![]() “While the Exploding Plastic Inevitable had a good electrician who knew how to work a fuse-box, a good roadie, good projectionists, good dancers, good photographers, and fabulous art directors,” wrote Victor Bockris in his book, Up-Tight: The Velvet Underground Story, “The Velvet Underground didn’t have anyone who really just wanted to be a good business person for them, which is probably the major factor in the faltering momentum.” Then again, they epitomize the artist who was never fully appreciated during their time. And yet the album’s original sales fell far short of the regard within which it is now held. The release of The Velvet Underground & Nico was somewhat delayed thanks to a special machine that had to be made in order to create Warhol’s original sleeve, which featured a banana-shaped sticker that peeled off to reveal the phallic fruit below. There were also elegantly wasted moments, such as Nico’s lead vocal on “All Tomorrows Parties,” that touched on the element of noble glamour inherent to the Warhol/Velvets gang that was captured in beautiful spreads in Life and Look magazines. All of it proves why the Velvets are often classified as one of the proto-punk bands, including MC5 and The Stooges, that planted the seeds for that later movement. Then the album goes into crank-out dancefloor ravers the likes of “Run, Run, Run” and “Heroin,” gradually building to their peaks. Here was an LP on which the most radio-friendly number, “There She Goes Again,” nicked the intro to Marvin Gaye’s “Hitchhike,” sounding like the Stones’ cover version but going off into its own erotic direction. (Up to that point, very few albums had featured extended wig-outs the Stones, Love, and The Seeds were the exception.) It truly sounded like a practice session in a garage, but with formidable enough propulsion for the music to morph into some exquisite free-form jams. The overall feel of what became known as “the Banana album” (due to Warhol’s “peel slowly and see” cover design) was decidedly rougher than almost anything else at the time. The group represented an even further move away from pop stoicism than The Rolling Stones had. ![]() The Velvet Underground and Nico then spent some time recording and, while in LA, eventually made a deal with MGM Records, who would release the album on Verve. Holing up in Los Angeles for what was supposed to be a month-long engagement at The Trip on Sunset Strip, the show was closed down after a few nights by the authorities. The Exploding Plastic Inevitable multimedia show developed its revolution at a rented club space called The Dom, in Manhattan, and then brought the entire ensemble to the West Coast in May. She had appeared in Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita and, while in London, became associated with Bob Dylan, who’d passed his song “I’ll Keep It With Mine,” to her for a single release. It involved a troupe of 11 people, including The Velvet Underground, who, at Warhol’s suggestion, had recently added to their line-up a stunning chanteuse simply known as Nico. Aldn Returns With New Single And Video ‘Headstrong Gunner’Īndy Warhol had been looking for a group to accompany similar experiments in film, music, and dance, called the Exploding Plastic Inevitable.Rising Pop Songwriter gigi Returns With ‘Sally’.All The Single Ladies: Anthems Of Independence. ![]() Listen to the super deluxe edition of The Velvet Underground & Nico now. This association began in spring 1965, before “Happenings” became all the rage some of the material the Velvets played, including “Venus In Furs” and “Heroin,” would end up on their debut album. During their earliest stages of development, Lou Reed, John Cale, and Sterling Morrison began accepting offers to soundtrack underground movies (Moe Tucker would join the group in a few months), after experimental filmmaker Piero Heliczer asked them to play live while his films were projected onto a screen. ![]() The musical combo was part of a subculture developing on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, along with The Fugs and The Holy Modal Rounders. The Velvet Underground & Nico may have been released in 1967, but it never seemed part of the Summer Of Love – despite the fact that the Velvets and Nico’s multimedia performances during 19 helped spurn the psychedelicized youth culture of that time.
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