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Though not a household name like his contemporaries, J.J. Cale’s guitar skills were celebrated by many of his peers – and his country/blues/jazz style helped usher in a whole new subgenre which lends its name to a new Cale vinyl box set: Tulsa Sound.

Tulsa Sound features new remastered versions of Cale’s eight studio albums released on the Shelter and Mercury labels between 1971 and 1983, along with a ninth bonus disc, The Early Years, collecting six single sides Cale cut for Liberty Records in 1965 and 1966. All albums have been remastered at Abbey Road Studios and will be pressed on assorted color vinyl. The box also includes a 40-page hardback book featuring rare photos, memorabilia and essays, including a foreword penned by Mark Knopfler.

The former Dire Straits guitarist is one of many who sang Cale’s praises over the years – mostly through covers of his own albums. The Tulsa-born Cale had put in time as a studio engineer and failed to see his singles for Liberty gain much traction with listeners. That all changed in 1970, when one of the tracks, “After Midnight,” was recorded by Eric Clapton on his debut solo album, becoming a Top 20 hit in America. This spurred Cale to pick up recording again – and while his records never sold enormous numbers (something the publicity-averse Cale seemed not to mind), His swampy rock style – at once rooted in blues traditions and cutting-edge production – would come to influence plenty of contemporaries. The 12-bar “Call Me the Breeze” would be covered by Lynyrd Skynyrd and John Mayer, while “Cocaine” would become another moderate chart hit for Clapton and “Travelin’ Light” was a key track on the debut album by Southern rockers Widespread Panic.

Every one of those tracks and more are heard on Tulsa Sound, what shapes up to be an in-depth tribute to Cale, who died in 2013 – seven years after teaming up with Clapton on the acclaimed The Road to Escondido, which featured guest appearances by multiple Cale fans including Mayer, Derek Trucks, Billy Preston, Taj Mahal and more. The box will be available October 6; pre-order it below.

Tulsa Sound (UMe, 2023) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

LP 1: Naturally (originally released as Shelter SW 8908, 1971)

1. Call Me the Breeze
2. Call the Doctor
3. Don’t Go to Strangers
4. Woman I Love
5. Magnolia
6. Clyde
7. Crazy Mama
8. Nowhere to Run
9. After Midnight
10. River Runs Deep
11. Bringing It Back
12. Crying Eyes

LP 2: Really (originally released as Shelter SW 8912, 1972)

1. Lies
2. Everything Will Be Alright
3. I’ll Kiss the World Goodbye
4. Changes
5. Right Down Here
6. If You’re Ever in Oklahoma
7. Ridin’ Home
8. Going Down
9. Soulin’
10. Playing in the Street
11. Mo Jo
12. Louisiana Women

LP 3: Okie (originally released as Shelter SR-2107, 1974)

1. Crying
2. I’ll Be There (If You Ever Want Me)
3. Starbound
4. Rock and Roll Records
5. The Old Man and Me
6. Everlovin’ Woman
7. Cajun Moon
8. I’d Like to Love You Baby
9. Anyway the Wind Blows
10. Precious Memories
11. Okie
12. I Got the Same Old Blues

LP 4: Troubadour (originally released as Shelter/MCA SRL-52002, 1976)

1. Hey Baby
2. Travelin’ Light
3. You Got Something
4. Ride Me High
5. Hold On
6. Cocaine
7. I’m a Gypsy Man
8. The Woman That Got Away
9. Super Blue
10. Let Me Do It to You
11. Cherry
12. You Got Me On So Bad

LP 5: 5 (originally released as Shelter/MCA SR-3163, 1979)

1. Thirteen Days
2. Boilin’ Pot
3. I’ll Make Love to You Anytime
4. Don’t Cry Sister
5. Too Much for Me
6. Sensitive Kind
7. Friday
8. Lou-Easy-Ann
9. Let’s Go to Tahiti
10. Katy Kool Lady
11. Fate of a Fool
12. Mona

LP 6: Shades (originally released as Shelter/MCA 5158, 1980)

1. Carry On
2. Deep Dark Dungeon
3. Wish I Had Not Said That
4. Pack My Jack
5. If You Leave Her
6. Mama Don’t
7. Runaround
8. What Do You Expect
9. Love Has Been Gone
10. Cloudy Day

LP 7: Grasshopper (originally released as Mercury SRM-1-4038, 1982)

1. City Girls
2. Devil in Disguise
3. One Step Ahead of the Blues
4. You Keep Me Hangin’ On
5. Downtown L.A.
6. Can’t Live Here
7. Grasshopper
8. Drifters Wife
9. Don’t Wait
10. A Thing Going On
11. Nobody But You
12. Mississippi River
13. Does Your Mama Like to Reggae
14. Dr. Jive

LP 8: #8 (originally released as Mercury 811 152-1 M-1, 1983)

1. Money Talks
2. Losers
3. Hard Times
4. Reality
5. Takin’ Care of Business
6. People Lie
7. Unemployment
8. Trouble in the City
9. Teardrops in My Tequila
10. Livin’ Here Too

LP 9: The Early Years

1. Dick Tracy
2. It’s a Go-Go Place
3. Outside Looking In
4. In Our Time
5. After Midnight
6. Slow Motion

Tracks 1-2 released as Liberty single 55840, 1965
Tracks 3-4 released as Liberty single 55881, 1966
Tracks 5-6 released as Liberty single 55931, 1966