I'd say writing songs is, for me, as much playing the tape recorder as it is playing guitar or writing words. — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
Clapton was just picking up ideas. He picked up some of mine like I picked up some from the people before me. — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
On the 'Escondido' album, I think it took us a month to make that album. — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
I consider myself a songwriter... I guess the business end is my songs and the fun part is playing the guitar. — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
Ask any guitar player - it's hard to feed yourself when you're picking for a living. — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
All record companies want big-selling records, and my music is a little too raw for commercial success. — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
What my whole object was is not to really sell records. I was trying to sell songs. — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
The music is the same if you go all the way back to the first albums I made or the middle or… — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
I would never ever sing at all if I could get away with it. I had pitch problems, no range. So what… — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
You never know how people are going to find songs for their records. Sometimes people will hear songs on someone else's record… — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
Widespread Panic discovered a couple of my songs and started doin' 'em on the gigs. They'd take a song and expand it… — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
That's kinda what happened to me: I listened to jazz, country, R&B, rock 'n' roll. And when I sat down to write… — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
Songwriting is just like any other kind of writing - it's either fiction or nonfiction. You can even get into philosophy and… — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
People are familiar with my songs, especially through Eric Clapton. But I have a hard time drawing a crowd, because I have… — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
From the first album I'm playing bass on a lot of the tunes, and piano on a lot of 'em, and drums,… — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
If you write songs long enough, you run out of material that's original to yourself. — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
Oh, I'm not a very good singer, and that's 'cause I was always embarrassed about my singing. — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
I generally, you know, I don't - I don't really scat. I'm - I'm basically a songwriter so you need a little… — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
Sometimes I make up songs, and they're just strictly fiction. Other times, I draw on things that have happened in my life… — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
There's a couple of songs of my own I wished I'd have never put out, that, you know, I'd like to burn.… — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
Ask any guitar player - it's hard to feed yourself when you're picking for a living. — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
I wanted to be able to play music, and then when I went out in my private life, my personal life, I didn't want… — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
I cut all my early records in Nashville, so I guess that makes me country. I call it country pop, but my love of… — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
I'm an electronic manipulator. Most people think J.J. Cale, he's organic. There ain't nothing organic about me. — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
That's kinda what happened to me: I listened to jazz, country, R&B, rock 'n' roll. And when I sat down to write a song,… — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
Clapton was just picking up ideas. He picked up some of mine like I picked up some from the people before me. — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
If you write songs long enough, you run out of material that's original to yourself. — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
My performing and my singing leave much to be desired, but having other people record my songs is the most flattering thing that can… — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
There are entertainers and there are musicians, and I never was an entertainer. — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
What my whole object was is not to really sell records. I was trying to sell songs. — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
I'm always doing something that ain't happening, and I'm always happening when there ain't nothing going on. — J. J. Cale Copy Share Image
