The Velvet Underground was an American rock band from NYC, founded in 1965 by guitarist–singer Lou Reed and Welsh-born organist–violist John Cale. They debuted with the 1967 Verve release The Velvet Underground & Nico, recorded with German chanteuse Nico. Cale departed after their 1968 second album White Light / White Heat. Musician–songwriter Doug Yule joined […]
Lou Reed (March 2, 1942 — Oct. 27, 2013) was an American singer, musician, and songwriter from Brooklyn who emerged as the Velvet Underground frontman. He charted with “Walk On the Wild Side” from his 1972 album Transformer, a rock/burlesque set followed with Berlin, a concept album steeped in Wiemar cabaret. He released eleven further […]
Nico (1938–1988) was a German singer, model, and actress who emerged as a co-vocalist in the Velvet Underground. After singing on their 1967 album The Velvet Underground & Nico, she went solo with that year’s Verve release Chelsea Girl. She jumped to Elektra for the 1968 avant-garde album The Marble Index, followed by the 1970 […]
John Cale (born March 9, 1942) is a Welsh multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who emerged on the London/New York avant-garde scene during the early 1960s, playing alongside Michael Garrett, John Cage, Tony Conrad, and La Monte Young. He entered rock as the bassist/violist in The Velvet Underground, with whom he recorded two albums: The Velvet Underground […]
Loaded is the fourth album by the Velvet Underground, released in 1970 on Cotillion. The album would be the band’s last with frontman Lou Reed. Drumming for these sessions was handled by multi-instrumentalist Doug Yule, who deputized the role of a then-pregnant Maureen Tucker, though the latter was credited (as “Mo Tucker”) on the original LP […]
