History Music / JohnCale

After his departure from the group, Cale quickly established himself as a formidable solo artist and producer in his own right. He produced former Velvet Underground bandmate Music/{{Nico}}'s seminal albums ''The Marble Index'', ''Desertshore'', and ''The End...'' and also contributed arrangements to the former two (Nico arranged the latter entirely on her own, according to Cale). He also produced Music/TheStooges' and Music/TheModernLovers' influential self-titled albums and Music/PattiSmith's equally influential ''Horses'', and appears on Music/NickDrake's cult classic ''Bryter Layter'' and Music/BrianEno's seminal ''Another Green World''.

A highlight of his 1980s output is generally considered to be ''Music for a New Society'', which is a thoroughly bleak album along the lines of Reed's ''Berlin'', Music/JoyDivision's ''Closer'' and the trilogy of Music/{{Nico}}'s albums Cale produced. In 1990 his collaboration with Music/BrianEno was released, ''Wrong Way Up''. It proved to be one of the most commercially successful albums of either artist as a performer. The same year, he also released his collaboration with Lou Reed, ''Songs for Drella'', a tribute to Creator/AndyWarhol, a major mentor of the Velvet Underground. 1991 saw the release of his famous cover of "Hallelujah", which notably served as the basis for nearly every cover version done afterwards (including Music/JeffBuckley and Music/RufusWainwright's (arguably, in Wainwright's case) even more famous versions).

* NamesTheSame: Not to be confused with the American guitarist JJ Cale, most famous for [[CoveredUp writing]] "[[Music/EricClapton Cocaine]]", "[[Music/EricClapton After Midnight]]", "[[Music/WaylonJennings Clyde]]", and "[[Music/LynyrdSkynyrd Call Me the Breeze]]".

After his departure from the group, Cale quickly established himself as a formidable solo artist and producer in his own right. He produced former Velvet Underground bandmate Music/{{Nico}}'s seminal albums ''The Marble Index'', ''Desertshore'', and ''The End...'' and also contributed arrangements to the former two (Nico arranged the latter entirely on her own, according to Cale). He also produced Music/TheStooges' influential self-titled album and Music/PattiSmith's equally influential ''Horses'', and appears on Music/NickDrake's cult classic ''Bryter Layter'' and Music/BrianEno's seminal ''Another Green World''.

Cale was born in 1942 in Garnant, Carmarthenshire, Wales. After a traumatic childhood (Wikipedia has the sordid details), he studied music at Goldsmiths College, University of London, and then moved to America, where he studied under Music/AaronCopland. He also collaborated with Music/JohnCage on the first ever full-length performance of Music/ErikSatie's "Vexations", and later worked with La Monte Young's Dream Syndicate.

* NamesTheSame: Not to be confused with the American guitarist JJ Cale, most famous for [[CoveredUp writing]] "[[Music/EricClapton Cocaine]]".

* RedOniBlueOni: To a certain extent with Lou Reed — VU turned away from the assault of White Light/White Heat to a more accessible direction under Reed's lead, and when Punk Rock broke Reed was recording singer-songwritery albums and dismissing the movement while Cale jumped on the bandwagon and recorded harsh material like Sabotage Live. Then again Cale also recorded the Baroque Pop ''Paris 1919'' and Reed recorded the infamously abrasive ''Metal Machine Music'' so it's not like this trope completely defined their post-VU careers.

Cale's career continues to this day; he received a substantial boost when his cover of "Hallelujah" was featured in ''Film/{{Shrek}}''. He continues to produce some [[AwesomeMusic pretty awesome music]].

A highlight of his 1980s output is generally considered to be ''Music for a New Society'', which is a thoroughly bleak album along the lines of Reed's ''Berlin'', Music/JoyDivision's ''Closer'' and the trilogy of Music/{{Nico}}'s albums Cale produced. In 1990 his collaboration with Music/BrianEno was released, ''Wrong Way Up''. It proved to be one of the most commercially successful albums of either artist as a performer. The same year, he also released his collaboration with Lou Reed, ''Songs for Drella'', a tribute to Creator/AndyWarhol, a major mentor of the Velvet Underground. 1991 saw the release of his famous cover of "Hallelujah", which notably served as the basis for nearly every cover version done afterwards (including Music/JeffBuckley and Music/RufusWainwright's even more famous versions).

A highlight of his 1980s output is generally considered to be ''Music for a New Society'', which is a thoroughly bleak album along the lines of Music/JoyDivision's ''Closer'' and the trilogy of Music/{{Nico}}'s albums Cale produced. In 1990 his collaboration with Music/BrianEno was released, ''Wrong Way Up''. It proved to be one of the most commercially successful albums of either artist as a performer. The same year, he also released his collaboration with Lou Reed, ''Songs for Drella'', a tribute to Creator/AndyWarhol, a major mentor of the Velvet Underground. 1991 saw the release of his famous cover of "Hallelujah".

* UpdatedRerelease: The 2006 reissue of ''Paris 1919'' adds 12 bonus tracks, more than doubling the length of the album. The outtake "Burned Out Affair" is added, as is at least one additional version of every song on the original album ("Macbeth" and the title track get two).

After his departure from the group, Cale quickly established himself as a formidable solo artist and producer in his own right. He produced former Velvet Underground bandmate Music/{{Nico}}'s seminal albums ''The Marble Index'', ''Desertshore'', and ''The End...'' and also contributed arrangements to the former two (Nico arranged the latter entirely on her own, according to Cale). He also produced Music/TheStooges' influential self-titled album and Music/PattiSmith's equally influential ''Horses'', and appears on Music/NickDrake's cult classic ''Bryter Layter''.

After his departure from the group, Cale quickly established himself as a formidable solo artist and producer in his own right. He produced former Velvet Underground bandmate Music/{{Nico}}'s seminal albums ''The Marble Index'', ''Desertshore'', and ''The End...'' and also contributed arrangements to the former two (Nico arranged the latter entirely on her own, according to Cale), as well as Music/TheStooges' influential self-titled album and Music/PattiSmith's equally influential ''Horses''. He also appears on Music/NickDrake's ''Bryter Layter''.

* LiteraryAllusionTitle: "Child's Christmas in Wales" (named after a Creator/DylanThomas work), "Graham Greene", "Macbeth", and "Burned Out Affair", which seems to be a mixture of two of Greene's works (''Literature/TheEndOfTheAffair'' and ''A Burnt-Out Case''). The album title itself is a Historical Allusion Title, being a reference to the conference that produced the Treaty of Versailles.

* LiteraryAllusionTitle: "Graham Greene", "Macbeth", and "Burned Out Affair", which seems to be a mixture of two of Greene's works (''Literature/TheEndOfTheAffair'' and ''A Burnt-Out Case'').

In 1993, the complete Reed-Cale-Tucker-Morrison lineup of the Velvet Underground reunited for the first and only time. Further reunions were prevented by Morrison's untimely death, although the surviving members did play at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.

* LiteraryAllusionTitle: "Graham Greene", "Macbeth", and "Burned Out Affair", which seems to be a mixture of two of Greene's works (''Literature/TheEndOfTheAffair'' and ''A Burned Out Case'').

* LiteraryAllusionTitle: "Graham Greene" and "Burned Out Affair", which seems to be a mixture of two of Greene's works (''Literature/TheEndOfTheAffair'' and ''A Burned Out Case'').

After his departure from the group, Cale quickly established himself as a formidable solo artist and producer in his own right. He produced former Velvet Underground bandmate Music/{{Nico}}'s seminal albums ''The Marble Index'', ''Desertshore'', and ''The End...'' and also contributed arrangements to the former two, as well as Music/TheStooges' influential self-titled album and Music/PattiSmith's equally influential ''Horses''. He also appears on Music/NickDrake's ''Bryter Layter''.

Cale co-founded the Velvet Underground in 1965 with Reed, Sterling Morrison, and Angus [=MacLise=] (who would leave the band after it received its first paying gig). Although his writing credits with the group were minimal, Cale quickly established himself as a major element of the band's sound, playing viola, bass guitar, piano, and organ, and contributing deadpan vocals that proved integral parts of several of the band's songs, especially "The Gift". Personality conflicts with Reed resulted in his departure from the group after the recording of the band's second album, ''White Light/White Heat'', although a handful of recordings with Cale afterwards have since been released (including "Stephanie Says", "Hey Mr. Rain", "Temptation Inside Your Heart", and "Ocean").

Cale co-founded the Velvet Underground in 1965 with Reed, Sterling Morrison, and Angus MacLise (who would leave the band after it received its first paying gig). Although his writing credits with the group were minimal, Cale quickly established himself as a major element of the band's sound, playing viola, bass guitar, piano, and organ, and contributing deadpan vocals that proved integral parts of several of the band's songs, especially "The Gift". Personality conflicts with Reed resulted in his departure from the group after the recording of the band's second album, ''White Light/White Heat'', although a handful of recordings with Cale afterwards have since been released (including "Stephanie Says", "Hey Mr. Rain", "Temptation Inside Your Heart", and "Ocean").

John Cale is a Welsh singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist probably best known as a founding member of the Music/VelvetUnderground. He's accomplished a lot more than that in his career, though, which has included numerous production credits and an extensive solo discography as well as several collaborations with other artists, including former Velvets bandmate Music/LouReed. Amongst the styles he has recorded in include modern classical, BaroquePop, FolkRock, ProtoPunk, ProgressiveRock, and drone. His best-known solo works are probably ''Paris 1919'' and his cover of Music/LeonardCohen's "Hallelujah", which is generally considered to have been a model for most of the other covers that followed, including Music/JeffBuckley's famous version.

* 2003: ''HoboSapiens''

1970: ''Vintage Violence''
1971: ''Church of Anthrax'' (with Terry Riley)
1972: ''The Academy in Peril''
1973: ''Paris 1919''
1974: ''Fear''
1975: ''Slow Dazzle''
1975: ''Helen of Troy''
1981: ''Honi Soit''
1982: ''Music for a New Society''
1984: ''Caribbean Sunset''
1985: ''Artificial Intelligence''
1989: ''Words for the Dying''
1990: ''Songs for Drella'' (with Lou Reed)
1990: ''Wrong Way Up'' (with Brian Eno)
1994: ''Last Day on Earth'' (with Bob Neuwirth)
1996: ''Walking on Locusts''
2003: ''HoboSapiens''
2005: ''blackAcetate''
2012: ''Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood''