The Velvet Forum

If you listen at the end of I'm not a young man, right before Guess I'm falling in love, you can hear people talk in the background.

I don't think this is a rehearsal at all. The reason you can't hear the audience is because this is a soundboard recording. Soundboard recordings are notorious for not capturing much crowd ambience, even when there's a huge crowd there. Lou's loud vocals and the low level of the drums are also a dead give away to this being a soundboard.

Having said all that, isn't this fantastic stuff? The new song - holy shit I'm loving it, Guess in it's natural context, the unheard lyrics in RRR - that's gotta be stuff that was removed from the studio version, hasn't it? Remember the jump cut on the album RRR we're all familiar with?

I also figured someone else was having a freakout on the drums along with or maybe instead of Moe. Maybe Moe switched to bass so Cale could move on to something else. Gonna have to listen more closely...

Huge thanks to all involved in getting this out at last, and fingers crossed that the other set will be along soon as well...

I read somewhere that there were kinda 30 people around....

Uptight pag 70
Chris Stein
"...It was a giant gymnasium(...) and everything was echoing(...) They (The Velvets) just completely filled up the whole room with their sound.They were really into this huge fucking volume, and it was completely awesome.(...) There were maybe thirty people there."

To be absolutely sure we didn't have another Guess I'm Falling in Love - I did a comparison with both and my transcribed lyrics and it's a perfect match to Peel Slowly and See even down the the odd lines I can't work out. I also have to say that I think that it sounds a little better on the vinyl.

PhantomRaspberryBlower wrote: the unheard lyrics in RRR - that's gotta be stuff that was removed from the studio version, hasn't it? Remember the jump cut on the album RRR we're all familiar with?

I think it sounds more like Lou making lyrics up on the spot. His ability to do this was one of his attractions to Cale. I think that's partly what's going on in Sister Ray too. Some of the lyrics are already there and he's adding to it as he goes.

Elvis Plebsley wrote: I think it sounds more like Lou making lyrics up on the spot. His ability to do this was one of his attractions to Cale. I think that's partly what's going on in Sister Ray too. Some of the lyrics are already there and he's adding to it as he goes.

Could be improvised, and maybe whatever Lou came out with on the studio take was considered unworthy and excised for that reason...?

I agree, Elvis - the vinyl sounds better than the CD.

As for the jump cut in "Run Run Run" - I think that was done just to replace a poorly sung chorus. The acetate version is unaltered, and you can hear what they replaced.

Amazing stuff... I'm still listening to it! --- COME ON, POWERS THAT BE! RELEASE THIS, THE VU&N ACETATE and whatever else you have!

By the way, who's singing along with Lou on "Run Run Run"? Is that Sterling? Doesn't sound like Cale, to me.

PhantomRaspberryBlower wrote:

Elvis Plebsley wrote: I think it sounds more like Lou making lyrics up on the spot. His ability to do this was one of his attractions to Cale. I think that's partly what's going on in Sister Ray too. Some of the lyrics are already there and he's adding to it as he goes.

Could be improvised, and maybe whatever Lou came out with on the studio take was considered unworthy and excised for that reason...?

The lyrics are improvised- Lou often did this, evidenced in many songs, particularly "Sister Ray".

"Teenage Mary said to Uncle Dave
I sold my soul, must be saved
Gonna take a walk down to Union Square
You never know who you're gonna find there

You gotta run, run, run, run, run
Take a drag or two
Run, run, run, run, run
Gypsy Death and you
Tell you whatcha do

Marguerita Passion had to get her fix
She wasn't well, she was getting sick
Went to sell her soul, she wasn't high
Didn't know, thinks she could buy it

And she would run, run, run
Take a drag or two
Run, run, run, run, run
Gypsy Death and you
Tell you whatcha do

Seasick Sarah had a golden nose
Hobnail boots wrapped around her toes
When she turned blue, all the angels screamed
They didn't know, they couldn't make the scene

She had to run, run, run, run, run
Take a drag or two
Run, run, run, run, run
Gypsy Death and you
Tell you whatcha do

Beardless Harry, what a waste
Couldn't even get a small-town taste
Rode the trolleys down to forty-seven
Figured he was good to get himself to heaven

'Cause he had to run, run, run, run, run
Take a drag or two
Run, run, run, run, run
Gypsy Death and you
Tell you whatcha do"

And there's that version of Waiting For The Man on The Quine Tapes Disc 3 with different (I assume improvised) lyrics.

Anyway, thank you so much for uploading this recording! Listening to it all day non-stop. I love I'm Not A Young Man Anymore. Amazing.

Not to sound greedy, but I hope there's more (with Booker T?).

NEWSFLASH....

1. Its on Dime (well, no surprise)
2. This comment on Dime:

2356705 by tranehead at 2008-02-23 18:31:48 GMT
ive been sitting on a DAT version of this for years...maybe i can seed the known lineage version for you all...!
also, it is NOT 'sister Ray'..its an inst version of 'the gift'...