The Velvet Forum

Sheila Klein wrote: ↑23 May 2021 22:35 I seem to recall Moe, many years ago, referring to the "Gift" backing as "Booker T," but I might be misremembering that.

When I interviewed Moe n Sterling in 1992 I showed them this bootleg single: https://www.discogs.com/The-Velvet-Unde ... se/5058620
Moe turned to Sterl and said "See - I told you there was another version of that".
Or sth to that effect - it's so long ago that's all I remember.

On that Discogs page there's this note:

[Uncredited Info]:
Same track on both sides.
The track is listed as "Booker T" but it's original studio instrumental section of "The Gift", September 1967 Mayfair Sound Studios, New York City, New York. Contrary to rumor, it is not the same song. In the essay accompanying the "Deluxe" reissue and "SuperDeluxe the 45th anniversary of White Light / White Heat"was specified that the instrumental version has no particular title; "Booker T" is the title of another instrumental jam (gender blues) performed by the band in April 1967 at New York's Gymnasium.

searchin4mymainline wrote: ↑23 May 2021 23:12

iaredatsun wrote: ↑23 May 2021 20:28 The recording itself, I've assumed that it was Cale who taped it.

In the White Light/White Heat Super Deluxe notes Cale is quoted as saying he doesn't know who taped it.

He has the tape, and yet doesn't know where the tape came from...?

Wick Pick wrote: ↑24 May 2021 12:01

I’m pretty sure that most of their known instrumentals did in fact have titles. Unless they were actually one-off improvisations, which the Gift does not appear to be.

Aronowtiz had his wollansak tape recorder stolen from the first VU gig at Summit High. I always hoped it was Cale that stole it as it does seem to match up with some of his other behaviour. My personal theory is that he stole all the tapes we’ve heard about. Like the San Diego gig from ‘68. . Doesn’t that story also include mention of a stolen tape? Maybe just wishful thinking on my part but there are a few clues that suggest there is a possibility in my mind.
[/quote]

You may be right, and the music for the Gift is clearly a repeatable thing, whereas most of the actual improv is not. For example, where did the names 'Nothing Song' and 'Melody Laughter' come from? Were they invented later? I have a memory there is some information about that those two pieces. With regards the Gift , it is quite feasible it had an informal title, depending how often it was repeated if ever.

If Cale stole all the tapes. He must have stolen them from a single source. We would have got to hear about that, I would have thought – as someone would own up to being the recorder. I wish an intrepid researcher would interview Cale and ask him the truth about these tapes, the Wollensak and the San Diego gig. Etc. Of course if he did steal either the tape recorder itself or the tapes, it might all be a guilty secret that he would never reveal.

Who knows? What might we get this summer or this year? (This summer being the release of the documentary.) And if we get any live gigs will we ever get the story behind them? Frankly and in reality it all seems too much to expect.

Ok I'll confess. I stole them all. All of it. Despite not yet having been born, I crossed over from nothingness to grab 'em. And took them back to nothingness with me.

The Wollensack tape recorder is mentioned in the liner notes from 'And So On' LP (1982) If Cale did 'liberate' the Wollensack recorder at the Summit gig in Dec 65, i wonder what they recorded the July 65 Ludlow St session on?

It has always seemed odd to me that they are living in ultra cheap sometimes unheated rooms but they have a $300 (1960s price) tape recorder around?

iaredatsun wrote: ↑27 May 2021 23:05

searchin4mymainline wrote: ↑23 May 2021 23:12 In the White Light/White Heat Super Deluxe notes Cale is quoted as saying he doesn't know who taped it.

He has the tape, and yet doesn't know where the tape came from...?

The notes say the recording "fell into his hands".

In "What's Welsh For Zen" there's a quote from Paul Katz about the period when the VU were playing the Gymnasium. "They had a road manager then called David Faison who recorded most of their evenings." I don't know whether anyone's researched this avenue at all?

I've often wondered why neither of their road managers were ever interviewed. Maybe they both have recordings. Maybe attempts to do so fell on deaf ears. Both Dave from the Warhol era and Hans from 1968-?

peppergomez wrote: ↑28 May 2021 17:23 I've often wondered why neither of their road managers were ever interviewed. Maybe they both have recordings. Maybe attempts to do so fell on deaf ears. Both Dave from the Warhol era and Hans from 1968-?

I always wondered that as well.
There was previous discussion on this very forum about contacting Hans but i think it came to nothing

I contacted Hans about a year ago to request an interview, but he politely declined.