That time I asked J.J. Cale if he’d bought anything nice with his Clapton money

By Steve Newton

Back in 1990 I did my first interview with J.J. Cale, who you may recall is one of the wickedest damn songwriters and guitar players that the United States of America has ever produced.

A couple of years earlier there was a TV commercial for Michelob beer in heavy rotation, featuring Cale’s 1966 tune “After Midnight”, performed by Eric Clapton.

Around that same time Neil Young savagely countered Slowhand’s corporate-shilling ways with the Les Paul-crankin’ “This Note’s For You”.

So when I called J.J. up in Washington D.C., I asked him if he’d bought himself anything nice lately from the royalties he’d gotten from Slowhand’s cover of his tune.

Have a listen:

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