Three Questions With John Cale

The one and only pioneering musician, composer, producer and founding member of The Velvet Underground, John Cale, is next up in the 3Qs series!

Cale needs no introduction, but just in case: over his six-decade career he has worked in a range of genres, from rock, drone, and classical to avant-garde and electronic music. He co-founded The Velvet Underground with Lou Reed in 1964, and was integral to the sound of the band's first two studio albums, The Velvet Underground & Nico, 1967, and White Light/White Heat, 1968. After leaving, he embarked on a prolific solo career, releasing Vintage Violence, the experimental Church of Anthrax (a collaboration with composer Terry Riley), the critically acclaimed Paris 1919, Fear, and many others, including MiXology (Volume 1), his latest which is out now via Domino.

In addition to his solo work, as a record producer and arranger, he's worked on a number of highly influential studio albums including the Stooges’ self-titled 1969 debut, Nico’s trilogy The Marble Index, 1968, Desertshore 1970, and The End…,1974. He also produced albums for the Modern Lovers, Patti Smith, and more. And as a collaborator, he appeared on Nick Drake's second studio album, Bryter Layter, 1971 (played viola and harpsichord on "Fly" and piano, organ, and celesta on "Northern Sky"), collaborated with Brian Eno on Wrong Way Up, 1990... the list really does go on and his body of work makes him a living legend to say the least. It’s an honor to have him part of the zine!

As part of SH5.

Without further ado...

John Cale by Ed Thrasher, courtesy of Domino Records.

Synth History: You are a legend with a career that spans decades and several different genres. What is one thing you’ve learned over the years that you find especially useful to keep in mind when it comes to making art?

John Cale: That you can never prejudge the value of mistakes and their role in your personal creativity. Plotting, planning for perfection is a valid strategy— allowing room for the unplanned is crucial, keeps me on my toes.

The whole idea of mistakes should not be a sure thing. There is a surety in insecurity that benefits from the role of inaccuracy and what that means.  

John Cale by Ed Thrasher.

Synth History: Can you recount one or two of your favorite memories either in the recording studio or playing live that people might not know about?

John Cale: There was a humbling event in a studio during a session of Nico’s album when the vocals were varying in pitch which made the accompanying arrangement puzzling. So we tried to give the doubling of the vocal lead some assistance to lock it into the surrounding parts to temper the pitch issues. Nico was absolutely accurate in her delivery, the egg was on our faces that time! It turned out we, the accompanying players, were not as accurate as we thought we were.  It was her double tracked vocal that showed the way. Her hearing was always interesting but not as faulty as it seemed at first. She was deaf in one ear, which some wrongly presumed was an inability to find and keep her pitch. I learned early on to let her go—add support around her. And the artist was always right! 

Around late 80s, early 90s, when I was touring mostly solo, I had an endorsement deal with Steinway who’d provide a grand or baby grand to whatever venue I was playing. I think it was Chicago, where the promoter was sure I didn’t need to have a piano delivered since the venue had one on site so we canceled the order and agreed to play theirs instead. Fun show, great crowd, but the piano started slipping out of tune toward the end of the night. Not enough for anyone to notice but enough that I needed to change up my setlist to play more abstract or uh, hum loud pounding stabs to cover up the slow slide. I mean, what the hell, I like playing in the cracks anyway so on we go! At the final song, Fear… was a bit extra on that night—and I couldn’t get the foot pedal to work any longer—but I slammed away and got to the end.  

The next day, my agent called me with the news I’d broken a few hammers and smashed the foot pedal into the floor beneath! I think that was just about the time my Steinway rep stopped calling.

Synth History: What are some of your go-to pieces of gear?

John Cale: Crazy, but I go straight for my trusty Kurzweil as a writing tool not so much for the internal sounds. It’s a comfort with the exact right action in the keys that I can’t seem to find in other brands. From there it’s dependent on my mood. What seems to surround me lately within arms reach; Matrixbrute, Sub 37, various electric guitars and samplers. I write predominantly from a sonic point of view, so starting with a groove or sustained harmonic pitch can be the launching pad. Contrary to the purpose of sampling, I tend to mutilate the sounds until I get them to an unrecognizable state. Small DJ gadgets like Ableton Move or a mini MPC will allow a more tactile feel than a software program–but doesn’t it all end up in the soup anyway?!!

I can’t / won’t allow myself to use ‘stock’ sounds–using objects, instruments, knives and screwdrivers and breaking the keys on a beloved toy piano will bring more joy than anything already made by someone else.

That’s how I like loops - make em by any means necessary then distort them through outboard gear so they develop character rather than precision.

MiXology (Volume 1) is out now via Domino

Synth History Exclusive.

Photos by Ed Thrasher, courtesy of Domino Records.

Conducted by Danz.