John Cale

Episode notes

Photo taken by Madeline McManus. Courtesy of Pitch Perfect PR.

This interview originally aired on December 6, 2016. 

John Cale grew up a promising viola player in Wales, a talent that brought him to New York. His goal was to study classical music. But instead, he fell in with an artsier crowd: John Cage, Le Monte Young, Andy Warhol and, eventually, Lou Reed. 

With Reed, Cale formed The Velvet Underground. They’re one of the most influential acts in rock music. He spent four years and made two albums with the band. Their time together was short, but John Cale was only getting started. 

Post-The Velvet Underground, he became a producer and shaped some killer debut albums for The Stooges, Jonathan Richman, Patti Smith, and Squeeze. He also worked as a composer, scoring the film “Basquiat” and the cult classic “American Psycho.”

It’s the kind of resume that guarantees you a place in the rock and roll history book. But that’s only one side of John Cale’s work.

Cale is also an accomplished, trailblazing solo musician. He’s recorded nearly 20 albums on his own, working in genres like folk, metal, classical, industrial, and everything in between. He’s collaborated with Lou Reed, Terry Riley and Brian Eno. 

Even in his 80s now, John Cale continues to release new music. And he’s still pushing boundaries. 

Earlier this year, he released his 17th solo album “Mercy.” It features contributions from Animal Collective, Dev Hynes, Weyes Blood, and Tony Allen.

When we spoke to John Cale on Bullseye in 2016, he reflected on his 50 years in music and his time in The Velvet Underground. Plus, what it was like to produce for artists like the Stooges and Patti Smith. 

You can stream John Cale’s latest album “Mercy” here.