Okie (J. J. Cale album)
| Okie | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Nashville, Tennessee (tracks 2, 3) Woodland Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee (tracks 4, 6, 8, 12) Cale's House, Tulsa, Oklahoma (tracks 5, 9, 11) | ||||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 29:08 | |||
| Label | UK: A&M USA: Shelter | |||
| Producer | Audie Ashworth | |||
| J. J. Cale chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
Allmusic |   [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B−[2] |
| Tom Hull | C[3] |
Okie is the third studio album by J. J. Cale, released in 1974.
Background
After having Eric Clapton take his composition "After Midnight" to the Top 20 in 1970, Cale scored another windfall when Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded "Call Me the Breeze" for their 1974 LP Second Helping. Although Cale would not have the success with his music that others would, the royalties from artists covering his songs would allow him to record and tour as it suited him. As he put it in 2013, "I knew if I became too well known, my life would change drastically. On the other hand, getting some money doesn't change things too much, except you no longer have to go to work."[4]
Recording
Like his previous album Really, Okie was recorded in several different studios with producer Audie Ashworth. Okie is the first album where Cale layers his vocal tracks, something that would become one of the hallmarks of his sound. Cale later explained:
That goes back to the fact I never considered myself a good singer. I often sang off-key, and when you layer the vocals, the more times you put your voice on there, the more it becomes in tune. That's why when you hear a large group of people singing, the pitch always sounds right. Les Paul was the first person to do that, with Mary Ford. It makes the vocals more pleasing to the ear.[4]
Musically, Okie covers a number of genres blended together in Cale's highly idiosyncratic sound, from the gospel standard "
Okie contains some of Cale's most covered songs. In the same year of its release,
Track listing
All tracks are written by J. J. Cale, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Crying" | 2:35 | |
| 2. | " Ray Price | 2:24 | |
| 3. | "Starbound" | 1:58 | |
| 4. | "Rock and Roll Records" | 2:10 | |
| 5. | "The Old Man and Me" | 2:06 | |
| 6. | "Everlovin' Woman" | 2:12 | |
| 7. | "Cajun Moon" | 2:14 | |
| 8. | "I'd Like to Love You Baby" | 2:52 | |
| 9. | "Anyway the Wind Blows" | 3:24 | |
| 10. | "Precious Memories" | J.B.F. Wright | 2:11 |
| 11. | "Okie" | 1:57 | |
| 12. | "I Got the Same Old Blues" | 2:59 |
Personnel
Tracks 1, 7, 10
- (20 November 1973; Bradley's Barn, Mount Juliet, Tennessee)
- Mike Leech - bass
- Joel Green - bass (7)
- Kenny Malone - drums
- Farrell Morris - percussion & Vibraphone ( tr.10 )
- Reggie Young - electric guitar
- J. J. Cale - guitar, vocals
- Beegie Cruzer – electric keyboards
- Red Spive - piano
Tracks 2, 3
- (10 May 1973: Columbia Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee)
- Tommy Cogbill - bass
- Karl Himmel - drums
- Jerry Smith - El. piano
- Harold Bradley - rhythm guitar
- Grady Martin - electric guitar
- J. J. Cale - slide guitar, vocals
- George Tidwell- trumpet
- Dennis Goode - trombone
- Billy Pruett - saxophone
Tracks 4, 8
- (7 May 1973: Woodland Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee)
- J. J. Cale - guitar, vocals
- Tim Drummond - bass
- Karl Himmel - drums
- Jerry Whitehurst - keyboards
- George Tidwell - trumpet
- Dennis Goode - trombone
- Billy Pruett - saxophone
Track 5
- (5 December 1973: J. J. Cale's House, Tulsa, Oklahoma)
- Audie Ashworth - engineer
- Joel Green - bass
- Terry Perkins - drums
- Paul Davis - guitar
- J. J. Cale - guitar, vocals
- Weldon Myrick - steel guitar
Tracks 6, 12
- (Track 6: 10 July 1973; Track 12: 9 July 1973: J. J. Cale's House, Tulsa, Oklahoma)
- Tommy Cogbill - bass
- Kenny Malone - drums
- Hargus "Pig" Robbins - electric piano
- Mac Gayden - guitar, slide guitar (12)
Track 9
- (4 October 1973: J. J. Cale's House, Tulsa, Oklahoma)
- Joel Green - bass
- Terry Perkins - drums
- Audie Ashworth - engineer
- Paul Davis - guitar
- J.J. Cale - guitar, vocals
Track 11
- (2 August 1973: J. J. Cale's House, Tulsa, Oklahoma)
- Joel Green - bass
- Terry Perkins - drums
- Audie Ashworth - engineer
- Paul Davis - guitar
- J.J. Cale - guitar
References
- ^ AllMusic. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
- ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 23, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Hull, Tom (April 1975). "The Rekord Report: Second Card". Overdose. Retrieved June 26, 2020 – via tomhull.com.
- ^ a b c Hutchinson, Lydia (July 29, 2013). "Remembering J.J. Cale". Performing Songwriter. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
External links
- J.J. Cale – Okie at Discogs (list of releases)
