VU (album)
Encyclopedia
VU is an outtake
s compilation album
by The Velvet Underground
. It was released in February 1985 by Verve Records
.
(who had released their first two albums) to parent company, MGM Records
, they signed a two-album deal, releasing their third and eponymous album The Velvet Underground
in March 1969. Later that same year, however, there was a management change and MGM Records' new CEO, Mike Curb
, was brought in to try to rescue the financially struggling label. He decided to purge the record company of its unprofitable acts. The Velvet Underground quickly became one of the groups targeted and were released from their contract. The band had, however, in the meantime recorded fourteen tracks for possible release as their second MGM album. All of these were shelved and forgotten by their record company until the early 1980s.
As Verve (by then an imprint
of Polygram
) prepared to re-release the band's three Verve/MGM albums on vinyl and CD, they found nineteen previously unreleased tracks: five Cale-era tracks and the fourteen "lost album" tracks, some of them in two-track mixdown
format, some of them even on multitracks
. The cream of the nineteen tracks was released in 1985 as VU; the rest was released as Another View
in 1986.
VU is a selection from the 1969 tracks as well as two previously unreleased Cale-era songs—"Temptation Inside Your Heart" and "Stephanie Says". Since most of the material was available on multitrack (only "Ocean" is included in its original 1969 mix), engineers were able to clean up and remix the tracks.
As The Velvet Underground moved from MGM to Atlantic, they re-recorded two of the songs on VU, "Ocean" and "I'm Sticking with You", for possible inclusion on Loaded. Neither made the cut, but no less than six of the VU songs would be recycled by Lou Reed during his early solo career: "I Can't Stand It", "Lisa Says" and "Ocean" on Lou Reed
, 1972; "Andy's Chest" on Transformer
, 1972; "Stephanie Says
" (became "Caroline Says II") on Berlin
, 1973; and "She's My Best Friend" on Coney Island Baby
, 1976.
VU peaked in the US at #85, the band's best placing.
).
Side one
Side two
* Note that the CD issue of VU omits the first few seconds of "Foggy Notion", which includes a practice guitar lick and the band members talking.
Technical staff
Outtake
An outtake is a portion of a work that is removed in the editing process and not included in the work's final, publicly released version. In the digital era, significant outtakes have been appended to CD and DVD reissues of many albums and films as bonus tracks or features, in film often, but not...
s compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
by The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
. It was released in February 1985 by Verve Records
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
.
Composition and collection
When The Velvet Underground moved from Verve RecordsVerve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
(who had released their first two albums) to parent company, MGM Records
MGM Records
MGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s...
, they signed a two-album deal, releasing their third and eponymous album The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground (album)
The Velvet Underground is the third album by American rock group The Velvet Underground. It was their first record to feature Doug Yule, John Cale's replacement. It was recorded in 1968 at TTG Studios in Hollywood, California. This album's softer sound marks a radical shift in approach in style...
in March 1969. Later that same year, however, there was a management change and MGM Records' new CEO, Mike Curb
Mike Curb
Michael Curb is an American musician, record company executive, NASCAR and IRL race car owner. A Republican, he served as the 42nd Lieutenant Governor of California from 1979-1983 under Democratic Governor Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr...
, was brought in to try to rescue the financially struggling label. He decided to purge the record company of its unprofitable acts. The Velvet Underground quickly became one of the groups targeted and were released from their contract. The band had, however, in the meantime recorded fourteen tracks for possible release as their second MGM album. All of these were shelved and forgotten by their record company until the early 1980s.
As Verve (by then an imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
of Polygram
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
) prepared to re-release the band's three Verve/MGM albums on vinyl and CD, they found nineteen previously unreleased tracks: five Cale-era tracks and the fourteen "lost album" tracks, some of them in two-track mixdown
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
format, some of them even on multitracks
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
. The cream of the nineteen tracks was released in 1985 as VU; the rest was released as Another View
Another View
Another View is an outtakes compilation album by The Velvet Underground. It was released in 1986 by Verve Records and is comprised of material recorded between 1967 and 1969.-Composition and collection:...
in 1986.
VU is a selection from the 1969 tracks as well as two previously unreleased Cale-era songs—"Temptation Inside Your Heart" and "Stephanie Says". Since most of the material was available on multitrack (only "Ocean" is included in its original 1969 mix), engineers were able to clean up and remix the tracks.
As The Velvet Underground moved from MGM to Atlantic, they re-recorded two of the songs on VU, "Ocean" and "I'm Sticking with You", for possible inclusion on Loaded. Neither made the cut, but no less than six of the VU songs would be recycled by Lou Reed during his early solo career: "I Can't Stand It", "Lisa Says" and "Ocean" on Lou Reed
Lou Reed (album)
Lou Reed is Lou Reed's 1972 debut solo album, released two years after he left The Velvet Underground. The album comprises seven new recordings of then-unreleased Velvet Underground songs, plus three new songs, "Going Down," "Wild Child," and "Berlin" .With increasing interest in the Velvet...
, 1972; "Andy's Chest" on Transformer
Transformer (album)
Transformer is the second studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed, released in November 1972.-Background:Unlike its predecessor, Lou Reed, eight songs of which were written during his Velvet Underground days, Transformer contains mainly new material...
, 1972; "Stephanie Says
Stephanie Says
"Stephanie Says" is a song by The Velvet Underground originally recorded in 1968. Although available on various bootlegs, the song was not officially released until 1985, when a remixed version appeared on the album VU. The original, 1968 mix of Stephanie Says was included on the 2005 Velvet...
" (became "Caroline Says II") on Berlin
Berlin (album)
Berlin is a 1973 album by Lou Reed, his third solo album and the follow-up to Transformer. In 2003, the album was ranked number 344 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, though the publication had called the album a "disaster" 30 years prior.-Background and...
, 1973; and "She's My Best Friend" on Coney Island Baby
Coney Island Baby
Coney Island Baby is the sixth solo album by Lou Reed, released in 1975. It is also the title of a song on that album. The name presumably refers to the Excellents' 1962 doo wop song of the same name, and/or a 1924 Les Appleton barbershop music song of the same name...
, 1976.
VU peaked in the US at #85, the band's best placing.
Track listing
All tracks written by Lou Reed except "Foggy Notion" (Reed, Morrison, Yule, Tucker, WeissHy Weiss
-Biography:Born Hyman Y. Weiss in Romania, he was an immigrant to the United States when young and was brought up in the Bronx, New York. He started in the music industry in 1949, setting up Parody Records with his brother Sam....
).
Side one
- "I Can't Stand It" – 3:21
- Recorded May 20, 1969
- "Stephanie SaysStephanie Says"Stephanie Says" is a song by The Velvet Underground originally recorded in 1968. Although available on various bootlegs, the song was not officially released until 1985, when a remixed version appeared on the album VU. The original, 1968 mix of Stephanie Says was included on the 2005 Velvet...
" – 2:49- Recorded February 13, 1968
- "She's My Best Friend" – 2:47
- Recorded May 14, 1969
- "Lisa Says" – 2:53
- October 1, 1969
- "Ocean" – 5:10
- June 19, 1969
Side two
- "Foggy Notion" – 6:41
* - Recorded May 6, 1969
- "Temptation Inside Your Heart" – 2:30
- Recorded February 14, 1968
- "One of These Days" – 3:50
- Recorded September 23, 1969
- "Andy's Chest" – 2:49
- Recorded May 13, 1969
- "I'm Sticking with You" – 2:26
- Recorded May 13, 1969
Personnel
The Velvet Underground- John CaleJohn CaleJohn Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
– violaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, celestaCelestaThe celesta or celeste is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. Its appearance is similar to that of an upright piano or of a large wooden music box . The keys are connected to hammers which strike a graduated set of metal plates suspended over wooden resonators...
, backing vocals on "Stephanie Says" and "Temptation Inside Your Heart" - Sterling MorrisonSterling MorrisonHolmes Sterling Morrison, Jr. was one of the founding members of the rock group The Velvet Underground, usually playing electric guitar, occasionally bass guitar, and singing backing vocals.-Biography:...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, backing vocals - Lou ReedLou ReedLewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
– vocals, guitar - Maureen TuckerMaureen TuckerMaureen Ann "Moe" Tucker is a musician best known for having been the drummer for the rock group The Velvet Underground.- The Velvet Underground :...
– percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, lead vocals on "I'm Sticking with You" - Doug YuleDoug YuleDouglas Alan Yule is an American musician and singer, most notable for being a member of The Velvet Underground from 1968 to 1973.- Early career :Yule began playing with various bands in Boston in the 1960s...
– bass guitar, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
on "One of These Days", lead vocals on "She's My Best Friend", backing vocals on "I Can't Stand It", "She's My Best Friend", "Lisa Says", "Foggy Notion", "One of These Days", "Andy's Chest", and "I'm Sticking with You"
Technical staff
- The Velvet Underground – producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
s - Gary KellgrenGary KellgrenGary Kellgren was an American audio engineer and co-founder of The Record Plant recording studios, along with businessman Chris Stone.-Engineering:...
– engineer - Bill Levenson – compilation executive producerExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
- J. C. Convertino – compilation engineer