50th Anniversary - but when?

[jimjim]

Long time no hear...

Doesn't it seem odd that here we are coming up to the 50th anniversary of our beloved band's debut album and after 50 years, no one know exactly when it was released? All we have to go on is 'March 1967'. I would have thought that someone by now would have dug deep into the Verve/Polygram archive to find something to confirm an exact date for us all. Do we really have nothing to go on? I seem to remember a discussion on her a while ago quoting a reference in a mid-March 1967 trade magazine that it 'just released' or something like that.

Has any more light been shed on this? Or are we still in the dark?

[simonm]

Olivier has a link to Billboard listing it as being a new release in the 28 Jan issue, so if it missed its official release date (i think i read somewhere that the delay was partly due to complications with the cover) it probably isn't recorded what the actual date was...

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=9Sg ... 22&f=false

mentioned as a 'new action' release in the 29 April issue - "new albums reported as getting strong sales action by dealers in major markets" :
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=CCg ... 22&f=false

and then advertised on 6 May
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=BCg ... 22&f=false

[alfredovu]

I have a Verve/MGM magazine ad dated January 28, 1967 that includes VU&NIco. It shows the back cover with Eric Emerson not the Banana. It is the only Verve Ad that uses the early Emerson back cover picture.

[DavidH]

It really seems, based on the fact we're still scratching our heads over this, that it never had an actual release, but just got pressed and haphazardly sent to stores.

[alfredovu]

Just bought overnight a Record World Magazine dated July 1967 with following seller´s description:

"MGM Wigs Distribs At Vegas Sales -In" - article about MGM's "Psychedlia '67, The First Psychedelic Marketing Conference and Light Show". The Velvet Underground & Nico are mentioned repeatedly as their albums were being represented and discussed and marketing plans are discussed.

Will see if there is any additional information on release date, or something

[iaredatsun]

Marquee Moon got lots of '40 years today' happy birthday press and forum threads.

No one even knows when Velvet Underground & Nico came out. No one even made a cake. It's so sad. (π_π) <- next best thing to a crying emoticon

[peppergomez]

I seem to recall from Bockris's Uptight book that it came out in March '67, but what do I know?

[bleach]

I seem to recall from Bockris's Uptight book that it came out in March '67, but what do I know?

Richie Unterberger goes for March 67 mentioning that there is an advert in Village Voice 9/3/67 edition "suggests that the album is on sale by that date at the latest"

Maybe it was 1st March 1967 ??

[logic]

I do hope it's 19 March.... http://classicalbumsundays.com/classic- ... ound-nico/
that's the day i'm going to listen to the best album ever.

[alfredovu]

"The Bananas Are In Season" promo Verve Stationery Sheet was given with The Wall Street Journal Thursday March 30,1967.
Newspaper front page with a Banana sticker.