Velvet Underground (music group)

The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in 1964 in New York City. The group originally consisted of lead singer and guitarist Lou Reed; bassist, violist, and organist John Cale; guitarist Sterling Morrison; and drummer Angus MacLise, although MacLise was replaced by Maureen Tucker in 1965. The band rose to prominence after coming under the management of pop artist Andy Warhol, who often employed the Velvet Underground as the house band at his New York City studio known as the Factory. The group was considered a pioneer of the avant-garde rock movement of the 1960s, with many of its songs featuring dark and racy lyrics focused on addiction, alienation, deviancy, and violence. The Velvet Underground released five studio albums between 1967 and 1973, after which it disbanded. Its material continued to serve as an inspiration to countless musicians over the years, including David Bowie, the New York Dolls, Patti Smith, Roxy Music, the Sex Pistols, R.E.M., and Sonic Youth.

Background

The seeds of the Velvet Underground were planted after Lou Reed met John Cale in New York City in 1964. Both musicians were classically trained, with Cale excelling in viola and Reed in piano. The pair related to each other's disillusionment over city living and the hardships they often bore witness to in New York. Both artists had been playing music in New York for some time. Reed was a poet and songwriter who found inspiration in avant-garde jazz music and had worked as a staff songwriter for Pickwick Records. Cale had moved to the United States from Wales to study music and had performed with musicians such as John Cage and La Monte Young. Reed and Cale were both interested in discovering new ways to play rock music and soon began enlisting more musicians to bring their ideas to fruition.

By 1965, the pair had managed to recruit guitarist Sterling Morrison and drummer Angus MacLise and began referring to themselves as the Velvet Underground. MacLise's time with the band was short-lived, however, and he was soon replaced by Maureen Tucker. The Velvet Underground debuted live on November 11, 1965, at a high school dance in Summit, New Jersey. Within a few months, the band was playing regular shows at the Café Bizarre in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York. It was there they first met pop artist Andy Warhol, who took an immediate liking to the band's sound. After the cafe removed the group from its lineup following a disagreement, Warhol invited the Velvet Underground to perform at the premiere of his film series showing at his studio, the Factory.

The group soon became the Factory's house band and also toured with Warhol's traveling art show. Warhol was also instrumental in implanting German singer Nico into the lineup. Nico would serve as guest vocalist on a number of the group's early popular tracks. Over the next few years, the Velvet Underground released some of the most controversial yet influential music of the 1960s, breaching the borders of rock and roll music to become one of the most significant rock outfits in music history.

Overview

The Velvet Underground recorded its debut album, The Velvet Underground and Nico, in 1966. Produced by Warhol, the record was not released until the following year due to issues with the band's music label. Warhol also designed the album's iconic cover art, which was a simple image of a brightly colored banana. With Reed and Nico alternating lead vocals, the album was initially met with confusion and frustration by the broader music industry, as many of its songs were unfit to play on the radio. Reed's lyrics often made mention of drugs, sex, and violence, but the album also contained songs of gentle introspection. Despite being virtually ignored by the popular music charts of the time, The Velvet Underground and Nico contained many of the band's most enduring tracks of its career, including "Heroin," "All Tomorrow's Parties," "Venus in Furs," and "Sunday Morning."

The group severed ties with Warhol following a disagreement over a Boston performance, which the band played without Nico. The band hired Steve Sesnick as its new manager. Sesnick could not garner the same kind of media sensationalism that Warhol could, however, and the band's popularity waned over the next few years. The Velvet Underground's next release, White Light/White Heat, also alienated the group's fan base with its chaotic and noisy style. The album was somewhat emblematic of the growing tensions between members, particularly Reed and Cale. Cale left the band shortly after the release of White Light/White Heat and was quickly replaced by Doug Yule. The new lineup soon began recording the group's third album, the self-titled Velvet Underground, released in 1969. The album was an even further departure from the band's original material, filled with quiet, slow-moving tracks. Despite containing some of Reed's most poignant material of his career, the release further estranged the band from its remaining fans, leading to MGM dropping the group from the label.

After signing with Atlantic Records, the Velvet Underground returned to New York in the summer of 1970 to begin recording its next album. The group also played a slew of shows around the city, where it had not given a live performance since 1967. Reed was growing increasingly frustrated with the direction of the band, however. After the group had completed its fourth album, Loaded, Reed departed the group and moved to England, embarking on a solo career. Yule took over on guitar and brought in Walter Powers to play bass. Although the band would tour the country without Reed following Loaded's release, Tucker and Morrison dropped out of the lineup in 1971 to pursue other interests. Yule attempted to keep the band going with the 1973 release of Squeeze, but without the principal members, fans dismissed the album as inauthentic.

The Velvet Underground's popularity continued to grow over the next few decades, despite the band's breakup. Artists such as David Bowie, Brian Eno, and Patti Smith credited the group with influencing their material. The group briefly reunited in the early 1990s for an international tour, but bickering between Cale and Reed led to the cancellation of American show dates. Morrison died of lymphoma in 1995 before the group could reunite at its Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction the following year. The group lost Reed to liver disease in October of 2013. The Velvet Underground remained one of the most important acts in rock history and continued to impact generations of musical artists long after its heyday.

Bibliography

Dolan, Jon. "Lou Reed, Velvet Underground Leader and Rock Pioneer, Dead at 71." Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2013, www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lou-reed-velvet-underground-leader-and-rock-pioneer-dead-at-71-20131027. Accessed 26 Oct. 2016.

Harvard, Joe. The Velvet Underground and Nico. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2004.

Heylin, Clinton. All Yesterdays' Parties: The Velvet Underground in Print, 1966–1971. Da Capo Press, 2006.

Kot, Greg. "The Velvet Underground: As Influential as the Beatles?" BBC, 21 Oct. 2014, www.bbc.com/culture/story/20131125-do-the-velvets-beat-the-beatles. Accessed 26 Oct. 2016.

Unterberger, Richie. "The Velvet Underground Biography." AllMusic, www.allmusic.com/artist/the-velvet-underground-mn0000840402/biography. Accessed 26 Oct. 2016.

"The Velvet Underground & Nico at 50: A New York Extravaganza in Paris." BBC, 12 Apr. 2016, www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/TwCQcjZ8rY811brrsBhKdB/the-velvet-underground-nico-at-50-a-new-york-extravaganza-in-paris. Accessed 26 Oct. 2016.

"The Velvet Underground Bio." Rolling Stone, www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/the-velvet-underground/biography. Accessed 26 Oct. 2016.

"The Velvet Underground Chart History." Billboard, www.billboard.com/artist/419361/velvet-underground/chart. Accessed 26 Oct. 2016.