View source for John Cale

{{short description|Welsh composer, singer-songwriter and record producer (born 1942)}}
{{Distinguish|JJ Cale}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2011}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = John Cale
| honorific_suffix  = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|OBE|size=100%}}
| image             = John Cale (49386834383).jpg
| alt               = Cale singing into a microphone onstage
| caption           = Cale performing in 2020
| background        = solo_singer
| birth_name        = John Davies Cale
| birth_date        = {{birth date and age|1942|3|9|df=yes}}
| birth_place       = [[Garnant]], [[Carmarthenshire]], Wales<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/next-wave-forever-john-cale-at-seventy-five|title=New Wave Forever: John Cale at Seventy-five|date=6 December 2017|access-date=19 December 2017|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|author=Sarah Larson}}</ref>
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Art rock]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/music/musical-revolutionary-john-cale-storms-bam|title=Musical revolutionary John Cale storms BAM|work=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]|date=7 January 2013|access-date=22 September 2015|author=Harris, Sophie}}</ref>|[[Avant-garde music|avant-garde]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/at-71-john-cale-is-a-still-vital-living-legend-of-avant-garde/Content?oid=3711188|title=At 71, John Cale is a still-vital living legend of avant-garde|work=[[Indy Week]]|access-date=22 September 2015|pages=Ward, Ed|date=4 September 2013|archive-date=9 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150609022436/http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/at-71-john-cale-is-a-still-vital-living-legend-of-avant-garde/Content?oid=3711188|url-status=dead}}</ref>|[[experimental rock]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/16/arts/music/with-john-cale-in-paris-and-along-the-borderline.html?ref=topics&_r=0|title=An Eclectic Rock Pioneer Traversing the Borderline|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=15 January 2013|access-date=22 September 2015|author=Kozinn, Allan}}</ref>|[[pop music|pop]]}}
| occupation        = {{hlist|Musician|composer|singer|songwriter|record producer}}
| instrument        = {{hlist|Vocals|keyboards|viola|bass|guitar}}
| discography       = [[John Cale discography]]
| years_active      = 1957–present
| label             = {{hlist|[[Columbia Records|Columbia]]|[[Reprise Records|Reprise]]|[[Island Records|Island]]|[[A&M Records|A&M]]|[[ZE Records|ZE]]|[[Beggars Banquet Records|Beggars Banquet]]|Opal|[[Warner Records|Warner Bros.]]|[[Hannibal Records|Hannibal]]|[[EMI Records|EMI]]|[[Table of the Elements]]|[[Double Six Records|Double Six]]|[[Domino Recording Company|Domino]]}}
| past_member_of    = {{hlist|[[The Velvet Underground]]|[[Theatre of Eternal Music]]}}
| website           = {{URL|john-cale.com}}
}}
'''John Davies Cale''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|OBE}} (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, and record producer who was a founding member of the American [[Rock music|rock]] band [[the Velvet Underground]]. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various styles in rock, [[drone music|drone]], [[classical music|classical]], [[Avant-garde music|avant-garde]] and [[electronic music]].<ref name="Guardianmb">{{cite web|last1=Beaumont|first1=Mark|title=John Cale and Liam Young review – Cale's drones outshine Young's flying bots in sinister vision of the future|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/sep/14/john-cale-liam-young-cale-drone-bot-sinister-future|website=[[The Guardian]]|date=14 September 2014|access-date=30 July 2016}}</ref>

John Cale studied music at [[Goldsmiths, University of London|Goldsmiths College]] before moving in 1963 to [[New York City]], where he performed as part of the [[Theatre of Eternal Music]] and formed the Velvet Underground. Since leaving the band in 1968, Cale has released seventeen solo [[Album#Studio|studio albums]], including ''[[Paris 1919 (album)|Paris 1919]]'' (1973), ''[[Fear (John Cale album)|Fear]]'' (1974) and ''[[Music for a New Society]]'' (1982). Cale has worked as a record producer on albums by artists including [[Nico]], [[the Stooges]], [[the Modern Lovers]] and [[Patti Smith]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/event/music/169729239/john-cale-the-return-of-an-underground-icon|title=John Cale: The Return of an Underground Icon|work=[[NPR]]|access-date=16 May 2018|language=en}}</ref>

== Early life and career ==
John Davies Cale was born on 9 March 1942 in the coal mining village of [[Garnant]], [[Carmarthenshire]], Wales to Will Cale, a miner, and Margaret Davies, a [[primary school]] teacher.<ref name="sed24">Mitchell, Tim ''Sedition and Alchemy: A Biography of John Cale'', 2003, p. 24</ref> His father spoke only English, while his mother also spoke and taught [[Welsh language|Welsh]] to Cale. He began learning English at primary school, at around the age of seven.<ref name="sed24"/> Cale was [[Child sexual abuse|molested]] by two different men during his youth: an [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] priest who molested him in a church and a music teacher.<ref name="sed24"/><ref name="basement">[http://www.markmordue.com/2010/02/cold-black-style-john-cale-interview.html Cold, Black Style: The John Cale Interview], markmordue.com; accessed 3 January 2018. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101121123/http://www.markmordue.com/2010/02/cold-black-style-john-cale-interview.html |date=1 January 2011 }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/john-cale-being-homeless-nearly-11393446|title=John Cale on why Bowie's death made him never want to give up|first=Nathan|last=Bevan|date=28 May 2016|website=walesonline.co.uk|access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref> He played organ at [[Ammanford]] church. The [[BBC]] recorded Cale playing a [[toccata]] he composed, which some commentators compared to the work of [[Aram Khachaturian]].

Having discovered a talent for [[viola]], Cale joined the [[National Youth Orchestra of Wales]] (NYOW) at age 13.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Cale|first=John|title=What's Welsh for Zen : the autobiography of John Cale|date=2000|publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing|Bloomsbury]]|others=Victor Bockris|isbn=1-58234-068-4|edition=1st U.S.|location=New York|pages=|oclc=43468904}}</ref> Receiving a scholarship, he then studied music at [[Goldsmiths, University of London|Goldsmiths College]], [[University of London]].<ref name=":0" /> While he was there he organised an early [[Fluxus]] concert, ''A Little Festival of New Music'', on 6 July 1963. He also contributed to the short film ''Police Car'' and had two scores published in ''Fluxus Preview Review'' (July 1963) for the nascent avant-garde collective. He conducted the first performance in the UK of Cage's ''Concert for Piano and Orchestra'', with the English composer and pianist [[Michael Garrett (composer)|Michael Garrett]] as soloist. In 1963, he travelled to the United States to continue his musical training with the assistance and influence of American composer [[Aaron Copland]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/music/john-cale-2|title=John Cale interview|website=Time Out New York|language=en|access-date=22 May 2018|archive-date=22 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180522181307/https://www.timeout.com/newyork/music/john-cale-2|url-status=dead}}</ref> who recommended him for [[Tanglewood]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Luhrssen |first1=David |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=phsIDgAAQBAJ |title=Encyclopedia of Classic Rock |last2=Larson |first2=Michael |date=2017-02-24 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-4408-3514-8 |language=en}}</ref>

Upon arriving in [[New York City]], Cale met a number of influential composers. On 9 September 1963, he participated, along with [[John Cage]] and several others, in an 18-hour and 40 minute piano-playing marathon that was the first full-length performance of [[Erik Satie]]'s "[[Vexations#First public performance|Vexations]]". After the performance Cale appeared on the television panel show ''[[I've Got a Secret]]''. Cale's secret was that he had performed in an 18-hour concert, and he was accompanied by Karl Schenzer, whose secret was that he was the only member of the audience who had stayed for the duration.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{YouTube|TYHIqMmtS-0|John Cale on ''I've Got a Secret''}}</ref>{{better source needed|reason=isn't this a copyright violation?|date=November 2019}} Cale would later attribute his own "relaxed" artistic outlook to Cage, having hitherto been raised to believe that European composers were obliged to justify their work.

During this period, Cale also played in composer [[La Monte Young]]'s [[Theatre of Eternal Music]]. The [[drone music|drone]]-based music he played there influenced aspects of his later work with [[the Velvet Underground]]. One of his collaborators on these recordings was the future Velvet Underground guitarist [[Sterling Morrison]]. Three albums of Cale's early experimental work from this period were released in 2001.

== The Velvet Underground (1964–1968) ==
{{Main|The Velvet Underground}}

{{BLP sources section|date=January 2018}}
Cale had enjoyed and followed rock music as well as avant-garde and European art music from a young age.<ref name="auto">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=99VPNgEz81QC&pg=PA53|title=White Light/White Heat: The Velvet Underground Day by Day|first=Richie|last=Unterberger|date=1 June 2009|publisher=Jawbone Press|isbn=9781906002220}}</ref>

Earlier that year, he co-founded the Velvet Underground with [[Lou Reed]], recruiting his flatmate [[Angus MacLise]] and Reed's college friend Sterling Morrison to complete the initial line-up. Just before the band's first paying gig for $75 at [[Summit High School (New Jersey)|Summit High School]] in [[New Jersey]], MacLise abruptly quit the band because he viewed accepting money for art as [[selling out]]; he was replaced by [[Moe Tucker]] as the band's drummer.<ref>{{cite magazine
| url        = https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/lou-reed-biography-excerpt-birth-of-the-velvet-underground-w505832
| title      = Inside the Birth of the Velvet Underground
| magazine   = [[Rolling Stone]]
| last1      = DeCurtis
| first1     = Anthony
| date       = 2 October 2017
}}</ref> Initially hired to play that one show, she soon became a permanent member and her style became an integral part of the band's music, despite the initial objections of Cale to the band having a female drummer.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bockris|first1=Victor|title=Transformer: The Lou Reed Story|date=1994|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|location=New York, NY|isbn=0-684-80366-6|pages=[https://archive.org/details/transformerlour000bock/page/99 99], 101|quote=Cale, horrified by the mere suggestion that a 'chick' should play in their great group, had to be placated by the promise that it was strictly temporary.|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/transformerlour000bock}}</ref>

On a visit to Britain in 1965, Cale procured records by [[the Kinks]], [[the Who]] and the [[Small Faces]] that had remained unavailable in the United States and shopped a crudely recorded acoustic Velvet Underground demo tape to several luminaries in the British rock scene (including [[Marianne Faithfull]]) with the intention of securing a [[recording contract]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name="auto" /> Although this failed to manifest, the tape was disseminated throughout the [[UK underground]] over the following eighteen months by such figures as record producer [[Joe Boyd]] and [[Mick Farren]] of [[The Deviants (band)|the Deviants]]. As a result, the Deviants, [[the Yardbirds]] and [[David Bowie]] had all covered Velvet Underground songs prior to the release of their debut studio album in 1967.<ref name="auto"/>

The very first commercially available recording of the Velvet Underground, an instrumental track called "Loop" given away with the Pop Art issue of ''[[Aspen (magazine)|Aspen]]'' magazine, was a [[Audio feedback|feedback]] experiment written and conducted by Cale. His creative relationship with Reed was integral to the sound of the Velvet Underground's first two studio albums, ''[[The Velvet Underground & Nico]]'' (recorded in 1966, released in 1967) and ''[[White Light/White Heat]]'' (recorded in 1967, released in 1968).<ref name=":0" /> On these albums he plays viola, bass guitar and piano, and sings occasional backing vocals. ''White Light/White Heat'' (1968) also features Cale on electric organ (on "[[Sister Ray]]") as well as two lead vocal performances: "[[Lady Godiva's Operation]]", where he shares lead vocal duties with Reed, and "[[The Gift (The Velvet Underground song)|The Gift]]", a long spoken word piece written by Reed during his time at [[Syracuse University]].<ref name=":0" /> Cale co-wrote the music to several songs and played an electrically amplified viola on early recordings. He also played [[celesta]] on "[[Sunday Morning (The Velvet Underground song)|Sunday Morning]]". Cale also played on [[Nico]]'s debut studio album, ''[[Chelsea Girl (album)|Chelsea Girl]]'' (1967), which includes songs co-written by Velvet Underground members Cale, Reed and Morrison, who also appear as musicians.<ref name=":0" /> Cale makes his debut as lyricist on "Winter Song" "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams", and "Little Sister".<ref name=":0" />

With tensions between Reed and Cale growing, Reed gave an ultimatum to Morrison and Tucker, declaring that unless Cale was fired, he would quit the band. Morrison and Tucker reluctantly went along with the scheme.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-velvet-underground-mn0000840402/biography|title=The Velvet Underground – Biography & History|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=3 January 2018}}</ref>

In September 1968, Cale played his final gig with the Velvet Underground at the [[Boston Tea Party (concert venue)|Boston Tea Party]]. According to Tucker, "When John left, it was really sad. I felt really bad. And of course, this was gonna really influence the music, 'cause, John's a lunatic (laughs). I think we became a little more normal, which was fine, it was good music, good songs, it was never the same though. It was good stuff, a lot of good songs, but, just, the lunacy factor was... gone."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://werksman.home.xs4all.nl/cale/bio/1968.html|title=Timeline John Cale – 1968|website=Werksman.home.xs4all.nl|access-date=3 January 2018}}</ref> After his dismissal from the band, Cale was replaced by [[Boston]]-based musician [[Doug Yule]], who played bass guitar and keyboards and would soon share lead vocal duties in the band with Reed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/doug-yule-mn0000167684/biography|title=Doug Yule – Biography & History|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=3 January 2018}}</ref>

Michael Carlucci, who was friends with [[Robert Quine]], has given this explanation about Cale's dismissal, "Lou told Quine that the reason why he had to get rid of Cale in the band was Cale's ideas were just too out there. Cale had some wacky ideas. He wanted to record the next album with the amplifiers underwater, and [Lou] just couldn't have it. He was trying to make the band more accessible."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.richieunterberger.com/vumyth.html|title=Vumyth|access-date=3 January 2018|website=Richieunterberger.com}}</ref>

Some commentators argue that frictions between Cale and Reed influenced the band's early sound.{{Citation needed|date=September 2025}} The pair often had heated disagreements about the direction of the band, and this tension was central to their later collaborations. When Cale left, he seemed to take the more experimental tendencies with him, as is noticeable in comparing the proto-[[noise rock]] of ''White Light/White Heat'' (which Cale co-created) to the comparatively dulcet, [[folk rock]]–influenced ''[[The Velvet Underground (album)|The Velvet Underground]]'' (1969), recorded after his departure.{{OR|date=February 2025}}

Cale has favorably compared the dissonance of his Velvet Underground compositions to the indecipherable lyricism of certain strains of [[Southern hip-hop]]: "If I can use out-of-tune stuff, [rappers] don't need words to make sense. There's definitely a lineage".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/11/arts/music/velvet-underground-experience-john-cale.html|title=A Walk Through Velvet Underground History With John Cale|last=Chow|first=Andrew R.|date=11 October 2018|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=19 July 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

Cale briefly returned to the Velvet Underground in 1970, albeit in the studio only: he played organ<ref>Fricke, David. Liner notes to the ''Loaded: Fully Loaded Edition'' CD, 1997</ref> on the track "Ocean" during the practice sessions to produce [[Demo (music)|demos]] for the band's fourth studio album ''[[Loaded (Velvet Underground album)|Loaded]]'', nearly two years after he left the band.<ref name=":0" /> He was enticed back into the studio by the band's manager, [[Steve Sesnick]], "in a half-hearted attempt to reunite old comrades", as Cale put it.<ref>Fricke, David. Liner notes to the ''[[Peel Slowly and See]]'' [[box set]], 1995</ref> Although he does not appear on the finished album, the demo recording of "Ocean" was included in the 1997 ''Loaded: Fully Loaded Edition'' CD re-issue. Finally, five previously unreleased tracks recorded in late 1967 and early 1968 were included on the compilation albums ''[[VU (album)|VU]]'' (1985) and ''[[Another View]]'' (1986).

== Solo career ==
{{BLP sources section|date=January 2018}}

=== 1970s ===
After leaving the Velvet Underground, Cale worked as a record producer and arranger on a number of studio albums, most notably [[the Stooges]]' highly influential 1969 [[The Stooges (album)|self-titled debut]] and a trilogy by Nico, including ''[[The Marble Index]]'' (1968), ''[[Desertshore]]'' (1970) and ''[[The End...]]'' (1974).<ref name=":0" /> On these he accompanied Nico's voice and [[Pump organ|harmonium]] using a wide array of instruments to unusual effect. While meeting with Joe Boyd (who co-produced ''Desertshore''), he came across [[Nick Drake]]'s music and insisted on collaborating with the fledgling artist. He appeared on Drake's second studio album, ''[[Bryter Layter]]'' (1971), playing viola and [[harpsichord]] on "Fly" and piano, organ, and celesta on "[[Northern Sky]]".

In addition to working as a record producer, Cale initiated a solo recording career in early 1970. His debut studio album, ''[[Vintage Violence]]'' (1970), incorporated elements associated with roots rock and has been compared by critics to work by the [[the Band]], [[Leonard Cohen]], [[the Byrds]], [[Phil Spector]] and [[Brian Wilson]].<ref name=":0" /> The more experimental ''[[Church of Anthrax]]'' (a collaboration with composer [[Terry Riley]]) followed in February 1971, although it was actually recorded nearly a year prior to its release.<ref name=":0" /> While his explorations in art music briefly continued with 1972's ''[[The Academy in Peril]]'', he would not compose in the classical mode thereafter until he began working on film soundtracks in the 1980s.

In 1972, he signed with au courant [[Reprise Records]] as a recording artist and staff producer. ''The Academy in Peril'' (1972) was his first project for Reprise. The subsequent ''[[Paris 1919 (album)|Paris 1919]]'' (1973) steered back towards the singer-songwriter mode of ''Vintage Violence'' (1970) with a backing band that included [[Lowell George]] of [[Little Feat]] and [[Wilton Felder]] of [[The Crusaders (jazz fusion group)|the Crusaders]], as well as the [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]] Symphony Orchestra.<ref name=":0" /> Composed of highly melodic songs with arcane and complex lyrics, it has been cited by critics as one of his best.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/paris-1919-mw0000100610|title=Paris 1919 – John Cale – Songs, Reviews, Credits – AllMusic|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=4 January 2018}}</ref>

While affiliated with the label, he produced studio albums by [[Jennifer Warnes]] (her third, ''[[Jennifer (album)|Jennifer]]''), [[Lauren Wood|Chunky, Novi & Ernie]], and the [[The Modern Lovers (album)|self-titled debut]] of [[the Modern Lovers]], which Reprise chose not to release; it subsequently appeared on [[Beserkley Records]], the latest in a series of important Cale-produced [[proto-punk]] records. In 1974, he signed a recording contract with [[Island Records]] as an artist, while continuing to produce a variety of artists, mostly for other labels, including [[Squeeze (band)|Squeeze]], [[Patti Smith]] and [[Sham 69]]. He worked as a talent scout with Island's [[Artists and repertoire|A&R]] department.

==== 1974–1979 ====
[[File:John Cale 1.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Cale performing live in [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Canada, 1977]]
In 1974, Cale moved back to [[London]].<ref name=":0" /> As his second marriage had begun to dissolve, he made a series of solo studio albums which moved in a new direction.<ref name=":0" /> His records now featured a dark and threatening aura, often carrying a sense of barely suppressed aggression. A trilogy of studio albums – ''[[Fear (John Cale album)|Fear]]'' (1974), ''[[Slow Dazzle (album)|Slow Dazzle]]'' (1975), and ''[[Helen of Troy (album)|Helen of Troy]]'' (1975) – were rapidly recorded and released over the course of about a year with other Island artists, including [[Phil Manzanera]] and [[Brian Eno]] of [[Roxy Music]] and [[Chris Spedding]], who played in his live band. One notable element of his concerts from the era was his transformed [[cover version|cover]] of [[Elvis Presley]]'s 1956 song "[[Heartbreak Hotel]]",<ref name=":0" /> performed on ''Slow Dazzle'' (1975) and on the live album ''[[June 1, 1974]]'', recorded with [[Kevin Ayers]], Nico and Eno. Both "Leaving It Up to You" and "Fear Is a Man's Best Friend" (from ''Fear'') begin as relatively conventional songs that gradually grow more paranoid in tone before breaking down into what critic [[Dave Thompson (author)|Dave Thompson]] calls "a morass of discordance and screaming".<ref name=":0" /><ref name="allmusic.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/fear-is-a-mans-best-friend-mt0003805909|title=Fear Is a Man's Best Friend – John Cale – Song Info – AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=4 January 2018}}</ref>

Cale released ''[[Animal Justice (extended play)|Animal Justice]]'' in 1977, an [[extended play]] (EP) notable particularly for the epic "Hedda Gabler" based very loosely on the [[Hedda Gabler|1891 play of the same name]] by the Norwegian playwright [[Henrik Ibsen]]. His loud, abrasive and confrontational live performances fitted well with the [[punk rock]] scene developing on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Cale took to wearing a [[goaltender mask|hockey goaltender mask]] onstage (as evinced by the cover of his 1977 compilation album ''[[Guts (John Cale album)|Guts]]'',<ref name=":0" /> a compilation drawn from the Island trilogy after the label withheld ''Helen of Troy'' (1975) in the United States); this look predated the creation of [[Jason Voorhees]], the fictional character and the antagonist of the ''[[Friday the 13th (franchise)|Friday the 13th]]'' franchise by several years. During one concert in [[Croydon]], [[south London]], Cale chopped the head off a dead chicken with a meat cleaver, leading his band to walk offstage in protest.<ref name=":0" /> Cale's drummer – a [[Vegetarianism|vegetarian]] – was so bothered he quit the band.<ref name=":0" /> Cale mocks his decision on "Chicken Shit" from the ''Animal Justice'' EP. Cale has admitted that some of his paranoia and erratic behaviour at this time was associated with heavy [[cocaine]] use.<ref name="sed">Mitchell, Tim ''Sedition and Alchemy : A Biography of John Cale'', 2003, {{ISBN|0-7206-1132-6}}</ref>

Also in 1977, Cale produced "[[I Don't Wanna (Sham 69 song)|I Don't Wanna]]", the debut single by punk rock band Sham 69.

In 1978, Cale produced the majority of Squeeze's debut studio album ''[[Squeeze (Squeeze album)|Squeeze]]'', with Cale instructing the band to discard all of the songs that the band had written up until that point, and to write new songs instead, with [[Glenn Tilbrook]], and [[Chris Difford]] finding the process of working with Cale both frustrating and challenging.<ref>Bud Scoppa with Darryl Morden Music Connection, 25 January 1988</ref> Also that year he played keyboards on [[Julie Covington]]'s cover version of [[Alice Cooper]]'s 1975 song "[[Only Women Bleed]]", which peaked at No. 12 on the [[UK singles chart]].

In 1979, he began a relationship with [[Austin, Texas]]-based [[groupie]] and journalist [[Margaret Moser]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13406786/|title=They Used to Play Rocking Roles|last=Goldberg|first=Stephanie|date=16 October 2002|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|access-date=28 August 2017|page=7C|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Cale named the group of women that Moser hung out with the Texas Blondes.<ref name=":12">{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2017/06/22/533785361/margaret-moser-queen-of-austin-is-dancing-in-the-light|title=Margaret Moser, Queen of Austin, Is Dancing in the Light|last=Patoski|first=Joe Nick|date=22 June 2017|work=NPR|access-date=28 August 2017}}</ref><ref name=":32">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13406651|title=They Used to Play Rockin' Roles|last=Goldberg|first=Stephanie|date=16 October 2002|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=28 August 2017|page=1C|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> His relationship with Moser lasted about five years, overlapping with the beginning of his third marriage.<ref name=":12"/><ref name=":32"/>

In December 1979, Cale's embrace of the punk rock ethic that he helped to inspire culminated in the release of ''[[Sabotage/Live]]''. This record, recorded live over three nights, at [[CBGB]] in [[Manhattan]], New York that June, features aggressive vocal and instrumental performances.<ref name=":0" /> The album consists entirely of new songs, many of which grapple confrontationally with global politics, militarism and paranoia.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

Also in 1979, Cale played piano and the [[ARP Instruments|ARP]] synthesizer on the track "Bastard" by [[Ian Hunter (singer)|Ian Hunter]] of [[Mott the Hoople]], on his fourth solo studio album ''[[You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic]]''.

The band included Deerfrance on vocals and percussion.<ref name=":0" /> An earlier live set, consisting mostly of new material, was recorded at CBGB the previous year. It was released in 1987 as ''[[Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (John Cale album)|Even Cowgirls Get the Blues]]''. The band on that recording includes [[Ivan Král]] (best known for his work with Patti Smith) on bass and longtime Brian Eno associate [[Judy Nylon]] providing vocals, and narrating.

=== 1980s ===
[[File:John Cale 1980.jpg|thumb|right|Cale performing in [[Toronto]], Canada, 1980]]
In 1980, Cale signed a recording contract with [[A&M Records]] and moved in a more commercial direction with his seventh solo studio album ''[[Honi Soit (album)|Honi Soit]]'' (1981).<ref name=":0" /> He worked with record producer [[Mike Thorne]] towards this end.<ref>Thorne, Michael. [http://www.stereosociety.com/honisoit.html The making of John Cale's Honi Soit album] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070711130825/http://www.stereosociety.com/honisoit.html |date=11 July 2007 }}, stereosociety.com; accessed 3 January 2018.</ref> [[Andy Warhol]] provided the cover art, in black and white, but against Warhol's wishes, Cale colourised it.<ref name=":0" /> The new direction did not succeed commercially, however, and his relationship with A&M ended.<ref name=":0" /> He signed with [[ZE Records]], a company he had influenced the creation of and which had absorbed [[SPY Records]],<ref name=":0" /> the label he had co-founded with Jane Friedman. In 1982, Cale released the sparse studio album ''[[Music for a New Society]]''.<ref name=":0" /> Seeming to blend the refined music of his early solo work with the threatening music that came later, it is by any standard a bleak, harrowing record. It's been called "understated, and perhaps a masterpiece."<ref name="allmusic.com"/>

He followed it up with his ninth solo studio album ''[[Caribbean Sunset]]'' (1984), also on ZE Records. The album features contributions from Brian Eno and an otherwise "young unknown" band, that consisted of [[David Young (guitarist)|David Young]] on guitar, [[Andrew Heermans]] on bass guitar, and David Lichtenstein (son of artist [[Roy Lichtenstein]]) on drums. This work, with much more accessible production than on ''Music for a New Society'' (1982), was still extremely militant in some ways. ''Caribbean Sunset'' became Cale's only studio album to chart on the [[Dutch Album Top 100]], peaking at No. 28.<ref>{{cite web |title=Discografie John Cale |url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=John+Cale |access-date=20 July 2022 |website=Dutch Charts|language=nl }}</ref> However, it received negative reviews from critics, and has never been released on CD.

A live album, ''[[John Cale Comes Alive]]'' (1984), followed ''Caribbean Sunset'' and included two new studio songs, "Ooh La La"<ref name=":0" /> and "Never Give Up on You". Different mixes of the two studio tracks appeared on both sides of the Atlantic. During this period, Eden Cale was born to Cale and his third wife Risé Irushalmi in July 1985.<ref name=":0" />

In a last-ditch attempt at commercial success, Cale recorded ''[[Artificial Intelligence (John Cale album)|Artificial Intelligence]]'' (1985), his only studio album for [[Beggars Banquet Records]]. With all of its tracks written in collaboration with ''[[High Times]]'' and ''[[National Lampoon (magazine)|National Lampoon]]'' editor [[Larry Sloman|Larry "Ratso" Sloman]] (who had previously co-written two tracks on ''Caribbean Sunset''),<ref name=":0" /> the album was a pop effort characterised by prominent use of [[synthesizer]]s and [[drum machine]]s. Commercially, the album did not match the success of some earlier releases; the single 'Satellite Walk' was relatively successful. Some critics have singled out 'Dying on the Vine' as a notable track. That same year, he played a [[Neo-Nazism|neo-Nazi]] organizer on an episode of the American action crime drama television series ''[[The Equalizer (1985 TV series)|The Equalizer]]'', and wrote the music for a dramatisation of the [[Kurt Vonnegut]] short story, ''[[Who Am I This Time? (film)|Who Am I This Time?]]'' (1982), which aired on [[PBS]] and starred [[Christopher Walken]] and [[Susan Sarandon]].

Cale again returned to record producing, producing Belgian pop singer [[Lio (singer)|Lio]]'s third studio album ''[[Pop model]]'' (1986), and [[Happy Mondays]]'s debut studio album, ''[[Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out)]]'' (1987). Other albums that he produced during this time were [[Element of Crime]]'s second studio album ''Try to Be Mensch'' (1987), and [[Art Bergmann]]'s debut solo studio album ''[[Crawl with Me]]'' (1988).

In part because of raising his young daughter, Cale took a long break from recording and performing. He made a comeback in 1989 with the Brian Eno-produced studio album ''[[Words for the Dying]]''.<ref name=":0" /> The album consists mainly of oral work, read or sung by Cale. It was written in 1982 as a response to the Anglo-Argentinian [[Falklands War]], using poems written by fellow Welshman [[Dylan Thomas]]. There are also two orchestral interludes, two other solo piano pieces "Songs Without Words", and finally a song by Cale, "The Soul of [[Carmen Miranda]]".

=== 1990s ===
Following Warhol's death in 1987, Cale again collaborated with Lou Reed on the 1990 studio album ''[[Songs for Drella]]'', a [[song cycle]] about Warhol, their mentor.<ref name=":0" /> The album marked an end to a 18-year estrangement from Reed. In his autobiography, Cale revealed that he resented letting Reed take charge of the project. The longstanding friction between Reed and Cale contributed to the passion and lurching frustration evident in the sound of the album, as did the ambivalent relationship Reed had to Warhol. Nevertheless, that same year, following a 20-year hiatus, the Velvet Underground reformed for a [[Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain|Fondation Cartier]] benefit show in [[Paris]], France.<ref name=":0" /> This led to a reunion tour in Europe 1993, and the live album ''[[Live MCMXCIII]]''.

Cale again collaborated with Brian Eno, also in 1990, ''[[Wrong Way Up]]'', a collaboration album characterised by an up-tempo accessibility at odds with Cale's description of the fraught relationship between the pair.<ref name=":0" /> The following year, Cale contributed a cover version of the 1984 song "[[Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen song)|Hallelujah]]" to the Leonard Cohen tribute album ''[[I'm Your Fan]]''. His mid-tempo, piano arrangement formed the basis of most subsequent cover versions of the song, which has since become a [[Standard (music)|standard]].<ref>[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/leonard-cohen-asks-for-brief-halt-to-new-covers-of-hallelujah-20090710 Leonard Cohen Asks for Brief Halt to New Covers of "Hallelujah"] ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. Retrieved 25 November 2011</ref>

In 1992, he performed vocals on two songs, "Hunger" and "First Evening", on French composer and record producer [[Hector Zazou]]'s [[concept album]], ''[[Sahara Blue]]''. All lyrics on the album were based on the poetry of [[Arthur Rimbaud]]. In 1994, Cale performed a spoken-word duet with [[folk rock]] singer [[Suzanne Vega]] on the song "The Long Voyage" on Zazou's studio album ''[[Chansons des mers froides]]''. The lyrics were based on the poem "Les Silhouettes" by the Irish author [[Oscar Wilde]], and Cale co-wrote the music with Zazou. It was later released as a single (retitled "The Long Voyages" as it featured several remixes by Zazou, [[Mad Professor]] and more).

In 1996, he played piano on "Love to Die For" by [[Marc Almond]] of [[Soft Cell]], from his ninth solo studio album ''[[Fantastic Star]]''. He also produced Scottish alternative rock band [[Goya Dress]]'s debut studio album ''[[Rooms (album)|Rooms]]''.

That same year, Cale released ''[[Walking on Locusts]]''<ref name=":0" /> which turned out to be his only solo studio album of the decade. The record featured appearances by [[Talking Heads]]' [[David Byrne]],<ref name=":0" /> the [[Soldier String Quartet]], and original Velvet Underground drummer Moe Tucker. Throughout the rest of the 1990s, he worked primarily as a record producer or contributor to other's recordings.

Cale composed an instrumental score for a ballet titled ''Nico'', performed by the Scapino Ballet in [[Rotterdam]],  [[Holland]] in October 1997 and was released as ''[[Dance Music (album)|Dance Music]]'' (1998). Cale has written a number of film [[soundtrack]]s, often using more [[Classical music|classically]] influenced instrumentation.

In 1998, Cale mainly spent the year on tour with singer [[Siouxsie Sioux]], formerly of [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]]. In February, he was the curator of one day festival called With a Little Help from My Friends that took place at the [[Paradiso (Amsterdam)|Paradiso]] in [[Amsterdam]], Netherlands, with the presence of the [[Metropole Orkest|Metropole Orchestra]].<ref name=paradiso>Mojo, September 1998, Martin Aston, p.22</ref> The concert was shown on Dutch national television and featured a song specially composed for the event and still unreleased, "Murdering Mouth", sung in [[duet]] with Siouxsie and her second band [[the Creatures]].<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/sKdZqyobGTo Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20200710143225/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKdZqyobGTo&t=4557s Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKdZqyobGTo&t=4557s|title=Video of John Cale & Siouxsie / The Creatures "Murdering Mouth" (With a Little Help From My Friends) festival|via=[[YouTube]]|date=25 February 1988|access-date=2 July 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Cale and Siouxsie then did a double bill tour in the US for two months from late June until mid-August,<ref>{{cite web|first=Sandy|last=Masuo|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jul-16-ca-4346-story.html|title=Inventive, Spirited Show|work=Los Angeles Times|date=16 July 1998|access-date=2 July 2018}}<br />{{cite web|url=https://www.mtv.com/news/1433686/siouxsie-budgie-and-john-cale-hitting-the-road/|title=Siouxsie and John Cale Hitting the Road|website=Mtv.com|date=1 June 1998|access-date=2 July 2018|archive-date=9 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809025829/http://www.mtv.com/news/1433686/siouxsie-budgie-and-john-cale-hitting-the-road/|url-status=dead}}<br />{{cite web |first=David |last=Gill |url=https://www.mtv.com/news/400173/creatures-creep-through-a-night-of-seductive-rock/ |title=Creatures Creep Through a Night of Seductive Rock |website=Mtv.com |date=30 June 1998 |access-date=12 December 2019 |archive-date=24 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200224232625/http://www.mtv.com/news/400173/creatures-creep-through-a-night-of-seductive-rock/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> both artists collaborating on stage on several songs including a version of the Velvet Underground's "[[Venus in Furs (song)|Venus in Furs]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMdZ7-YJRC8&list=RDMMdZ7-YJRC8&start_radio=1|title=Siouxsie – The Creatures with John Cale – Venus in Furs – video Live USA June 1998, Sacramento, Crest Theater|date=7 February 2009 |via=[[YouTube]]|access-date=2 September 2019}}<br />{{cite news|first=Sandy
|last=Masuo |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jul-16-ca-4346-story.html|title=Cale, Creatures Display Range in Inventive, Spirited Show |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=16 July 1998|access-date=12 December 2019}}</ref>

Cale's [[autobiography]], ''What's Welsh for Zen?'', was written in collaboration with [[Victor Bockris]] and published in 1999 by [[Bloomsbury Publishing]].

=== 2000s ===
[[File:Johncale-ucla09302010.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Cale performing at [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]]'s [[Royce Hall]] in [[Los Angeles, California]], 2010]]
Cale had recorded a cover version of "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen for the tribute album ''I'm Your Fan'' (1991). Cohen's original version of the song had not garnered much interest; it was only through Cale's arrangement and recording of it (and [[Jeff Buckley]]'s subsequent cover of Cale's arrangement) that it achieved popularity.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/john-cale-leonard-cohen-hallelujah/|title=Without John Cale, Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' would've been forgotten'|last=Whatley|first=Jack|date=9 March 2020|work=Far Out Magazine}}</ref> It was used in the 2001 animated film ''[[Shrek]]'', although it did not appear in the film's soundtrack due to licensing issues.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbcmusic.ca/posts/17727/john-cale-hallelujah-leonard-cohen|title=How John Cale recorded the definitive version of 'Hallelujah'|last=Dekel|first=Jon|date=8 December 2016|work=CBC Music}}</ref>

In 2002, Cale played piano and sang vocals on the track "Don't Pretend" by [[Gordon Gano]] of [[Violent Femmes]], from his debut solo studio album ''[[Hitting the Ground]]''.

Signing to [[EMI Records]] in 2003 with the EP ''[[5 Tracks]]'' and studio album ''[[HoboSapiens]]'', Cale again returned as a regular recording artist, this time with music influenced by modern [[electronica]] and [[alternative rock]]. The well-received album was co-produced with [[Nick Franglen]] of [[Lemon Jelly]]. It was followed by his 2005 studio album ''[[blackAcetate]]''.

In 2005, Cale produced Austin, Texas singer-songwriter [[Alejandro Escovedo]]'s eighth studio album, ''[[The Boxing Mirror]]'', which was released in May 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2006/04/17/escovedo-saves-his-best-for-cale-produced-the-boxing-mirror/|title=Escovedo saves his best for Cale-produced 'The Boxing Mirror'|last1=Kot|first1=Greg|date=17 April 2006|website=[[Chicago Tribune]]|access-date=28 June 2014}}</ref> In June 2006, Cale released a radio and digital single, "Jumbo in tha Modernworld", which was a standalone single. A [[music video]] was created for the song as well.

In February 2007, a 23-song live retrospective, ''[[Circus Live]]'', was released in Europe. This two-disc album, composed of recordings from both the 2004 and 2006 tours, featured new arrangements and reworkings of songs from his entire career. Of particular interest is the ''Amsterdam Suite'', a set of songs from a performance at the Amsterdam Paradiso in 2004.<ref>Archived by the venue on their [http://www.fabchannel.com/john_cale Internet performance repository]</ref> A studio-created drone has been edited into these songs. The set also included a DVD, featuring electric rehearsal material and a short acoustic set, as well as the video for "Jumbo in tha Modernworld", a 2006 single.

In May 2007, Cale contributed a cover version of the song "[[All My Friends (LCD Soundsystem song)|All My Friends]]" by [[LCD Soundsystem]] to the vinyl and digital single releases of the LCD Soundsystem original. Cale has continued to work with other artists, contributing viola to ''[[Replica Sun Machine]]'', the [[Danger Mouse (musician)|Danger Mouse]]-produced second studio album by London [[alternative pop]] trio [[the Shortwave Set]] and producing the second studio album of American [[indie rock|indie]] band [[Ambulance LTD]].

On 11 October 2008, Cale hosted an event to pay tribute to Nico called Life Along the Borderline in celebration of what, five days later, would have been her 70th birthday.<ref>{{cite web|title=A Tribute to Nico – Live Event Featuring John Cale, Lisa Gerrard, Mark Lanegan, Soap&Skin and more at the Royal Festival Hall in London, England|website=LineOfBestFit.com|date=22 September 2008|url=http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/2008/10/a-tribute-to-nico-live-event-featuring-john-cale-mark-lanegan-sparklehorse-and-more-at-the-royal-festival-hall|access-date=2 February 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011085123/http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/2008/10/a-tribute-to-nico-live-event-featuring-john-cale-mark-lanegan-sparklehorse-and-more-at-the-royal-festival-hall|archive-date=11 October 2008}}</ref> The event was reprised at the Teatro Communale in [[Ferrara]], Italy on 10 May 2009.

Cale represented Wales at the 2009 [[Venice Biennale]] exhibition, collaborating with artists, filmmakers, and poets, and focusing the artwork on his relationship with the Welsh language.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

=== 2010s ===
In January 2010, Cale was invited to be the first Eminent Art in Residence (EAR) at the [[Mona Foma]] festival curated by [[Brian Ritchie]] of the Violent Femmes held in [[Hobart]], [[Tasmania]], Australia. His work for the 2009 Venice Biennale 'Dyddiau Du (dark days)'<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artlink.com.au/articles/3386/mona-foma|title=MONA FOMA – Blak on blak|website=Artlink.com.au|access-date=3 January 2018|archive-date=19 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170419094736/https://www.artlink.com.au/articles/3386/mona-foma/|url-status=dead}}</ref> was shown at the festival, along with a number of live performances at venues around Hobart.

[[File:John Cale 2010 Urban SimpleLife Festical.jpg|thumb|225px|left|Cale performing at Urban SimpleLife Festival in 2010]]

The ''Paris 1919'' (1973) studio album was performed, in its entirety, at the [[Coal Exchange]] in [[Cardiff]] on 21 November 2009, at the [[Royal Festival Hall]] in London on 5 March 2010, and the Theatre Royal in [[Norwich]] on 14 May 2010. These performances were reprised in Paris, France, on 5 September 2010; [[Brescia]], Italy, on 11 September 2010; [[Los Angeles, California]], on 30 September 2010 at [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]]'s [[Royce Hall]]; [[Melbourne]], Australia, on 16 October 2010; [[Barcelona]], Spain, on 28 May 2010 and [[Essen]], Germany, on 6 October 2011.

In October 2010, Cale released the two-disc live album ''[[Live at Rockpalast (John Cale album)|Live at Rockpalast]]'', recorded during his two shows for German music television show ''[[Rockpalast]]'' on 14 October 1984 at [[Grugahalle]], Essen (first disc; with full band) and 6 March 1983 at Zeche, [[Bochum]] (second disc; Cale solo with guitar and piano). This concert is missing "Risé, Sam and Rimsky-Korsakov" (Cale, Shepard) narrated by his then-wife Risé Irushalmi.<ref>[https://werksman.home.xs4all.nl/cale/disc/at_rockpalast.html Discography John Cale: Live At Rockpalast], Fear is a Man's Best Friend page; accessed 23 June 2019.</ref>

In February 2011, Cale signed a recording contract with [[Domino Recording Company|Domino Records]] subsidiary [[Double Six Records|Double Six]] and released an EP, ''[[Extra Playful]]'', in September 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.doublesixrecords.com/artists/john-cale|title=John Cale|website=Double Six Records|access-date=28 June 2014}}</ref>

In May 2011, he and his band appeared at the [[Brighton Festival]], performing songs to the theme of ''Émigré/Lost & Found''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://magazine.brighton.co.uk/Clubs-and-Music/Reviews/John-Cale-Reached-Heady-Musical-Heights-As-He-Mused-On-Travel-and-Homecoming-at-Brighton-Festival/21_45_3385|title=John Cale Reached Heady Musical Heights As He Mused on Travel & Homecoming @ Brighton Festival|last1=Bennett|first1=Ellie|date=25 May 2011|website=Brighton.co.uk|access-date=28 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://edenontheline.co.uk/journal/2011/5/24/john-cale.html|title=John Cale|date=24 May 2011|website=Eden on the Line|access-date=28 June 2014}}</ref> Cale appeared at the invitation of the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] winner [[Aung San Suu Kyi]], who was the festival's guest director.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.modernbricabrac.com/2011/05/festival-guide.html|title=Brighton Festival Guide|last=modernbricabrac|website=Modern Bric a Brac|access-date=10 June 2019}}</ref>

In the autumn of 2012, Cale released ''[[Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood]]'', his first studio album since 2005. The album features a collaboration with Danger Mouse, "[[I Wanna Talk 2 U]]". Critical reception of the album was mixed to positive, with ''[[The Guardian]]'' newspaper describing it as "an album that combines the 70-year-old's experience with the glee of a small child."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/sep/27/john-cale-popandrock|title=John Cale: Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood – review|last1=Simpson|first1=Dave|date=27 September 2012|website=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=13 September 2014}}</ref>

In 2014, he appeared as vendor in an episode "[[List of The Bridge (2013 TV series) episodes|Sorrowsworn]]" of the crime drama television series ''[[The Bridge (2013 TV series)|The Bridge]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tveskimo.com/2014/07/26/sharing-space-cartel-sorrowsworn-bridge|title=Sharing Space with the Cartel – Sorrowsworn (The Bridge)|date=26 July 2014|website=TV Eskimo|access-date=16 October 2014|archive-date=19 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019114422/http://www.tveskimo.com/2014/07/26/sharing-space-cartel-sorrowsworn-bridge/|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

Cale released his sixteenth solo studio album ''[[MFANS|M:FANS]]'' in January 2016. It features new versions of songs from his 1982 studio album ''Music for a New Society''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/see-john-cale-attend-dreamlike-masquerade-in-eerie-close-watch-video-20151117|title=See John Cale Attend Dreamlike Masquerade in Eerie 'Close Watch' Video|last1=Grow|first1=Kory|date=17 November 2015|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=23 January 2016|archive-date=26 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170926141032/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/see-john-cale-attend-dreamlike-masquerade-in-eerie-close-watch-video-20151117|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In July 2016, Cale performed the songs "[[Valentine's Day (David Bowie song)|Valentine's Day]]", "[[Sorrow (The McCoys song)#David Bowie version|Sorrow]]" and "[[Space Oddity]]" at a late-night [[BBC Proms|BBC Prom]] concert at the [[Royal Albert Hall]] in London, celebrating the music of David Bowie who had died earlier that year.

At the 2017 Grammy Salute to Music Legends ceremony, Cale performed with, amongst others, Moe Tucker, two Velvet Underground classics, "Sunday Morning" and "I'm Waiting for the Man". The Velvet Underground were also the recipients of the 2017 Merit Award.

In February 2019, Cale collaborated with [[Marissa Nadler]] on her new single "Poison".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/marissa-nadler-and-john-cale-team-on-new-song-poison-listen/|title=Marissa Nadler and John Cale Team on New Song "Poison": Listen|website=Pitchfork.com|date=21 February 2019|access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref>

In September 2019, he gave three concerts titled ''2019–1964: Futurespective'' at the Paris' [[Philharmonie de Paris|Philharmonie]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://philharmoniedeparis.fr/fr/activite/concert/20255-john-cale|title=John Cale|website=Philharmoniedeparis.fr|access-date=24 April 2020}}</ref> inviting his compatriot [[Cate Le Bon]] to join the band.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fr-fr.facebook.com/OfficialJohnCale/photos/a.396741823724076/2569092953155608/?type=3 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/249813671750226/2569092953155608 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |url-access=limited|title=John Cale|website=F-fr.facebook.com|access-date=24 April 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

=== 2020s ===
Cale features on the track "Corner of My Sky" from Welsh electronic musician [[Kelly Lee Owens]]' second studio album ''[[Inner Song]]'' (2020).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.musictech.net/features/interviews/kelly-lee-owens-composing-eclectic-techno-pop-djing-harnessing-gear/|title=Interview: Kelly Lee Owens on composing eclectic techno-pop and more|website=Musictech.net|date=29 May 2020|access-date=2 August 2020}}</ref>

On 6 October 2020, Cale released a standalone single and accompanying music video called "Lazy Day".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/john-cale-shares-video-for-new-song-lazy-day-watch/|title=John Cale Shares Video for New Song "Lazy Day"|first=Evan|last=Minsker|website=Pitchfork.com|date=6 October 2020|access-date=29 January 2021}}</ref>

In February 2022, Cale announced his first full UK tour in almost a decade. Cale's tour was to begin in [[Liverpool]] at the [[Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool|Philharmonic Hall]] on July 15, before calling at [[Whitley Bay]], [[York]], [[Bexhill-on-Sea|Bexhill]], [[Cambridge]] and the London Palladium, before closing out the run at [[Birmingham Town Hall]] on July 25.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/john-cale-announces-his-first-full-uk-tour-in-almost-a-decade-3168923|title=John Cale announces his first full UK tour in almost a decade|website=[[NME]]|date=24 February 2022}}</ref> However, the tour was postponed to the fall of 2022 due to some
bandmembers contracting [[COVID-19]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.songkick.com/artists/497287-john-cale | title=John Cale|website=Songkick.com | date=19 August 2023}}</ref>

In August 2022, Cale released the new track "Night Crawling", accompanied by an official animated music video by Mickey Miles. The song is a reminiscence about his friendship with [[David Bowie]] who had died in 2016. "It's been a helluva past two years and I'm glad to finally share a glimpse of what's coming ahead," Cale said in a statement. "There was this period around mid-late Seventies when David and I would run into each other in New York. There was plenty of talk about getting some work done but of course we'd end up running the streets, sometimes until we couldn't keep a thought in our heads, let alone actually get a song together!" Cale played synthesizers, bass guitar, piano and drums on the track assisted by [[The Mars Volta|Mars Volta]] drummer [[Deantoni Parks]] and guitarist [[Dustin Boyer]].<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/john-cale-night-crawling-1391029/ | title=John Cale and David Bowie Go Barhopping in Animated 'Night Crawling' Video | magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] | date=August 2022 }}</ref> On 19 October 2022, Cale released another track, titled "Story of Blood", featuring the American [[chamber pop]] singer [[Weyes Blood]]. "Noise of You" was released as the third track on 11 January 2023. All tracks are from his seventeenth studio album ''[[Mercy (John Cale album)|Mercy]]''. The album was released on 20 January 2023.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://john-cale.com/ | title=John Cale - Official Website|website=John-cale.com }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/john-cale-shares-new-single-noise-of-you-and-announces-new-album/|title=John Cale shares 'Noise of You' and announces new album|date=11 January 2023|website=Faroutmagazine.co.uk|access-date=25 January 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dominomusic.com/news/us/john-cale-shares-new-single-and-video-noise-of-you|title=John Cale shares new single and video "NOISE OF YOU" &#124; News &#124; Domino|website=Domino Recording Company|access-date=25 January 2023}}</ref>

After further postponements, Cale finished his UK tour in 2023, adding two extra dates for [[Manchester]], and [[Stroud]] later that year.

Cale released an official music video for "Pretty People" on 5 February 2024. The song is one of the 7" vinyl bonus tracks from the 2023 released ''Mercy'' album. The video was directed by Abigail Portner.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=therealjohncale|number=1754551119374639237
|title="Pretty People" exclusively from Mercy's deluxe 7"}} {{better source needed|date=April 2024}}</ref>

"How We See the Light" is the first single, accompanied by an official video, released in March 2024 and a second single and official video were released in May 2024, titled "Shark-Shark".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://music.mxdwn.com/2024/05/11/news/john-cale-shares-artistic-new-single-video-shark-shark/|title=John Cale Shares Artistic New Single & Video "Shark-Shark" |website=Music.mxdwn.com|date=11 May 2024}}</ref> The songs are from his eighteenth studio album ''[[Poptical Illusion]]'', which was released on 14 June 2024.<ref>{{cite web | title=POPtical Illusion (Exclusive Limited Double LP) | website=Domino Recording Company | url=https://www.dominomusic.com/releases/john-cale/poptical-illusion/exclusive-limited-double-lp?utm_source=johncale&utm_medium=website | access-date=27 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| last1=Corcoran | first1=Nina | title=John Cale Announces New Album Poptical Illusion, Shares Video for New Song | website=Pitchfork | date=26 March 2024 | url=https://pitchfork.com/news/john-cale-announces-new-album-poptical-illusion-shares-video-for-new-song-watch/ | access-date=27 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Ragusa | first=Paolo | title=John Cale announces new album POPtical Illusion, shares new song "How We See the Light" | website=Consequence | date=26 March 2024 | url=https://consequence.net/2024/03/john-cale-poptical-illusion-how-we-see-the-light-stream/ | access-date=27 April 2024}}</ref>

On 10 November 2025, the song "House" by [[Charli XCX]] was released, in which Cale featured and co-wrote. It was produced by [[Finn Keane]]. This was the first single from XCX's forthcoming [[soundtrack album]] to [[Emerald Fennell]]'s 2026 [[Wuthering Heights (2026 film)|film adaptation]] of [[Emily Brontë]]'s only novel ''[[Wuthering Heights]]'' (1847).

== Honours and legacy ==
Cale was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] as a member of the Velvet Underground in 1996. At the ceremony, Cale, Reed, and Tucker performed a song titled "Last Night I Said Goodbye to My Friend", dedicated to Sterling Morrison, who had died the previous August due to [[non-Hodgkin lymphoma]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/26-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-reunions-that-actually-happened-20140407/7-the-velvet-underground-1996-0317341|title=7. The Velvet Underground (1996)|last=Greene|first=Andy|date=7 April 2014|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=27 December 2019|archive-date=16 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180216025038/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/26-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-reunions-that-actually-happened-20140407/7-the-velvet-underground-1996-0317341|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Cale was appointed [[Order of the British Empire|Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] (OBE) in the [[2010 Birthday Honours]] for services to Music and to the Arts.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=59446|date=12 June 2010|page=9|supp=y}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Cale married American fashion designer [[Betsey Johnson]] in 1968.<ref name=Exclaim>{{cite news|url=http://exclaim.ca/articles/timeline.aspx?csid1=75|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115112457/http://exclaim.ca/articles/timeline.aspx?csid1=75|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 January 2013|work=[[Exclaim!]]|access-date=19 March 2009|title=John Cale, The Velvet Evolver|first=Jason|last=Schneider|date=November 2005}}</ref> The couple divorced in 1971 having been married for three years.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/john-cale-the-long-reign-of-the-alternative-prince-of-wales-1913013.html|title=John Cale: The long reign of the alternative Prince of Wales|newspaper= [[The Independent]]|access-date=3 January 2018|author=Simon Prince}}</ref>

In 1971,<ref name="timeline71">[https://werksman.home.xs4all.nl/cale/bio/1971.html Timeline – 1971], Fear is a Man's Best Friend page; accessed 16 August 2023.</ref> Cale met Cynthia "Cindy" Wells (1952–1997), better known as Miss Cinderella or Miss Cindy of [[the GTOs]],<ref name="sed82">Mitchell, Tim ''Sedition and Alchemy : A Biography of John Cale'', 2003, p. 82<!-- ISSN/ISBN, publisher needed --></ref> and they married soon afterwards. Their marriage was rocky and they divorced in 1975.<ref name="timeline75">[https://werksman.home.xs4all.nl/cale/bio/1975.html Timeline – 1975], Fear is a Man's Best Friend page; accessed 3 January 2018.</ref>

On 6 December 1981, Cale married his third wife, Risé Irushalmi and they had a daughter.<ref name="timeline81">[https://werksman.home.xs4all.nl/cale/bio/1981.html Timeline – 1981], Fear is a Man's Best Friend page; accessed 3 January 2018.</ref><ref name="timeline85">[https://werksman.home.xs4all.nl/cale/bio/1985.html Timeline – 1985], Fear is a Man's Best Friend page; accessed 3 January 2018.</ref> They divorced in 1997.<ref name="sed197">Mitchell, Tim ''Sedition and Alchemy : A Biography of John Cale'', 2003, p. 197</ref>

For his 2004 appearance on BBC Radio 4's ''[[Desert Island Discs]]'' Cale chose "[[She Belongs to Me]]" by [[Bob Dylan]] as his favourite track; he also selected  ''[[Repetition (Robbe-Grillet novel)|Repetition]]'' (2001) by [[Alain Robbe-Grillet]] as his chosen book and an espresso coffee machine as his luxury item.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00936tc|title=BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, John Cale|website=BBC|language=en-GB|access-date=29 February 2020}}</ref>

=== Substance abuse ===
As a child, Cale suffered from severe [[bronchitis]], which led to a doctor prescribing him [[opiate]]s.<ref name="sed25">Mitchell, Tim ''Sedition and Alchemy: A Biography of John Cale'', 2003, p. 25</ref> He came to rely on the drugs to fall asleep.<ref name="sed25"/> Biographer Tim Mitchell claims Cale's early dependence on medicine was a "formative experience".<ref name="sed25"/> Cale later told an interviewer that, "When I got to New York, drugs were everywhere, and they quickly became part of my artistic experiment".<ref name=":0" /><ref name="news.bbc.co.uk"/>

He was part of New York City's drug scene of the 1960s and 1970s, with [[cocaine]] as his drug of choice.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk">{{cite news |title=BBC News Online: John Cale's 'shambolic' drug past |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8101850.stm|website=BBC News | date=16 June 2009|access-date=4 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=WalesOnline: John Cale tells of his shock at Wales' drug problems |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/06/08/john-cale-tells-of-his-shock-at-wales-drug-problems-91466-23812896/|website=Walesonline.co.uk|access-date=4 March 2017|date=7 June 2009}}</ref> He is said to have "taken most of the available drugs in the United States." Cale has said that, "In the '60s, for me, drugs were a cool experiment... In the '70s, I got in over my head".<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk"/>

Cale feels his drug addiction negatively affected his music during the 1980s. He decided to clean up following a series of embarrassing concerts and the birth of his daughter.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk"/> According to a 2009 [[BBC]] interview, the "strongest drug" he was then taking was coffee.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk"/> Cale has also hosted a documentary called ''Heroin, Wales and Me'' (2009) to promote awareness of the problems of [[Opioid use disorder|heroin addiction]], easy availability and low cost of the drug in his native Wales and thousands of addicts.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/SbIDJ7lNHik Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20120407100832/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbIDJ7lNHik Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbIDJ7lNHik|title=John Cale Week in Week Out Heroin Wales And Me Drugs And Alcohol Recovery Wales & United Kingdom|via=[[YouTube]]|date=5 February 2012|access-date=3 January 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

== Discography ==
{{Main|John Cale discography}}

{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
===Studio albums===
* ''[[Vintage Violence]]'' (1970)
* ''[[The Academy in Peril]]'' (1972)
* ''[[Paris 1919 (album)|Paris 1919]]'' (1973)
* ''[[Fear (John Cale album)|Fear]]'' (1974)
* ''[[Slow Dazzle (album)|Slow Dazzle]]'' (1975)
* ''[[Helen of Troy (album)|Helen of Troy]]'' (1975)
* ''[[Honi Soit (album)|Honi Soit]]'' (1981)
* ''[[Music for a New Society]]'' (1982)
* ''[[Caribbean Sunset]]'' (1984)
* ''[[Artificial Intelligence (John Cale album)|Artificial Intelligence]]'' (1985)
* ''[[Words for the Dying]]'' (1989)
* ''[[Walking on Locusts]]'' (1996)
* ''[[HoboSapiens]]'' (2003)
* ''[[blackAcetate]]'' (2005)
* ''[[Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood]]'' (2012)
* ''[[MFANS|M:FANS]]'' (2016)
* ''[[Mercy (John Cale album)|Mercy]]'' (2023)
* ''[[Poptical Illusion]]'' (2024)
* ''[[MiXology (Volume 1)]]'' (2025)

===Live albums===
* ''[[June 1, 1974]]'' (with [[Kevin Ayers]], [[Brian Eno]], [[Nico]]) 1974
* ''[[Sabotage/Live]]'' (1979)
* ''[[John Cale Comes Alive]]'' (1984)
* ''[[Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (John Cale album)|Even Cowgirls Get the Blues]]'' (1991)
* ''[[Fragments of a Rainy Season]]'' (1992)
* ''[[Circus Live]]'' (2007)
* ''[[Live at Rockpalast (John Cale album)|Live at Rockpalast]]'' (2010)

===Collaborative albums===
* ''[[Church of Anthrax]]'' (1971) <small>(with [[Terry Riley]])</small>
* ''[[Songs for Drella]]'' (1990) <small>(with [[Lou Reed]])</small>
* ''[[Wrong Way Up]]'' (1990) <small>(with [[Brian Eno]])</small>
* ''[[Last Day on Earth (album)|Last Day on Earth]]'' (1994) <small>(with [[Bob Neuwirth]])</small>
{{col-break}}

===Soundtracks and scores===
* ''Straight and Narrow (Short)'' (1970)
* ''[[Women in Revolt]]'' (1971)
* ''[[Heat (1972 film)|Heat]]'' (1972)
* ''[[Caged Heat]]'' (1974)
* ''[[American Playhouse]] (TV Series) (1 episode)- [[Who Am I This Time? (film)|Who Am I This Time?]]'' (1982)
* ''[[Something Wild (1986 film)|Something Wild]]'' (1986)
* ''The Houseguest'' (short) (1989)
* ''Dick: A Film by Jo Menell'' (Documentary short) (1989)
* ''Songs for Drella (Video)'' (1990)
* ''[[Paris Awakens]]'' (1991)
* ''Healing Hurts'' (1991)
* ''[[Primary Motive]]'' (1992)
* ''[[The Birth of Love]] '' (1993)
* ''Life Underwater'' (1994)
* ''Ah Pook Is Here'' (short) (1994)
* ''Don't Forget You're Going to Die/N'oublie pas que tu vas mourir'' (1995)
* ''[[Antarctica (1995 film)|Antarctica]]'' (1995)
* ''[[I Shot Andy Warhol]]'' (1996)
* ''[[Basquiat (film)|Basquiat]]'' (1996)
* ''Rhinoceros Hunting in Budapest'' (1997)
* ''[[Somewhere in the City]]'' (1998)
* ''[[Night Wind]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Wisconsin Death Trip]]'' (1999)
* ''The Virgin'' (1999)
* ''[[American Psycho (film)|American Psycho]]'' (2000)
* ''Love Me'' (2000)
* ''[[The King's Daughters]]'' / ''Saint-Cyr'' (2000)
* ''The Farewell: Brecht's Last Summer'' (2000)
* ''[[Y Mabinogi]]'' / ''Otherworld'' (2003)
* ''New Scenes from America'' (2003)
* ''[[Paris (2003 film)|Paris]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Process (film)|Process]]'' (2004)
* ''About Face: The Story of the Jewish Refugee Soldiers of World War II'' (2005)
* ''[[A Burning Hot Summer]]'' (2011)
* ''[[Sport de filles|Of Women and Horses]]'' (2011)
* ''[[Paul Sanchez est revenu!|Paul Sanchez Is Back!]]'' (2018)
{{col-end}}

== Filmography ==
{{Main|John Cale filmography}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Sources ==
* {{cite book |last=Mitchell |first=Tim |title=Sedition and Alchemy: A Biography of John Cale |year=2003 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O2sUNAAACAAJ |publisher=Peter Owen |isbn=0-7206-1132-6}}
* ''The New Musical Express Book of Rock'', 1975, Star Books; {{ISBN|0-352-30074-4}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category|John Cale}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{AllMusic|id=john-cale-mn0000224638|tab=biography}}
* {{Discogs artist}} {{MusicBrainz artist}}
* {{IMDb name|0129816}}

<!--======================== {{No more links}} ============================
    | PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS IN ADDING MORE LINKS TO THIS ARTICLE. Wikipedia  |
    | is not a collection of links nor should it be used for advertising. |
    |                                                                     |
    |           Excessive or inappropriate links WILL BE DELETED.         |
    | See [[Wikipedia:External links]] & [[Wikipedia:Spam]] for details.  |
    |                                                                     |
    | If there are already plentiful links, please propose additions or   |
    | replacements on this article's discussion page, or submit your link |
    | to the relevant category at the Open Directory Project (dmoz.org)   |
    | and link back to that category using the {{dmoz}} template.         |
    ======================= {{No more links}} =============================-->

{{John Cale}}
{{The Velvet Underground}}
{{1996 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}
{{Fluxus}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cale, John}}
[[Category:John Cale| ]]
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:21st-century British organists]]
[[Category:People from Garnant]]
[[Category:Alumni of Goldsmiths, University of London]]
[[Category:British experimental musicians]]
[[Category:British rock violists]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Protopunk musicians]]
[[Category:ROIR artists]]
[[Category:The Velvet Underground members]]
[[Category:Welsh male singers]]
[[Category:Welsh multi-instrumentalists]]
[[Category:Welsh pianists]]
[[Category:Welsh record producers]]
[[Category:Welsh rock bass guitarists]]
[[Category:Welsh rock musicians]]
[[Category:Welsh rock singers]]
[[Category:Welsh male singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:Welsh singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:Welsh male songwriters]]
[[Category:Welsh expatriate musicians in the United States]]
[[Category:Welsh keyboardists]]
[[Category:Welsh artists]]
[[Category:Welsh classical violists]]
[[Category:Welsh classical pianists]]
[[Category:British male classical pianists]]
[[Category:Welsh organists]]
[[Category:British male organists]]
[[Category:Island Records artists]]
[[Category:Double Six Records artists]]
[[Category:All Saints Records artists]]
[[Category:Welsh violists]]
[[Category:Beggars Banquet Records artists]]
[[Category:I.R.S. Records artists]]
[[Category:Reprise Records artists]]
[[Category:Art rock musicians]]
[[Category:Pupils of Cornelius Cardew]]
[[Category:Columbia Records artists]]
[[Category:A&M Records artists]]
[[Category:Pupils of La Monte Young]]
[[Category:People associated with The Factory]]
[[Category:British male bass guitarists]]
[[Category:Welsh-language singers]]
[[Category:Welsh-speaking musicians]]
[[Category:Welsh contemporary artists]]
[[Category:ZE Records artists]]