Today, GuitarWorld.com presents the exclusive premiere of "Train to Nowhere," a track from The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale.
The album, which will be released July 29 by Bushbranch Records/Surfdog Records, features 16 Cale songs—from "Call Me the Breeze," "Starbound" and "Lies" to "Magnolia" "Songbird" and "Crying Eyes"—performed by Clapton and a host of guests, including Mark Knopfler, John Mayer, Willie Nelson, Tom Petty and Don White.
Other friends include Albert Lee, Derek Trucks, David Lindley, Doyle Bramhall II and Don Preston, all of whom split up the six-string duties.
And speaking of special guests, "Train to Nowhere," which you can hear below, features vocals by Knopfler, White and Clapton.
Clapton has called Cale one of the most important figures in rock history. Cale had a massive influence on the guitarist, who covered several of Cale’s songs over the course of 44 years, including “After Midnight,” “Cocaine,” "I'll Make Love to You Anytime," "Travelin' Light" and "Angel."
Cale died July 26, 2013, leaving behind a rich legacy of music and work.
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"When I got the news of [J.J.'s] passing, I booked a flight to LA and they told me the date of the service," Clapton told Guitar World in an exclusive interview from the new September 2014 issue. "I flew from London to LA, and during that flight everything happened. I listened to everything I had of his on my phone. I had most of his catalog in a playlist and thought this would be good opportunity to do some of his songs."
“I would like people to tap into what JJ Cale did,” Clapton said. “That’s the point. I’m just the messenger; I’ve always felt that that’s my job. I try to interpret things so that the public at large, or at least the people who listen to what I do, will become intrigued about where I got it from.”
Below, you can hear "Train to Nowhere" followed by "Call Me the Breeze," the album's first single. Be sure to let us know what you think of the songs in the comments below or on Facebook! You can find a complete album track listing below, plus the "Call Me the Breeze" music video. Head HERE to read an excerpt of my new interview with Clapton. Enjoy!
The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale Track List
1.Call Me The Breeze (Vocals Eric Clapton)
2.Rock And Roll Records (Vocals Eric Clapton & Tom Petty)
3.Someday (Vocals Mark Knopfler)
4.Lies (Vocals John Mayer & Eric Clapton)
5.Sensitive Kind (Vocals Don White)
6.Cajun Moon (Vocals Eric Clapton)
7.Magnolia (Vocals John Mayer)
8.I Got The Same Old Blues (Vocals Tom Petty & Eric Clapton)
9.Songbird (Vocals Willie Nelson & Eric Clapton)
10.Since You Said Goodbye (Vocals Eric Clapton)
11.I’ll Be There (If You Ever Want Me) (Vocals Don White & Eric Clapton)
12.The Old Man And Me (Vocals Tom Petty)
13.Train To Nowhere (Vocals Mark Knopfler, Don White & Eric Clapton)
14.Starbound (Vocals Willie Nelson)
15.Don’t Wait (Vocals Eric Clapton & John Mayer)
16.Crying Eyes (Vocals Eric Clapton & Christine Lakeland)
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
