John Cale is a founding member of the iconic rock band The Velvet Underground.
Cale is a Welsh composer, singer-songwriter, and record producer, born in 1942.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 as a member of The Velvet Underground.
Biography
Early Life
John Davies Cale was born on March 9, 1942, in Garnant, Carmarthenshire, Wales. Growing up in a coal mining village, he was the son of a miner and a primary school teacher. Cale's early exposure to music began with the organ at his local church, where he showcased his talent. He later discovered his affinity for the viola, joining the National Youth Orchestra of Wales at just 13. His musical journey took him to Goldsmiths College in London, where he organized an early Fluxus concert and began to make a name for himself in avant-garde music.
Career
Cale's career took a significant turn when he moved to the United States, where he became a founding member of the influential rock band The Velvet Underground. With the band, he recorded two studio albums, which laid the groundwork for his future endeavors. After leaving the Velvet Underground, Cale embarked on a solo career, releasing his debut album "Vintage Violence" in 1970, followed by a series of experimental works, including "Church of Anthrax" and "Paris 1919." Over the decades, he collaborated with various artists, including Nico and Nick Drake, and produced numerous albums that spanned genres from rock to avant-garde.
Personal Life and Legacy
Cale's personal life has been marked by several marriages, including a brief union with fashion designer Betsey Johnson. He struggled with substance abuse during the 1960s and 1970s, which he later reflected on as a challenging period that impacted his music. Despite these struggles, Cale's contributions to music have been widely recognized; he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and received an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) honor in 2010 for his services to music. Cale continues to be celebrated for his innovative approach to music and his lasting influence on the industry.
Collected from open sources (4) · facts link to sources · AI-processed
Discography
MERCY2023
- 1.MERCY7:00
- 2.MARILYN MONROE’S LEGS (beauty elsewhere)6:53
- 3.NOISE OF YOU5:16
- 4.STORY OF BLOOD7:32
- 5.TIME STANDS STILL5:21
- 6.MOONSTRUCK (Nico’s Song)5:31
- 7.EVERLASTING DAYS5:02
- 8.NIGHT CRAWLING4:54
- 9.NOT THE END OF THE WORLD6:17
- 10.THE LEGAL STATUS OF ICE7:24
- 11.I KNOW YOU’RE HAPPY5:15
- 12.OUT YOUR WINDOW5:14
M:FANS2016
- 1.Prelude2:17
- 2.If You Were Still Around5:19
- 3.Taking Your Life in Your Hands5:44
- 4.Thoughtless Kind5:28
- 5.Sanctus (Sanities mix)5:20
- 6.Broken Bird5:11
- 7.Chinese Envoy3:52
- 8.Changes Made3:55
- 9.Library of Force (feat. Man in the Book excerpt)3:09
- 10.Close Watch5:15
- 11.If You Were Still Around (Choir reprise)4:45
- 12.Back to the End3:35
Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood2012
- 1.I Wanna Talk 2 U3:33
- 2.Scotland Yard5:00
- 3.Hemingway3:59
- 4.Face to the Sky4:59
- 5.Nookie Wood4:06
- 6.December Rains4:42
- 7.Mary5:40
- 8.Vampire Cafe5:48
- 9.Mothra3:31
- 10.Living With You4:04
- 11.Midnight Feast5:01
- 12.Sandman (Flying Dutchman)3:43
- 13.Bluetooth Swings Redux
Black Acetate2005
- 1.Outta the Bag3:54
- 2.For a Ride3:57
- 3.Brotherman3:33
- 4.Satisfied3:54
- 5.In a Flood4:55
- 6.Hush3:26
- 7.Gravel Drive4:25
- 8.Perfect3:21
- 9.Sold-Motel4:53
- 10.Woman5:07
- 11.Wasteland4:11
- 12.Turn the Lights On3:47
- 13.Mailman (The Lying Song)4:05
HoboSapiens2003
- 1.Zen6:03
- 2.Reading My Mind4:11
- 3.Things3:37
- 4.Look Horizon5:41
- 5.Magritte4:58
- 6.Archimedes4:41
- 7.Caravan6:44
- 8.Bicycle5:06
- 9.Twilight Zone3:49
- 10.Letter From Abroad5:10
- 11.Things X4:50
- 12.Over Her Head5:24
Stainless Gamelan: Inside the Dream Syndicate, Volume III: Table of the Elements2002
- 1.Stainless Steel Gamelan10:25
- 2.At About This Time Mozart Was Dead and Joseph Conrad Was Sailing the Seven Seas Learning English26:30
- 3.Terry's Cha-Cha8:21
- 4.After the Locust4:20
- 5.Big Apple Express5:45
Sun Blindness Music: New York in the 1960's, Volume 12001
- 1.Sun Blindness Music42:44
- 2.Summer Heat11:08
- 3.The Second Fortress10:37
Dream Interpretation: Inside the Dream Syndicate, Volume II2001
- 1.Dream Interpretation20:35
- 2.Ex‐Cathedra5:05
- 3.[untitled] for Piano12:30
- 4.Carousel2:34
- 5.A Midnight Rain of Green Wrens at the World’s Tallest Building3:21
- 6.Hot Scoria9:21
Inside the Dream Syndicate, Volume I: Day of Niagara2000
- 1.Day of Niagara30:54
Walking on Locusts1996
- 1.Dancing Undercover4:26
- 2.Set Me Free4:12
- 3.So What4:12
- 4.Crazy Egypt3:28
- 5.So Much for Love5:02
- 6.Tell Me Why5:25
- 7.Indistinct Notion of Cool2:45
- 8.Secret Corrida6:03
- 9.Circus4:03
- 10.Gatorville & Points East3:00
- 11.Some Friends4:07
- 12.Entre nous3:42
Last Day on Earth1994
- 1.Overture: A Tourist / A Contact / A Prisoner8:06
- 2.Café Shabu5:37
- 3.Pastoral Angst2:29
- 4.Who’s in Charge?2:53
- 5.Short of Time3:08
- 6.Angel of Death4:19
- 7.Paradise Nevada5:33
- 8.Old China3:13
- 9.Ocean Life4:48
- 10.Instrumental1:57
- 11.Modern World5:53
- 12.Streets Come Alive3:22
- 13.Secrets4:19
- 14.Maps of the World4:52
- 15.Broken Hearts3:03
- 16.The High and Mighty Road5:03
Songs for Drella1990
Tracklist not collected yet.
Wrong Way Up1990
- 1.Lay My Love4:43
- 2.One Word4:34
- 3.In the Backroom4:01
- 4.Empty Frame4:25
- 5.Cordoba4:22
- 6.Spinning Away5:25
- 7.Footsteps3:11
- 8.Been There Done That2:51
- 9.Crime in the Desert3:38
- 10.The River4:20
Words for the Dying1989
Tracklist not collected yet.
Artificial Intelligence1985
Tracklist not collected yet.
Caribbean Sunset1984
Tracklist not collected yet.
Music for a New Society1982
Tracklist not collected yet.
Honi Soit1981
Tracklist not collected yet.
Helen of Troy1975
Tracklist not collected yet.
Slow Dazzle1975
Tracklist not collected yet.
Fear1974
Tracklist not collected yet.
Paris 19191973
Tracklist not collected yet.
The Academy in Peril1972
Tracklist not collected yet.
Church of Anthrax1971
Tracklist not collected yet.
Vintage Violence1970
Tracklist not collected yet.
Gallery
Label
- Record label
- I.R.S. Records
- Record label
- All Saints Records
- Record label
- Columbia Records
- Record label
- Reprise Records
- Record label
- Island Records
- Record label
- Illegal Records
- Record label
- SPY Records
- Record label
- A&M Records
- Record label
- ZE Records
- Record label
- Beggars Banquet Records
- Record label
- Hannibal Records
- Record label
- EMI Records
- Record label
- Double Six Records
Achievements
- Award
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire
- Award
- honorary degree
- Award
- Człowiek ze Złotym Uchem
- Award
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- Award
- honorary doctor of the University of Antwerp
Groups
- The Theatre of Eternal Musiccurrent
- The Velvet Undergroundbackground vocals, bass, organ, original, viola · 1965–1968
- The Velvet Undergroundbackground vocals, bass, organ, original, viola · 1992–1996
Similar artists
Archive
Passport
viola, piano, keyboard instrument, bass guitar, guitar, organ, synthesizer, electric viola, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, celesta, Hammond organ, Indian harmonium, church organ, drum machine, percussion instrument, harpsichord, xylophone, marimba, triangle, glockenspiel
Identifiers & aliases
Also known as: Cale, John Davies Cale
Welsh composer, singer-songwriter and record producer (born 1942)
John Davies Cale is a Welsh singer, musician, composer, record producer and arranger. He is a founding member of the influential American rock band the Velvet Underground, with whom he recorded two studio albums. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various styles of rock and avant-garde music.
All links
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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