Timeline: 1976
Producing demo sessions with The Police
Produces demo sessions with The Police. There is no real connection and the recordings never see the light of day.
Supporting the Patti Smith Group
Cale regularly plays bass, including John Entwistle's iconic solo, on the My Generation encore, while supporting the Patti Smith Group throughout January. A recording of the song at The Agora, Cleveland on January 26th, is released as the B-side of the Gloria single. Included as a bonus track on the re-issue of Smith's Horses album in 1996. On one occasion, at the Jazz Workshop in Boston on January 11, he lifts his bass above his head and it goes right through the ceiling.
Cale features on many Smith live bootlegs from this era, like Hard Nipples. This bootleg also contains a version of (I Keep A) Close Watch (listed as This Heart Of Mine).
CBGB's and The Ocean Club
Cale plays a lot of live dates in the New York music venues CBGB's and The Ocean Club. He jams with the Talking Heads, Patti Smith and Lou Reed.
Debris' covers "Gun"
American group Debris' covers Gun. This version is included as a bonus track on the CD re-issue of their Static Disposal album in 1999.
Interview on Dutch TV
Interview by Dutch journalist Harry de Winter on the NCRV program Filter Furore. Discusses the meaning of Fear Is A Man's Best Friend.
Jane Friedman
Jane Friedman, who works for New York based management company the Wartoke Concern, starts to handle Cale's business affairs. They fall in love and start living together. She is the backing vocalist on Chickenshit.
"I averaged $ 40,000 a year of which Wartoke gave me a weekly allowance, but I spent most of it on alcohol and drugs."
"Graham Greene" on Dutch compilation
Graham Greene is released on the Dutch 2LP Literaluisterplaat. The compilation is put together by the staff of music magazine Oor.
Chalk Farm sessions
Cuts a couple tracks at Chalk Farm Studios in London. Some of these will later surface on the Animal Justice EP (1977). The track Ton Ton Macoute (about the Haitian paramilitary and secret police force) gets shelved.