J.J. Cale: The Complete 1990 “Guitar Player” Interview (Podcast)

On Songwriting, Guitars, and Being Your Own Man in the Music Business

This interview took place in a San Francisco motel room in March 1990, while J.J. Cale was touring in support of Travel-Log, his first album in a half-dozen years. A few days earlier I’d seen his concert at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz, which we reference during the interview. I also played him a section of one of his solos from the Leathercoated Minds’ A Trip Down the Sunset Strip, a rare psychedelic album he'd made circa 1966.

On the afternoon we spoke, J.J. was fighting a wicked cold, as you’ll hear from his sniffling and coughing. Ever the trouper, though, he still delivered an insightful interview about his instruments (including guitar synth), playing and recording techniques, records, songwriting, and other music-related subjects. I hope you enjoy it!

J.J. Cale promotional photos courtesy Audigram and Shelter/MCA Records.

Thanks to engineer/producer Nik Hunt for filming the intro and enhancing the sound of the 35-year-old master tape.

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