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The Velvet Underground
Nico ♦ John Cale 
 

Gotta Start Somewhere...

The Primitives
The Ostrich / Sneaky Pete
Phillips-Reed-Sims-Vance (2:25) / Phillips-Reed-Sims-Vance (2:15)
Pickwick City PC-9001, 1/65

Group featured Lou

Nico
I'm Not Sayin' / The Last Mile
Lighfoot (2:45) / Oldham-Page (2:31)
Immediate 003, 8/65 [UK]

Jimmy Page arranged and played guitar on this single

Note: Andy Warhol was a major influence on (and in) The Velvet Underground during the early years.
Check the bottom of this page to find a link to a video of Andy Warhol's Exploding Plastic Inevitable.
 

All Tomorrow's Parties³ / I'll Be Your Mirror
Reed (2:55) / Reed (2:16)
Verve VK-10427, 7/66

 
Early Velvets recording on The East Village Other ESP album, 9/66
Sunday Morning / Femme Fatale
Reed (2:51) / Reed (2:35)
Verve VK-10466, 12/66

 

& Nico
Verve V6-5008
3/12/67 BB RS500 [UK: 10/67]
Back Cover (Original version)


Original back cover with Eric Emerson torso - lawsuit threatened
 
Back Cover (Sticker version)


MGM pulled the record, slapped a black sticker on it
 
Back Cover (Airbrushed version)


Then, re-released with torso airbrushed out
 
Inside Cover

 
Peel That Banana!


 
UK Back Cover


Front cover was "airbrushed" version of US back cover
Side One
Sunday Morning Reed 2:53
I'm Waiting For The Man Reed 4:37
Femme Fatale Reed 2:35
Venus In Furs Reed 5:07
Run Run Run Reed 4:18
All Tomorrow's Parties Reed 5:55
Side Two
Heroin Reed 7:05
There She Goes Again Reed 2:36
I'll Be Your Mirror Reed 2:07
The Black Angel's Death Song Cale-Reed 3:10
European Son To Delmore Schwartz Cale-Morrison-Reed-Tucker 7:44
----------------------------------
Lou Reed-guitar, ostrich guitar, vocals
John Cale-bass, piano, electric viola
Sterling Morrison-bass, rhythm guitar
Maureen Tucker-percussion
with:
Nico-chanteuse [vocals] (Femme Fatale, All Tomorrow's Parties, I'll Be Your Mirror)
§Cover Art-Andy Warhol
Produced by: Andy Warhol, except Sunday Morning by Tom Wilson

Note: Read more about artwork controversy @ wiki
 


Chelsea Girl
Verve V6-5032
10/67 [UK: 9/71]
Back Cover

Side One
The Fairest Of The Seasons† Browne-Copland 4:06
These Days† Browne 3:30
Little Sister Cale-Reed 4:22
Winter Song Cale-Reed 3:17
It Was A Pleasure Then Cale-Nico-Reed 8:02
Side Two
Chelsea Girls Morrison-Reed 7:22
I'll Keep It With Mine† Dylan 3:17
Somewhere There's A Feather† Browne 2:16
Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams† Cale-Reed 5:07
Eulogy To Lenny Bruce Hardin 3:45
----------------------------------
Nico-vocals
with:
Jackson Browne-guitar†
Lou Reed-guitar
John Cale-electric viola, piano, bass
§Cover Photo-Paul Morrissey
Produced by: Tom Wilson

Note: Young (and in love) Jackson would become quite the star in a few years.
 

White Light/White Heat / Here She Comes Now
Reed (2:44) / Cale-Morrison-Reed-Tucker (2:00)
Verve VK-10560, 12/67

 

White Light/White Heat
Verve V6-5046
1/30/68 BB RS500 [UK: 6/68]
Back Cover

 
UK 71 Reissue Cover

Side One
White Light/White Heat Reed 2:44
The Gift Cale-Morrison-Reed-Tucker 8:14
Lady Godiva's Operation Reed 4:52
Here She Comes Now Cale-Morrison-Reed-Tucker 2:00
Side Two
I Heard Her Call My Name Reed 4:05
Sister Ray Cale-Morrison-Reed-Tucker 17:00
----------------------------------
John Cale-organ, bass, keyboards, electric viola, vocals
Lou Reed-guitar, piano, keyboards, vocals
Sterling Morrison-bass, vocals
Maureen Tucker-drums, percussion
§Cover Concept-Andy Warhol; Photo-Billy Name
Produced by: The Velvet Underground

Note: Early releases misprint: There She Goes Now
Hard to see here, but there's a skull on the front cover—read more @ wiki
 

John Cale to solo career


The Marble Index
Elektra EKS-74029
9/68 [UK: 7/69]
Back Cover

Side One
Prelude Nico :50
Lawns Of Dawns Nico 3:12
No One Is There Nico 3:36
Ari's Song† Nico 3:20
Facing The Wind Nico 4:52
Side Two
Julius Caesar (Memento Hodie) Nico 4:57
Frozen Warnings Nico 4:00
Evening Of Light Nico 5:33
----------------------------------
Nico-vocals, harmonium
with:
John Cale-electric viola, piano, bass, guitar, glockenspiel, bells, mouth organ, bosun's pipe
†Ari-vocal
†Nico-harpsichord, prompter
§Cover Photo-Guy Webster
Produced by: Frazier Mohawk

 


Velvet Underground
MGM SE-4617
4/69 RS500 [UK: 4/69]
Back Cover

 
UK Back Cover


Horizontal split instead of vertical
Side One
Candy Says Reed 4:02
What Goes On Reed 4:52
Some Kinda Love Reed 4:00
Pale Blue Eyes Reed 5:38
Jesus Reed 3:22
Side Two
Beginning To See The Light Reed 4:38
I'm Set Free Reed 4:01
That's The Story Of My Life Reed 1:56
The Murder Mystery Reed 8:53
After Hours Reed 2:07
----------------------------------
Lou Reed-guitar, keyboards, vocals
Sterling Morrison-guitar, vocals
Doug Yule-organ, bass, guitar, drums, keyboards, vocals (lead on Candy Says)
Maureen Tucker-percussion, drums, vocals (lead on After Hours)
§Cover Photo-Billy Name
Produced by: The Velvet Underground

 

What Goes On³ / Jesus
Reed (2:40) / Reed (2:55)
MGM K-14057, 5/69

B-side listed as 2:55, is actually album length (3:22)
Toronto Pop Festival(6/21/69)

Vintage Violence
Columbia CS-1037
3/25/70 [UK: 3/71]
Back Cover

Side One
Hello There Cale 2:48
Gideon's Bible Cale 3:24
Adelaide Cale 2:23
Big White Cloud Cale 3:33
Cleo Cale 2:36
Please Cale 4:20
Side Two
Charlemagne Cale 5:03
Bring It On Up Cale 2:26
Amsterdam Cale 3:13
Ghost Story Cale 3:48
Fairweather Friend Jeffreys 2:34
----------------------------------
John Cale-bass, guitar, keyboards, viola
with:
Garland Jeffreys-guitar, backing vocals
Ernire Coralla-guitar
Stan Szelest-piano
Harvey Brooks-bass
Sanford Konikoff-drums
§Cover Photo-Isi Valeris
Produced by: John Cale, Lewis Merenstein

 

Lou Reed quits after recording Loaded to persue solo career. Velvets carry on til 73.

Cleo / Fairweather Friend
Cale (2:38) / Jeffreys (2:45)
Columbia 4-45154, 10/70

 
Big White Cloud / Gideon's Bible
Cale (3:31) / Cale (3:19)
Columbia 4-45266, 11/70

 

Loaded
Cotillion SD-9034
11/70 RS500 [UK: 4/71]
Back Cover

Side One
Who Loves The Sun† Reed 2:50
Sweet Jane Morrison-Reed-Yule 3:55
Rock & Roll Morrison-Reed-Yule 4:47
Cool It Down Morrison-Reed-Yule 3:05
New Age† Morrison-Reed-Yule 5:20
Side Two
Head Held High Morrison-Reed-Yule 2:52
Lonesome Cowboy Bill† Morrison-Reed-Yule 2:48
I Found A Reason Morrison-Reed-Yule 4:15
Train Round The Bend Morrison-Reed-Yule 3:20
Oh! Sweet Nuthin'† Morrison-Reed-Yule 7:23
----------------------------------
Lou Reed-vocals, rhythm guitar, piano
Sterling Morrison-lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals
Doug Yule-bass, piano, organ, lead guitar, acoustic guitar, drums, percussion, backing vocals, lead vocals†
Maureen Tucker-drums [credited, but does not appear due to maternity leave]
with:
Adrian Barber-drums (Who Loves the Sun)
Tommy Castagnaro-drums (Cool It Down)
Billy Yule-drums (Lonesome Cowboy Bill, Oh! Sweet Nuthin')
§Cover Art-Stanislaw Zagorski
Produced by: Geoffrey Haslam, Shel Kagan, The Velvet Underground

 


Desertshore
Reprise RS-6424
12/70 [UK: 1/71]
Back Cover

Side One
Janitor Of Lunacy Nico 4:01
The Falconer Nico 5:39
My Only Child Nico 3:27
Le Petit Chevalier Nico 1:12
Side Two
Abscheid Nico 3:02
Afraid Nico 3:27
Mutterlein Nico 4:38
All That Is My Own Nico 3:54
----------------------------------
Nico-vocal, harmonium
with:
John Cale-all other instruments except trumpet
John Cale, Adam Miller & Annagh Wood-harmony voices
§Album Design-Nigel Weymouth
Produced by: John Cale

Note: Abschied and Mütterlein and cover photographs are from the film "La Cicatrice Interieure", directed by Philippe Garrel
 


John Cale & Terry Riley
Church Of Anthrax
Columbia C-30131
2/71 [UK: 4/71]
Back Cover

Side One
Church Of Antrax Cale-Riley 9:00
The Hall Of Mirrors In The Palace At Versailles Cale-Riley 7:55
Side Two
The Soul Of Patrick Lee Cale 2:47
Ides Of March Cale-Riley 11:03
The Protege Cale-Riley 2:47
----------------------------------
John Cale-keyboards, bass guitar, harpsichord, piano, guitar, viola, organ
Terry Riley-piano, organ, soprano saxophone
with:
Adam Miller-vocal (The Soul of Patrick Lee)
Bobby Colomby-drums
Bobby Gregg-drums
§Cover Design-John Berg, Richard Mantel
Produced by: John Cale, John McClure

 

Who Loves The Sun / Oh! Sweet Nuthin'
Reed (2:50) / Morrison-Reed-Yule (7:23)
Cotillion 44107, 3/71

 
10/5/71: Palais Dance Hall, Polytechnic, Leicester, England
Willie Alexander led version—only Moe left from core group

 

One Last Stand

Rumour has it that the Velvets were much, much better live than on the albums that nobody bought at the time, yet vividly remember listening to. There are crude videos around of Andy Warhol's Exploding Plastic Inevitable (Youtube link), but recordings of them live (during our time-frame) were non-existant. Then this little cheapo record (legit boot?) came out in the spring of 72. Hmm, warm breezes, leaves budding, birds frolicking, and The Velvets at Max's Kansas City.

While the last best incarnation of the Velvets were working on Loaded, they played a nine-week engagement at Max's whilst they worked things out. Recorded by Brigid Polk on a muggy August night in 1970 on a cassette recorder in mono on a table-top thru a hand-held mic, which was in the hand of Jim Carroll. Good times!


Live At Max's Kansas City
Cotillion SD-9500
5/30/72 [UK: 8/72]
Back Cover

Side One
I'm Waiting For The Man Reed 4:00
Sweet Jane Reed 4:52
Lonesome Cowboy Bill Reed 3:41
Beginning To See The Light Reed 5:00
Side Two
I'll Be Your Mirror Reed 1:55
Pale Blue Eyes Reed 5:38
Sunday Morning Cale-Reed 2:43
New Age Reed 5:58
Femme Fatale Reed 2:29
After Hours Reed 2:05
----------------------------------
Lou Reed-Rhythm guitar, lead vocals
Sterling Morrison-lead guitar
Doug Yule-bass, vocals
Bill Yule-drums
§Cover Illustration-Doug Johnson; Photo-Fred Lombardi
Produced by: Geoff Haslam

Note: Recorded August 23, 1970. A CD released in 2004 doubled the content.
 


Links!

The Velvet Underground Web PageHighly recommended!
Lou Reed Memorial web site
Fear Is A Man's Best Friend - John Cale
Nico web site

 


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