The History of the Velvet Underground with Richie Unterberger

We turn our attention to one of the most influential bands of all time, The Velvet Underground for the first time with biographer Richie Unterberger.

Lou Reed grew up in suburban Freeport, Long Island listening to the first wave of rock & roll.

Later at Syracuse University Reed began to write future Velvet Underground tracks including Heroin & I’m Waiting For The Man, while there he also met future Velvets guitarist Sterling Morrison.

Meanwhile in Garnant, Wales a young John Cale was a musical child prodigy, later moving to Goldsmiths College in London & on to New York on a music scholarship.

After graduating Lou Reeds ends up at budget record label Pickwick Records writing songs on demand for immediate release.

Through Pickwick, Lou Reed & John Cale meet & Lou begins to visit John in his Ludlow Street apartment in Manhattan.

Also in New York, Lou coincidentally bumps into Sterling Morrison & he joins them in what becomes The Velvet Underground, all living together in Ludlow Street.

The band take their name from a pulp novel by Michael Leigh & drummer Moe Tucker replaces Angus MacLise to complete the classic lineup.

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Music by Andy Maxwell

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Episoder(143)

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