When you think of Eric Clapton, you probably think of guitar solos and rock ’n’ roll stardom (and perhaps a man with less than desirable politics). But behind some of Clapton’s biggest hits was a man who preferred to stay out of the spotlight: JJ Cale.
Cale, who died in 2013, wasn’t about flash. In fact, he probably would have remained an unknown artist except for happenstance. In 1966, he was under contract to Liberty Records. There, he recorded two version of his song, “After Midnight.” The first version had a quick tempo. The second version was slower, almost church hymn-like. This second version is what was released as Cale’s debut song and it failed miserably.
Cale’s music offered simple grooves, soft vocals, and guitar work that sounded, for the lack of a better term, smooth. Songs like “After Midnight” and “Cocaine” were written by Cale, but didn’t become hits until Clapton later recorded them. To his credit, Clapton never forgot where these hit songs came from. He openly credited Cale as one of his biggest influences and acknowledged that he was covering Cale’s first version of “After Midnight.”
Cale and Clapton finally teamed up in 2006 for the album The Road to Escondido. And honestly? It’s a good Blues album.
Cale wrote 11 of the 14 songs on that album, but he owned all 14 tracks!
The record won the Grammy Award for the Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2008. It was long-overdue recognition for Cale’s understated genius. Cale’s career had not been totally successful, but his songs made others famous.
What made their album collaboration so special was the balance. Clapton had the fame and the fiery solos, while Cale had the cool, steady sound that grounded the songs. Together, they showed that rock doesn’t have to be loud to hit hard. This was a lesson that the band Fleetwood Mac had mastered decades earlier.
Below is JJ Cale’s version of “After Midnight” recorded on the 1971 album, Naturally. This song is a re-recording of the second version of his 1966 released tune.
Eric Clapton’s 1970 version of “After Midnight,” based on Cale’s first version of the song is below. This version benefits from the performances of Leon Russell, Rita Coolidge, Delaney Bramlett, Bonnie Bramlett and Clapton’s Derek and the Dominos bandmates: Bobby Whitlock, Jim Gordon and Carl Radle.
So the next time I hear an early Clapton song on the radio or anywhere, I’ll take a moment to think about JJ Cale. Without him, Clapton’s sound—and maybe even rock itself—might not be quite the same.
