The Velvet Forum

Chris M wrote:I've always wondered what happen to the raw tape used for 'Noise' on the East Village Other album. I was surprised to learn that it was recorded at a proper recording studio, RLA Sound Studios in NYC on August 6, 1966. Same studio Sun Ra recorded in during the era. Maybe they recorded something else in addition to the 'Noise' track?

A few years ago I made contact with Richard Alderson, the owner/engineer at RLA. I was hoping that there might be a 'clean' tape of Noise somewhere, minus the radio, but apparently not: the radio was there in the studio with them, and the track was recorded direct to 2-track with just a couple of ambient mics. So no separation and no clean Noise. Whether or not it was edited down from a longer recording, I don't know.

Veering off topic completely now, but looking at the dates and listening to the, um, noises on Noise, I suspect that it was recorded by the 'Poor Richards' VU line-up, ie John, Sterl, Angus and possibly Moe. Richard was hazy on the details, but he thought it wasn't the full line-up of the band.