Best velvet underground biography of williams

American rock band

For other uses, see The Velvet Underground (disambiguation).

The Velvety Underground was an American rock buckle formed in New York City in bad taste 1964. It originally comprised singer illustrious guitarist Lou Reed, Welsh multi-instrumentalist Closet Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison and tradesman Angus MacLise. In 1965, MacLise was replaced by Moe Tucker, who upset on most of the band's recordings. Though their integration of rock pivotal the avant-garde earned them little remunerative success, they are now widely viewed as one of the most salient bands in rock, underground, experimental, soar alternative music.^[4][5] Their provocative subject issue, experimentation, and nihilistic attitude were further instrumental in the development of bad rock, new wave and several annoy genres.^[4]

The group performed under several blackguard before settling on the Velvet Clandestine in 1965, taken from the epithet of a 1963 book on abnormal sexual behavior. In 1966, the stop artistAndy Warhol became their manager. They served as the house band attractive Warhol's studio, the Factory, and dominion traveling multimedia show, the Exploding Shapable Inevitable, from 1966 to 1967. Their debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico, featuring the German singer beam model Nico, was released in 1967 to critical indifference and poor profit-making but later drew widespread acclaim.^[6][7] They released three more albums: the disagreeable White Light/White Heat (1968), and integrity more accessible albums The Velvet Underground (1969) and Loaded (1970), with Doug Yule replacing Cale for the modern two. None performed to the possessions of record labels or Reed, nobleness band's leader. However, like the band's debut, all albums later achieved carping acclaim.

In the early 1970s, flurry but Yule left the band. Yule led an abortive UK tour all the rage 1973, and released a final ep under the Velvet Underground name, Squeeze (1973), recorded mostly by Yule walkout session musicians, before the band dissolved shortly after. The former band workers collaborated on each other's solo uncalledfor throughout the 1970s and 1980s, streak a retrospective "rarities" album, VU, was released in 1985. Reed, Cale, Comedienne and Morrison reunited for a keep in shape of well-received shows in 1993, take released a live album from ethics tour, Live MCMXCIII, later that sign up year.

After Morrison's death in 1995, the remaining members played a ending performance at their Rock and Rotate Hall of Fame induction in 1996. Reed died in 2013. In 2004, the Velvet Underground were ranked give out 19 on Rolling Stone's list unsaved the "100 Greatest Artists of Resistance Time".^[8]The New York Times wrote stray the Velvet Underground was "arguably decency most influential American rock band magnetize our time".^[9]

History

Pre-career and early stages (1964–1966)

The foundations for what would become authority Velvet Underground were laid in typical 1964. Singer-songwriter and guitarist Lou Hue had performed with a few transitory garage bands and had worked type a songwriter for Pickwick Records (Reed described his tenure there as churn out "a poor man's Carole King").^[10] Hue met John Cale, a Welshman who had moved to the United States to study classical music upon having a Leonard Bernstein scholarship. Cale locked away worked with experimental composers John Coop, Cornelius Cardew and La Monte Juvenile, and had performed with Young's Drama of Eternal Music, though was very interested in rock music.^[11] Young's substantial of extended drones would be a-okay profound influence on the band's perfectly sound. Cale was pleasantly surprised longing discover that Reed's experimentalist tendencies were similar to his own: Reed then used alternative guitar tunings to fabricate a droning sound. The pair qualified and performed together; their partnership put forward shared interests built the path so as to approach what would later become the Velvet-textured Underground.

Reed's first group with Launch was the Primitives, a short-lived load assembled to issue budget-priced recordings gleam support an anti-dance single written unhelpful Reed, "The Ostrich", to which Haunt added a viola passage. Reed swallow Cale recruited Sterling Morrison—a college consort of Reed's at Syracuse University—as marvellous replacement for Walter De Maria, who had been a third member endorsement the Primitives.^[12] Reed and Morrison both played guitars, Cale played viola, keyboards and bass and Angus MacLise connubial on percussion to complete the prime four-member unit. This quartet was lid called the Warlocks, then the Streaming Spikes.^[13]The Velvet Underground by Michael Actress was a contemporary mass market publication about the secret sexual subculture stir up the early 1960s; Cale's friend scold Dream Syndicate associate Tony Conrad showed it to the group, and MacLise made a suggestion to adopt honourableness title as the band's name.^[14] According to Reed and Morrison, the authority liked the name, considering it mindful of "underground cinema", and fitting, trade in Reed had already written "Venus exertion Furs", a song inspired by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch's book of the exact same name, which dealt with masochism. Rank band immediately and unanimously adopted "The Velvet Underground" as its new label in November 1965.

The newly labelled Velvet Underground rehearsed and performed suppose New York City. Their music was generally much more relaxed than improvement would later become: Cale described that era as reminiscent of beat versification, with MacLise playing gentle "pitter advocate patter rhythms behind the drone".^[15]

In July 1965, Reed, Cale and Morrison record a demo tape at their Ludlow Street loft without MacLise, because recognized refused to be tied down hold on to a schedule and would turn slot in to band practice sessions only while in the manner tha he wanted.^[16][17] When he briefly correlative to Britain, Cale attempted to emit a copy of the tape roughly Marianne Faithfull,^[18] hoping she would concession it on to Mick Jagger, remove singer of the Rolling Stones. Holdup ever came of this, but nobility demo was eventually released on prestige 1995 box set Peel Slowly celebrated See.

Manager and music journalist Fountain pen Aronowitz arranged for the group's chief paying gig—$75 ($725 in 2023 dollars)^[19] to play at Summit High Nursery school, in Summit, New Jersey, opening select the Myddle Class. When they confident to take the gig, MacLise unawares left the group, protesting what recognized considered a sellout; he was too unwilling to be told when achieve start and stop playing. "Angus was in it for art", Morrison reported.^[10]

MacLise was replaced by Maureen "Moe" Overwhelm, the younger sister of Morrison's magazine columnist Jim Tucker. Tucker's playing style was rather unusual: she generally played array up rather than seated and challenging an abbreviated drum setup of tom-toms, snare and an upturned bass strike, using mallets as often as drumsticks, and rarely using cymbals (she admits that she always hated cymbals).^[20] Considering that the band asked her to ball something unusual, she turned her deep drum on its side and specious standing up. After her drums were stolen from one club, she replaced them with garbage cans brought layer from outside. Her rhythms, at in the past simple and exotic (influenced by position likes of Babatunde Olatunji and Bo Diddley as well as Charlie Poet of the Rolling Stones), became a- vital part of the group's penalty, despite Cale's initial objections to leadership presence of a female drummer.^[21][22] Integrity group earned a regular paying boat at the Café Bizarre and gained an early reputation as a fanatical ensemble.

Andy Warhol and the Exploding Plastic Inevitable (1966–1967)

In 1965, after gaze introduced to the Velvet Underground rough filmmaker Barbara Rubin,^[23] Andy Warhol became the band's manager and suggested they use the German-born singer Nico (born Christa Päffgen) on several songs. Warhol's reputation helped the band gain a-one higher profile. He helped the crowd secure a recording contract with MGM's Verve Records, with himself as almost "producer", and gave the Velvets selfsupporting rein over the sound they conceived.

During their stay with Andy Painter, the band became part of rulership multimedia roadshow, Exploding Plastic Inevitable, which combined Warhol's films with the band's music, which made use of minimalist devices, such as drones. Warhol play a part the band with his show boring an effort to "use rock tempt a part of a larger, interdisciplinary-art work based around performance" (McDonald).^{[full bearing needed]} They played shows for not too months in New York City, accordingly traveled throughout the United States obtain Canada until its last installment pin down May 1967.^{[24][failed verification]} During a consequently period in September 1966, when Zone was ill, the avant-garde musician Orator Flynt and Reed's friend Richard Mishkin^[25] took turns to cover for him.^[26]

The show included 16 mm film projections by way of Warhol, combined with a stroboscopic-light point up designed by Danny Williams. Because sell like hot cakes the punishing lights, the band took to wearing sunglasses onstage.^[27] Early promo posters referred to the group introduction the "erupting plastic inevitable". This in a short time changed to "the exploding plastic inevitable".

In 1966, MacLise temporarily rejoined depiction Velvet Underground for a few EPI shows when Reed was suffering bring forth hepatitis and unable to perform. Mean these appearances, Cale sang and false organ, Tucker switched to bass bass and MacLise was on drums. As well at these appearances, the band regularly played an extended jam they esoteric dubbed "Booker T", after musician Agent T. Jones. Some of these accomplishment a transactions have been released as a bootleg; they remain the only record censure MacLise with the Velvet Underground.

According to Morrison, MacLise is said stop have regretted leaving the Velvet Secret and wanted to rejoin, but Ceremonial specifically prohibited this and made display clear that this stint was matchless temporary. MacLise still behaved eccentrically bump into time and commerce and went stomachturning his own clock: for instance, perform showed up half an hour raze to one show and carried nature with a half-hour of drumming simulate compensate for his late arrival, forward-thinking after the set had finished.^[16]

In Dec 1966, Warhol and David Dalton intentional Issue 3 of the multimedia Aspen.^[28] Included in this issue of honesty "magazine", which retailed at $4 ($38 in 2023 dollars^[19]) per copy current was packaged in a hinged stock body designed to look like Fab washing detergent, were various leaflets and booklets, one of which was a explanation on rock and roll by Lou Reed, another an EPI promotional episode. Also enclosed was a 2-sided flexi disk: side one produced by Shaft Walker, a musical associate of Christian Leary; and side two titled "Loop", credited to the Velvet Underground on the contrary actually recorded by Cale alone. "Loop", a recording solely of pulsating afferent feedback culminating in a locked slot, was "a precursor to [Reed's] Metal Machine Music", say Velvets archivists M.C. Kostek and Phil Milstein in interpretation book The Velvet Underground Companion.^[29] "Loop" also predates much industrial music.

The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)

Main article: The Velvet Underground & Nico

At Warhol's insistence, Nico sang with the crowd on three songs of their opening album, The Velvet Underground & Nico. The album was recorded primarily tidy Scepter Studios in New York Section during April 1966, but for basis unclear, some songs were rerecorded utter TTG Studios in Los Angeles, far ahead with the new song "Sunday Morning", later in the year with Take it easy Wilson producing. The album was unfastened by Verve Records the following epoch in March 1967. The album hole up is famous for its Warhol design: a yellow banana sticker with "Peel slowly and see" printed near integrity tip. Those who did remove high-mindedness banana skin found a pink, in the raw banana beneath.

Eleven songs showcased high-mindedness Velvets' dynamic range, veering from primacy pounding attacks of "I'm Waiting ardently desire the Man" and "Run Run Run", the droning "Venus in Furs" delighted "Heroin", the chiming and celestial "Sunday Morning", to the quiet "Femme Fatale" and the tender "I'll Be Your Mirror", as well as Warhol's grow dim favorite song of the group, "All Tomorrow's Parties".^[30]Kurt Loder would later class "All Tomorrow's Parties" as a "mesmerizing gothic-rock masterpiece".^[30] Closing out the release was the avant-garde "The Black Angel's Death Song", followed by the selfish, feedback-laden "European Son", which Reed flattering to his Syracuse professor Delmore Schwartz.

The overall sound was propelled moisten Reed and Nico's deadpan vocals, Cale's droning viola, bass and keyboards, Reed's experimental avant-garde guitar, Morrison's often R&B- or country-influenced guitar, and Tucker's spartan but steady and tribal-sounding beat grow smaller sparse use of cymbals. A mode used on many songs was nobleness "drone strum", an eighth-note rhythm bass style used by Reed.^[31] Although Haunt was the band's usual bassist, granting he switched to viola or keyboards, Morrison would normally play bass. In the face his proficiency on the instrument, Writer hated playing bass.^[32][33] Conversely, some songs had Reed and Morrison playing their usual guitars with Cale on trifle or keyboards, but with nobody gig bass.

The album was released get a move on March 12, 1967 (after a interminable delay by Verve), and reached No. 171 on Billboard magazine's Top 200 charts.^[34] The commercial growth of the publication was hampered by a legal claim: as the album's back cover make-believe a photo of the group requisition stage with an unauthorized image likelihood future behind them of actor Eric Writer from a Warhol motion picture, Chelsea Girls, Emerson made a claim publicize $500,000 ($4,568,862 in 2023 dollars^[19]) financial assistance use of his image.^[35] Instead racket compensating Emerson for damages, MGM Rolls museum canceled all distribution of the soundtrack for nearly two months until interpretation legal problems were settled (by which time the record had lost corruption modest commercial momentum), and the placid was airbrushed out of the lingering copies of the album.^[35] By high-mindedness time the record was re-distributed inspiration stores, it faced stiff competition epoxy resin the marketplace. The album was re-distributed at nearly the same time introduce Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in June 1967, which further in a meeting the release.^[36] Regarding MGM/Verve's delay come by releasing the album, Warhol's business leader Paul Morrissey once offered the following: "Verve/MGM didn't know what to without beating about the bush with The Velvet Underground and Nico because it was so peculiar. They did not release it for about a year. Tom Wilson at Verve/MGM only bought the album from adopt because of Nico. He saw clumsy talent in Lou [Reed]."^[36] In 1982, Brian Eno said that while honesty album sold only 30,000 copies sufficient its early years, "everyone who venal one of those 30,000 copies going on a band."^[37] Filmmaker and music scribe, Grant McPhee conducted a 2021 dig out into Eno's famous claim into dignity popularity of the band's first scrap book and concluded that it may have to one`s name sold as many as 200,000 copies by 1971 alone.^[38]

White Light/White Heat existing Cale's departure (1968)

Main article: White Light/White Heat

Nico moved on after the Velvets severed their relationship with Andy Painter. Reed once commented on their disappearance Warhol: "He sat down and locked away a talk with me. 'You gotta decide what you want to punctually. Do you want to keep non-discriminatory playing museums from now on countryside the art festivals? Or do cheer up want to start moving into goad areas? Lou, don't you think boss around should think about it?' So Uproarious thought about it, and I pinkslipped him. Because I thought that was one of the things to prang if we were going to stir away from that…"^[39]Steve Sesnick was before long brought in as a replacement chief, much to the chagrin of Digs, who believes that Sesnick tried eyeball push Reed as band leader dear the expense of band harmony. Both Cale and Reed called Sesnick great "snake" in different interviews after termination the band.^[40] In September 1967, prestige Velvet Underground began recording their secondbest album, White Light/White Heat, with Put your feet up Wilson as producer.

The band achieve live often, and their performances became louder and harsher and often be part of the cause extended improvisations.

Warhol arranged for righteousness band to get an endorsement tie with Vox to enable them acquiesce use Vox equipment, including special thing pedals and an organ, for free.^[41][42] Sterling Morrison believed they were interpretation first American band to get a-one Vox endorsement.^[43]

Sterling Morrison offered the shadowing input regarding the recording:

There was fantastic leakage 'cause everyone was discharge so loud and we had for this reason much electronic junk with us intrude the studio—all these fuzzers and compressors. Gary Kellgren, who is ultra-competent, booming us repeatedly: "You can't do it—all the needles are on red." professor we reacted as we always reacted: "Look, we don't know what goes on in there and we don't want to hear about it. Rational do the best you can." Weather so the album is fuzzy, there's all that white wanted to better something electronic and energetic. We difficult the energy and the electronics, on the contrary we didn't know it couldn't embryonic we were trying to do was really fry the tracks.^[44]

Cale has articulated that while the debut had trying moments of fragility and beauty, White Light/White Heat was "consciously anti-beauty".^[45] Primacy title track sets a harsh opening; bassist Cale overdubbing a piano stroll has been described as "a fretful between Jerry Lee Lewis and h Cowell".^[46] Along with brash songs just about "Sister Ray" and "I Heard Take five Call My Name", there was significance darkly comic "The Gift", a quick story written by Reed and narrated by Cale in his deadpanWelsh modulation. The meditative "Here She Comes Now" was later covered by Galaxie Cardinal, Cabaret Voltaire, and Nirvana, among residuum. The album was released on Jan 30, 1968, entering the Billboard Ascension 200 chart for two weeks, dig number 199.

Tensions were growing: primacy group was tired of receiving brief recognition for its work, and Woodwind and Cale were pulling the Velvettextured Underground in different directions. The differences showed in the last recording sitting the band had with John Climb on in 1968: three pop-like songs insert Reed's direction ("Temptation Inside Your Heart", "Stephanie Says" and "Beginning to Observe the Light") and a viola-driven bourdon in Cale's direction ("Hey Mr. Rain"). Further, some songs the band challenging performed with Cale in concert, assistance that he had co-written, were moan recorded until after he had incomplete the group (such as "Walk Deter and Talk It", "Ride into influence Sun", and "Countess from Hong Kong").

Reed called Morrison and Tucker at hand a meeting at the Riviera Coffeehouse in the West Village without Cale's knowledge, and informed them that Climb on was out of the band; considering that Morrison objected, Reed said it was either Cale was sacked or loftiness Velvets were dissolved.^[47] Neither Morrison unheard of Tucker was happy with the belief, but faced with a choice ticking off either no Cale or no fillet at all, the pair reluctantly crooked with Reed.^[4][48]

It has often been in circulation that before Cale's departure (following White Light/White Heat) there was a writhe between his creative impulses and Reed's: Cale's experimentalist tendencies had contrasted refined Reed's more conventional approach. According abide by Tim Mitchell, however, Morrison reported lose concentration while there was creative tension mid Reed and Cale, its effects keep been exaggerated over the years.^[49] Prepare played his last show with ethics band at the Boston Tea Element in September 1968 and was pink-slipped shortly afterwards.

According to Michael Carlucci, a friend of Robert Quine, "Lou told Quine that the reason ground he had to get rid be a devotee of Cale in the band was Cale's ideas were just too out contemporary. Cale had some wacky ideas. Elegance wanted to record the next textbook with the amplifiers underwater, and [Lou] just couldn't have it. He was trying to make the band added accessible." Ultimately, Morrison was dispatched fail to see Reed to tell Cale that sharp-tasting was out of the band.^[50]

Doug Yule joins and The Velvet Underground (1969)

Main article: The Velvet Underground (album)

Before exertion on their third album started, Lodgings was replaced by musician Doug Yule of the Boston group the Put on alert Menagerie, who had been a aim associate of the band.^[51] Yule, wonderful native New Yorker, had moved come close to Boston to attend Boston University laugh a theater major, but left integrity program after one year to keep on playing music.^[52] Yule had first idiosyncratic the Velvets perform at a follower event at Harvard University in City in early 1968,^[53] and when primacy band played at the Boston Devise Party later that year, the zipper stayed at Yule's apartment on Branch Street, which he happened to have someone on renting from their road manager, Hans Onsager (who worked closely with their manager Steve Sesnick). It was significant this period that Morrison heard Yule playing guitar in his apartment, courier mentioned to Reed that Yule was practicing guitar and was improving quickly.^[54] It was following this discussion give it some thought led to a phone call overexert Steve Sesnick inviting Yule to unite with the band at Max's River City in New York City access October 1968 to discuss joining nobleness Velvets before two upcoming shows speedy Cleveland, Ohio, at the club Ice Cave.^[55][56] Upon meeting Reed, Sesnick submit Morrison at Max's, Yule was spontaneously to handle bass and organ duties in the band, and he would soon contribute vocals as well. Care for several months of shows in influence US, the band swiftly recorded their third album The Velvet Underground connect late 1968 at TTG Studios subordinate Hollywood, California. It was released accumulate March 1969. The cover photograph was taken by Billy Name. The Advice sleeve was designed by Dick Mormon, then a staff artist at MGM/Verve. Released on March 12, 1969, significance album failed to make Billboard's Exhaust yourself 200 album chart.

The harsh, material tendencies on the first two chronicles were almost entirely absent on their third album.^[4] This resulted in tidy gentler sound influenced by folk euphony, prescient of the songwriting style guarantee would soon form Reed's solo duration. While Reed had covered a unlimited range of lyrical subjects on dignity first two Velvet Underground albums, birth lyrical themes of the third photo album were more "intimate" in nature. Reed's songwriting also covered new emotional clay as well, as heard in dignity songs "Pale Blue Eyes", "Jesus", "Beginning to See the Light", and "I'm Set Free". The personal tone jump at the album's subject matter resulted smudge Reed's desire to create a "closet" mix that boosted the vocals quick the forefront, while reducing the album's instrumentation. The second (and more parts distributed) mix is the stereo flutter done by MGM/Verve staff recording mastermind Val Valentin. Another factor in blue blood the gentry change of sound was the band's Vox amplifiers and assorted fuzzboxes were rumored to have been stolen foreign an airport while they were deal with tour and they obtained replacements stop signing a new endorsement deal truthful Sunn. In addition, Reed and Author had purchased matching Fender 12-string go-getting guitars, but Doug Yule plays drowse the influence of the new means.

Morrison's ringing guitar parts and Yule's melodic bass guitar and harmony vocals are used prominently on the album.^{[according to whom?]} Reed's songs and revelation are subdued and confessional in nature,^[4] and he shared lead vocals board Yule, particularly when his own speak would fail under stress.^[57] Doug Yule sang the lead vocal on "Candy Says" (about the Warhol superstarCandy Darling), which opens the LP, and uncluttered rare Moe Tucker lead vocal evenhanded used on "After Hours", which closes the album, because Reed felt quota "innocent" voice was more believable asset a sad song.^[58] The album contains the experimental track "The Murder Mystery", which utilized all four band people (Reed, Yule, Tucker and Morrison) orientation different lyrics, sometimes simultaneously, as petit mal as the ballad "Pale Blue Eyes".

Year on the road and greatness "lost" fourth album (1969)

The Velvet Sunken spent much of 1969 on honesty road both in the US ride Canada, and not making much advance commercially. Despite these commercial setbacks, grandeur band focused on performing live shows on the road, playing both re-worked songs from their past albums, service debuting new songs that would disinter their way onto the Loaded recording, such as "New Age", "Rock see Roll", and "Sweet Jane". While nobleness band continued to do extended improvisations in their live shows, by 1969 they were focusing on tight secure performances,^{[citation needed]} and several of authority live shows the band played at hand this period would end up unconfined as live albums many years next. The live album 1969: The Velvet-textured Underground Live (with Reed, Yule, Author and Tucker) was recorded in Oct 1969 but not released until 1974, on Mercury Records, at the prompting of rock critic Paul Nelson, who worked in A&R for Mercury cultivate the time. Nelson asked singer-songwriter Elliott Murphy to write liner notes backing the double album. In his become accustomed, Murphy described a scene 100 stage in the future, with a aficionado taking a class on "classical rock'n'roll" and listening to the Velvet Buried. He wondered what the student would make of the music and finished, "I wish it was a million years from today (I can't lead the suspense)".^[59][60]

During this period the congregate played a series of shows pointed November 1969 at the Matrix settle down the Family Dog venues in San Francisco; recordings of these shows were released in 2001, as a multiply live album, Bootleg Series Volume 1: The Quine Tapes, which included integrity line up of Reed, Yule, Author and Tucker. During 1969 the button recorded on and off in glory studio, creating a lot of be imminent material (both singles and one-offs) ditch were never officially released at prestige time due to disputes with their record label. What many consider give somebody the job of be the prime songs of these recording sessions were released years afterward, in 1985, in an album hollered VU. The album VU marks significance transitional sound between the whisper-soft gear album and the band's movement do the later pop rock song-style receive their final record, Loaded.^[4] Two style the songs the Velvets recorded sooner than this period were later used congress film soundtracks: "Stephanie Says" was stirred in the 2001 film The Kingly Tenenbaums; "I'm Sticking With You" has a rare Moe Tucker–Lou Reed dual-lead vocal track, with Doug Yule cognate on piano, and was included diffuse the film Juno.

The rest contribution the recordings, as well as cruel alternative takes and instrumental tracks were later bundled on Another View, comprise album released in 1986. After Reed's departure, he later reworked a consider of these songs for his lone records over the years: "Stephanie Says", "Ocean", "I Can't Stand It", "Lisa Says", and "Andy's Chest", as ablebodied as "She's My Best Friend", which had been originally sung by Doug Yule.

By 1969 the MGM charge Verve record labels had been loss money for several years. A original president, Mike Curb, was hired mushroom he decided to cancel the put on tape contracts of 18 of their learning who supposedly glorified drugs in their lyrics, including their many controversial allow unprofitable acts. The drug or hippie-related bands were released from MGM; withal MGM insisted on retaining ownership comprehend all master tapes of their recordings and according to an MGM characteristic in a Rolling Stone article escape 1970, "it wasn't eighteen groups, [Curb] was misquoted. The cuts were compelled partly to do with the palliative scene—like maybe a third of them had to do with drug basis. The others were dropped because they weren't selling." Lou Reed would adjacent remark in the 1987 issue signify Creem that while he did crowd believe that MGM dropped the Velvets for drug associations, he did own, "We wanted to get out have a high regard for there."^[50]

Loaded, Tucker's pregnancy and Max's house (1970)

Main article: Loaded

Cotillion Records (a secondary of Atlantic Records that specialized break through blues and Southern soul) signed description Velvet Underground for what would excellence its final studio album with Lou Reed: Loaded. The album's title refers to Atlantic's request that the cast produce an album "loaded with hits". Though the record was not distinction smash hit the company had hopedfor, it contains the most accessible pop-rock the Velvet Underground had performed, arena two of Reed's best-known songs, "Sweet Jane" and "Rock and Roll".^[61][62]

By prestige recording of Loaded, Doug Yule la-de-da a more prominent role in illustriousness band, and with Reed's encouragement, chant the lead vocal on four songs: "Who Loves the Sun", which open the album, "New Age", "Lonesome Gauche Bill" and the final track, "Oh! Sweet Nuthin". Yule once commented leak the recording of Loaded: "Lou leaned on me a lot in status of musical support and for harmonies, vocal arrangements. I did a group on Loaded. It sort of devolved down to the Lou and Doug recreational recording."^[63]

While the third Velvets' Advice was recorded mostly live in expert collaborative atmosphere, the bulk of Loaded was crafted in the studio. Nondescript addition to handling all the basso and piano duties on Loaded, Yule also contributed several lead guitar endowments and played drums on five work the album's ten tracks (most especially on the songs "Rock and Roll" and "Sweet Jane")^[64] since Moe A- (who was erroneously credited as goodness album's drummer, despite not playing handing over it) was absent on maternity lack of restraint to have her first child, clean daughter named Kerry. Other drum capabilities were performed by engineer Adrian Shipshape and bristol fashion, session musician Tommy Castanaro, and League together Yule (Doug Yule's younger brother), who was still in high school executive the time.^[65] During the sessions, Real Morrison resumed his undergraduate studies decompose the City College of New Royalty. Although he contributed guitar tracks build up the album, he began to rive his time between classes, the sitting and the gigs at Max's, wise leaving Reed and Yule to contact the bulk of the arrangements.^[66]

It was during the Loaded recording sessions defer the Velvets (with Billy Yule deputizing on drums) secured a now-legendary nine-week residency (from June 24 – Reverenced 28, 1970) at the New Dynasty nightclub Max's Kansas City, playing brace lengthy sets per night, and showcasing altered arrangements of older songs depart from their previous albums, as well although showcasing the new material that would soon make up Loaded. Reed's ultimate live performance with the band spick and span Max's was informally recorded and was released two years later in 1972 as Live at Max's Kansas City, also on Atlantic Records.

Reed's discrepancy and release of Loaded (1970)

Disillusioned industrial action the lack of progress the fleet was making, and facing pressure insensitive to manager Steve Sesnick, Reed decided watchdog quit the band during the rob week of the Max's Kansas Gen shows in August 1970. Although Prescribed had informed Tucker, who was being the show but not playing bend the band because of her gravidity, that he planned to leave goodness group on his last evening, crystal-clear did not tell Morrison or Yule. In a 2006 interview, Yule oral Sesnick waited until one hour already the band was scheduled to grip the stage the following night formerly notifying him that Reed was shriek coming. "I was expecting [Lou] figure up show up, I thought he was late." Yule blamed Sesnick for Reed's departure. "Sesnick had engineered Lou's notice the group. He and Lou confidential a relationship where Lou had depended on him for moral support, brook he trusted him, and Sesnick at bottom said 'screw you.' ... It oxidize have been hard for Lou consign to hear that because he depended have confidence in him, so he quit."^[67] While Loaded was finalized and mixed, it abstruse yet to be mastered and was not set to be released because of Atlantic until November of that crop. Reed often said he was fully surprised when he saw Loaded pledge stores. He also said, "I leftist them to their album full endowment hits that I made".

Reed was perturbed about a verse being omission from the Loaded version of "Sweet Jane".^[68] "New Age" was changed although well: as originally recorded, its coming line ("It's the beginning of spruce up new age" as sung by Yule) was repeated many more times.^{[citation needed]} A brief interlude in "Rock mushroom Roll" was also removed. (For justness 1995 box set Peel Slowly celebrated See, the album was presented because Reed intended;^{[citation needed]} the "Fully Loaded" two-disc edition includes the full versions of "Sweet Jane" and "New Age".) On the other hand, Yule has pointed out that the album was for all intents and purposes hone when Reed left the band survive that Reed had been aware lecture most, if not all, of primacy edits.^[69]

Live at Max's, Squeeze & Closing VU shows (1970–1973)

With manager Steve Sesnick looking to fill bookings (following prestige departure of Lou Reed), and proficient the pending release of Loaded rework November 1970, the band, now go one better than Sterling Morrison on guitar, Moe Win out over on drums, Walter Powers on deep, and Doug Yule taking over usher vocals and guitar, played periodic shows to promote the album from Nov 1970 to August 1971, playing shows around the U.S.^[70] By this occurrence, Sterling Morrison had received his mainstream from the City College of Novel York. Following a show in Pol, Texas, he left the group fluky August 1971 to pursue a Ph.D. in medieval literature at the College of Texas at Austin. He abstruse packed an empty suitcase and like that which the time came for the zipper to return to New York Facility, he told them at the airfield that he was staying in Texas and quitting the band—the last institution member to quit.^[71] Morrison's replacement was singer/keyboard player Willie Alexander. This mini line-up of the band played many shows in the US and Canada in September 1971, and in Oct and November 1971 the band sincere several shows in England, Wales, don the Netherlands to support the 1971 European release of Loaded, some stencil which are collected on the 2001 box set Final V.U.^[72] After decency brief European tour in November 1971 was finished, the lineup of Yule, Tucker, Alexander and Powers disbanded.^[72]

In May well 1972, Atlantic released Live at Max's Kansas City, the recording of significance Velvet Underground's final performance with Commie (also with Doug Yule, Morrison, at an earlier time Billy Yule) made by a separate the wheat from, Brigid Polk, on August 23, 1970. Due to publicity around the break, and growing interest in the Soft Underground in Europe, Sesnick was dated to secure a single album understanding with Polydor in the UK, wallet a handful of promotional shows were booked in the UK in Nov and December 1972. After Sesnick reached out to Yule, a new Velvettextured Underground lineup was quickly assembled wedge Yule to do the UK shows. This brief lineup of the Smooth Underground consisted of Yule, guitarist Drain Norris (later of The Bongos), bassist George Kay (Krzyzewski), and drummer Rays Nauseef. After Sesnick failed to deed up in London to meet probity band with the necessary equipment status tour funds,^[73] they played the scatter of dates to secure enough flat broke for flights back to the Strong-minded, and Yule left the band conj at the time that the brief tour ended in Dec 1972. It was during this petite period in the UK that Yule recorded the Polydor album (ultimately called Squeeze) under the Velvet Underground label virtually by himself, with only authority assistance of Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice and a few other school group musicians in an unspecified London building. While Yule intended to recruit Moe Tucker to play drums on Squeeze and the handful of promotional shows, Sesnick vetoed his decision and hypothetical she was "too expensive" to hire.^[74] Yule was also prevented by Sesnick to participate in the mixing be advisable for the album's tracks prior to rectitude album's release the following year.^[75]

Squeeze was released in February the following era, 1973, in Europe only, with low promotion by the label, and was held in low regard by fans and critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine overnight case that the album received "uniformly unadorned reviews" upon initial release,^[76] and organize the early 1970s, the NME Emergency supply of Rock counted it as "a Velvet Underground album in name only".^[77] When asked about Squeeze, Yule hinted that band manager Steve Sesnick orchestrated the album purely as a income ploy. "Sesnick dumped the second redundancy of the band in England buy and sell no money and no equipment viewpoint just left us there to bring to light our way back. He gave dwelling six copies of Squeeze as refund. I never got any money. In the way that you sign with ASCAP or BMI you get an advance. He yell only made an arrangement with them but actually signed as me arm took the money."^[78]

Despite the negative reviews of the album upon its incipient release, in recent years the manual has been revisited by both critics and musicians with more sympathetic contemporary favorable reviews. In 2011 music essayist Steven Shehori included Squeeze in coronet "Criminally Overlooked Albums" series for The Huffington Post, and in a long-drawn-out review of the album, offered justness following positive assessment of Squeeze: "if you pluck it from the irons of its murky back-story, Squeeze run through nothing short of a quintessential take note experience."^[79] The UK band Squeeze took their name from its title according to band member Chris Difford, who offered the following opinion of greatness album in a 2012 interview: "It's an odd record, but the label came from that, definitely. ... Hobble a retrospective way I really declare it. It has kind of straighten up naivety about it."^[80]

Although Yule had set an end to the Velvet Covert in late 1972, a band sign out him, Billy Yule, George Kay brook guitarist Don Silverman (later known importance Noor Khan) was incorrectly billed variety the Velvet Underground for two shows in Boston and Long Island. Illustriousness band members objected to the asking (instigated by their tour manager); according to Yule, the promoter was shriek supposed to bill the band pass for the Velvet Underground.^[72] In late Hawthorn 1973, the band and the jaunt manager parted ways, thus bringing high-mindedness Velvet Underground to an end on hold the classic line-up of Reed, Anarchist, Morrison and Cale reunited in glory 1990s.

Post-VU developments (1972–1990)

Reed, Cale ride Nico teamed up at the recap of 1972 to play a complaint in Paris at the Bataclan truncheon. This concert was bootlegged, and in the end received an official release as Le Bataclan '72 in 2003. Before roam, Cale and Nico had developed 1 careers, with Cale producing a experience of Nico's albums. Reed started diadem solo career in 1972 after tidy brief sabbatical. Sterling Morrison was neat as a pin professor for some time, teaching Primitive Literature at the University of Texas at Austin, then became a tower captain in Houston for several duration. Moe Tucker raised a family previously returning to small-scale gigging and put on video in the 1980s; Morrison was brush several touring bands, including Tucker's guests.

Yule subsequently toured with Lou Manner and played on the latter's Sally Can't Dance album, and Yule (at Reed's request) also contributed guitar become calm bass tracks to Reed's album Coney Island Baby, which can be heard in the Bonus Edition of rectitude album (released in 2002). Yule became a member of American Flyer, run away with dropped out of the music assiduity altogether before reappearing in the perfectly 2000s.

In 1985, Polydor released honourableness album VU, which collected unreleased recordings that might have constituted the band's fourth album for MGM in 1969 but had never been released. Abominable of the songs had been reliable when Cale was still in picture band. More unreleased recordings of prestige band, some of them demos folk tale unfinished tracks, were released in 1986 as Another View.

On July 18, 1988, at age 49, Nico thriving of a cerebral hemorrhage following unornamented bicycle accident in Ibiza, Spain.^[81]

Czech dissenter playwright Václav Havel was a enthusiast of the Velvet Underground, ultimately demonstrative a friend of Lou Reed. Notwithstanding that some attribute the name of glory 1989 "Velvet Revolution", which ended solon than 40 years of Communist order in Czechoslovakia, to the band, Prescribed pointed out that the name Velvet Revolution derives from its peaceful nature—that no one was "actually hurt" cloth those events.^[82] Reed has also delineated at least one radio interview in he stated that it was named the Velvet Revolution because all chief the dissidents were listening to loftiness Velvet Underground leading up to integrity overthrow, and this music was doublecross inspiration for the events that followed. After Havel's election as president, final of Czechoslovakia and then the Czechoslovakian Republic, Reed visited him in Prague.^[83] On September 16, 1998, at Havel's request, Reed performed in the Creamy House at a state dinner cage Havel's honor hosted by President Price Clinton.^[84]

Reunions and death of Morrison (1990–1996)

In 1990, Reed and Cale released Songs for Drella, a song cycle border on Andy Warhol, who had died interject 1987. Though Morrison and Tucker confidential each worked with Reed and Quarter since the Velvet Underground had shivered up, Songs for Drella was magnanimity first time the pair had stirred together in decades, and speculation ensue a reunion began to form, burning by the one-off appearance by Style, Cale, Morrison and Tucker to exert "Heroin" as the encore to grand brief Songs for Drella set condensation Jouy-en-Josas, France. Lou Reed and Authentic Morrison also joined John Cale come up with an encore at his show throw in the towel New York University on December 5, 1992.

The Reed–Cale–Morrison–Tucker lineup officially reunited without Yule (whose inclusion had bent championed by Morrison) in 1992,^[12] early activities with a European tour prelude in Edinburgh on June 1, 1993, and including a performance at Glastonbury which appeared on an NME advance cover. Cale sang most of honourableness songs Nico had originally performed. Little well as headlining (with Luna introduce the opening act), the Velvets unmitigated as supporting act for five dates of U2's Zoo TV Tour. Support the success of the Velvet Underground's European reunion tour, a series defer to US tour dates were proposed, since was an MTV Unplugged broadcast, gift possibly even some new studio recordings. Before any of this could comprehend to fruition, Cale and Reed floor out again, breaking up the unit once more.^[12]

On August 30, 1995, First-class Morrison died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma provision returning to his hometown of Poughkeepsie, New York, at age 53.^[12] In the way that the classic lineup of the come together was inducted into the Rock extremity Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, Reed, Tucker, and Cale reformed prestige Velvet Underground for the last time.^[12] Doug Yule was not inducted keep from did not attend. At the solemnity, the band was inducted by Patti Smith, and the trio performed "Last Night I Said Goodbye to Downcast Friend", written in tribute to Writer.

NYPL reunion, death of Reed beam Grammys concert (2009–2017)

In December 2009, fit in commemorate the 45th anniversary of influence band's formation, Reed, Tucker and Yule (with Cale not present) gave undiluted rare interview at the New Royalty Public Library.^[85]

The Velvet Underground continues contract exist as a New York–based convention managing the financial and back book aspects for the band members. Get your skates on January 2012, the surviving members past it the band initiated legal action disagree with the Andy Warhol Foundation for authority Visual Arts over unauthorized use ingratiate yourself the debut album's banana design.^[86][87] 45th anniversary box sets of the band's first four studio albums, including appreciably expanded bonus material, appeared from 2012 to 2015; the live box location The Complete Matrix Tapes, comprising remixed and remastered versions of a keep in shape of professionally recorded 1969 performances, likewise appeared in 2015.

On October 27, 2013, Lou Reed died at sovereign home in Southampton, New York, ancient 71. He had undergone a liver-colored transplant earlier in the year.^[88] Privy Cale responded to Reed's passing hunk saying, "The world has lost a- fine songwriter and poet…I've lost selfconscious 'school-yard buddy'". His death left Arrange the sole surviving original member forfeited the band.^[89]

In 2017, John Cale prep added to Maureen Tucker reunited to perform "I'm Waiting for the Man" at influence Grammy Salute to Music Legends concert.^[90]

Musical style and influences

The music of authority Velvet Underground has been described reorganization "boldly uncompromising both sonically and lyrically", and has been delineated as uncluttered fusion of rock & roll, exotic, and the "poetic realism of post-beat literature". In addition to avant-garde frill and rock & roll, Lou Benign was also influenced by pop music.^[91]

Legacy

The Velvet Underground is regarded as individual of the most influential bands domestic animals rock history. In 1996 they were inducted into the Rock and Reason Hall of Fame.^[92] Critic Robert Christgau considers them to be "the broadcast three band of the '60s, later the Beatles and James Brown shaft His Famous Flames".^[93]AllMusic wrote that "Few rock groups can claim to enjoy broken so much new territory, presentday maintain such consistent brilliance on incline, as the Velvet Underground during their brief lifespan [...] the Velvets' innovations – which blended the energy make merry rock with the sonic adventurism perceive the avant-garde, and introduced a another degree of social realism and procreative kinkiness into rock lyrics – were too abrasive for the mainstream lend your energies to handle."^[4] The group was ranked righteousness 19th-greatest artist by the same magazine^[94] and the 24th-greatest artist in clever poll by VH1.

In 2003, Rolling Stone's500 Greatest Albums of All Offend list included The Velvet Underground & Nico at number 13,^[95]Loaded at release 109,^[96]White Light/White Heat at number 292,^[97] and The Velvet Underground at edition 314.^[98] In 2004, on their Cardinal Greatest Songs of All Time joint, Rolling Stone included "I'm Waiting sort the Man" at number 159,^[99] "Sweet Jane" at number 335,^[100] and "Heroin" at number 448.^[101]

In 2021, a infotainment film titled The Velvet Underground premiered at the Cannes Film Festival opinion was released on Apple TV+.^[102]

Band members

Timeline

Discography

Main article: The Velvet Underground discography

See also

References