The Velvet Underground "White Light/White Heat" 45th Anniversary Edition

Interesting. It seems like the stuff that has surfaced over the years were just sitting wherever they were and not saved or kept nice because of the solo careers of the VU members suggested they would have any later value, if you see what I mean. While VU were not appreciated in their time, people like David Bowie, Jonathan Richman and Robert Quine, not to mention the Warhol connection, could have kept the flame alive enough for them to have been appreciated cult-wise and rediscovered like Big Star, who made even less of an impact in THEIR time. What I wonder is how many Velvet Undergrounds and Big Stars HAVE actually been lost to time. Bands that were as good as the Beatles or Dylan - that no one will ever know about owing to a simple twist of fate, as it were.

 

Chris M. Nail. Head. Again.

 

This rare interview from December 1967 with producer Tom Wilson eating pickles and talking to Lou Reed and John Cale. Incredibly essential to the box set. If anyone can get word to Levenson and Mercuri -~~~

 

This was put out on a promo LP in '68. Hopefully they track one down to source from. Assuming they don't have the master tape. I think the full interview is about 15-20mins.

 

is a 70 minute "sister ray" included ?

 

Excellent idea. Such a shame that Tom Wilson is almost completely forgotten. I don't understand it.

 

I'm good friends with Tom Wilson's daughter and I have been trying to get her to put a documentary together on her father along with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame since he definitely deserves it. I also have some unreleased tracks that Wilson was recording (a concept double LP) that he never finished due to his fatal heart attack in 1978. He was a complete genius, but lived the rock and roll lifestyle.

 

With respect to WL/WH though, did he have much to do with it? My understanding is that he essentially let them get on with what they wanted to do with the engineers and wasn't in the studio much of the time.

 

From Rolling Stone:

Reed and John Cale, the Velvet's former bassist/organist/violist, helped curate the White Light/White Heat 45th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition. Remastered versions of the original record in both mono and stereo will appear on the set, as well as a slew of bonus material, including alternate versions of tracks like "Hey Mr. Rain," new mixes of "Beginning to See the Light" and "Guess I'm Falling in Love," and previously unreleased vocal and instrumental versions of "The Gift." Tracks cut during Cale's last studio session with the Velvet Underground will also appear.

In addition, fans will be treated to a never-before-heard live set recorded at the Gymnasium in New York on April 30th, 1967; the setlist from that show includes favorites like "I'm Waiting for the Man," "Sister Ray" and "Run Run Run." Rolling Stone's own David Fricke contributed new liner notes to the White Light/White Heat reissue.

 

Update from the Velvet Forum (after I asked a question from one of the guys involved in the project:

So does anyone out there have any more info confirming the validity of the mono mix? As I said I heard it 2nd hand perhaps from the Velvet Forum (or here?) and can't remember where it was 'revealed'. Anyone know?

 

The Rolling Stone article strikes me as a little sloppy with a few of their facts.

 

"Never-before-heard" Gymnasium set makes me almost laugh.. Why they choose using David Fricke instead of Richie Unterberger for liner notes?

 

I suspect these might be the same track - I'm far from any sort of authority on VU recordings in circulation, but I do know that at least some, if not most, vinyl boots of the Gymnasium set didn't include this track under either title. So maybe the above "leak" is mixing up titles and muddying the water a bit when it says "The Gift" wasn't included on the bootleg, even though "Booker T" is on recordings in circulation digitally?

 

I just asked Alfredovu if Universal might use it in some form...even if it's just as a promo item for this set. Why not? It's fun, it's rare as hell and relevant here!

 

Yep. Unterberger's notes for VU&N were FANTASTIC. Granted, the text was largely recycled from his book, but I didn't mind-- it's by far and away the most reliable and comprehensive writing we current have on the band. Fricke liner notes tend be OK, but rarely offer much new information or fascinating insight.

And yeah, that Gymnasium quote got me too. Not only is it a commonly circulated bootleg, but it's discovery was widely publicized, in a manner that illicit tape discoveries rarely inspire. In fact, didn't the New York Times even have an article about it?

 

Counting the days until this set comes out...

 

I wonder if one of the reasons we have the fade in on Booker T is maybe this was the conclusion to a jam that started with a straight reading of 'The Gift'? Just a thought..

 

That's an interesting thought.

 

According to Velvets forum and alfredovu posts:
1) Guess I´m falling In Love, the two Mr. Rains and Beginning have been newly remixed this summer.
2) Guess recording date is Sept 5th and not Dec 5th as informed before, so actually an outtake of the Wl/Wh recording sessions.
3) There's also some speculation that this second version of Guess is actually recording from TV show "Upbeat", not from another Gymnasium show. Tony Conrad recorded this show on tape and Cale might borrowed this tape in 1970's and confused with Gymnasium show.

 

There is also rumours about soundboard tape from 1967 Rhode Island School of Design gig (March 31-April 1).

 

Yes!

http://www.amazon.com/White-Light-H.../tracks/B00FH3UI66/ref=dp_tracks_all_1#disc_1

Disc: 1
1. WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT (STEREO VERSION)
2. THE GIFT (STEREO VERSION)
3. LADY GODIVA'S OPERATION (STEREO VERSION)
4. HERE SHE COMES NOW (STEREO VERSION)
5. I HEARD HER CALL MY NAME (STEREO VERSION)
6. SISTER RAY (STEREO VERSION)
7. I HEARD HER CALL MY NAME (STEREO VERSION)(ALTERNATE TAKE)
8. GUESS I'M FALLING IN LOVE (STEREO VERSION)(INSTRUMENTAL VERSION)(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
9. TEMPTATION INSIDE YOUR HEART (STEREO VERSION)(ORIGINAL MIX)
10. STEPHANIE SAYS (STEREO VERSION)(ORIGINAL MIX)
11. HEY MR. RAIN (STEREO VERSION)(VERSION ONE)(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
12. HEY MR. RAIN (STEREO VERSION) (VERSION TWO)(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
13. BEGINNING TO SEE THE LIGHT (STEREO VERSION)(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED EARLY VERSION)
Disc: 2
1. WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT (MONO VERSION)
2. THE GIFT (MONO VERSION)
3. LADY GODIVA'S OPERATION (MONO VERSION)
4. HERE SHE COMES NOW (MONO VERSION)
5. I HEARD HER CALL MY NAME (MONO VERSION)
6. SISTER RAY (MONO VERSION)
7. WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT (MONO VERSION)(MONO SINGLE MIX)
8. HERE SHE COMES NOW (MONO VERSION)(MONO SINGLE MIX)
9. THE GIFT (MONO VERSION)(VOCAL VERSION)(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
10. THE GIFT (MONO VERSION)(INSTRUMENTAL VERSION)(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
Disc: 3
1. BOOKER T. (LIVE AT THE GYMNASIUM, NEW YORK CITY, APRIL 30, 1967)
2. I'M NOT A YOUNG MAN (LIVE AT THE GYMNASIUM, NEW YORK CITY, APRIL 30, 1967)(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
3. ANYMORE (LIVE AT THE GYMNASIUM, NEW YORK CITY, APRIL 30, 1967)
4. GUESS I'M FALLING IN LOVE (LIVE AT THE GYMNASIUM, NEW YORK CITY, APRIL 30, 1967)
5. I'M WAITING FOR THE MAN (LIVE AT THE GYMNASIUM, NEW YORK CITY, APRIL 30, 1967)(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
6. RUN RUN RUN (LIVE AT THE GYMNASIUM, NEW YORK CITY, APRIL 30, 1967)(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
7. SISTER RAY (LIVE AT THE GYMNASIUM, NEW YORK CITY, APRIL 30, 1967)(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
8. THE GIFT (LIVE AT THE GYMNASIUM, NEW YORK CITY, APRIL 30, 1967)(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)

 

2 CD version:

Disc: 1
1. WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT (STEREO VERSION)
2. THE GIFT (STEREO VERSION)
3. LADY GODIVA'S OPERATION (STEREO VERSION)
4. HERE SHE COMES NOW (STEREO VERSION)
5. I HEARD HER CALL MY NAME (STEREO VERSION)
6. SISTER RAY (STEREO VERSION)
7. I HEARD HER CALL MY NAME (STEREO VERSION)(ALTERNATE TAKE)
8. GUESS I'M FALLING IN LOVE (STEREO VERSION)(INSTRUMENTAL VERSION)(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
9. TEMPTATION INSIDE YOUR HEART (STEREO VERSION)(ORIGINAL MIX)
10. STEPHANIE SAYS (STEREO VERSION)(ORIGINAL MIX)
11. HEY MR. RAIN (STEREO VERSION)(VERSION ONE)(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
12. HEY MR. RAIN (STEREO VERSION) (VERSION TWO)(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
13. BEGINNING TO SEE THE LIGHT (STEREO VERSION)(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED EARLY VERSION)
Disc: 2
1. BOOKER T. (LIVE AT THE GYMNASIUM, NEW YORK CITY, APRIL 30, 1967)
2. I'M NOT A YOUNG MAN (LIVE AT THE GYMNASIUM, NEW YORK CITY, APRIL 30, 1967)(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
3. ANYMORE (LIVE AT THE GYMNASIUM, NEW YORK CITY, APRIL 30, 1967)
4. GUESS I'M FALLING IN LOVE (LIVE AT THE GYMNASIUM, NEW YORK CITY, APRIL 30, 1967)
5. I'M WAITING FOR THE MAN (LIVE AT THE GYMNASIUM, NEW YORK CITY, APRIL 30, 1967)(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
6. RUN RUN RUN (LIVE AT THE GYMNASIUM, NEW YORK CITY, APRIL 30, 1967)(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
7. SISTER RAY (LIVE AT THE GYMNASIUM, NEW YORK CITY, APRIL 30, 1967)(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
8. THE GIFT (LIVE AT THE GYMNASIUM, NEW YORK CITY, APRIL 30, 1967)(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)

 

Vinyl:

Disc: 1
1. White Light/White Heat (LP 1 - Side 1)
2. The Gift (LP 1 - Side 1)
3. Lady Godiva's Operation (LP 1 - Side 1)
4. Here She Comes Now (LP 1 - Side 1)
5. I Heard Her Call My Name (LP 1 - Side 2)
6. Sister Ray (LP 1 - Side 2)
Disc: 2
1. I Heard Her Call My Name (Alternate Take)(LP 2 - Side 3)
2. Guess I'm Falling In Love (Instrumental Version)(LP 2 - Side 3)(Previously Unreleased)
3. Temptation Inside Your Heart (Original Mix)(LP 2 - Side 3)
4. Stephanie Says (Original Mix)(LP 2 - Side 3)
5. Hey Mr. Rain (Version One)(LP 2 - Side 4)(Previously Unreleased)
6. Hey Mr. Rain (Version Two)(LP 2 - Side 4)(Previously Unreleased)
7. Beginning To See The Light (Previously Unreleased Early Version)(LP 2 - Side 4)(Previously Unreleased)

 

Wonder why the I Heard Her Call My Name mono single mix, as heard on the Sundazed set, isn't on this?

 

NICE!