| Okie | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 30, 1974 | |||
| Recorded | May 7 – December 5, 1973 | |||
| Studio |
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| 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.
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]
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 "Precious Memories" to straight country on the Ray Price cover "I'll Be There If You Ever Want Me". "Any Way the Wind Blows" and "Cajun Moon" are examples of the sound Cale was establishing for himself, often referred to as the "Tulsa Sound", while the reggae-tinged opener "Crying" showed his willingness to explore new styles. The title track is the first of many instrumentals that would appear on future records, and according to the 2014 Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame bio on Cale, was recorded on the back porch of Cale's Tulsa home.
Okie contains some of Cale's most covered songs. In the same year of its release, Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band recorded "I Got the Same Old Blues" (shortened to "Same Old Blues") for the Bluejeans & Moonbeams LP, one of the few covers to ever appear on a Beefheart album. The song would also be recorded by Eric Clapton, Bobby Bland, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Bryan Ferry. "Cajun Moon" was recorded by Herbie Mann on his 1976 album Surprises with vocals by Cissy Houston, by Poco on their album Cowboys & Englishmen , and by Randy Crawford on Naked and True (1995). In a 2013 interview Cale singled out jazz vocalist Crawford's version as his favorite rendition of the song, and he also listed this cover as one of his favorite takes of the other artists' of his songs. [4] "Anyway the Wind Blows" was covered by Brother Phelps in 1995 and Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings in 1999, and Cale would re-record the song himself for his 2006 album with Clapton, The Road to Escondido . "I'd Like to Love You, Baby" was covered by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers in 2003, appearing on their 2009 album, The Live Anthology .
All tracks are written by J. J. Cale, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Crying" | 2:35 | |
| 2. | "I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me)" | Rusty Gabbard, 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 |
Tracks 1, 7, 10
Tracks 2, 3
Tracks 4, 8
Track 5
Tracks 6, 12
Track 9
Track 11
John Weldon "J. J." Cale was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Though he avoided the limelight, his influence as a musical artist has been acknowledged by figures such as Neil Young, Mark Knopfler, Waylon Jennings, and Eric Clapton, who described him as one of the most important artists in rock history. He is one of the originators of the Tulsa sound, a loose genre drawing on blues, rockabilly, country, and jazz.
"Cocaine" is a song written and recorded in 1976 by singer-songwriter J. J. Cale. The song was popularized by Eric Clapton after his version was released on the 1977 album Slowhand. J. J. Cale's version of "Cocaine" was a number-one hit in New Zealand for a single week and became the seventh-best-selling single of 1977.
Eric Clapton is the debut solo studio album by English rock musician Eric Clapton, released in August 1970 by Atco and Polydor Records.
The Tulsa sound is a popular musical style that originated in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the second half of the twentieth century. It is a mix of blues, blues rock, country, rock and roll and swamp pop sounds of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Artists considered to have pioneered the Tulsa sound include J. J. Cale, Leon Russell, Roger Tillison and Elvin Bishop. After 1980, Gus Hardin (country), and Jeff Carson (country) released roots music albums. Although Dwight Twilley is from Tulsa, his power pop style bears no resemblance to the Tulsa sound; likewise, David Gates' most recognized songs were mostly in the soft rock genre.
Naturally is the debut studio album by J. J. Cale released on October 25, 1971.
"After Midnight" is a rock song by J. J. Cale, first released in 1966. Eric Clapton later covered it for his eponymous album, released in 1970. Clapton's rendition became a success, prompting Cale to re-record the song for his own 1971 album Naturally. In 1987, Clapton later re-recorded the song for a Michelob beer commercial and then released the re-recording as a single. "After Midnight" has been considered one of Clapton's signature songs throughout his career. Other artists covered the song in later years.
Troubadour is the fourth studio album by J. J. Cale. Eric Clapton covered the song "Cocaine" on his 1977 album Slowhand, turning it into one of his biggest hits.
The Road to Escondido is a collaborative studio album by J. J. Cale and Eric Clapton. It was released on 7 November 2006. Contained on this album are the final recordings of keyboardist Billy Preston. The album is jointly dedicated to Preston and Brian Roylance.
Really is the second studio album by J. J. Cale. It was released in 1972.
5 is the fifth studio album by J. J. Cale. Released in 1979, it was his first album in three years. When the album was re-issued on CD, "Katy Kool Lady" was replaced by a new song listed as "Out of Style," though it was still listed as the former on the CD. "Out of Style" is also included on the 2007 album Rewind: The Unreleased Recordings under its proper title. There is still no U.S. domestic release of the song "Katy Kool Lady" on CD.
"Call Me the Breeze" is a rock song by J. J. Cale. It first appeared on his 1972 debut album, Naturally, as the opening track. The song consists of a 12-bar blues guitar shuffle and features the early use of a drum machine.
Grasshopper is a 1982 album by J. J. Cale. It was his seventh studio album since his debut in 1971.
Roll On is the 14th studio album by J. J. Cale, released on February 24, 2009, by Rounder Records. All songs were written by Cale; they include "Who Knew", "Former Me", and "Roll On", the last of which is a collaboration with Eric Clapton. Some tracks were recorded at sessions at David Teegarden's studio, north of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2003.
To Tulsa and Back is the 13th album by J. J. Cale, released in 2004.
Shades is the sixth studio album by J. J. Cale, released in February 1981.
#8 is an album by the American musician J. J. Cale, released in 1983.
Travel-Log is the ninth studio album by J. J. Cale. It was released in 1989.
Closer to You is the 11th studio album by J. J. Cale, released in 1994. It was published under the independent French label Delabel and distributed by Virgin Records.
"Travelin' Light" is a song written and recorded by the Tulsa musician J.J. Cale. It was released in September 1976 on Cale's fourth studio album Troubadour under Shelter Records. It was also released as a single the same year. It was later covered by the British guitarist Eric Clapton for his 2001 studio album Reptile and helped to promote both the song and studio album on which "Travelin' Light" was first released. Athens, Georgia band Widespread Panic also covered it on their debut album, and it has continued to be a mainstay of their live show ever since.
Hank Wilson's Back Vol. I is an album by singer and songwriter Leon Russell singing as Hank Wilson. The UK edition has a banner printed on the front of the sleeve to the right of Russell's stetson saying "Leon Russell!", presumably as a marketing initiative to promote the album using the strength of Russell's name.
