Velvet Underground Trainspotting Question

UPDATE: My speaker wire was connected to the right main and right remote outputs. I fixed the problem.

I'd like to thank everyone who was with me from the beginning, without your help this project may have never been completed. I'm confident that with the teamwork displayed in the last couple of days our dream of sending an ex-member of the Velvet Underground to the moon will soon become a reality.

This seems as good a place as any to ask this question ... has anybody bought that new VU seven inch singles thing that Sundazed just put out? I don't really want to buy it, BUT: the mix of "I Heard Her Call My Name" is apparently vastly different. Would like to hear this ... mp3 anywhere?

haha I was wondering which thread to revive to discuss the "Nuns Are On The Seawall" blog...

i.e Velvets bootlegs S/D

the 'Ultimate Mono and Acetates Album' has some of those singles but not all. it does have the mono WL/WH which is really different at least on Lady Godiva's Operation, I guess I should listen to it. that may be the version of "Call My Name" you refer to.

also loving:

the Pre-VU Preview, all the demos of early 60's Reed/Cale pop music
Problems In Urban Living (Cleveland 68)
CDs from a certain minimalist composr who shall remain anonymous

Yeah, I've got that Ultimate Mono Acetates thing -- from what I understand, this mix of "Heard" is unheard until now? Less of Lou's guitar, more of the band. Or something ... But anyway -- yeah! Pre-VU is crazy, really incredible. Drop in some references to methamphetamine and "Do The Ostrich" could be on White Light/White Heat, easy. Crazy that, according to the Unterberger VU Day By Day book, there's a solo version of "Heroin" recorded during the Pickwick era. Probably sounds similar to the versions on the 1st disc of "Peel Slowly" but I'd still love to hear it.

I've got it on order, will let you know...

Cool!
Someone over on the Velvet Forum sez: "the mix of I Heard Her Call My Name is insane. At first I thought that there was a mistake in the pressing as Lou's opening vocals ("here comes count down...' ) are way down in the mix and actually sound muffled. Then they pick up a little with 'Ever since...'. Sterling's guitar is up and so it Cale's bass. For the first 30 seconds or so it sounds like a kind of lo-fi garage sound and then later the sound gets bigger with more of the impact we know. But overall the balance is restored so that you can hear Sterling's lovely rhythm guitar work and Cale's bass, which is really great. Cale's bass sound is amazing on this mix and then also makes you realised how low the bass is in the mix on most of the White Light LP."

Hmm
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0847833550/ref=pe_5050_13305760_snp_dp
$189
Little bit annoying that they're putting out all of this collector-bait stuff these days and not putting out unreleased stuff. Or barely any unreleased stuff.

A while ago, I did my own mix of "Heard Her Call My Name" with less Lou and more of the band just for fun, anyone can do it

ysi?

From that Velvet Forum, here's a list of uncirculated VU stuff that seems to actually exist.

-The demo tape Cale took to England
-Summit High School tape
-Bizarre footage
-Delmonico´s tape
-Boston Tea Party footage(any news on this, by the way?)
-La Cave 68 tape
-Hippodrome 68 tape
-Nelson Video tape 70
-Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island
-May 11, 1965 Pickwick Studios, near Long Island City, New York
-Donald Jackson VU footage
-Danny Williams VU footage
-The Primitives tape
-Ronald Nameth Vu footage
-Matrix Tapes
-Seattle 69 tape

I don't know how to do that! (xp)

-The demo tape Cale took to England

I'd be surprised if this still existed! Very! The Matrix Tapes is what we want!!!!!

xpost

what the hell is that? a 304-page hardback book, yeah, but what about the single with it?

hate it when Amazon has no info about the product.

and hey that Seattle 69 show is on the Nuns Are On The Seawall blog, it's listed as Retinal Circus. first new show (to me) to surface since the Gymnasium.

!!! Had no idea ... Thanks! Is it good?

more from that Velvet Forum:
-the full Gymnasium tape
-the cale/sterling/reed rehearsals from cale loft 1966
-uncut recent Factory 66 tape

here's a list of uncirculated VU stuff that seems to actually exist.

i'm still hoping that footage of them on Upbeat! shows up somewhere. Lots of clips from that show are in circulation, but considering they made a handful of appearances i'm surprised nothing's around. About one of the shows: "The Velvets performed live on the Upbeat TV show in June 1968 (not June 1967). Moreover, contrary to Sterling Morrison's recollection, they performed a blistering, buzzsaw version of Run Run Run. Their rendition of Run Run Run went beyond their alloted time: thus, Upbeat cut away to a commercial while the Velvets were engaged in feedback frenzy with Lou's back to the camera."

that would be awesome. There was some comment (I think from Moe Tucker) that she couldn't believe, with all the cameras the Warhol crew had going all the time, no one just filmed a straight ahead version of one of the EPI shows.

Is it good?

here's wl/wh:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/8j4j7c

it's a soundboard!!! the only one I know of besides those Matrix tapes. as a result the vox are too loud and the guitars a bit subdued, but the overall recording is much clearer. I still think Problems In Urban Living (Cleveland Oct. 68) is my favorite live boot, love the guitar sound on that.

that's a flac btw

Already downloading from The Nuns site ... So weird that this stuff just keeps showing up. One thing I'm super interested in (that hasn't seen the light of day afaik) is a studio version of "Beginning to See the Light" with Cale.

WHAT????!??!

those Velvets Forum trainspotters mean business man.

http://www.paulvates.com/images/gatwickshuttle.jpg

But yeah, the "Beginning" with Cale is mentioned in the Unterberger book - recorded at the "Mr. Rain" session apparently? With "fuzz bass"? There was talk of it appearing on a projected WL/WH "deluxe edition, I think. Which never came out obv.

LOL, yeah, obv.

But ... maybe now that this singles set has come out, there's a chance of more VU material coming out officially? I think I read that Lou wasn't into having any more live stuff come out.

Hmmm, so I'm listening to this "Retinal Circus" VU show -- and I'm pretty sure some of these takes are the same as appear on Live 1969. Haven't a/b'd them or anything. It's an uncut tape of the show, though, which hasn't circulate as far as I know ... I think that those songs were thought to be from the Matrix, wonder what the deal is! MYSTERY. Sounds great, anyway.

yeh, the wh/wh posted above is the same as the version on the live 69 album

er wl/wh

Yeah, same w/ "heroin", "what goes on", "new age" so far. it's funny to hear these songs w/ audience applause -- on 1969 they cut off almost immediately, sort of giving the impression that the VU was playing to barely anyone. But here they've got a totally enthusiastic crowd. And why not, considering the godlike awesomeness of this "What Goes On."

Too bad he didn't sit in with them...coulda had a cool monologue intro to "Sister Ray".

Rawls and Reed together at last.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hl3U0KhwgM&index=8&list=RDWXj3yFSy1M0

anyway that was Lou Rawls doing Season of the Witch

"faxx nazz"

No results found for "faxx nazz".

p sure it's fuxx nazz

I thought about that but the "u"s in both Lou & Underground seem to have more space between the lines.

(and that result is also absent in google as well).

i was just making a childish joke, sry

Velvet Dream meet Velvet Underground

I think it's funny that was a fake Nazz there when the real one was available and in the area.

Lou Mitchell meet Lou Rawls

Any reason...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBd4SuDNsGQ

Thought he was James Brown for a day.

anyway that was Lou Rawls doing Season of the Witch

― brownie

is it a patch on the version by enoch light and the light brigade

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAZ0VlfKrTA

i lost it when Gumby showed up in that Soul Man video

Eddie Murphy?

Oh no, not him.

I just watched that and felt really weird having successfully avoided anything to do with that movie for so long.

Has anyone attempted to compile a two-disc "best of the Complete Matrix Tapes" playlist with the best versions of all the songs that are duplicated on it? This stuff is so great but I'm not sure I need four versions of Heroin.

Not to cop out but my chief pleasure in listening to the Matrix Tapes is hearing them do whole shows - the continuity of it is the thing. Otherwise a trackwise upgrade of 1969 Live would probably be a solid start (albeit missing the End Cole Ave stuff).

More Dallas '69 footage, I think this has some shots which aren't in the previous one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYaO-F4dCRw

Some great shots in this one.

Yes indeed

Has anyone attempted to compile a two-disc "best of the Complete Matrix Tapes" playlist with the best versions of all the songs that are duplicated on it? This stuff is so great but I'm not sure I need four versions of Heroin.

― van dyke parks generator (anagram), Friday, July 12, 2019 7:04 AM (five hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Yes, the super deluxe edition of the third album has this exact thing

Perfect, thanks!

Wow that Enoch Light track slays

Retweeted by Ned today:

Lou Reed is spokesman for the Velvet Underground at a literature and electronic media class run by Dr Joseph Kruppa at Texas University, 23 October 1969. 'Because of media censorship, nobody has heard any real music, nothing to make your hair stand on end.' Daily Texan 24 Oct 69 pic.twitter.com/vcs9Jr1Wnx

— Arthur (@ratherarthur) August 3, 2020

Was that in tandem with those Dallas ‘69 videos that are broken upthread?

Sort of. Same tour. This thing was in Austin.

Checking upthread, this was the next week.

https://recordmecca.com/wp-content/uploads/mqc/1063_large_2.jpg

Cool. Did they end up taking Emitt Rhodes to lunch at the end of that tour?

They were supposed to, but only Doug showed up to meet Emitt at the Taco Bell.

Lol

that gig poster is dancing perilously close to Horrible 70s album titles like I've Got My Own Album To Do territory

May 11, 1965
Pickwick Studios, near Long Island City, New York

John Cale - Lou Reed - Jerry Vance or Jimmie Sims

1. Buzz Buzz Buzz (one complete take + a couple of attempts breaking down)
2. Why Don't You Smile Now
3. Heroin (take 1)
4. Heroin (take 2)
5. Untitled Piano Piece 1
6. Untitled Piano Piece 1

this has been mentioned elsewhere on ILM, but i just encountered this swedish garage group's cover of "why don't you smile now" from 1967, two years after the all night workers 45. and it's cool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=dyaus17wWZ4
Downliners Sect ‎– Why Don't You Smile Now

https://img.discogs.com/5NUMPrDUwuxq0hy5fD9_0eC2a50=/fit-in/600x604/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-8916819-1471422077-4109.jpeg.jpg

Cool

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EfFp0DnU0AAQHTU?format=jpg&name=900x900

1963

Nice! Somehow never knew or remembered his middle name.

Downliners Sect weren't Swedish, they were a C-Team Brit Blues band that lucked into the All-Night Workers tape while looking for obscure US R&B songs to cover. It later popped up on Rhino's Nuggets II box.

IIRC tho, there was a Swede Garage cover of The Sect's version.

right, i slipped up because as far as i can tell that particular downliners sect 7" only had a swedish release. anyway the "nuggets ii" inclusion explains why it sounded strangely familiar ...

Well, it's a nice to own, that single.

(I don't, and I know neither do you, but.)

https://img.discogs.com/PSvLs63xRvw3I2T3Ie-dsTLvCuE=/fit-in/498x496/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-1968470-1276709142.jpeg.jpg

... somebody had good memories of that summer at Tanglewood.

Interestingly Downliners Sect reformed in the wake of punk and recorded a session for John Peel in 1977.

did anybody spring for this ?

I Met Myself In A Dream… That's the Story of the Third Album (The Velvet Underground Appreciation Society)
M.C. Kostek, Alfredo García, and Ignacio Juliá

https://inevitablevucatalogue.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/cover-front.jpg

on a related note, i'm wondering if there are enough discographies / sessionographies / etc. to merit themselves a bibliography (print and online) of all the different sources that have come to inform our collective knowledge of the "complete VU" (including pre-VU curiosities and juvenilia).

it's my understanding (and i'm happy to be corrected here) that richie unterberger's WL/WH is more or less the final say on the matter, although i imagine that even this towering achievement could be aided by supplemental material. even so, it would be interesting to chart how the "what goes on" VUAS zines evolved into MC kostek's "VU handbook," to catalogue the iterations of olivier landemaine's web page, to highlight the role of non-VU work shedding light (branden w. joseph's "beyond the dream syndicate"), etc. has this been done, here or elsewhere ?

probably not, but I agree!

well, there's this, for starters

http://olivier.landemaine.free.fr/vu/biblio/books/books.html