The Velvet Forum

I DO NOT REMEMBER A RUMOUR ABOUT AN STUDIO VERSION OF WGO WITH CALE, BUT WHAT WAS LONG TIME SAID DURING THE 80´s WAS THAT THE LIVE VERSION ON "LIVE 69" COULD BE WITH JOHN PLAYING ORGAN.
THOSE DAYS INFORMATION ABOUT THE TAPES USED ON THE RECORD WAS VERY SMALL. THE PICTURE USED INSIDE THE GATEFOLD WAS A CALE ERA PIC, THERE WERE ONLY TWO OTHER WGO TO COMPARE WITH (STUDIO + LA CAVE) WHICH WERE VERY DIFFERENT... SO THE RUMOUR GREW. I MUST ADMIT THAT I SUPPORTED THAT! YEARS LATER WITH END COLE RECORDINGS & OTHERS, I UNDERSTOOD THAT YULE DID A GREAT JOB ON THIS SONG LIVE (I NEVER LIKED THE STUDIO VERSION OF ONE OF THE BEST VU SONGS)
FROM MEMORY, WAS STERLING ON "FEEDBACK" BOOK WHO TOLD HOW GOOD JOHN PLAYED ORGAN ON WGO LIVE THAT 68 SUMMER.

Chris - I think what you're remembering from the yellow board is that someone actually claimed that a version of Beginning To See The Light was recorded in Spring '68 with Cale. I don't think there's ever been a rumour of a Cale studio version of What Goes On.

Mark wrote:Chris - I think what you're remembering from the yellow board is that someone actually claimed that a version of Beginning To See The Light was recorded in Spring '68 with Cale. I don't think there's ever been a rumour of a Cale studio version of What Goes On.

I wonder, has anyone ever attempted to do an exhaustive survey of all the VU studio tapes in the same way that has been done for the Wilson/Beach Boys Smile sessions, for example? How would that work? Does it have to be someone inside the record company or can outsiders get permission in cases like these?

iaredatsun

iaredatsun wrote:I wonder, has anyone ever attempted to do an exhaustive survey of all the VU studio tapes in the same way that has been done for the Wilson/Beach Boys Smile sessions, for example?

Obviously not!

I think it would be possible for someone from outside of the record company to do such a survey, but they would need permission from the band and/or the label.

I imagine that someone like, say Bill Levenson or the other people who have worked on reissue projects over the years would have a good idea of what material exists in the vaults - but I doubt they know everything. And then there's the matter of the recordings that don't exist in the record company's archives, but in Cale and Reed's private collections...