included in the 1997 ''Loaded: Fully Loaded Edition'' CD re-issue. Finally, five previously unreleased tracks recorded in late 1967 and early 1968 were included on the compilation albums '' VU'' (1985) and '' Another View'' (1986). With tensions between Reed and Cale growing, Reed gave an ultimatum to Morrison and Tucker, declaring that unless Cale was fired, he would quit the band. Morrison and Tucker reluctantly went along with the scheme. In September 1968, Cale played his final gig with the Velvet Underground at the
Boston Tea Party The Boston Tea Party was an American political and mercantile protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 16, 1773. The target was the Tea Act of May 10, 1773, which allowed the British East India Company to sell t ...
and according to Tucker, "When John left, it was really sad. I felt really bad. And of course, this was gonna really influence the music, 'cause, John's a
lunatic Lunatic is an antiquated term referring to a person who is seen as mentally ill, dangerous, foolish, or crazy—conditions once attributed to "lunacy". The word derives from ''lunaticus'' meaning "of the moon" or "moonstruck". History The te ...
(laughs). I think we became a little more normal, which was fine, it was good music, good songs, it was never the same though. It was good stuff, a lot of good songs, but, just, the lunacy factor was... gone." After his dismissal from the band, Cale was replaced by
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
-based musician
Doug Yule Douglas Alan Yule (born February 25, 1947) is an American musician and singer, most notable for being a member of the Velvet Underground from 1968 to 1973 serving as the bassist, guitarist and occasional lead vocalist. Biography Early life Doug ...
, who played bass guitar, keyboards and who would soon share lead vocal duties in the band with Reed. Michael Carlucci, who was friends with Robert Quine, has given this explanation about Cale's dismissal, "Lou told Quine that the reason why he had to get rid of Cale in the band was Cale's ideas were just too out there. Cale had some wacky ideas. He wanted to record the next album with the amplifiers underwater, and oujust couldn't have it. He was trying to make the band more accessible." Arguably, the artistic frictions between Cale and Reed are what shaped the band's early sound much more than any other members. The pair often had heated disagreements about the direction of the band, and this tension was central to their later collaborations. When Cale left, he seemed to take the more experimental tendencies with him, as is noticeable in comparing the proto-
noise rock Noise rock (sometimes called noise punk) is a noise-oriented style of experimental rock that spun off from punk rock in the 1980s. Drawing on movements such as minimalism, industrial music, and New York hardcore, artists indulge in extre ...
of ''White Light/White Heat'' (which Cale co-created) to the comparatively dulcet,
folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers s ...
–influenced ''
The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise ...
'' (1969), recorded after his departure. Cale has favorably compared the dissonance of his Velvet Underground compositions to the indecipherable lyricism of certain strains of
Southern hip hop Southern hip hop, also known as Southern rap, South Coast hip hop, or dirty south, is a blanket term for a regional genre of American hip hop music that emerged in the Southern United States, especially in Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston, Memp ...
: "If I can use out-of-tune stuff, appersdon't need words to make sense. There's definitely a lineage".


Solo career


1970s

After leaving the Velvet Underground, Cale worked as a record producer and arranger on a number of studio albums, most notably
the Stooges The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Da ...
' highly influential 1969 self-titled debut and a trilogy by
Nico Naftiran Intertrade Company limited (NICO) is a Swiss-based subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). NICO is a general contractor for the oil and gas industry. NIOC buys the vast majority of Iran's gasoline imports. NICO is a key pl ...
, including ''
The Marble Index ''The Marble Index'' is the second studio album by the German musician Nico, released in November 1968 on Elektra Records. The avant-garde sound introduced in the album—a stark contrast with her folk pop debut, '' Chelsea Girl'' (1967)—was ...
'' (1968), ''
Desertshore ''Desertshore'' is the third studio album by German musician Nico. It was released in December 1970 on the Reprise label. Recording ''Desertshore'' was co-produced by John Cale and Joe Boyd. Unlike its predecessor ''The Marble Index'' it incor ...
'' (1970) and '' The End...'' (1974). On these he accompanied Nico's voice and
harmonium The pump organ is a type of free-reed organ that generates sound as air flows past a vibrating piece of thin metal in a frame. The piece of metal is called a reed. Specific types of pump organ include the reed organ, harmonium, and melodeon. Th ...
using a wide array of instruments to unusual effect. While meeting with Joe Boyd (who co-produced ''Desertshore''), he came across Nick Drake's music and insisted on collaborating with the fledgling artist. He appeared on Drake's second studio album, ''
Bryter Layter ''Bryter Layter'' is the second studio album by English folk singer-songwriter Nick Drake. Recorded in 1970 and released on 5 March 1971 by Island Records, it would be his last album to feature backing musicians, as his next and final studio a ...
'' (1971), playing viola and harpsichord on "Fly" and piano, organ, and celesta on " Northern Sky". In addition to working as a record producer, Cale initiated a solo recording career in early 1970. His debut studio album, ''
Vintage Violence ''Vintage Violence'' is the debut solo studio album by Welsh musician John Cale, released on 25 March 1970 by Columbia Records. Cale and Lewis Merenstein produced the album. Recording Produced for a mere $15,000, Cale stated in his autobiograp ...
'' (1970), is a lushly produced
roots rock Roots rock is a genre of rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid subgenres from the later 1960s, including blues rock, country rock, Southern rock, ...
effort indebted to a range of disparate influences, including the Band,
Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...
,
the Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole cons ...
,
Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...
and Brian Wilson. The more experimental '' Church of Anthrax'' (a collaboration with
minimal music Minimal music (also called minimalism)"Minimalism in music has been defined as an aesthetic, a style, and a technique, each of which has been a suitable description of the term at certain points in the development of minimal music. However, two o ...
pioneer
Terry Riley Terrence Mitchell "Terry" Riley (born June 24, 1935) is an American composer and performing musician best known as a pioneer of the minimalist school of composition. Influenced by jazz and Indian classical music, his music became notable for ...
) followed in February 1971, although it was actually recorded nearly a year prior to its release. While his explorations in art music briefly continued with 1972's '' The Academy in Peril'', he would not compose in the classical mode thereafter until he began working on film soundtracks in the 1980s. In 1972, he signed with au courant Reprise Records as a recording artist and staff producer. ''The Academy in Peril'' (1972) was his first project for Reprise. The subsequent '' Paris 1919'' (1973) steered back towards the singer-songwriter mode of ''Vintage Violence'' (1970) with a backing band that included
Lowell George Lowell Thomas George (April 13, 1945 – June 29, 1979) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer, who was the primary guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and founder/leader for the rock band Little Feat. Ear ...
of Little Feat and
Wilton Felder Wilton Lewis Felder (August 31, 1940 – September 27, 2015) was an American saxophone and bass player, and is best known as a founding member of the Jazz Crusaders, later known as The Crusaders. Felder played bass on the Jackson 5's hits "I Want ...
of the Crusaders, as well as the UCLA Symphony Orchestra. Composed of highly melodic songs with arcane and complex lyrics, it has been cited by critics as one of his best. While affiliated with the label, he produced studio albums by
Jennifer Warnes Jennifer Jean Warnes (born March 3, 1947) is an American singer and songwriter. She has performed as a vocalist on a number of film soundtracks. She has won two Grammy Awards, in 1983 for the Joe Cocker duet "Up Where We Belong" and in 1987 for ...
(her third, '' Jennifer''), Chunky, Novi & Ernie, and the self-titled debut of
the Modern Lovers The Modern Lovers were an American rock band led by Jonathan Richman in the 1970s and 1980s. The original band existed from 1970 to 1974 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Richman and bassist Ernie Brooks w ...
, which Reprise chose not to release; it subsequently appeared on
Beserkley Records Beserkley Records was an American independent record label based in Berkeley, California, from 1973 to 1984. Beserkley is usually regarded as a power pop and rock and roll label. During the 1970s, the label released albums by Earth Quake, Gre ...
, the latest in a series of important Cale-produced proto-punk records. In 1974 he signed to Island Records as an artist, while continuing to produce a variety of artists, mostly for other labels, including Squeeze,
Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album ''Horses''. Called the "punk poet ...
and Sham 69. He worked as a talent scout with Island's A&R department.


1974–1979

In 1974, Cale moved back to
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. As his second marriage began to dissolve, he made a series of solo studio albums which moved in a new direction. His records now featured a dark and threatening aura, often carrying a sense of barely suppressed aggression. A trilogy of studio albums – ''
Fear Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat. Fear causes physiological changes that may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat. Fear ...
'' (1974), '' Slow Dazzle'' (1975), and '' Helen of Troy'' (1975) – were rapidly recorded and released over the course of about a year with other Island artists, including
Phil Manzanera Phillip Geoffrey Targett-Adams (born 31 January 1951), known professionally as Phil Manzanera, is an English guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is the lead guitarist with Roxy Music, and was the lead guitarist with 801, and Quiet Su ...
and Brian Eno of
Roxy Music Roxy Music are an English rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry—who became the band's lead vocalist and principal songwriter—and bassist Graham Simpson. The other longtime members are Phil Manzanera (guitar), Andy Mackay (saxophone ...
and
Chris Spedding Christopher John Spedding (born Peter Robinson, 17 June 1944) is an English musician, singer, guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and record producer. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Spedding is best known for his st ...
, who played in his live band. A showpiece of his concerts from the era was his radically transformed
cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
's "
Heartbreak Hotel "Heartbreak Hotel" is a song recorded by American singer Elvis Presley. It was released as a single on January 27, 1956, Presley's first on his new record label RCA Victor. It was written by Mae Boren Axton and Tommy Durden, with credit being ...
," initially performed by Cale on ''Slow Dazzle'' (1975) and the live album ''
June 1, 1974 ''June 1, 1974'' is a live album of songs performed at the Rainbow Theatre in London on the titular date. The album is officially attributed to Kevin Ayers, John Cale, Brian Eno and Nico, although other well-known musicians, including Mike ...
'', recorded with
Kevin Ayers Kevin Ayers (16 August 1944 – 18 February 2013) was an English singer-songwriter who was active in the English psychedelic music movement. Ayers was a founding member of the psychedelic band Soft Machine in the mid-1960s, and was closely assoc ...
, Nico and Eno. Both "Leaving It Up to You" and "Fear Is a Man's Best Friend" (from ''Fear'') begin as relatively conventional songs that gradually grow more paranoid in tone before breaking down into what critic Dave Thompson calls "a morass of discordance and screaming". Cale released '' Animal Justice'' in 1977, an EP notable particularly for the epic "Hedda Gabler", based very loosely on the play of the same name by Henrik Ibsen. His loud, abrasive and confrontational live performances fitted well with the punk rock scene developing on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Cale took to wearing a hockey goaltender mask onstage (as evinced by the cover of his 1977 compilation album ''
Guts The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans and ...
'', a compilation drawn from the Island trilogy after the label withheld ''Helen of Troy'' (1975) in the United States); this look predated the creation of '' Friday the 13ths villain,
Jason Voorhees Jason Voorhees () is a character from the ''Friday the 13th'' series. He first appeared in '' Friday the 13th'' (1980) as the young son of camp-cook-turned-killer Mrs. Voorhees, in which he was portrayed by Ari Lehman. Created by Victor Mi ...
, by several years. During one concert in
Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...
, south London, Cale chopped the head off a dead chicken with a meat cleaver, leading his band to walk offstage in protest. Cale's drummer – a
vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetariani ...
– was so bothered he quit the band. Cale mocks his decision on "Chicken Shit" from the ''Animal Justice'' EP. Cale has admitted that some of his paranoia and erratic behaviour at this time was associated with heavy
cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...
use.Mitchell, Tim ''Sedition and Alchemy : A Biography of John Cale'', 2003, Also in 1977, Cale produced " I Don't Wanna", the debut single by punk rock band Sham 69. In 1978, Cale produced the majority of Squeeze's debut studio album '' Squeeze'', with Cale instructing the band to throw out all of the songs that the band had written up until that point, and to write new songs instead, with
Glenn Tilbrook Glenn Martin Tilbrook (born 31 August 1957) is the lead singer and guitarist of the English band Squeeze, a band formed in the mid-1970s who broke through in the new wave era at the decade's end. He generally wrote the music for Squeeze's son ...
, and
Chris Difford Christopher Henry Difford (born 4 November 1954) is an English singer, musician, songwriter and record producer. He is a founding member and songwriter of the rock group Squeeze. Musical career Born in Greenwich, London, Difford has written l ...
finding the process of working with Cale both frustrating and challenging. Also that year he played keyboards on
Julie Covington Julie Covington (born 11 September 1946) is an English singer and actress, best known for recording the original version of " Don't Cry for Me Argentina", which she sang on the 1976 concept album Evita. Early life Julie Covington was born in ...
's cover version of
Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...
's " Only Women Bleed", which peaked at No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart. In 1979, he began a relationship with
Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
-based
groupie The term groupie is a slang word that refers to a fan of a particular musical group who follows the band around while they are on tour or who attends as many of their public appearances as possible, with the hope of meeting them. The term is us ...
and journalist
Margaret Moser Margaret Moser (May 16, 1954 – August 25, 2017), or Margaret Moser Malone, was an American journalist, music enthusiast, critic and historian, groupie, and backup singer. She was best known for her work as the director of the Austin Music Awar ...
. Cale named the group of women that Moser hung out with the Texas Blondes. His relationship with Moser lasted about five years, overlapping with the beginning of his third marriage. In December 1979, Cale's embrace of the punk rock ethic that he helped to inspire culminated in the release of ''
Sabotage/Live ''Sabotage/Live'' is a live album by John Cale. It was recorded at CBGB, New York on 13–16 June 1979, and released by SPY Records in December 1979. Release A studio version of "Mercenaries (Ready for War)" was released as a single in the US ...
''. This record, recorded live over three nights, at
CBGB CBGB was a New York City music club opened in 1973 by Hilly Kristal in Manhattan's East Village. The club was previously a biker bar and before that was a dive bar. The letters ''CBGB'' were for '' Country'', '' BlueGrass'', and '' Blues'', Kr ...
that June, features aggressive vocal and instrumental performances. The album consists entirely of new songs, many of which grapple confrontationally with global politics, militarism and paranoia. Also in 1979, Cale played piano and the ARP synthesizer on the track "Bastard" by Ian Hunter of
Mott the Hoople Mott the Hoople were an English rock band formed in Herefordshire. Originally known as the Doc Thomas Group, the group changed their name after signing with Island Records in 1969. The band released albums throughout the early 1970s but fai ...
, on his fourth solo studio album ''
You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic ''You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic'' is the fourth solo studio album by Ian Hunter. The album featured members of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band as the backing band. Allmusic considers the album to be Hunter's best. Hunter says th ...
''. The band included Deerfrance on vocals and percussion. An earlier live set, consisting mostly of new material, was recorded at CBGB the previous year. It was released in 1987 as '' Even Cowgirls Get the Blues''. The band on that recording includes Ivan Král (best known for his work with Patti Smith) on bass and longtime Brian Eno associate
Judy Nylon Judy Nylon is a widely influential multidisciplinary American artist who moved to London in 1970. She was half of the punk rock music group Snatch, which also featured fellow American expat Patti Palladin (who was later in The Flying Lizards). ...
providing vocals, and narrating.


1980s

In 1980, Cale signed a recording contract with
A&M Records A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...
and moved in a more commercial direction with his seventh solo studio album ''
Honi Soit ''Honi Soit'' is the student newspaper of the University of Sydney. First published in 1929, the newspaper is produced by an elected editorial team and a select group of reporters sourced from the university's populace. The name is an abbrevi ...
'' (1981). He worked with record producer
Mike Thorne Mike Thorne (born 25 January 1948) is an English record producer, arranger, composer, engineer, and musician. He started playing the piano at the age of 10. After studying physics at Hertford College, Oxford, in the late 1960s he worked as a ta ...
towards this end.
Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the Art movement, visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore th ...
provided the cover art, in black and white, but against Warhol's wishes, Cale colourised it. The new direction did not succeed commercially, however, and his relationship with A&M ended. He signed with
ZE Records ZE Records was originally a New York-based record label, started in 1978 by Michael Zilkha and Michel Esteban. It was reestablished by Esteban in 2003. History Michael Zilkha (b. 1954) is a British-born Oxford graduate of Iraqi descent, the s ...
, a company he had influenced the creation of and which had absorbed
SPY Records SPY Records was a New York based independent music label created in 1977 by John Cale and Jane Friedman. History The label was created in 1977 by John Cale and Jane Friedman, who was the manager of Patti Smith, and Cale's girlfriend at the time. I ...
, the label he had co-founded with Jane Friedman. In 1982, Cale released the sparse studio album '' Music for a New Society''. Seeming to blend the refined music of his early solo work with the threatening music that came later, it is by any standard a bleak, harrowing record. It's been called "understated, and perhaps a masterpiece." He followed it up with his ninth solo studio album '' Caribbean Sunset'' (1984), also on ZE Records. The album features contributions from Brian Eno and an otherwise "young unknown" band, that consisted of David Young on guitar, Andrew Heermans on bass guitar, and David Lichtenstein (son of artist Roy Lichtenstein) on drums. This work, with much more accessible production than on ''Music for a New Society'' (1982), was still extremely militant in some ways. However, it received negative reviews from critics, and has never been released on CD. A live album, '' John Cale Comes Alive'' (1984), followed ''Caribbean Sunset'' and included two new studio songs, "Ooh La La" and "Never Give Up on You". Different mixes of the two studio tracks appeared on both sides of the Atlantic. During this period, Eden Cale was born to Cale and his third wife Risé Irushalmi in July 1985. In a last-ditch attempt at commercial success, Cale recorded ''
Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech r ...
'' (1985), his only studio album for
Beggars Banquet Records Beggars Banquet Records is a British independent record label. Beggars Banquet started as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin and is part of the Beggars Group of labels. History In 1977, spurred by the prevailing ...
. With all of its tracks written in collaboration with ''
High Times ''High Times'' is an American monthly magazine (and cannabis brand) that advocates the legalization of cannabis as well as other counterculture ideas. The magazine was founded in 1974 by Tom Forcade.Danko, Danny"Norml Founder Retires – Exha ...
'' and '' National Lampoon'' editor Larry "Ratso" Sloman (who had previously co-written two tracks on ''Caribbean Sunset''), the album was a pop effort characterised by prominent use of synthesizers and drum machines. It was not significantly more successful than its predecessors, despite the relative success of the single "Satellite Walk". However, "Dying on the Vine" is generally regarded as one of Cale's best songs. That same year, he played a neo-Nazi organizer on an episode of '' The Equalizer'', and wrote the music for a dramatization of the
Kurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American writer known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. In a career spanning over 50 years, he published fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and ...
short story, '' Who Am I This Time?'' (1982), which aired on
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
and starred Christopher Walken and
Susan Sarandon Susan Abigail Sarandon (; née Tomalin; born October 4, 1946) is an American actorMcCabe, Bruce"Susan Sarandon, the 'actor'" ''Boston Globe''. April 17, 1981. Retrieved January 21, 2021. and activist. She is the recipient of various accolades, ...
. Cale again returned to record producing, producing Belgian pop singer
Lio Vanda Maria Ribeiro Furtado Tavares de Vasconcelos (born 17 June 1962), known professionally as Lio, is a Portuguese-Belgian singer and actress who was a pop icon in France and Belgium during the 1980s. Life and career Vanda Maria Ribeiro Furt ...
's third studio album '' Pop model'' (1986), and
Happy Mondays Happy Mondays are an English rock band formed in Salford in 1980. The original line-up was Shaun Ryder (vocals), his brother Paul Ryder (bass), Gary Whelan (drums), Paul Davis (keyboard), and Mark Day (guitar). Mark "Bez" Berry later joine ...
's debut studio album, ''
Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out) ''Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out)'' is the debut studio album by English rock band Happy Mondays. It was released in mid-April 1987 through Factory Records. After finalising their line-up, t ...
'' (1987). Other albums that he produced during this time were
Element of Crime Element of Crime is a German rock band that plays melancholic chanson, pop and rock music with guitar, bass guitar, drums and voice/trumpet. Band history The band was founded in 1985 by Sven Regener who subsequently became known as the aut ...
's second studio album ''Try to Be Mensch'' (1987), and
Art Bergmann Arthur Frank Bergmann (born February 8, 1953 in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter who was one of the key figures in Canadian punk rock in the late 1970s.Michael Barclay, Ian A.D. Jack and Jason Schneider, '' Have ...
's debut solo studio album '' Crawl with Me'' (1988). In part because of his young daughter, Cale took a long break from recording and performing. He made a comeback in 1989 with the Brian Eno-produced studio album ''
Words for the Dying ''Words for the Dying'' is the twelfth solo studio album by Welsh musician John Cale, released in 1989 by record labels Opal and Warner Bros. Content The album consists mainly of oral work, read or sung by Cale. It was written in 1982 as a resp ...
''. The album consists mainly of oral work, read or sung by Cale. It was written in 1982 as a response to the Anglo-Argentinian Falklands War, using poems written by fellow Welshman Dylan Thomas. There are also two orchestral interludes, two other solo piano pieces "Songs Without Words", and finally a song by Cale, "The Soul of
Carmen Miranda Carmen Miranda, (; born Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha, 9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955) was a Portuguese-born Brazilian samba singer, dancer, Broadway actress and film star who was active from the late 1920s onwards. Nicknamed "The Br ...
".


1990s

Following Warhol's death in 1987, Cale again collaborated with Lou Reed on the studio album ''
Songs for Drella ''Songs for Drella'' is a 1990 album by Lou Reed and John Cale, both formerly of the Velvet Underground; it is a song cycle about Andy Warhol, their mentor, who had died following routine surgery in 1987. Drella was a nickname for Warhol coined ...
'' (1990), a
song cycle A song cycle (german: Liederkreis or Liederzyklus) is a group, or cycle (music), cycle, of individually complete Art song, songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a unit.Susan Youens, ''Grove online'' The songs are either for solo voice ...
about Warhol, their mentor. The album marked an end to a 18-year estrangement from Reed. In his autobiography, Cale revealed that he resented letting Reed take charge of the ''Songs for Drella'' (1990) project. The longstanding friction between Reed and Cale contributed to the passion and lurching frustration evident in the sound of the album, as did the ambivalent relationship Reed had to Warhol. In 1990, following a 20-year hiatus, the Velvet Underground reformed for a Fondation Cartier benefit show in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
, France. He again collaborated with Brian Eno in the same year on '' Wrong Way Up'', a collaboration album characterised by an up-tempo accessibility at odds with Cale's description of the fraught relationship between the pair. A year later, Cale contributed one song, "
Hallelujah ''Hallelujah'' ( ; he, ''haləlū-Yāh'', meaning "praise Yah") is an interjection used as an expression of gratitude to God. The term is used 24 times in the Hebrew Bible (in the book of Psalms), twice in deuterocanonical books, and four tim ...
", to the tribute album to
Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...
, '' I'm Your Fan'' (1991). Cale's mid-tempo acoustic version was performed on piano, and his arrangement formed the basis of most subsequent cover versions of the song, which has since become a
standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object th ...
. In 1992, Cale performed vocals on two songs, "Hunger" and "First Evening", on French composer and record producer
Hector Zazou Hector Zazou (11 July 1948 – 8 September 2008) was a prolific French composer and record producer who worked with, produced, and collaborated with an international array of recording artists. He worked on his own and other artists' albums, inclu ...
's concept album, '' Sahara Blue''. All lyrics on the album were based on the poetry of
Arthur Rimbaud Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud (, ; 20 October 1854 – 10 November 1891) was a French poet known for his transgressive and surreal themes and for his influence on modern literature and arts, prefiguring surrealism. Born in Charleville, he start ...
. In 1994, Cale performed a spoken-word duet with Suzanne Vega on the song "The Long Voyage" on Zazou's studio album ''
Chansons des mers froides ''Chansons des mers froides'' ( French: Songs from the Cold Seas) is a 1994 album by French musician Hector Zazou. Zazou approached Sony Records with merely the title and the concept of songs from the Arctic. He was accompanied by cameraman Ph ...
''. The lyrics were based on the poem "Les Silhouettes" by Oscar Wilde, and Cale co-wrote the music with Zazou. It was later released as a single (retitled "The Long Voyages" as it featured several remixes by Zazou,
Mad Professor Mad Professor (born Neil Joseph Stephen Fraser, 1955, Georgetown, Guyana) is a Guyanese-born British dub music producer and engineer known for his original productions and remix work. He is considered one of the leading producers of dub music ...
and more). In 1995, Cale co-produced Siouxsie and the Banshees's eleventh and final studio album '' The Rapture'', which included the single " O Baby". In 1996, Cale released '' Walking on Locusts'' which turned out to be his only solo studio album of the decade. The record featured appearances by
Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talki ...
' David Byrne, the
Soldier String Quartet The Soldier String Quartet was a string quartet, founded by composer and violinist Dave Soldier, that specialized in performing a fusion of classical and popular music. The quartet proved a training ground for many subsequent experimental classical ...
, and original Velvet Underground drummer
Moe Tucker Maureen Ann "Moe" Tucker (born August 26, 1944) is an American musician and singer-songwriter who was the drummer for the New York City-based rock band the Velvet Underground. After they disbanded in the early 1970s, she left the music industry ...
. Also in 1996, Cale played piano on "Love to Die For" by
Marc Almond Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond, (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer. Almond first began performing and recording in the synthpop/ new wave duo Soft Cell where he became known for his distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. ...
of
Soft Cell Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. The duo consists of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The band are primarily known for their 1981 hit version of "Tainted Love" and their pla ...
, from his ninth solo studio album '' Fantastic Star''. He also produced Scottish alternative rock band Goya Dress's debut studio album ''
Rooms In a building or large vehicle, like a ship, a room is any enclosed space within a number of walls to which entry is possible only via a door or other dividing structure that connects it to either a passageway, another room, or the outdoors, that ...
''. Cale composed an instrumental score for a ballet titled ''Nico'', performed by the Scapino Ballet in
Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"Ne ...
in October 1997 and was released as ''
Dance Music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded da ...
'' (1998). Cale has written a number of film
soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack ...
s, often using more classically influenced instrumentation. In 1998, Cale mainly spent the year on tour with singer
Siouxsie Sioux Susan Janet Ballion (born 27 May 1957), known professionally as Siouxsie Sioux, is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. She was the lead singer of the rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees (1976–1996). They released 11 ...
, formerly of Siouxsie and the Banshees. In February, he was the curator of one day festival called With a Little Help from My Friends that took place at the Paradiso in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...
, Netherlands, with the presence of the
Metropole Orchestra The Metropole Orkest (Metropole Orchestra) is a jazz and pop orchestra based in the Netherlands, and is the largest full-time ensemble of its kind in the world. A hybrid orchestra, it is a combination of jazz, big band and symphony orchestra. Com ...
.Mojo, September 1998, Martin Aston, p.22 The concert was shown on Dutch national television and featured a song specially composed for the event and still unreleased, "Murdering Mouth", sung in duet with Siouxsie and her second band
the Creatures The Creatures were an English band formed in 1981 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and drummer Budgie of the group Siouxsie and the Banshees. The Creatures released their first EP '' Wild Things'' in 1981. They recorded four studio albums: '' Feas ...
. Cale and Siouxsie then did a double bill tour in the US for two months from late June until mid-August, both artists collaborating on stage on several songs including a version of the Velvet Underground's "
Venus in Furs ''Venus in Furs'' (german: Venus im Pelz, links=no) is a novella by the Austrian author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, and the best known of his works. The novel was to be part of an epic series that Sacher-Masoch envisioned called '' Legacy of Cai ...
". Cale's autobiography, ''What's Welsh for Zen?'', was written in collaboration with
Victor Bockris Victor Bockris (born 1949) is an English-born, U.S.-based author, primarily biographies of artists, writers, and musicians. He has written about Lou Reed (and The Velvet Underground), Andy Warhol, Keith Richards, William S. Burroughs, Terry Sou ...
and published in 1999 by Bloomsbury Publishing.


2000s

Cale recorded a cover version of "
Hallelujah ''Hallelujah'' ( ; he, ''haləlū-Yāh'', meaning "praise Yah") is an interjection used as an expression of gratitude to God. The term is used 24 times in the Hebrew Bible (in the book of Psalms), twice in deuterocanonical books, and four tim ...
" by
Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...
for the tribute album '' I'm Your Fan'' (1991). Cohen's original version of the song had not garnered much interest; it was only through Cale's arrangement and recording of it (and
Jeff Buckley Jeffrey Scott Buckley (November 17, 1966 – May 29, 1997), raised as Scott Moorhead, was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. After a decade as a session guitarist in Los Angeles, Buckley amassed a following in the early 1990s by ...
's subsequent cover of Cale's arrangement) that it achieved popularity. It was used in the 2001 computer-animated film ''
Shrek ''Shrek'' is a 2001 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 book of the same name by William Steig. It is the first installment in the ''Shrek'' franchise. The film was directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jen ...
'', although it did not appear in the film's soundtrack due to licensing issues. In 2002, Cale played piano and sang vocals on the track "Don't Pretend" by
Gordon Gano Gordon James Gano (born June 7, 1963) is an American musician widely known as the singer, guitarist and songwriter of American folk punk band Violent Femmes. Early life Gano was born in New York City to actor parents Norman and Faye Gano, and gr ...
of
Violent Femmes Violent Femmes are an American folk punk band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The band consists of founding members Gordon Gano (guitar, lead vocals) and Brian Ritchie (bass, backing vocals), joined by multi-instrumentalist Blaise Garza (joined 200 ...
, from his debut solo studio album '' Hitting the Ground''. Signing to EMI Records in 2003 with the EP '' 5 Tracks'' and studio album ''
HoboSapiens ''HoboSapiens'' is a solo studio album by John Cale, his first album since 1996's '' Walking on Locusts''. ''HoboSapiens'' was released by EMI in October 2003, and was preceded by the EP '' 5 Tracks'' in May 2003. A single was released for "Thin ...
'', Cale again returned as a regular recording artist, this time with music influenced by modern electronica and
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...
. The well-received album was co-produced with Nick Franglen of
Lemon Jelly Lemon Jelly is a British electronic music duo from London that formed in 1998 and went on hiatus starting in 2008. Since its inception, the band members have always been Fred Deakin and Nick Franglen. Lemon Jelly has been nominated for awards ...
. It was followed by his 2005 studio album ''
blackAcetate ''blackAcetate'' is a 2005 solo studio album by John Cale, his second and last album for EMI. "Perfect" was released as a single in the UK two weeks after the album, and was subsequently included in ''The Sunday Times list of the top 20 po ...
''. In 2005, Cale produced Austin singer-songwriter
Alejandro Escovedo Alejandro Escovedo (born January 10, 1951) is an American rock musician, songwriter, and singer, who has been recording and touring since the late 1970s. His primary instrument is the guitar. He has played in various rock genres, including punk ...
's eighth studio album, '' The Boxing Mirror'', which was released in May 2006. In June 2006, Cale released a radio and digital single, "Jumbo in tha Modernworld", which was a standalone single. A
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
was created for the song as well. In February 2007, a 23-song live retrospective, ''
Circus Live ''Circus Live'' is a 3-disc live album by John Cale released on February 19, 2007. The contents were recorded live on the 2004 and 2006 European tours. One of the discs is a DVD containing rehearsal footage, a music video, and a two audio trac ...
'', was released in Europe. This two-disc album, composed of recordings from both the 2004 and 2006 tours, featured new arrangements and reworkings of songs from his entire career. Of particular interest is the ''Amsterdam Suite'', a set of songs from a performance at the Amsterdam Paradiso in 2004. A studio-created drone has been edited into these songs. The set also included a DVD, featuring electric rehearsal material and a short acoustic set, as well as the video for "Jumbo in tha Modernworld", a 2006 single. In May 2007, Cale contributed a cover version of the LCD Soundsystem song " All My Friends" to the vinyl and digital single releases of the LCD Soundsystem original. Cale has continued to work with other artists, contributing viola to '' Replica Sun Machine'', the Danger Mouse-produced second studio album by London
alternative pop Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...
trio the Shortwave Set and producing the second studio album of American
indie Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Gaming *Independent video game development, video games created without financial backing from large companies *Indie game, any game (board ...
band
Ambulance LTD Ambulance LTD was an indie rock group formed in Spanish Harlem, New York City in 2000. The band was founded by Michael Di Liberto and David Longstreth from Cleveland OH. Marcus Congleton joined about a year later and continued on with their name a ...
. On 11 October 2008, Cale hosted an event to pay tribute to Nico called Life Along the Borderline in celebration of what, five days later, would have been her 70th birthday. The event was reprised at the Teatro Communale in Ferrara, Italy on 10 May 2009. Cale represented Wales at the 2009
Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale (; it, La Biennale di Venezia) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. The biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of ...
exhibition, collaborating with artists, filmmakers, and poets, and focusing the artwork on his relationship with the Welsh language.


2010s

In January 2010, Cale was invited to be the first Eminent Art in Residence (EAR) at the Mona Foma festival curated by
Brian Ritchie Brian Ritchie (born November 21, 1960) is the bass guitarist for the alternative rock band Violent Femmes. Ritchie was born and raised in the United States and is currently a dual citizen of the U.S. and Australia, with his full-time residence i ...
of
Violent Femmes Violent Femmes are an American folk punk band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The band consists of founding members Gordon Gano (guitar, lead vocals) and Brian Ritchie (bass, backing vocals), joined by multi-instrumentalist Blaise Garza (joined 200 ...
held in Hobart,
Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...
, Australia. His work for the 2009 Venice Biennale 'Dyddiau Du (dark days)' was shown at the festival, along with a number of live performances at venues around Hobart. The '' Paris 1919'' (1973) studio album was performed, in its entirety, at the
Coal Exchange The Coal Exchange (also known as the Exchange Building) is an historic building in Cardiff, Wales. It is designed in Renaissance Revival style. Built in 1888 as the Coal and Shipping Exchange to be used as a market floor and office building for ...
in
Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
on 21 November 2009, at the Royal Festival Hall in London on 5 March 2010, and the Theatre Royal in
Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
on 14 May 2010. These performances were reprised in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
, France, on 5 September 2010;
Brescia Brescia (, locally ; lmo, link=no, label= Lombard, Brèsa ; lat, Brixia; vec, Bressa) is a city and ''comune'' in the region of Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Garda and Iseo ...
, Italy, on 11 September 2010;
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
,
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, on 30 September 2010 at
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...
's
Royce Hall Royce Hall is a building on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Designed by the Los Angeles firm of Allison & Allison (James Edward Allison, 1870–1955, and his brother David Clark Allison, 1881–1962) and completed ...
;
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Australia, on 16 October 2010;
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, Spain, on 28 May 2010 and Essen, Germany, on 6 October 2011. In October 2010, Cale released the two-disc live album '' Live at Rockpalast'', recorded during his two shows for German music television show ''
Rockpalast ''Rockpalast'' (''Rock Palace'') is a German music television show that broadcasts live on German television station Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR). ''Rockpalast'' started in 1974 and continues to this day. Hundreds of rock, heavy metal and jazz ...
'' on 14 October 1984 at Grugahalle, Essen (first disc; with full band) and 6 March 1983 at Zeche, Bochum (second disc; Cale solo with guitar and piano). This concert is missing "Risé, Sam and Rimsky-Korsakov" (Cale, Shepard) narrated by his then-wife Risé Irushalmi. In February 2011, Cale signed a recording contract with Domino Records subsidiary Double Six and released an EP, '' Extra Playful'', in September 2011. In May 2011, he and his band appeared at the
Brighton Festival Brighton Festival is a large, annual, curated multi-arts festival in England. It includes music, theatre, dance, circus, art, film, literature, debate, outdoor and family events, and takes place in venues in the city of Brighton and Hove in Engla ...
, performing songs to the theme of ''Émigré/Lost & Found''. Cale appeared at the invitation of the
Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiolog ...
winner
Aung San Suu Kyi Aung San Suu Kyi (; ; born 19 June 1945) is a Burmese politician, diplomat, author, and a 1991 Nobel Peace Prize laureate who served as State Counsellor of Myanmar (equivalent to a prime minister) and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2 ...
, who was the festival's guest director. In the autumn of 2012, Cale released '' Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood'', his first studio album since 2005. The album features a collaboration with Danger Mouse, " I Wanna Talk 2 U". Critical reception of the album was mixed to positive, with ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' newspaper describing it as "an album that combines the 70-year-old's experience with the glee of a small child." In 2014, he appeared as vendor in an episode " Sorrowsworn" of the crime drama television series '' The Bridge''. Cale released his sixteenth solo studio album '' M:FANS'' in January 2016. It features new versions of songs from his 1982 album '' Music for a New Society''. In July 2016, Cale performed the songs "
Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, thr ...
", " Sorrow" and "
Space Oddity "Space Oddity" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was first released on 11 July 1969 by Philips Records as a 7-inch single, then as the opening track of his second studio album ''David Bowie''. After the commercial f ...
" at a late-night BBC Prom concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London, celebrating the music of
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
who had died earlier that year. At the 2017 Grammy Salute to Music Legends ceremony, Cale performed with, amongst others, Moe Tucker, two Velvet Underground classics, "Sunday Morning" and "I'm Waiting for the Man". The Velvet Underground were also the recipients of the 2017 Merit Award. In February 2019, Cale collaborated with
Marissa Nadler Marissa Nadler (born April 5, 1981) is an American musician and fine artist. Active since 2000, she is currently signed to Sacred Bones Records and Bella Union, and released her ninth full-length studio album, ''The Path of the Clouds'', in Oc ...
on her new single "Poison". In September 2019, he gives three concerts titled ''1964–2019 Futurespective'' at the Paris' Philharmonie, inviting his compatriot
Cate Le Bon Cate Le Bon (born Cate Timothy on 4 March 1983) is a Welsh musician and record producer. She sings in both English and Welsh. She has released six solo studio albums, three EPs and a number of singles. Le Bon has toured with artists such as St. ...
to join the band.


2020s

Cale features on the track "Corner of My Sky" from Welsh electronic musician
Kelly Lee Owens Kelly Lee Owens (born 24 August 1988) is a Welsh electronic musician and producer. She released her self-titled first album in 2017 to critical praise, her follow-up album ''Inner Song'' was released in August 2020. Her third studio album ''LP.8 ...
' second studio album ''
Inner Song ''Inner Song'' is the second studio album by Welsh electronic musician Kelly Lee Owens. It was released through Smalltown Supersound on 28 August 2020. It features a collaboration with Welsh musician John Cale. Background ''Inner Song'' was f ...
'' (2020). On 6 October 2020, Cale released a new track and accompanying music video called "Lazy Day". In February 2022, Cale announced his first full UK tour in almost a decade. Cale's tour was to begin in
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
at the Philharmonic Hall on July 15, before calling at
Whitley Bay Whitley Bay is a seaside town in the North Tyneside borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It formerly governed as part of Northumberland and has been part of Tyne and Wear since 1974. It is part of the wider Tyneside built-up area, being around e ...
, York, Bexhill, Cambridge and the London Palladium, before closing out the run at Birmingham Town Hall on July 25. However, the tour was postponed to the fall of 2022 because some bandmembers contracted
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
. In August 2022 Cale released the new track "Night Crawling", accompanied by an official animated music video by Mickey Miles. The song is a reminiscence about his friendship with David Bowie who had died in 2016. "It’s been a helluva past two years and I’m glad to finally share a glimpse of what’s coming ahead," Cale said in a statement. "There was this period around mid-late Seventies when David and I would run into each other in New York. There was plenty of talk about getting some work done but of course we’d end up running the streets, sometimes until we couldn’t keep a thought in our heads, let alone actually get a song together!" Cale plays synthesizers, bass, piano and drums on the track assisted by Mars Volta drummer
Deantoni Parks Deantoni Parks (born November 2, 1977) is an American new wave/avant-garde/experimental musician. He is the co-founder, co-producer and drummer of the New York band KUDU along with artist Sylvia Black, and one half of the writing duo We Are Dar ...
and vocalist
Dustin Boyer Dustin Boyer is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is a longtime collaborator of Welsh musician John Cale. He also collaborated with many other artists, such as Jennifer Love Hewitt, Michelle Branch, Andrew Dorff, and Michael Landau ...
. On 19 October 2022 Cale released another new track, titled "Story of Blood", featuring American
chamber pop Chamber pop (or Chamber rock; also called baroque pop and sometimes conflated with orchestral pop or symphonic pop) is a music genre that combines rock music with the intricate use of strings, horns, piano, and vocal harmonies, and other compo ...
singer Weyes Blood. Both tracks are from his upcoming studio album titled ''Mercy''. The album has a planned 20 January 2023 release.


Honours and legacy

Cale was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Velvet Underground in 1996. At the ceremony, Cale, Reed, and Tucker performed a song titled "Last Night I Said Goodbye to My Friend", dedicated to Sterling Morrison, who had died the previous August. Cale was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the
2010 Birthday Honours The 2010 Birthday Honours for the Commonwealth realms were announced to celebrate the Queen's Birthday on 7 June 2010 in New Zealand, on 12 June 2010 in the United Kingdom, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Sai ...
for services to Music and to the Arts.


Personal life

Cale married American fashion designer
Betsey Johnson Betsey Johnson (born 1942) is an American fashion designer best known for her feminine and whimsical designs. Many of her designs are considered "over the top" and embellished. She also is known for doing a cartwheel ending in a split at the ...
in 1968. The couple divorced in 1971 having been married three years. In 1971, Cale met Cynthia "Cindy" Wells, better known as Miss Cinderella or Miss Cindy of
the GTOs ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
,Mitchell, Tim ''Sedition and Alchemy : A Biography of John Cale'', 2003, p. 82 and they married soon afterward. Their marriage was rocky and they divorced in 1975.Timeline – 1975
Fear is a Man's Best Friend page; accessed 3 January 2018. On 6 December 1981, Cale married his third wife, Risé Irushalmi.
Fear is a Man's Best Friend page; accessed 3 January 2018. They had one daughter together, Eden Cale.
Fear is a Man's Best Friend page; accessed 3 January 2018. They divorced in 1997.Mitchell, Tim ''Sedition and Alchemy : A Biography of John Cale'', 2003, p. 197 For his 2004 appearance on BBC Radio 4's ''
Desert Island Discs ''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a "castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight recordings (usua ...
'' Cale chose "
She Belongs to Me "She Belongs to Me" is a song by Bob Dylan, and was first released as the second track on his 1965 album ''Bringing It All Back Home''. The song is often thought to be a metaphor for America. Recording The version of the song that appears on ''B ...
" by
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
as his favourite track; he also selected '' Repetition'' (2001) by
Alain Robbe-Grillet Alain Robbe-Grillet (; 18 August 1922 – 18 February 2008) was a French writer and filmmaker. He was one of the figures most associated with the '' Nouveau Roman'' (new novel) trend of the 1960s, along with Nathalie Sarraute, Michel Butor and ...
as his chosen book and an espresso coffee machine as his luxury item.


Substance abuse

As a child, Cale suffered from severe bronchial issues, which led to a doctor prescribing him opiates.Mitchell, Tim ''Sedition and Alchemy: A Biography of John Cale'', 2003, p. 25 He would come to rely on the drug in order to fall asleep. Biographer Tim Mitchell claims Cale's early dependence on medicine was a "formative experience". Cale later told an interviewer that, "When I got to New York, drugs were everywhere, and they quickly became part of my artistic experiment". He was heavily involved in New York City's drug scene of the 1960s and 1970s, with
cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...
as his drug of choice. He is said to have "taken most of the available drugs in the United States." Cale has said that, "In the '60s, for me, drugs were a cool experiment... In the '70s, I got in over my head." Cale feels his drug addiction negatively affected his music during the 1980s. He decided to clean up following a series of embarrassing concerts and the birth of his daughter. According to a 2009 BBC interview, the "strongest drug" he was then taking was coffee. Cale has also hosted a documentary called ''Heroin, Wales and Me'' (2009) to promote awareness of the problems of
heroin addiction Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a substance use disorder characterized by cravings for opioids, continued use despite physical and/or psychological deterioration, increased tolerance with use, and withdrawal symptoms after discontinuing opioids. Op ...
, easy availability and low cost of the drug in his native Wales and thousands of addicts.Archived a
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine


Discography

:: Studio albums * ''
Vintage Violence ''Vintage Violence'' is the debut solo studio album by Welsh musician John Cale, released on 25 March 1970 by Columbia Records. Cale and Lewis Merenstein produced the album. Recording Produced for a mere $15,000, Cale stated in his autobiograp ...
'' (1970) * '' The Academy in Peril'' (1972) * '' Paris 1919'' (1973) * ''
Fear Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat. Fear causes physiological changes that may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat. Fear ...
'' (1974) * '' Slow Dazzle'' (1975) * '' Helen of Troy'' (1975) * ''
Honi Soit ''Honi Soit'' is the student newspaper of the University of Sydney. First published in 1929, the newspaper is produced by an elected editorial team and a select group of reporters sourced from the university's populace. The name is an abbrevi ...
'' (1981) * '' Music for a New Society'' (1982) * '' Caribbean Sunset'' (1984) * ''
Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech r ...
'' (1985) * ''
Words for the Dying ''Words for the Dying'' is the twelfth solo studio album by Welsh musician John Cale, released in 1989 by record labels Opal and Warner Bros. Content The album consists mainly of oral work, read or sung by Cale. It was written in 1982 as a resp ...
'' (1989) * '' Walking on Locusts'' (1996) * ''
HoboSapiens ''HoboSapiens'' is a solo studio album by John Cale, his first album since 1996's '' Walking on Locusts''. ''HoboSapiens'' was released by EMI in October 2003, and was preceded by the EP '' 5 Tracks'' in May 2003. A single was released for "Thin ...
'' (2003) * ''
blackAcetate ''blackAcetate'' is a 2005 solo studio album by John Cale, his second and last album for EMI. "Perfect" was released as a single in the UK two weeks after the album, and was subsequently included in ''The Sunday Times list of the top 20 po ...
'' (2005) * '' Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood'' (2012) * '' M:FANS'' (2016) * ''Mercy'' (2023) :: Live albums * ''
June 1, 1974 ''June 1, 1974'' is a live album of songs performed at the Rainbow Theatre in London on the titular date. The album is officially attributed to Kevin Ayers, John Cale, Brian Eno and Nico, although other well-known musicians, including Mike ...
'' (with
Kevin Ayers Kevin Ayers (16 August 1944 – 18 February 2013) was an English singer-songwriter who was active in the English psychedelic music movement. Ayers was a founding member of the psychedelic band Soft Machine in the mid-1960s, and was closely assoc ...
, Brian Eno,
Nico Naftiran Intertrade Company limited (NICO) is a Swiss-based subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). NICO is a general contractor for the oil and gas industry. NIOC buys the vast majority of Iran's gasoline imports. NICO is a key pl ...
) 1974 * ''
Sabotage/Live ''Sabotage/Live'' is a live album by John Cale. It was recorded at CBGB, New York on 13–16 June 1979, and released by SPY Records in December 1979. Release A studio version of "Mercenaries (Ready for War)" was released as a single in the US ...
'' (1979) * '' John Cale Comes Alive'' (1984) * '' Even Cowgirls Get the Blues'' (1991) * ''
Fragments of a Rainy Season ''Fragments of a Rainy Season'' is a 1992 live solo album by John Cale, performed at various locations during his 1992 tour. A 16-track DVD, recorded at the Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels (Palais des Beaux-Arts, now BOZAR) in Brussels, Belgium, ...
'' (1992) * ''
Circus Live ''Circus Live'' is a 3-disc live album by John Cale released on February 19, 2007. The contents were recorded live on the 2004 and 2006 European tours. One of the discs is a DVD containing rehearsal footage, a music video, and a two audio trac ...
'' (2007) * '' Live at Rockpalast'' (2010) :: Collaborative albums * '' Church of Anthrax'' (1971) (with
Terry Riley Terrence Mitchell "Terry" Riley (born June 24, 1935) is an American composer and performing musician best known as a pioneer of the minimalist school of composition. Influenced by jazz and Indian classical music, his music became notable for ...
) * ''
Songs for Drella ''Songs for Drella'' is a 1990 album by Lou Reed and John Cale, both formerly of the Velvet Underground; it is a song cycle about Andy Warhol, their mentor, who had died following routine surgery in 1987. Drella was a nickname for Warhol coined ...
'' (1990) (with Lou Reed) * '' Wrong Way Up'' (1990) (with Brian Eno) * '' Last Day on Earth'' (1994) (with
Bob Neuwirth Robert John Neuwirth (June 20, 1939May 18, 2022) was an American folk singer, songwriter, record producer, and visual artist. He was noted for being the road manager and associate of Bob Dylan, as well as the co-writer of Janis Joplin's hit s ...
) :: Soundtracks and scores * ''Straight and Narrow (Short)'' (1970) * ''
Women in Revolt ''Women in Revolt'' is a 1971 American satirical film produced by Andy Warhol and directed by Paul Morrissey. The film stars Jackie Curtis, Candy Darling, and Holly Woodlawn, three trans women and superstars of Warhol's Factory scene. It also fea ...
'' (1971) * ''
Heat In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is ...
'' (1972) * ''
Caged Heat ''Caged Heat'', also known as ''Renegade Girls'', is a 1974 women in prison film. It was written and directed by Jonathan Demme (in his directorial debut) for New World Pictures, headed by Roger Corman. The film stars Juanita Brown, Roberta Coll ...
'' (1974) * ''
American Playhouse ''American Playhouse'' is an American anthology television series periodically broadcast by Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Overview It premiered on January 12, 1982, with ''The Shady Hill Kidnapping'', written and narrated by John Cheever an ...
(TV Series) (1 episode)- Who Am I This Time?'' (1982) * '' Something Wild'' (1986) * ''The Houseguest'' (short) (1989) * ''Dick: A Film by Jo Menell'' (Documentary short) (1989) * ''Songs for Drella (Video)'' (1990) * '' Paris Awakens'' (1991) * ''Healing Hurts'' (1991) * '' Primary Motive'' (1992) * ''
The Birth of Love ''The Birth of Love'' (french: La Naissance de l'amour) is a 1993 drama film directed by Philippe Garrel. Garrel also wrote the screenplay together with his long-time collaborators Muriel Cerf and Marc Cholodenko. Cast * Lou Castel as Paul *Je ...
'' (1993) * ''Life Underwater'' (1994) * ''Ah Pook Is Here'' (short) (1994) * ''Don't Forget You're Going to Die/N'oublie pas que tu vas mourir'' (1995) * ''
Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...
'' (1995) * ''
I Shot Andy Warhol ''I Shot Andy Warhol'' is a 1996 biographical drama film about the life of Valerie Solanas and her relationship with the artist Andy Warhol. The film marked the feature film directorial debut of Canadian director Mary Harron. The film stars ...
'' (1996) * '' Basquiat'' (1996) * ''Rhinoceros Hunting in Budapest'' (1997) * ''
Somewhere in the City ''Somewhere in the City'' is a 1998 American indie comedy-drama film written and directed by Ramin Niami. Cast * Sandra Bernhard as Betty * Ornella Muti as Marta * Robert John Burke as Frankie * Peter Stormare as Graham * Bai Ling as Lu Lu * ...
'' (1998) * '' Night Wind'' (1999) * '' Wisconsin Death Trip'' (1999) * ''The Virgin'' (1999) * '' American Psycho'' (2000) * ''Love Me'' (2000) * '' The King's Daughters'' / ''Saint-Cyr'' (2000) * ''The Farewell: Brecht's Last Summer'' (2000) * ''
Y Mabinogi ' (English title ''Otherworld'': not a literal translation) is a 2003 Welsh film based on a series of Welsh tales written by bards in the Middle Ages. It is mostly animated, although the very beginning and end sequences are live action. It foll ...
'' / ''Otherworld'' (2003) * ''New Scenes from America'' (2003) * ''
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
'' (2003) * ''
Process A process is a series or set of activities that interact to produce a result; it may occur once-only or be recurrent or periodic. Things called a process include: Business and management *Business process, activities that produce a specific se ...
'' (2004) * ''About Face: The Story of the Jewish Refugee Soldiers of World War II'' (2005) * '' A Burning Hot Summer'' (2011) * '' Of Women and Horses'' (2011) * '' Paul Sanchez Is Back!'' (2018)


References


Sources

* * ''The New Musical Express Book of Rock'', 1975, Star Books;


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cale, John 1942 births 21st-century organists Living people People from Garnant Alumni of Goldsmiths, University of London British experimental musicians British rock violists Officers of the Order of the British Empire Protopunk musicians ROIR artists The Velvet Underground members Welsh male singers Welsh multi-instrumentalists Welsh pianists Welsh record producers Welsh rock bass guitarists Welsh rock musicians Welsh rock singers Welsh singer-songwriters Welsh songwriters Welsh expatriates in the United States Welsh keyboardists Welsh artists Welsh classical violists Welsh classical pianists Male classical pianists Welsh organists British male organists Island Records artists Double Six Records artists All Saints Records artists Welsh violists Beggars Banquet Records artists I.R.S. Records artists Reprise Records artists Art rock musicians Pupils of Cornelius Cardew Columbia Records artists A&M Records artists Pupils of La Monte Young People associated with The Factory British male pianists Male bass guitarists Welsh-language singers Welsh-speaking musicians Welsh contemporary artists ZE Records artists