In the year of his passing, Cale guested on a cover of his song 'Angel' on Clapton’s 2013 album Old Sock. But it didn’t stop there: he covered Cale’s 'I'll Make Love To You Anytime' on his 1978 album Backless, 'Travelin' Light' on his 2001 album Reptile, and 'River Runs Deep' and 'Everything Will Be Alright' on his Clapton album in 2010. And so he was my beacon.'Ĭlapton had recorded Cale’s early track “After Midnight” in 1970, and then had a huge international hit with Cale’s “Cocaine” in 1977. I wanted to kind of see the virtuosity, I wanted to get back to fundamentals, and he was a fundamentalist for sure. I didn't want anything to do with this heavy metal s- that was going on. It was such a pedestrian way of looking at things. I definitely was trying to shake off this guitar legend thing, which I thought was so plebeian. He said in 2014, 'I went into that dark period in my life and was just absent, and about that time some of JJ's early stuff was coming out.

At the time, Clapton said “This is the realization of what may have been my last ambition, to work with the man whose music has inspired me for as long as I can remember.”Ĭlapton’s love of Cale’s work had begun early in the ‘70s and hit him hard mid-decade, when he was at a low ebb, struggling with addictions and not liking the music around him. The two-hour San Diego show was a highlight of the tour as it featured JJ Cale as a special guest on five tracks - “Anyway The Wind Blows”, “After Midnight”, “Who Am I Telling You?”, “Don’t Cry Sister” and, of course, “Cocaine”.Ĭlapton had collaborated with Cale a year or so earlier, in 2006, teaming up for the album Road to Escondido, which was released under both of their names. The concert was part of a world tour that was much loved by Clapton fans and featured a stellar band that included guitarists Derek Trucks (now of the Tedeschi Trucks band) and Doyle Bramhall II. Eric Clapton’s recent release Live In San Diego With Special Guest JJ Cale is a wonderful set that not only features Clapton in top form (it was recorded in San Diego in 2007), but serves as a strong reminder of the massive influence that the elusive American JJ Cale had on the English guitarist.

Jj cale eric clapton